I see many people trying to be good at something they are not and spend and waste a lot of time at it, whereas they could have been flipping burgers at the local fast food joint and would be further in life then they are now because they have FOMO and follow heard mentality, especially in real estate (most likely because they were sold on some guru)

If the HOA covers big ticket items or boosts occupancy, it might pencil out.

Especially for markets like Bristol, TN, which made the trending list, now is the perfect time to optimize listings around these trends.I’d add that adjusting minimum stay requirements and pricing strategically around big events can boost occupancy and revenue.Great reminder to keep adapting our STR strategies to evolving traveler behavior — thanks for the update!

Hey @Greg Teplansky, so updating photos and wording in your listing can help boost the listing up the ranks.I will say that some areas do better with VRBO and others with AirBNB.

So its a mental as well.

Appraisers look at past sales—agents think more about what buyers want now.Also, replacing systems like roof or plumbing is expected in a full rehab, but it won’t boost ARV much on its own.

So yeah, that $400K estimate is pretty realistic.Your best moves now: dig up every receipt or record to boost your cost basis and maybe time the sale for a lower-income year (since your income dropped in 2024).

Congrats on the transition—STRs can definitely boost returns if managed well!

@Wes Reed Just adding my 2 cents here — although technically it’s correct that you "don’t need to pay for people teaching you to wholesale"...If your time and energy are valuable to you, getting experienced help through a paid program can save you a lot of both.Lead generation is indeed the lifeblood of wholesaling, but there are many methods to do it — and just as many ways to F it up…Not to mention getting the right wording on a contract and knowing how to approach a seller in a professional manner (and yes, some courses even teach you that).So I agree and disagree with what others wrote here.Like anything, you can burn your own dime and mental capacity to figure it out, or you can spend somewhere between $500–$2,000 and take the shortcut with someone who can actually advise you.The real key is to be consistent with lead generation and flipping the deals — not just doing it once, or once in a while…

As a licensed agent in Boston, I work with investors, and I've noticed we all seem to have different approaches to crunching the numbers.Some clients come in with elaborate spreadsheets, others use apps, and some just do quick mental math (which honestly makes me nervous when we're talking six-figure decisions).