About to dip our toe into the Airbnb pool

Thank you…I have been reading some posts already, but couldn’t find anything on buying a home with this market in mind.

I don’t know of any Havasu hosts here but there are plenty of hosts here who rent vacation homes where they don’t live on site full time.

I wouldn’t quite agree @sirvin. If you are hosting remotely you will need a local co-host or manager to handle on the ground issues such as managing cleaners, bedding, sorting out problems with the property, sorting out issues with guests etc.

Correct. I forgot that he said he didn’t live in the area.

That’s because the main focus on this forum is to provide help and advice to those who are already hosting.

There are a fair few websites and blogs that have been set up to help those starting out on Airbnb, as well as of course information on Airbnb’s website and it’s Community Centre…

And local estate agents will be able to help you with information on buying an investment property in your chosen area.

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not at all…like I said earlier it will just be a way to offset the costs of owning a vacation home

MAKE SURE that the local covenants, city/county regulations allow AirBnb STRs. Knowing Havasu, the probably do, but it won’t hurt to check.

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Many hosts just don’t leave reviews for subpar guests, or leave reviews that aren’t negative, so you can’t always tell how the renters will be.

In regard to finding a cleaner, I’m always amazed and in awe of those that host remotely. It is sooo difficult to find cleaners that work to our standards. We don’t host remotely but do hire cleaners, and that’s been the most difficult part. I tend to go over everything with a fine toothed comb before guests arrive (when I can), and we only have one cleaner that we trust

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Hawaii is facing huge regulation right now. Legislation under consideration Would ban all New vacation rentals not located in resort zones. Some of the islands are already regulated. I would not call Hawaii an easy place to have a rental. We know people who have sold and gotten out. Just too expensive and now getting regulated. Also it can have a severe low season. You might be completely unbooked from June to September.

Not for me. I I have both and treat them both lovingly and the same.

there is no difference…depending upon the owner. I have both. They are treated the same.

We were in your exact position 6 months ago considering a vacation property in Big Bear (we live about an hour away). Went through with it and it has been an experience for sure. As mentioned above, your #1 goal right now should be to find a property manager/housekeeper you trust. I found one that was willing to base her fee off of my reviews, so if a got dinged for cleanliness, etc, her fee would be reduced. I like to think people work better/harder when they have skin in the game. Good luck!

OP, we are not seasoned, in fact we haven’t even gone live yet, but plan to in a few weeks. We bought a place 3.5 hours from our home back in November and have been preparing it since then.

We have installed a Shlage keyless entry lock, Apple home and thermostat controlled baseboard heaters which we can control from home, shampoo/soap dispensers in the showers, as well as an exterior security camera.

We have found a cleaning service in the area, which will clean, restock the wood, refill the soap/shampoo, etc as well as call a plumber or electrician if there is an issue. They aren’t a property management company per se, but will do a bit of that if need be.

Hi Rich. How did it work out? I’m thinking about doing exactly the same thing you did

This topic is over three years old, and a good proportion of members who’ve posted are no longer active.

Maybe not the best topic for you’re research.

Closed for housekeeping.

JF