I started my STR journey in my head. I was looking around all the places I wanted to vacation with my family on the east coast, so I could rationalize investing in a property that I could then rent out.
The result? Lots of dreaming on Zillow – but nothing that made sense.
c. 1728
My historic rivertown is amazing – full of rich early American storylines, Civil War headlines, anti-slavery movement, roaring 20s awesome emergence… but in desperate need of a new rebirth. For the last few decades there’s been rumblings and behind the scenes work by dedicated dreamers. Recently some local investors saw what everyone sees, but put their money behind the vision.
So I tried to see if I could get my hands on some available properties, but it never turned out.
Chris was about to put a historic home on the market, and the owners said they’d sell it to us for a fair price if we could close “yesterday”. The local borough laws were pretty tough – shutting down every AirBnB / STR that applied for a variance to date.
But I was determined to try and my wife and I prayed and felt peace about the big risk.
Chris made it an easy sale process, and all that was left was zoning approval.
More on that later – but the results have been… life changing, life giving, and energizing to the town as well!
I want to show you how I did it, share my tips, and also keep you involved as I continue to market and make efforts to ensure my STR guests have an incredible experience – and that we are found for all my desired searches online!
I wanted my STR to give my guests an unforgettable experience, give my neighbors value, and give my town something exciting to talk about.
If I can't do something as good or better than someone else, I tend to shy away from trying - as I am not of the mindset "well, just a piece of the pie is worth it!" I like doing excellent work.
I don't like keeping secrets. I am terrible at holding back the surprise news. So I believe generously sharing insights, tips, advice, and the actual income we earn is key to being successful.
After hosting hundreds of guests – here are 5 mistakes you can avoid in your short term rental – to make sure you become a great host!
Helping STRs grow STRong.