My Short Term Home is a vacation rental business that started out with traditional rentals and has more than doubled the number of listings they manage with the help of OwnerRez.
Can you tell us a little bit about your history?
I bought my first duplex when I was in college and slowly built a portfolio. In 2016, with 17 units, I discovered Airbnb and switched my 17 traditional rentals to short-term rentals. I now have 38 units and am planning to grow aggressively and really become a professional in STR.
What is your background?
I have a degree in business administration, but I decided to answer a calling to serve people overseas through a faith-based church planting organization that I co-founded and led as its CEO from 2006 to 2021. During that time, I got a master's degree in Christian Apologetics from Liberty Univ. I retired from the mission work in December 2021 and am now working exclusively on my real estate portfolio. I am about to publish a book on building wealth on limited income and have launched a personal brand around that same topic called "The Unexpected Investor" (@UnexpectedInvestor on social media).
Were you always in VR or property management, or is this a 2nd/3rd career?
I was first traditional rentals, then pivoted to STR with the mission work in the middle. So I guess 3rd career. :)
Are you from the geographical area where your properties are located, or did you move there later?
The first half of my portfolio is in Boise, Idaho, which is where I grew up and went to college. The newest properties are in the Phoenix metro area where I now reside.
If later, is there something that drew you to that area?
We love Boise in the summers and Phoenix in the winters.
What do you love the most about the vacation rental business?
For me, it's all business. Unlike traditional rentals, STR produces about double the rent and triple the cash flow.
What do you dislike the most about the vacation rental business?
I really am working hard not to rely on the OTAs for bookings. The success of the OTA technology adoption by the masses is a double-edged sword.
How do you use OwnerRez to manage your business?
OwnerRez keeps everything in one central place for easy management and reporting. It cooperates well with a diverse ecosystem of apps and services that make my life easier.
What is the most useful feature OwnerRez offers?
The APIs are key, but so is the automated rental agreement, messaging systems, guest coms, pm, crm, etc. It's all important, and the sum of all the parts is what makes it so effective for me and my team.
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We love hearing how OwnerRez helps people manage their vacation rental businesses and wish My Short Term Home the best as they continue to grow and maintain their successful business.
