Another Lesson in Trusting—but Verifying—My Airbnb Settings One of the biggest lessons I’ve learned while launching our vacation rental is this: Never assume the system is right. I thought I had finally figured out the cleaning fee settings. I had entered the amount, reviewed the listing, and moved on to the next item on my…
Why My Realtor Brain Treated Airbnb Like a CMA After finally publishing The Cabin on the Canal, I knew I needed to figure out dynamic pricing. Everyone talked about PriceLabs. Every YouTube video seemed to recommend PriceLabs. Airbnb even integrates with it. So, naturally, I signed up. And immediately thought: “Okay… now what?” There were…
I’m convinced Airbnb hides features just to see if hosts can find them. Nobody tells you about these things. You simply stumble across them after enough clicking, scrolling, and wondering, “Why is this harder than it needs to be?” Reservation number two taught me that lesson. By then, I had figured out the cleaning fee….
One of the first things that confused me after publishing The Cabin on the Canal wasn’t getting bookings. It was understanding the money. As a Realtor, I’m used to settlement statements. Every dollar has a destination. You know exactly what came in, what went out, who got paid, and why. Apparently, Airbnb works the same…
One of the biggest surprises of this entire Airbnb adventure was discovering that you don’t actually finish everything before you go live. Coming from a real estate background, this made absolutely no sense to me. In real estate, we prepare first. The photos are done.The marketing is done.The flyers are printed.The MLS listing is complete.Everything…
Every Purchase, Every Mistake, and What We’d Buy Again When people think about furnishing an Airbnb, they usually picture buying a few beds, a couch, some dishes, and maybe a few decorations. I can tell you from experience… It’s nothing like that. Furnishing a short-term rental isn’t decorating a house. It’s building a hospitality business….
Let’s be honest. A hot tub is almost expected in Central Oregon. After a day on the river, skiing Mt. Bachelor, golfing, hiking, or just relaxing, there is something magical about soaking under the stars. So naturally, having a hot tub was important. And when we purchased The Cabin on the Canal, we already had…
I think people have this idea that vacation homes are somehow different. Maybe it’s because they’re second homes. Maybe it’s because they’re in beautiful places. Or maybe it’s because they aren’t lived in every day. But owning The Cabin on the Canal taught me something pretty quickly: Vacation homes are still homes. And homes require…
If there’s one lesson this entire renovation has taught me, it’s this: Trust people. But verify. Not because everyone is dishonest. Not because contractors are trying to take advantage of you. But because people are human. They get busy. They overlook details. They make mistakes. And when you’re investing significant time and money into a…
When we purchased The Cabin on the Canal, I knew there would be projects. I expected painting. New flooring. Permits. Furniture deliveries. The usual list that comes with buying a property. What I didn’t expect was that managing those projects from 3½ hours away would become almost a second full-time job. As a Realtor in…
