Thanks For Visiting

Welcome to another Ask Me Anything (Ask Us Anything?) episode! Each week we’ll answer your questions on STR, real estate, OTAs, and everything in between. Amy asks: Some guests tend to trust Airbnb because of perceived added security. How do I explain the benefits of direct booking to guests? Thanks to everyone who submitted questions. To hear your voice on the show and send a question to Sarah &a...

Annette + Sarah share their Top 10 Hosting Tips for 2022. You can submit your top tips on Instagram @ThanksForVisiting_ Free + Clear Laundry Detergent Backup Keys for Smart Locks To-Go Cups Chip Clips Extra Wine Keys (+ Bottle Openers) Lighting for Evening Check-Ins Block Your Listing Calendar for Time Off A “Getting Ready” Area Outside of the Bathroom Combine A Dresser with A TV Stand Extra Suppl...

Welcome to another Ask Me Anything (Ask Us Anything?) episode! Each week we’ll answer your questions on STR, real estate, OTAs, and everything in between. Sharon ( @WindroseDestinations ) asks: How do you suggest pricing for mid-term stays, especially coming into the slow winter season? Thanks to everyone who submitted questions. To hear your voice on the show and send a question to Sarah & An...

Sarah and Annette recap the 2022 business year, and discuss what they plan for 2023 (including the slow winter season in Ohio). They share their tips on switching from short-term to mid-term rentals, what you need to consider, and how to make sure you are ready for when the short-term rental season resumes. Resources: #STRShareSunday: @homme_girls Thanks for Visiting is produced by Crate Media . M...

Welcome to another Ask Me Anything (Ask Us Anything?) episode! Each week we’ll answer your questions on STR, real estate, OTAs, and everything in between. Chris asks: What are best practices for washing bed linens? With a duvet cover, do you still wash the main bedspread after each guest? Thanks to everyone who submitted questions. To hear your voice on the show and send a question to Sarah &...

With a passion for researching and sharing the most important facts on real estate and economics, Kathy is a frequent guest expert on such media as CNN, CNBC, Fox News, NPR, CBS MarketWatch and the Wall Street Journal. She is the author of the #1 best seller, Retire Rich with Rentals, and host of two long-running RealWealth podcasts – “The Real Wealth Show” and “Real Estate News for Investors.” Yo...

Jeff Iloulian has been in the vacation rental industry for nearly a decade. He has set up, managed, and/or operated over 250+ vacation rental properties; from cozy cabins in the woods, to luxury mansions in Beverly Hills. Additionally, Jeff has successfully grown several businesses and has a passion for interdisciplinary problem solving in emerging industries. He firmly believes that the further y...

Welcome to another Ask Me Anything (Ask Us Anything?) episode! Each week we’ll answer your questions on STR, real estate, OTAs, and everything in between. Today’s Question: What do you recommend for accounting software for STR owners? Is there something specific for our industry or is Quickbooks still the gold standard? Thanks to everyone who submitted questions. To hear your voice on the show and...

Today we’re reviewing Airbnb’s new winter updates as we move into 2023. If you have Airbnb listings, we always recommend logging into your account regularly to see what’s new on the platform, and be sure your listings are up to date with Airbnb’s requirements and able to perform well in the search algorithm. Here’s what’s new: Total price display for guests (nightly rate + all fees), and Airbnb is...

Kacia & Seena are brand new to STRs and real estate investing, but they have a BIG vision of where they want to take this, and how they are going to use the power of community to build out an STR brand. After 13 years together and three months into their marriage, they are taking a deep dive into real estate investing. Kacia has 9 years experience as an entrepreneur, and Seena left his career...

Sean Kemper, founder of ETI Solutions, helps educate people on cleaning best practices. Their parent company, Ecolab, manufactures quality cleaning products that are both safe AND effective, bringing innovative equipment, cleaning, and disinfecting products to the industry. Sean has served on the Vacation Rental Housing Professional's (VRHP) board for the past four years, focusing his efforts on v...

Welcome to another Ask Me Anything (Ask Us Anything?) episode! Each week we’ll answer your questions on STR, real estate, OTAs, and everything in between. Lindsey asks: Our most recent STR purchase came with an old church built on the property. We’ve been booking it as a wedding venue, but if we wanted to turn it into its own rental unit, what’s the best setup for this? Would it be a draw as a uni...

Alex Sabio is a married father of four from Southern California. He has been in healthcare for over 20 years, and focuses on helping other healthcare workers become financially free through investing in STRs. Alex had a rocky start in real estate investing, including bankruptcy, builder issues, and even a Ponzi scheme. But through it all, he always had an innate feeling that he was making the righ...

Welcome to another Ask Me Anything (Ask Us Anything?) episode! Each week we’ll answer your questions on STR, real estate, OTAs, and everything in between. Meg asks: Are there restrictions around offering alcohol to your guests, whether as a check-in gift or as an upsell to “stock the bar?”  Thanks to everyone who submitted questions. To hear your voice on the show and send a question to Sarah...

Breezeway’s Justin Ford is back sharing his top holiday safety tips and tricks for rental properties. He covers the most likely accidents that occur during the holidays; why the month between Thanksgiving and Christmas are so deadly in terms of fires and other accidents; why candles are a BIG no-no; why you might want to take a peek at your insurance before welcoming guests with a bottle of wine;...

Welcome to another Ask Me Anything (Ask Us Anything?) episode! Each week we’ll answer your questions on STR, real estate, OTAs, and everything in between. Kamala asks: I’m putting a hot tub on the deck at my property, and I’m wondering how high the railing surrounding the hot tub should be? Thanks to everyone who submitted questions; and thanks to Justin Ford from Breezeway for the guest answer. T...

To celebrate our 200th episode we’re recapping all the best moments from our very first live event: TFV Live! Experience at the Sahara Las Vegas. Real Estate Kenny Bedwell from STR Insights – STR real estate deals are both emotional and logical. Don’t just chase the right returns; make sure you’re investing in towns and communities that you have a connection with and are passionate about. Creative...

Anthony Gantt is a retired Marine and Founder of atease. After experiencing complications with short-term rental stays during his many relocations in the military, Anthony identified a common problem with short-term rentals: they were often not compliant with the government’s high standards (the way hotels and motels were), and so the employees staying in them weren’t eligible for travel and lodgi...

Welcome to another Ask Me Anything (Ask Us Anything?) episode! Each week we’ll answer your questions on STR, real estate, OTAs, and everything in between. Addie asks: Our township wants to impose their own licensing and taxes on short-term rentals, and while they deliberate, they’re proposing a one-year ban on all new STRs. This poses issues for our business and we’re just finishing up a new prope...

While working for Citi Bank doing financial research and analytics four years ago, Kenny purchased his first short term rental. After deciding to grow his STR portfolio, he found it difficult to identify the best STR markets based on his budget. He founded STR Insights in 2021 as a tool to help investors find their best STR markets. He now has 6 STR's throughout New York. Kenny helps investors fin...

Welcome to another Ask Me Anything (Ask Us Anything?) episode! Each week we’ll answer your questions on STR, real estate, OTAs, and everything in between. Jesse asks: We just purchased property in another state, which is zoned residential upstairs and commercial/office space downstairs. What tips do you have for managing a rental property from long-distance? And do you have any ideas for leveragin...

Zeona McIntyre has been an Airbnb host since 2012. After 10 years of managing short-term rentals across the globe, she has transitioned to selling Real Estate to investors looking to house hack or live for free. She is an avid Real Estate Investor owning a double-digit portfolio of short and medium-term rentals.  She has been featured on BiggerPockets, Mr. Money Mustache, NPR, Business Inside...

Welcome to another Ask Me Anything (Ask Us Anything?) episode! Each week we’ll answer your questions on STR, real estate, OTAs, and everything in between. Holly asks: Should I take on a partnership? How do I know if partnering up is the right move for my business, and once I decide, how do I know I’ve found the right partner? Thanks to everyone who submitted questions. To hear your voice on the sh...

Quarterly recaps are a MUST for your business. Whether you’re managing properties for clients, or self-operating your STR listings, regular quarterly reports can help provide a holistic, high-level view of your business’ performance. This real data puts a different spin on the day to day grind, especially in those moments where you feel like you’re having a slow week or your booking calendar is em...

Welcome to another Ask Me Anything (Ask Us Anything?) episode! Each week we’ll answer your questions on STR, real estate, OTAs, and everything in between. Kelsey ( @StayJandK ) asks: How do you set up your Workday or your work week? There’s so many things I know I could (or should) be doing, but some days it’s so much that I get analysis paralysis. How do you structure things on a daily, weekly, a...