The Mistake Most STR Owners Make (and Why It’s Costing You Thousands) You think you’re saving money. You’re actually burning it. Most short-term rental (STR) owners fixate on property management fees—the commission percentage a manager takes. It seems logical: lower…
The short answer? Because it doesn’t put the customer first. And we are a customer-focused business. That’s it. If you want to stop reading now, you’ve already got the gist. But if you’re like me and want to understand the…
This is one of the biggest, most fundamental questions in short-term rental (STR) property management. Who is the real customer? Is it the guest—the one paying for the stay, leaving reviews, and ultimately generating the revenue? Or is it the…
A while ago, I attended a webinar hosted by AirDNA, one of the most credible sources of data for Airbnb and short-term rental property managers. The webinar covered a range of topics, but one slide in particular hit me: Property…
We were recently approached by an owner with a familiar problem – after buying a vacation rental in Waikiki, he was underwhelmed by the management services he was receiving from one of the largest property managers on the island, as…
Buying an Airbnb seems like the golden ticket to financial freedom, doesn’t it? The siren song of short-term rentals whispers sweet nothings: “Just buy one killer deal, throw it on Airbnb, and boom—you’re rich.” But, like most things in life,…
There’s an old saying in real estate: You make your money when you buy, not when you sell. And yet, time and time again, investors get this wrong. They get emotionally attached, buy based on potential, or assume they can…
Buying a vacation rental is one of the best ways to generate passive income—if you do it right. But here’s the problem: most people don’t. They buy emotionally, overpay, under-optimize, and end up with a glorified break-even hobby instead of…
Any savvy investor knows that every dollar invested comes with an opportunity cost. The real question is: Are you deploying your capital in a way that maximizes returns? Or, to put it in simpler terms—should you park your money in…
Last fall, a Waikiki unit switched to Island Stays Hawaii from one of the largest property managers on Oahu. The owner was frustrated—low earnings, lackluster reviews, and a unit that didn’t feel premium. Fast forward a little less than two…