Investors — when you’re juggling multiple properties, chaos compounds.

How do you structure your transaction flow to avoid last-minute surprises?

what advice can you give me to prevent unnecessary risks? 

For the investor, that meant holding costs piling up fast.Here’s how we resolved it:Got on-site immediately to document status and secure the property.Started calling vetted backup contractors to step in for plumbing and electrical.Negotiated with the GC to either replace the missing subs or risk losing the contract.Within a week, new crews were in place, and we recovered most of the lost time in the schedule.It wasn’t pretty, but it kept the project moving and prevented a major blow to the investor’s budget and timeline. 

This prevents subs from coming back later after the homeowner/investor saying they were never paid and placing liens on the house.

I recently reviewed a panel discussion from Phocuswright featuring senior leaders from Airbnb, Marriott, and Casago, and it offered a clear look into where short-term rentals are heading.A few themes stood out:• Airbnb is building a broader hospitality ecosystem through services, experiences, and hotels• Marriott is expanding deeper into professionally managed homes with strict operating and brand standards• Arbitrage-heavy models like Sonder were called out as fragile in changing market conditions• The industry is moving away from “any door will rent” toward fewer, higher-quality, better-operated propertiesMy takeaway from this conversation:Short-term rentals are moving away from being just alternative lodging and toward full-scale hospitality.Operators who focus on quality, systems, local expertise, and guest experience will win.Those relying on thin margins, arbitrage, or volume without standards will struggle.How we’re implementing this in our property management businessInstead of chasing door count or volume, we’re doubling down on:• Property selection over scale, only onboarding homes that can meet hospitality-level standards• Operational systems, including standardized inspections, preventive maintenance, and guest communication workflows• Local expertise, with boots-on-the-ground teams who can make real-time decisions and recommendations• Experience-driven stays, layering in services, amenities, and curated local recommendations beyond just the stay• Owner alignment, working only with owners who understand that quality and consistency drive long-term performanceThe goal isn’t to manage more properties.It’s to operate better properties.Curious how others here are approaching this shift:• Are you adjusting your model in response to where the industry is heading?

Make sure they can clearly explain how they screen tenants and, especially, how they detect and prevent fraud.

I have also come across jurisdictions where escrow accounts are regulated and mandatory, which adds another layer of protection by preventing developers from misusing buyer funds.

I have also come across jurisdictions where escrow accounts are regulated and mandatory, which adds another layer of protection by preventing developers from misusing buyer funds. 

The numbers check is simple if 340 a door prevents even one deductible hit across the property over a couple years it pencils, but only if install and ongoing monitoring are tight and you can show fewer claims or fewer incidents.

I’m working with a property in Brown County, Indiana that is fully approved for STR use under current regulations and has a documented operating history ($70k–$110k gross; ~$450 ADR).Zoning restrictions prevent adding additional rental units on the parcel, so this is a single-asset STR where value is driven by privacy, acreage, and guest experience rather than scale.Curious how other STR owners think about long-term value and defensibility in markets where zoning has tightened significantly.Appreciate any operator insight.