Month: April 2022

Categories
Shortterm Rentals

How to Find The Best Neighborhoods for Airbnb

To earn the biggest profits from your STR, you need to find the right neighborhood to invest in. Here, we look at some of the things to consider.
An STR in the woods
Photo by Karsten Winegeart

Investing in a short-term rental (STR) is a great way to make some additional income. In fact, according to 2021 figures, the average Airbnb host in North America can make $41,026 annually from a single rental.

But you need to be smart and focus on a lot of factors to earn that impressive amount. 

For example, just picking a neighborhood can make or break your investment. While the right neighborhood with all the right conditions will give you high occupancy and rental rates, the wrong neighborhood will only give you high turnover rates—or worse, complete vacancy.

So, what are the right conditions that make a neighborhood perfect for STR investments? 

Let’s discuss the conditions you need to consider when picking a neighborhood for your Airbnb.

What Makes a Good Neighborhood?

No one factor makes a good neighborhood. You have to consider several characteristics when choosing the area for your Airbnb. When you choose a neighborhood to invest in, look for: 

  • Airbnb occupancy rate
  • Airbnb rental income 
  • Airbnb rent averages
  • Cash-on-cash return

Each factor is as important as the next and they all have to come together seamlessly. For example, if you only take into account the Airbnb occupancy, you could see an 80% rate. But each tenant might be paying you a low amount—and that might not be worth the effort.

So, let’s define each factor and go through their details:

Airbnb Occupancy Rate

The occupancy rate measures the dates a property was booked versus the total number of days it is listed for rent. Factors like location, market saturation, and seasonality can affect a neighborhood’s occupancy rate. 

Now, the average occupancy rate in North America is about 44%, but you’ll want to find areas that give an even higher number. Instead, focus on locations that have the highest occupancy rates such as:

  • Seaside, CA: 71.3% 
  • Little Rock, AR: 75.0%
  • Phoenix, AZ: 64.1%
  • Los Angeles, CA: 55.6% 
  • Columbus, OH: 60.6%

A quick search on Google will give you these numbers. If you find another neighborhood with a good Airbnb occupancy rate, you can consider investing in property there. 

Airbnb Rental Income

The Airbnb rental income will determine how much income your property will generate over time. For you to determine the potential rental income you can earn in a neighborhood, you need to conduct a market analysis. Using market analysis, you can learn: 

  • The real estate appreciation rates of the neighborhood
  • The current and upcoming trends of the real estate market in an area
  • If the neighborhood you’re scouting is suitable for an STR
  • If long-term rentals are more popular in a particular area instead of an STR
  • The overall demand for rentals in the area

Take, for example, Mashvisor’s heatmap. With this tool, you can see the average occupancy rate in Detroit. You can also get a glimpse into the estimated rental income of an Airbnb.  After you perform a market analysis, you should have a good idea of what your Airbnb rental income should look like in that particular neighborhood. 

Airbnb Rent Averages

This is the simplest metric you need to find out. You basically need to look at the average rent STRs are going for in a neighborhood. If you skip this, you might invest in an expensive property that’ll take too long to generate a good return on investment.

You can use Mashvisor to get a good idea of how much people are charging for rent on their Airbnbs. In general, you want to look-out for properties with similar specifications to the property you’re looking to invest in. Watch for things like: 

  • The number of rooms
  • The number of beds and baths 
  • The kinds of amenities available
  • The location (e.g., if it’s near tourist attractions)

Once you have a general picture of how much people are charging for stays in their Airbnbs, you get an idea of how much you can charge. 

This will also help you estimate the maximum amount you should spend acquiring the property, as you’ll want to charge at least 1% of your total property price to recoup costs fast enough. For example, if a property costs $212,000, you’ll want to charge at least $2,120 for the monthly rent.

Cash-on-Cash Return 

Finding out the cash-on-cash returns for similar Airbnbs in a particular neighborhood will give you an idea of whether investing in a neighborhood is worth it. Again, Mashvisor gives you the cash-on-cash returns of Airbnbs in a neighborhood.

To calculate your cash-on-cash return, you just need to follow a simple formula:

Cash-on-cash return (CoCR) = (annual rental income – operating expenses)/total cash investment 

Let’s look at the potential CoCR of the listing we mentioned earlier, with an annual rental income of $25,440 ($2120 x 12) as an example. With a total cash investment of $200,000 and a safe estimate of operating expenses being 1/3rd of the annual rental income, it’ll look like this: 

CoCR = (25,440 – 8395.2)/200000 

CoCR = (17044.8)/200000

CoCR = 0.0852

For this particular example, the cash-on-cash return is 8.52% per year. This is within the benchmark for good CoCR, which is between 8-12%. If you find an area with a CoCR that measures within that range, it’s a good opportunity for your STR.

Pick the Right Neighborhood For Your Investment 

Airbnbs can be a great investment opportunity. However, much like any investment, you need to invest wisely. Choosing the wrong neighborhood will put you at too much financial risk, and you might not see numbers anywhere close to the $41,026 average.

Do your due diligence, analyze your opportunities well, and maybe even consult with experts in the industry, and you can be confident in earning that $41,026—maybe even higher.

Do you think there are other factors to consider when choosing a location for an Airbnb? Let us know your insight in the comments below!

Categories
Wholesaling

Paperwork Made Easy: The Important Details Every Real Estate Wholesaler Should Look For

The buyer, seller, and wholesaler hashing out a contract.
Photo by Pexels

When conducting wholesale deals, contract negotiations become an everyday occurrence in your life. This means that if you aren’t knowledgeable about the requirements and details of wholesale contracts—you can end up losing a deal.

You have to be exceptionally familiar with contracts to be a successful wholesaler, which is why we’re writing this article to dive deep into the key paperwork you’ll need. Nail these on the head, and you can navigate through the world of real estate wholesaling with ease.

What is A Buy and Sell Contract? 

Otherwise known as a purchase agreement, this is the contract you enter with the seller of the property. It acts as a legally binding agreement and outlines the terms of the offer between a buyer and seller in real estate transactions. 

Your job as the wholesaler is to act as a middleman and find a willing investor to buy the property. That means to need to know how this is the contract permits them to purchase the home. Once you find a buyer, this contract transfers from you—the wholesaler—to the buyer. 

The content of the buy and sell contract should have the following: 

  • The date of the agreement 
  • The name of the seller/individuals listed on the property’s title
  • The buyer’s name
  • Property address 
  • The earnest money deposit. 
  • The total purchase price of the property
  • Financing 
  • Closing date and transfer of title 
  • Escrow and closing fees 
    • The buyer can be assigned to pay the fees
    • Or it can be the seller 
    • Or they can pay equally 
    • Or they can pay their respective escrow and closing fees
  • Signatures of you and the sellers
  • Date of signature

This list isn’t exhaustive, but these are the most relevant things you should pay attention to in buy and sell contracts. As long as you have these covered, you should be good to go.

Note that your buyer will also thoroughly examine the agreement before getting into the deal with you. As such, it’s best that you know your way around these contracts well enough to answer their questions and successfully close the sale.

What Is A Seller’s Disclosure? 

The State of Michigan requires a seller to complete and sign this disclosure to accompany any and all purchase transactions. It’s meant to protect a buyer from seller misrepresentation about the condition of a residential property.

Since most sellers aren’t aware of this form, you’ll want to keep a copy with your buy-sell contracts. Do NOT ever complete the form though, for a seller—legally they must complete it.

The next one to know is an assignment agreement. 

What is An Assignment Agreement? 

An assignment agreement is a real estate contract that transfers your rights and responsibilities listed in the purchase agreement to your investor—the new buyer. Often, this can also be referred to as an “Assignment of Real Estate Purchase and Sale” agreement.

After signing this contract, the buyer will take over the purchase agreement, and you’ll be awarded an assignment fee. Only you and the buyer will receive copies of an assignment agreement since the seller is not involved in completing an assignment contract.

An assignment contract needs to contain the following: 

  • The agreed-upon assignment fee
  • The assignor’s name 
  • The assignee’s name
  • The date of agreement on the purchase contract
  • The names on the purchase agreement
  • Location of the property 
  • Closing date 
  • Assignee to pay the security deposit in escrow 
  • Signatures of you and the buyer 
  • Date of signature

Once the assignment contract has been signed and fulfilled, the investor will then take over the purchase agreement. After that, the buyer closes on the property and you’ll be awarded your assignment fee.

Wholesaling Contracts Made Easy 

There’s a lot of paperwork that comes with wholesaling in the real estate business. If you get in over your head and gloss over every other contract you get into, you can end up losing your wholesale deals—or worse—alienating your potential buyers. 

If you ask us, it’s just not a risk worth taking if you want to grow your wholesaling business.

With our help, you’ll have a good idea of how the contracts you’ll be dealing with regularly are done. If you need more help with wholesaling paperwork, feel free to reach out to us!

Have any questions about wholesaling contracts? Let us know in the comments below!

Categories
Wholesaling

Is Wholesaling Real Estate for You? 5 Questions to Ask Yourself

Man standing in front of a house

Wholesaling appeals to newbies in real estate because you don’t need any personal finances of your own to get started. It’s also possible to close a deal in as little as 30-45 days—giving many the impression it’s a quick and easy way to make money.

But that doesn’t paint the full picture.

While it may sound easy, many aspiring real estate investors end up quitting when the reality of wholesaling really dawns on them. Although the idea of finding a motivated seller and connecting one to a serious buyer sounds simple, it’s easier said than done. There’s so much more to it than that.

You aren’t just going to find a buyer and seller walking down the street. Wholesalers need to have good people skills because real estate is a social profession by nature. What’s more, unlike other real estate ventures, wholesaling is very time-sensitive. As a wholesaler, you have to be up-to-date with current real estate market trends, build a network, determine what’s a good deal, negotiate the deal, and so on.

So, before you go into the wholesale business and start investing yourself, you have to make sure it’s right for you. Let’s take a look at how you can figure that out by answering 5 questions.

5 Questions to Determine If Wholesaling is for You

Wholesaling is often seen as more beginner-friendly than other real estate investment strategies. Of course, it still comes without its own unique difficulties. Ask yourself the following questions to get a clearer idea if you’ll enjoy wholesaling, or if you might be better off trying something else.

  1. Do you have a big enough network to find deals?

Wholesaling takes a lot of work, doesn’t have a regular income, and deals in progress don’t always close. To make it easier, you need to regularly build your network. As a beginner, you might not have enough connections to sustain yourself and find deals, making it far more difficult than someone with experience and connections.

But it’s not all bad. For those who power through and successfully grow their network, wholesaling can be a very rewarding career. With familiarity in the real estate market, a grown network, and a good grasp of the wholesaling process, it gets easier as wholesalers become more seasoned.

2. Are you willing to put in the work to close deals?

In wholesaling, to find success, you have to actively work for it.
Closing deals takes a lot of effort. From finding a motivated seller to an actual buyer and everything in between—it all needs to be accomplished under time pressure. Wholesaling can therefore be very demanding, especially when the market isn’t hot.

Another thing you need to take note of is that income in wholesaling isn’t consistent. You earn only if you close deals. However, it’s also important to note that your income isn’t fixed. If you close more deals, you earn more, but if you don’t close any, you won’t make any money, either.

If you’re going to pursue wholesaling, you’ve got to be ready for all the mental and physical work it entails—and for the income to be less consistent than other real estate investments.

3. Do you have the necessary people skills?

Closing deals relies heavily on your ability to be persuasive to sellers and buyers. Remember, they’re also making major financial decisions, and they’re not likely to do business with someone they don’t feel comfortable with.

In wholesaling, you need to be persuasive, but also trustworthy, so you can show that you have their best interests in mind. If you have good people skills, you have a better chance of convincing sellers and buyers to do business with you. And more importantly, increase your chances of closing more deals.

4. Are you up to date with the real estate market?

Wholesaling isn’t just a matter of finding any random property and convincing sellers and buyers to make a transaction. Wholesaling also entails that you do your homework.

You need to know the market values of different properties and what kind of properties buyers are looking for. Research and staying up to date with the current market trends are crucial. When you’re looking for wholesale properties, you should also always consider the buyer and make sure you are finding properties that they’re actually interested in.

5. Can you properly assess and make financial computations for properties?

Wholesaling relies on a lot of math. You’ll have to determine the right selling and buying price, the expected repair costs, profit margins, and so on. Getting the right figures is important to make sure that everything is done fairly. That way when any questions on the pricing come up, you can justify these with numbers and the correct figures.

Make Sure Wholesaling Works for You

If you want to excel in your career, you have to like your work and it has to be right for you. As Steve Jobs—American entrepreneur and co-founder of Apple—once said, “The only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven’t found it yet, keep looking. Don’t settle.”

If after asking yourself the questions you mostly answered yes, then congratulations! You’ve got what it takes to pursue wholesale real estate. But if after asking yourself the questions, you mostly answered no, then you may want to re-evaluate your plans. 

Is there anything more about getting into wholesaling you want us to discuss? Let us know in the comments below!

Categories
Landlords

Tips and Tricks for Managing the Property Maintenance of Your Home

poorly maintained rental property
Photo by Payam Moghtader

Nobody wants to live in a dilapidated home. We all want a place where we can come home to an environment of relaxation and comfortable living—certainly not a messy, broken-down house that’s far from being stress-free.

This means that, as a landlord or homeowner, you need to treat your property with care to ensure it lasts for decades to comes. Tenants won’t want to occupy your rental property if it’s falling apart and neither will you. You need to perform frequent maintenance on your rental property, and do everything you can to protect your hard-earned assets in the long term.

In this article, we will discuss some tips and tricks to keep your property in tip-top shape.

5 Tips for Maintaining Your Rental Property 

First thing’s first, maintaining your property is mandated by law. If you are located in Michigan, you are liable under the warranty of habitability law to keep your rental property liveable. 

The law states that a landlord must abide by 3 factors:

  1. The property and all common areas must be fit for use.
  2. The property must be kept in reasonable repair while under a lease. 
  3. The property must comply with health and safety regulations. 

If you don’t follow the warranty of habitability law, tenants can either withhold rent until you make the repairs (no income for you!) or resort to repair and deduct—where they’ll make the repairs themselves and deduct the costs from rent payments. It may deceivingly sound convenient, but experienced landlords know that leaving repairs to tenants likely means cheap fixes and short-term solutions.

By following the law, you can avoid consequences and protect your properties.

To help keep in line with the warranty of habitability law, here are best practices to maintain your rental property.

1. Establish Easy Communication with Your Tenants

The first step to keeping your rental property maintained is to communicate with your tenants if you aren’t living there. Your tenants will be the ones living in your rental, which means they are the first to find any need for repairs. Plus, you don’t want to leave a problem unattended for too long, or it becomes permanent damage.

Having regular communication with tenants is important for catching necessary repairs immediately. 

Always provide a way for your tenants to get in touch with you easily. Your goal should be to make it easy for you to get ahead of important repairs before they cause major damage.

2. Perform Regular On-Site Inspections

Schedule a yearly inspection with your tenants or for yourself so you can have a frequent, in-person idea of the status of your rental. Getting an expert to help is also not a bad idea. You should look out for tell-tale signs of property damage, like the following:

  • Broken windows and screens 
  • Leaky plumbing 
  • Discoloration on walls and ceiling 
  • Burn marks around sockets 
  • Malfunctioning smoke detectors and fire extinguishers

Your goal in performing regular on-site inspections is to catch any signs of water damage or gas leaks that can lead to costly repairs down the road.

3. Schedule Periodic Pest Control Visits

Pests are one of the most damaging factors to a property. For instance, do you know that the US spends over $5 billion yearly for termite repairs? That’s a lot of money spent on dealing with termites that can certainly be avoided.

So, take a preventive approach by scheduling pest control maintenance once every 3 to 6 months. Have an exterminator visit the property and extinguish any possibilities of pest infestations, so you don’t have to worry about little damaging critters occupying your rental property.

We understand that regular pest control visits can be costly to your business. But, it’s a cost worth taking, especially when you consider the more-expensive alternative of dealing with existing creatures.

4. Opt for a Professional Landscaper 

Not only does great landscaping help entice new tenants if you’re renting it out, but it also keeps your existing renters happy and helps you avoid many problems down the line. You can always maintain the lawn yourself, but hiring professional landscapers will give you benefits such as:

  1. Preventing pests from making a home in the lawn and trees
  2. Avoiding debris accumulation that can harm your plumbing system
  3. Protecting the structure of the home from nature-related issues (e.g., falling trees or overhanging branches that pose harm)

Plus, professionals will have the skill, experience, and equipment to keep all lawns, gardens, and other green areas of the rental property beautiful and functional. Many other benefits come with maintaining the landscape, but the biggest benefit is that you’ll beautify your home.

5. Hire Heating, Air-conditioning, and Ventilation (HVAC) Specialists

One of the main systems that keep a property habitable is the HVAC system. If the system fails, it becomes very difficult to live on the property. Just imagine going through winter without any heating or sweating in the summer with air-conditioning, and you’ll know what we mean!

Moreover, if an HVAC system fails, the entire cost of replacing everything can range from $5,000 to $10,000. In other words, shouldering the costs of regular maintenance is definitely better than having to replace an HVAC system eventually.

Consider hiring professionals to perform annual maintenance and constantly remind your tenants to clean and replace AC filters whenever necessary. Your goal is to avoid having an HVAC system breakage while keeping your tenants living comfortably.

Take Preventative Care of Your Property 

Living in a rundown home is one of the worst things to experience. A home with no heating, full of pests, and faulty toilets is a nightmare no one wants to experience. Not only will your tenants leave right after the lease if you’re a landlord, but failing to maintain your property also means violating Michigan laws that will cause to recipe some financial penalties.

Instead, be more proactive. Keep your rental property well-maintained, stay on top of arising problems, and do everything you can to ensure that your property lasts a long time. The more you maintain your assets, the farther they’ll take you in terms of investment.

Do you have any other property maintenance tips that you’ve found useful? We’ll love to hear about it in the comments section below!

Categories
Shortterm Rentals

How to Choose the Right Market for Short-Term Rentals

Short-term rentals (STRs) are currently one of the most thriving sub-industries in real estate. In fact, a 2019 survey found that 60% of American tourists prefer staying in an Airbnb over a hotel.

However, if you plan on investing in an STR, you need to do your due diligence to find the best market for your property. Diving straight into it without doing any research will likely your Airbnb is empty more often—resulting in less cash in your pocket if it’s just sitting there. Plus, you might end up in an area that’s either saturated with too many excellent STRs already, or an area with barely any guests to attract.

For instance, a property in Palm Springs, Florida, could potentially earn you upwards of $125,000 a year. This figure might sound like an enticing gain for a potential STR investor, but you have to account for all the costs and potential pitfalls that you’d have to expertly navigate in the particular market.

You have to ask yourself questions like: 

  • How popular is the area?
  • How many STRs are already in the area?
  • How easy will it be to fill with guests?
  • What kind of guests are staying there?
  • How much are the utilities and general maintenance?
  • Can you make enough in busy seasons to cover slow seasons?

Let’s take a look at how you can choose the right market for your STR investment venture.

The Four Markets of STRs

There are 4 main types of STR markets: 

  1. Traditional vacation markets
  2. Unique locations & experiences
  3. Business markets
  4. General convenience

Each of these markets comes with its share of risks and advantages that you need to navigate. For example, an STR located downtown might have stricter laws in place when compared to a traditional vacation rental. 

Let’s compare them all to help you decide what’s best for you.

1. Traditional Vacation Markets: 

The traditional vacation market exists both regionally and nationally, relying heavily on tourism. The main difference between the two is accessibility and affordability:

  • Accessibility: The regional vacation market is usually within close proximity to cities. Visitors can reach these destinations with a short drive out of town. An example of this type of market is Panama City Beach, Florida. This beach is within driving distance of major cities in both Alabama and Florida, where Montgomery and Birmingham are three hours away and Jacksonville is a four-hour drive from the coast. 
  • Affordability: Real estate prices will usually be more affordable than the national vacation market. Additionally, the regional vacation market will have the most accommodating regulations out of the three, as these are hotspots for vacations.

Panama City Beach, for example, allows for STRs in all areas designated as commercial zones, limited multi-family zones, unlimited multi-family zones, and townhouse zones.

Another benefit of the vacation market is its resistance to the effects of a recession. Unlike its national cousin, the regional vacation market is more accessible and affordable to visitors making it more resilient against the effects of an economic recession. 

Tourists wouldn’t need to make big vacation plans to visit a regional vacation rental, such as booking a plane ticket. These locations can be reached by car ride. Additionally, the more affordable lodgings will allow tourists to visit despite an economic recession.

While regional vacation markets rely on tourism, a major hit to the industry isn’t nearly as devastating to these markets. In fact, during the COVID pandemic, many city-slickers fled cities during the pandemic. Regional vacation markets can tap into these potential customers during occasions like the COVID outbreak.  

2. Unique Locations & Experiences 

Next up are STRs located in unique areas for experiences that you can’t find anywhere else. These might be activities out in nature or just places nearby popular attractions. Some different types of STRs that fall in this category are:

  • Properties near ski resorts
  • Properties beside amusements parks
  • Vacation homes on a lake
  • Beachside villas in tropical countries

These all offer a unique experience that you can get anywhere else. Typically, this kind of rental will have an off-season because tourists aren’t usually booking all year round. However, if you can make a ton of profits in the peak seasons, this could be worth it even if it’s unbooked during the slow times.

3. Business Markets

STRs in an urban location doesn’t rely solely on tourism to generate revenue. Of course, tourists will also visit your property, but the main source of income will be from business people. These are often professionals traveling due to a variety of reasons, such as a convention or business deal. 

The metro market is potentially the most lucrative market for an STR due to the frequent turnover of tenants. A busy city will have many occasions that will see an influx of visitors, such as during sporting events, conventions, concerts, etc. 

Despite being potentially the most profitable market, an urban rental also comes with the most risks:

  • Rules and Regulations: Different cities will have different regulations when dealing with STRs. In the case of Oakland, Michigan, the city prohibits STRs except in a few select locations, such as near the airport, along the freeway, or the waterfront. 
  • Market Saturation: Another risk is market saturation. Because an urban rental is one of the most profitable markets, it is a hotbed for STRs. A lot of competition could potentially limit your revenue, especially if you can’t compete with the existing rentals in the market.

Overall, the metro market is a great avenue to establish an STR. But you should educate yourself on the risks involved with entering the urban rental market—especially in your specific city. 

4. General Convenience

The traditional leisure vacation rental is the conventional STR we all think of when we hear the words “short-term rental.” But a lot of people use Airbnbs for general purposes where a hotel simply won’t satisfy all of their needs. 

Here are some of the most common reasons people use Airbnbs that aren’t for vacation or business purposes:

  • Hospital Visits: Individuals staying in a city for hospital visits. Major cities will have the best medical facilities, which means that a patient’s family could need a place to stay while their relative is receiving treatment
  • Weddings: Hotels are expensive, so for a wedding, a lot of guests will choose to go with Airbnb to cuts costs. It also gives them a space that they can make feel like home if they’re coming from far away and turning the wedding into a vacation afterward.
  • Reunions & Graduations: Another common reason to use Airbnb is family or school reunions where, again, your guests are likely saving on costs associated with a hotel and they want a palace where they feel like they’re at home. 

If your STR is located near a hospital, a popular wedding venue, or a large university you might see more guests staying for these purposes. And if you don’t know, try asking your guest why they are staying! That will give you a lot more insight and allow you to optimize your listing in the future. 

Set Your Goals and Expectations When Deciding a Market

To decide which market is the best for you, you have to be clear with your goals. Each market comes with its share of benefits and negatives, so you need to align your expectations while keeping these in mind. 

Here’s our list of recommendations: 

  • Business Market: These are good for a steady stream of income year-round if you’re located near conference centers and in a downtown area that professionals are staying in.
  • Unique Experiences: These kinds of rentals may have more downtime, but you can often charge higher rates as they are quite specific in what they offer guests.
  • Vacation Market: These can be resilient if you’re attracting people interested in regional vacations However, for areas that have on seasons and off seasons, you need to be careful. Make sure you can stay profitable on the season alone. 
  • General Purposes: These can be quite resilient depending on where you are and if you optimize your STR listing well. Make sure you ask your guests to understand why they’re booking your rental property. 

Pick the Right Market to Reach Your Investment Goals

Deciding on where to put up your STR is one of the biggest challenges facing real estate investors. With how competitive and unpredictable the STR industry is, identifying the right market and location for your rental could make or break your investment.

But the solution is always to return to your investment goals. As long as you align your objectives to what type of income a market provides, you’ll be well on your way to gaining the highest and most consistent cash flow from your STR investment.

What STR market are you targeting? Feel free to leave us a comment below!

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