Welcome to the officially unofficial Money Making May, where we have a full month’s worth of content all around pricing profitable properties with PriceLabs!

Today’s expert guest is Michael Lacalle, a teacher, husband, and father of two who stumbled into house hacking as a means to afford living on the Central Coast of California. From there, he got the real estate bug and now owns five short-term rental listings on three separate properties (HINT: He is looking to partner with like-minded investors and scale his portfolio!)

We chat with Michael about his inspiring three-tiered story – launching a studio STR space attached to his first home purchase, rolling the dice on a wait-and-see vacation rental project in Joshua Tree, and partnering up for a sprawling cabin escape in New York.

We also touch on a few important niche STR subjects, like how he’s leveraged dynamic pricing to get the most out of his listings and seller financing – who, what, where, when, and why it makes so much sense for both the seller and the buyer.

We met Michael in a moment of cosmic fate, in an airport of all places, and were enthralled with his willingness to share the nitty gritty details of his various deals, processes, and plans. He’s another great example of a real life person, just like you, out there doing his thing and having great success in this industry through passion and purpose.

(00:01:28) #STRShareSunday: @treebonesresort

(00:07:08) Launching a Short-Term Rental in Central California

(00:22:03) Expanding His Portfolio of Investment Properties

(00:29:53) Understanding Seller-Financed Deals

(00:36:59) Prepping Operations for a Cross-Country STR Listing

(00:52:48) Michael’s Top Short-Term Rental Hosting Hot Tips

Resources:

• #STRShareSunday: @treebonesresort

• Instagram: @michael_lacalle_real_estate

• Check out PriceLabs: Start your 30-day free trial

• Video: Funding Your NEXT Airbnb or Real Estate Property

• Recommended Short-Term Rental Training Tools & Software #338

• Airbnb Essentials Checklist: hostchecklist.com

Thanks for Visiting is produced by Crate Media.

Mentioned in this episode:

Visit MinoanExperience.com and tell them TFV sent you!

Host Checklist | Grab our Airbnb Essentials Checklist and make stocking your Airbnb a breeze – we've got all your hosting needs covered!

Quiz | Take our quiz to reveal your hosting personality style!

Hostfully | Go to https://www.hostfully.com/influencers/thanks-for-visiting/ and use TFV100 to get $100 off your subscription.

Welcome back to the Hosting Hotline! This is an Ask Me Anything where each week we’ll answer your questions on Airbnb, STRs, real estate, and everything in between.

Russell asks:

Hosts are seeing so much out there right now about cameras and Airbnb. I have one on my front porch. Is this still okay? Can you guys cut through all the noise and tell us exactly what we need to know about the cameras? Can we have them? Should we have them?

(00:01:10) What’s the Deal with Cameras & Airbnb?

(00:02:27) Exact Verbiage of Airbnb’s New Camera Policy

(00:05:55) Combatting Public Concern Over Hidden STR Cameras

(00:07:31) Other Useful (and Legal) Airbnb Monitoring Sensors

(00:09:39) How to Get Camera Compliant on Your Airbnb Listing

Thanks to everyone who submitted questions. To hear your voice on the show and send a question to Sarah and Annette, submit your burning hosting questions at: hostinghotline.com.

Resources:

• Important: Airbnb Camera Policy

• NoiseAware | The Indoor and Outdoor Sensors monitor noise levels at your property and will alert you through your Dashboard or Mobile App when the noise levels go over your set thresholds. Use code TFVNA20 for 20% off ($144/year including 1 free indoor sensor) and 20% off any additional indoor or outdoor sensors.

• Video: Noise Aware - for Noisy Airbnb Guests

• Airbnb Essentials Checklist: hostchecklist.com

Thanks for Visiting is produced by Crate Media.

Mentioned in this episode:

Quiz | Take our quiz to reveal your hosting personality style!

Host Checklist | Grab our Airbnb Essentials Checklist and make stocking your Airbnb a breeze – we've got all your hosting needs covered!

This week’s expert guest is Kristie Wolfe, creative off-grid builder and short-term rental superstar. With her one-of-a-kind projects, her focus is on creating unforgettable guest experiences, not just accommodations.

Kristie is not only the builder in her business, she is also the designer, and she crafts some of Airbnb's most sought-after wishlist stays. She has several tree houses, a hobbit hole, a cocoon cottage, a shipwreck, and even a potato hotel – properties which have earned thousands of five-star reviews as the main attraction to niche travelers from all over the world.

Our chat with Kristie is one of the most entertaining and educational we’ve ever had!

We get all the juicy details about her first treehouse build in the Hawaiian jungle, that time she bought a shipwreck on Craigslist, touring the country to promote Idaho Potatoes, and so many other memorable and meaningful stories from across her accomplished career.

The creative nuggets in this one are uber inspiring – packed with a zest for life and artistic expression that you’ll hear in Kristie’s voice. But she doesn’t stop there! About halfway through this one, she drops the mic with several solid gold operational tidbits that will change how you think about running your short-term rental business.

For years, we’ve had Kristie Wolfe atop our list of dream podcast guests – and, dear listeners, she delivered in a major way. We’re so thankful for her spending her valuable time with us today and look forward to following along with her latest treehouse museum project.

(00:01:27) #STRShareSunday: @ae.premiumrentals

(00:03:35) Introducing: Creative Builder, Kristie Wolfe

(00:12:35) Building a Short-Term Rental in the Jungle

(00:19:32) Kristie Wolfe’s Eclectic Portfolio of Rental Properties

(00:26:54) Pro Tips on Juggling Hosting While Completing Builds

(00:41:45) One-of-a-Kind Listings: Cocoon Cottage & Shipwreck House

(00:50:47) Kristie’s Advice for STR Hosts & Aspiring Builders

Resources:

• #STRShareSunday: @ae.premiumrentals

• Instagram: @kristiemaewolfe

• Website: kristiewolfe.com

• LinkTree: linktr.ee/kristiemaewolfe

• Airbnb Essentials Checklist: hostchecklist.com

• Video: How to Design Your First Airbnb - Essentials

Thanks for Visiting is produced by Crate Media.

Mentioned in this episode:

Hostfully | Go to https://www.hostfully.com/influencers/thanks-for-visiting/ and use TFV100 to get $100 off your subscription.

Quiz | Take our quiz to reveal your hosting personality style!

Host Checklist | Grab our Airbnb Essentials Checklist and make stocking your Airbnb a breeze – we've got all your hosting needs covered!

Visit MinoanExperience.com and tell them TFV sent you!