This week on No Vacancy I talk with Ali Haney, host of the Brand & Market Podcast, who is a  branding and marketing expert. We get into some juicy strategies that you can implement to improve your listing's online presence today! But before we dive into that, Ali walks us through the painful months-long journey of her attempt to turn a gorgeous Bourbon Trail estate into a wedding venue. She did her due diligence on the regulation, ran the numbers, and knew the property was in good shape with no surprise repairs.  But what wasn't expected was the backlash the local community would feel towards this project. Ali takes us through the emotional rollercoaster and endless city meetings to fight for this deal, and how unfortunately, it ultimately failed. The good news? She was ready to pivot with a backup plan, and even though that property isn't a functional wedding venue today, it IS a profitable, cash-flowing STR. Ali is an open book, and if anyone has considered riskier projects, this episode is a must-listen on how to navigate emotional backlash and obstinate neighbors. Thank you to our sponsor Lodgify – Take 20% off Lodgify’s most powerful plans with code novacancy20! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It’s that time of year of again 👻 Our annual scary Airbnb stories episode is back for the 4th year in a row!  Craving more than just 3 stories in this year’s episode? Go back and binge the last ones!  Happy hosting and happy Halloween 🎃  Episode 129 Episode 80 Episode 28 Thank you to our sponsor Lodgify – Take 20% off Lodgify’s most powerful plans with code novacancy20! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today I talk with Skyler Vaughn, cofounder of For The Love Of Upstate. You'll remember his partner Madi Johnson from episodes 96 and 156, and after having her on the show twice, it was finally time I convinced Skyler to join. Skyler is incredible when it comes to project management, and this skill is how FTLOU is able to crank out 6-7 property renovations per year, and is on track for 10-12 next year!  If you, like me, are the kind of investor who gets all excited at the Pinterest moodboard phase, but then cries multiple times during a project wondering why you subjected yourself to this torture, you will be fascinated by Skyler's ability to manage so many tasks at so many different projects all at the same time and make it look so effortless. Skyler shares with us the exact project management tools he uses, his SOPs, how he builds his team to get the job done, and his timelines for each project. This is a no-fluff episode, with practical tips you can implement right away on your next rehab. Connect with Skyler Invest with us! Thank you to our sponsor Lodgify – Take 20% off Lodgify’s most powerful plans with code novacancy20! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week I bring Kassidy Warren back on the podcast! You can listen to his last episode here, where he broke down each property in his portfolio and how he scaled to something bigger and better with each investment.  Today, we dive even deeper into that same philosophy with the "velocity of money". Kassidy shares how you can be doing the same amount of work on each STR you launch... but getting 2-3x more returns from that same project?! It all comes down to which deals you're pursuing.  If you're someone who's turning and burning flips or 1031 exchanges, wondering why you've done so many deals, but still don't feel like you're getting ahead, this episode is for you! Connect with Kassidy Thank you to our sponsor Lodgify – Take 20% off Lodgify’s most powerful plans with code novacancy20! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week I chat with Heather Mueur who is the owner, founder, and visionary behind The Embers, a glamping and RV resort in Branson, Missouri. Heather and her husband Ryan built and sold an auto parts business, and used the proceeds from that to purchase this abandoned campground.  Heather takes us through the 2-year process of permits, plans, and construction, as well as the financing process–everything from SBA loans to finding investors. I asked all about the additional income streams they created, including an onsite laundromat and coffee shop. And you'll also hear how she grew her social media account from a couple hundred followers... to over 100,000 from LITERALLY JUST ONE POST. Lastly, Heather teases us on her newest project, a boutique motel located just a couple miles from her campground which will be slowly renovated in phases to accommodate existing reservations! Connect with Heather @roaminghomeheather Follow @theembersbranson Thank you to my sponsors! Lodgify - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Link⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Receive 20% off Lodgify’s most powerful plans with code NoVacancy20 at checkout Proper - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Link⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Visit the link to claim your free risk assessment with Proper. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week I got to speak with Erin Dalton-Cooney, the Head of Property Management Design at Wayfair Professional. Erin is a wealth of knowledge in this industry, and in her role she's gained experience overseeing design and set up for every type of property from STRs, MTRs, boutique hotels, and unique resorts.  She shares with us today how Wayfair Professional is the secret weapon that designers are using to take shipping consolidation and install completely off their plates. If the pro designers trust Wayfair Professional, you should too!  Erin teases us with what's coming next for Wayfair Professional, what they have to help you now, and how they are saving hosts serious time and money, so you can get back to what you do best – investing! Check out mine and Tatianna Taylor-Tait's official Wayfair Tastemaker collection HERE Connect with @wayfairproffesional on Instagram Thank you to my sponsors! Lodgify - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Link⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Receive 20% off Lodgify’s most powerful plans with code NoVacancy20 at checkout Proper - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Link⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Visit the link to claim your free risk assessment with Proper. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week I'm excited to be talking with Devana Cavé from The House of Courage, a collection of sober living homes that Devana owns and operates. Forget everything you've ever known or pictured about a sober living home, because Devana does things completely different. Yes, she's a real estate investor, but what sets her business apart is the care she takes with every single house guest. From the colorful designs and nice furniture she invests in, to custom built bunks that offer total privacy, to the care package that every new house guest receives on arrival, Devana has made sure that what she offers is so much more than "heads in beds". If you've been interested in investing in co-living spaces, but aren't sure if sober living is the right avenue for you, this episode will encourage you in how fulfilling and rewarding this type of real estate can be. Devana wants to be very clear – this is NOT for everyone! But if you feel called to offer an experience like this, you'll get to hear first hand how thoughtfully you can approach this for the people who need it most. Check out some of the resources Devana mentioned: narronline.org The Sober Living Network Find Devana on instagram @devanainvests Thank you to my sponsors! Lodgify - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Link⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Receive 20% off Lodgify’s most powerful plans with code NoVacancy20 at checkout Proper - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Link⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Visit the link to claim your free risk assessment with Proper. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week I'm going solo on the mic breaking down every nitty gritty detail of my latest project... drum roll please... raising investor capital for a luxury, waterfront Upstate New York property! As I write this, I'm happy to announce we officially closed and all funds have been wired. All that to say, I definitely made some mistakes with how I went about this. And today I'm sharing the good, the bad, and the ugly. In this episode I'll take you through the entire process, start to finish, and detail what worked and what definitely did not. As promised, here's the investor interest form I mentioned in today's episode. Either copy it for your own purposes, or fill it out if you want to partner on a future deal! Episode 156 with Madi Johnson Thank you to my sponsors! Lodgify - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Link⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Receive 20% off Lodgify’s most powerful plans with code NoVacancy20 at checkout Proper - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Link⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Visit the link to claim your free risk assessment with Proper. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week I sit with Brian Hatcher to talk about his new Japandi-inspired wellness development in the mountains of Georgia. This 5-unit unique stay will feature a dedicated wellness center, and it's being designed by none other than my partner in crime, Tatianna Taylor-Tait, so you know it's going to ooze luxury and serenity. Brian takes us through every step of how he found this land, the deals that fell through before finding the one, and the struggles of doing this all self-funded (that's right, Brian has ZERO investors on this)! You'll hear Brian walk us through his start in house hacking, the rental arbitrage business he built along the way, and how his real estate journey has evolved to get him to the DREAM project. Enjoy! Follow Brian's journey on Instagram @hatch_capital Thank you to my sponsors! Lodgify - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Link⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Receive 20% off Lodgify’s most powerful plans with code NoVacancy20 at checkout Proper - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Link⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Visit the link to claim your free risk assessment with Proper. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week I talk with Katie Johnson PLC on all things STR law! Katie shares tons of insight on how to: Make sure your portfolio is protected Legally form partnerships Ensure regulation won't change on you Double check that you're actually allowed to STR your property As a bonus, I share my current asset structure with me and Katie gives me a much needed reality check on how vulnerable I might be right now 😱 Hope you enjoy this one, and if you're now terrified of your risk profile, just listen to Katie's podcast or work with her directly. Listen to Katie's podcast here. Work with Katie Johnson PLC. Thank you to my sponsors! Lodgify - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Link⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Receive 20% off Lodgify’s most powerful plans with code NoVacancy20 at checkout Proper - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Link⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Visit the link to claim your free risk assessment with Proper. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week's episode with Ariel Smith was such a fun conversation! Ariel is the face behind Stay At The Coastline vacation rentals in San Diego, CA, and in just 8 months she's grown her cohosting business from zero to 40+ properties. Ariel walks us through exactly how she's finding her clients, how she's grown so fast, and the details behind her unique partnership structure with her brokerage that has sped up her growth process. Most importantly, she tells us exactly how she's managing over 40 listings without using any VAs for guest messaging?! It seems like every guest we've had on the podcast in the last 2 years is sharing how essential VAs have been to their operations, so I was dying to hear how Ariel is successfully scaling while still personally responding to every single guest message. If you've been hesitant to hire VAs, you'll find this conversation so encouraging that you might not need to! Maybe what you're already doing is exactly your secret sauce that's helping your business thrive. Connect with Ariel here, and check our her listings here. Thank you to my sponsors! Lodgify - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Link⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Receive 20% off Lodgify’s most powerful plans with code NoVacancy20 at checkout Proper - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Link⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Visit the link to claim your free risk assessment with Proper. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this week’s episode, I talk with Jesse Vasquez about all things midterm rental. I’ve done episodes on the MTR strategy before, but this one was next level in terms of PRACTICAL knowledge you can apply today. By the time you’re finished with this conversation, you’ll know exactly where to find your next midterm guest, how much to charge them, how to keep the relationship warm for next time, AND how to make money even after they check out by referring them to their next rental. My biggest takeaway from this episode was that you don’t even need property for these tips to work. Jesse shows us how he’s making $30-40k per MONTH in referral fees alone. The bottom line, listen to this only if you’re ready for 100% occupancy, because your booking calendar is about to be slammed with leads coming in. Connect with Jesse at @therealjessevasquez Thank you to my sponsors! Lodgify - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Link⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Receive 20% off Lodgify’s most powerful plans with code NoVacancy20 at checkout Proper - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Link⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Visit the link to claim your free risk assessment with Proper. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today we catch up with Marilynn Taylor on the latest Airbnb updates (remember her from episode 56?)... could this spell trouble for hosts and set you up for MAJOR liability risk?! I always do a solo episode whenever we have new Airbnb updates, but the summer release went right over my head. There was so much to break down, so many changing policies, so much that left hosts vulnerable... but luckily, Marilynn did the hard work of calling Airbnb and getting to the bottom of this so I didn't have to 😜 For anyone who has been scared by what you've seen on social media about this update, I think you'll find this episode really clarifying on what we actually need to worry about, and what could end up a blessing in disguise! Watch Marilynn's webinar replay! Read the update for yourself here. Check the Airbnb approved list of preferred PMS partners. Hint: Our sponsor Lodgify is a preferred partner! Sign up for Lodgify with code NoVacancy20 INVESTOR DINNER SERIES - Austin, TX | Wed, June 25th | 6:30-9pm Apply for our Austin dinner here! 🤠🍽 Pssst, only 4 seats left! Thank you to my sponsors! Lodgify - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Link⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Receive 20% off Lodgify’s most powerful plans with code NoVacancy20 at checkout Proper - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Link⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Visit the link to claim your free risk assessment with Proper. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today I talk with Madi Johnson. If you don't know her already from STR Book Club and her growing brand, For The Love Of Upstate (FTLOU), you may remember her from episode 96 where we talked about how Madi's favorite deals are "the ones that don't pencil in AirDNA". When we last had her on No Vacancy in February 2024, Madi's idea of going all in on the Upstate NY market was just a gut feeling, but 15 months and 4 live properties later, she has proven her intuition true – this market, and her approach to it, is CRUSHING IT. Some quick stats: FTLOU is outperforming in winter 4x market projections Their summer months are outperforming their own high-end revenue goals by 30-40% Their social media presence has exploded, landing Madi over $18,000 in free furniture for their listings And over $5,000 in sales commission through her affiliate shop Over 600 DMs looking to book FTLOU properties directly I'm also so excited to announce that I'm now working with FTLOU to help find partners for their growing portfolio!!! If you're interested in partnering on our current or next deal, fill out this investor interest form. INVESTOR DINNER SERIES - Austin, TX | Wed, June 25th | 6:30-9pm Apply for our Austin dinner here! 🤠🍽 Pssst, only 8 seats left! Thank you to my sponsors! Lodgify - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Link⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Receive 20% off Lodgify’s most powerful plans with code NoVacancy20 at checkout Proper - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Link⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Visit the link to claim your free risk assessment with Proper. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On today's episode I sit with Federico Zimerman, a revenue management and pricing genius, who is launching his brand new company, revfactor.io today! Revfactor.io is a revenue management service, which is a fancy way of saying, Fede and his team will help you squeeze every dollar you can out of your listing calendar. You only have 365 days a year available for booking, and once a night is gone... it's GONE. Today, Fede breaks down the 4 factors you need to look at when determining each night's price, and he tells us exactly which settings he is taking advantage of inside PriceLabs and Airbnb. Apply for our Austin Investor Dinner here! 🤠🍽 Learn more about the Investor Dinner Series here Thank you to my sponsors! Lodgify - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Link⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Receive 20% off Lodgify’s most powerful plans with code NoVacancy20 at checkout Proper - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Link⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Visit the link to claim your free risk assessment with Proper. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week I chat with Bri & Jordan from Somerled Designs – an STR design firm where every design decision is backed by strategy. I almost didn't want to record this episode, because I worried that talking about design wouldn't come across on an audio-only podcast without having imagery examples. But after just a few minutes, I realized that was not going to be an issue at all! Bri & Jordan do not make a single design decision without first determining the strategy for the property, market, and guest avatar, and in this episode they walk us through that entire process. After this episode, I'll never approach a design project with "aesthetics" first again. The Somerled philosophy will have you convinced that if you follow these steps and do this research first... then your final design will always be a good return on investment! Click below to see some of the listings mentioned in this episode: The Pepper Place, Waco TX Disney House, Kissimmee FL Howdy House, Scottsdale AZ Thank you to my sponsors! Lodgify - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Link⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Receive 20% off Lodgify’s most powerful plans with code NoVacancy20 at checkout Proper - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Link⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Visit the link to claim your free risk assessment with Proper. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Consider this week's episode your college-level course about investing in hotels. Today Neil Shah is an investor and operator of 10 hotels – but his journey started with him as an immigrant to the US who lived in his uncle's hotel near Disneyland. After grinding there for years, he decided to pursue a Hotel Management & Tourism degree in university... and it shows. After this episode, I'm convinced Neil will be Professor Shah before we know it. If you've been wanting to learn more about hotel investing, management, and franchising, look no further than today's knowledge-packed episode. Connect with Neil here. Thank you to my sponsors! Lodgify - ⁠⁠⁠⁠Link⁠⁠⁠⁠ Receive 20% off Lodgify’s most powerful plans with code NoVacancy20 at checkout Proper - ⁠⁠⁠⁠Link⁠⁠⁠⁠ Visit the link to claim your free risk assessment with Proper. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In today's episode I chat with partners (in marriage and in business) Matt and Amanda Sanderson – investors and co-founders of strIQ. You'll remember strIQ from episode 99 where we we broke down how you can go from sifting through thousands of potential STR deals... to, like 6. For real. You may have used other data analysis tools before to check on deals, but what makes strIQ different is how it instantly pulls MLS data. So you aren't just analyzing "markets", but actually finding profitable properties on sale now! strIQ's technology allows you to reverse engineer your investing goals. Only want properties that can do 30% CoC return? There's a filter for that. Want listings projected to do $200,000 in annual revenue? There's a filter for that! If you've been victim to the endless Zillow scroll... you need this. Use code NOVACANCY20 to save on your strIQ subscription. Invest with strIQ → investor interest form Thank you to my sponsors! Lodgify - ⁠⁠⁠Link⁠⁠⁠ Receive 20% off Lodgify’s most powerful plans with code NoVacancy20 at checkout Proper - ⁠⁠⁠Link⁠⁠⁠ Visit the link to claim your free risk assessment with Proper. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week I talk with Eric Moeller from Freewyld – a hospitality brand featuring a boutique collection of cabins in Idyllwild, CA, but soon expanding to other nature-based locations across California! Eric took an incredibly unique approach to building Freewyld. He started with the brand first, before he ever secured a property. In most cases, we hear from hosts who found a property, and then realized it could benefit from having a brand. But Eric is a testament to the reverse. By building the brand FIRST, he was able to (almost effortlessly) attract the perfect property, the perfect investor, the perfect team, and the perfect guests. Eric's story really shows that "branding" is more than a buzzword. It's the values that turn your entire vision into reality. If you've been procrastinating brand-building as something "to cross off your to-do list", this conversation will challenge you that your brand should be the start and end of every single move your business makes. Connect with Eric on LinkedIn Book a Freewyld stay Let's partner?! We're actively looking for 3-5 investors for our latest 5 bedroom, waterfront home in Upstate NY. → Fill out this interest form, and I'll send over the pitch deck! Thank you to my sponsors! Lodgify - ⁠⁠Link⁠⁠ Receive 20% off Lodgify’s most powerful plans with code NoVacancy20 at checkout Proper - ⁠⁠Link⁠⁠ Visit the link to claim your free risk assessment with Proper. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week I can’t wait for you all to hear from Dawn Asher from The Olive Jar, an experiential marketing and branding studio for STRs. We’ve all heard over and over and over again how critical branding is… but how do you actually brand your listing when you don’t have the budget and resources that giant million dollar brands do?! Dawn has decades of experience in this field, and she’s responsible for a lot of the special moments that have made you feel connection with some of your favorite brands. After a big career shift and leaving the corporate world to move into entrepreneurship, Dawn has found a way to bring her years of expertise to the world of STRs. She walks us through: 1. How to create a brand for your listing 2. How to make your listing more memorable 3. How to make your guests feel an emotional connection with your property 4. And most importantly, how to do this affordable and with a small team! Read to the blog post about Level Up Your Listing mentioned in this episode. Connect with Dawn here Book a free call with The Olive Jar Subscribe to the newsletter Thank you to my sponsors! Lodgify - ⁠Link⁠ Receive 20% off Lodgify’s most powerful plans with code NoVacancy20 at checkout Proper - ⁠Link⁠ Visit the link to claim your free risk assessment with Proper. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices