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☆ The 'Airbnbust' proves the Wild West days of online vacation rentals are over
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-22 | by ( James Rodriguez | Dan Latu | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +16 min

"We started panicking and started connecting with other folks who we know have short-term rentals," Sullivan told Insider. Given the sharp rise of short-term rentals there, some local lawmakers have recently called for amending the law. But short-term rentals are often essential to a healthy tourism economy, particularly in vacation destinations. Investors jumped in to capitalize on the boom, and the market soon became saturated with short-term rentals. There's one thing pretty much everyone can agree on: Short-term rentals are here to stay.

☆ The battle over Airbnb has hit a breaking point
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-22 | by ( James Rodriguez | Dan Latu | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +16 min

"We started panicking and started connecting with other folks who we know have short-term rentals," Sullivan told Insider. Rather than a collapse of the industry, the increasingly bifurcated state of the market — a bust for some, a boom for others — is a clear sign that we have hit a turning point in the long-running battle over short-term rentals. Given the sharp rise of short-term rentals there, some local lawmakers have recently called for amending the law. Investors jumped in to capitalize on the boom, and the market soon became saturated with short-term rentals. There's one thing pretty much everyone can agree on: Short-term rentals are here to stay.

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☆ The 6 best locations for a vending machine if you want to start a 6-figure side hustle
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-17 | by ( Jennifer Ortakales Dawkins | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

According to the vending entrepreneur Marcus Gram, younger people use vending machines more than other age groups. "Students have access to the vending machines in their dorms 24/7 and even late at night for classes," he said. "Breaks aren't typically long enough for people to go to the store, so they turn to the vending machine." "If you have lashes inside of the vending machine at a hotel, it doesn't necessarily mean that that's going to sell," she said. AirportsAirports have a lot of foot traffic and therefore more opportunity for your vending machine to be visited by travelers.

☆ An Arizona homeowner who made $12,000 a month renting out her house reveals why she quit Airbnb and relies on Vrbo instead
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-10 | by ( Dan Latu | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

An Arizona homeowner who listed her home on Airbnb for three years is leaving the platform. The Arizona homeowner joins other short-term-rental owners and managers who have expressed dissatisfaction with Airbnb as a booking platform. The Arizona homeowner said the specter of a slowdown also played a part in her decision to leave the platform. The Arizona homeowner said she believes seven days' notice is too little to adequately re-book the property. It puts a lot of pressure on hosts, the Arizona homeowner said.

☆ I make up to $9,500 a month renting out my home while my family lives in a trailer in the driveway. Here's how I set up my Airbnb and VRBO business.
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-03 | by ( Perri Ormont Blumberg | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

Alexi McKinley rents out her home and lives in a trailer in her driveway for a few weeks every month. Her family makes up to $9,500 a month from vacation-rental platforms like Airbnb and VRBO. Now we spend around two weeks every month living in our trailer so we can rent out our house on Airbnb and VRBO. We just pack what we want depending on how long the Airbnb guests are staying. The living space in the trailer.

☆ The 5 best locations for a vending machine if you want to start a 6-figure side hustle
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-02 | by ( Jennifer Ortakales Dawkins | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Vending machines can be a lucrative side hustle for entrepreneurs looking to earn passive income, especially as economic experts warn of a recession this year. According to the vending entrepreneur Marcus Gram, younger people use vending machines more than other age groups. "Students have access to the vending machines in their dorms 24/7 and even late at night for classes," he said. "Breaks aren't typically long enough for people to go to the store, so they turn to the vending machine." "If you have lashes inside of the vending machine at a hotel, it doesn't necessarily mean that that's going to sell," she said.

☆ A typical home in Vail, Colorado, is over $1 million, leaving workers with few living options. 4 people take us inside their housing crisis as home prices in tourist towns across the country spike.
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-20 | by ( Robert Davis | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +12 min

Vail is among the most expensive Colorado housing markets, with a median home price over $1 million. Weibel's struggle to find affordable housing in Vail speaks to similar issues playing out in other ski towns like Jackson, Wyoming, and Park City, Utah. In her spare time, Weibel works part time as a babysitter, a summer-school tutor, and a ski instructor at Vail Resorts. Getty ImagesSam Stevens, 25, has seen firsthand how Vail's expensive housing market is straining the town's budget for important infrastructure projects. He eventually moved in with one of his friends in Eagle-Vail, about 8 miles west of the Vail Ski Resort.

☆ Travel demand is hot, but some prices may cool: These are the stocks for spring break and beyond
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-18 | by ( Michelle Fox | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +9 min

Last week, Hilton Worldwide CEO Chris Nassetta said, "The demand trends here and now are really strong." In the home-rental space, Airbnb also said it was seeing continued strong demand at the start of 2023. China's reopening from its Covid lockdown is also helping propel travel demand, as well as the tick up in business travel, she said. "The trends have been really strong since January," he said. Airlines like Delta, American Airlines and United Airlines cited strong travel demand and higher fares for fueling their strong fourth-quarter earnings — as well as for forecasts for this year.

☆ A manager of 95 Phoenix Airbnbs is stunned that half his homes are empty over Super Bowl weekend. Is it the latest Airbnbust?
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-10 | by ( Dan Latu | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Phoenix Airbnb hosts were expecting to be fully booked over Super Bowl weekend. Take a prime three-bedroom two-bathroom home that Kenworthy manages in Scottsdale, a suburb of Phoenix that actively prepped for a wave of Super Bowl visitors. The Super Bowl is being held at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona. Christian Petersen/Getty ImagesThere are even signs of a recent surge in listings in response to the Super Bowl hype. While Phoenix will continue to be a popular vacation spot, Harvey predicts the Super Bowl disappointment will motivate some owners to sell their short-term-rental properties.

☆ Airbnb is making a simple, but big booking change bringing it closer to hotel check-in
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-03 | by ( Ian Thomas | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

"It's not so much that people that were booking listings were representing themselves as not being who they are," Bunch said. The move puts Airbnb more in line with traditional hotels, where front desk workers request to see some form of identification from a guest prior to check-in. Bunch said as the company looked to implement these features, it leaned on machine learning to help identify potential issues. As a result, Airbnb was able to further reduce parties on the platform by 35% in Australia, where it tested some of these features. While infrequent, Bunch said there have been examples of people purposely using false identities to dupe other users or defraud them.

☆ A couple that retired early abroad share 4 strategies that allow them to live and travel on a $2,500-a-month budget
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-02 | by ( Kathleen Elkins | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

Edd and Cynthia Staton manage to travel the world on their Social Security income. When the Great Recession of 2008 wiped Edd and Cynthia Staton out financially, their retirement plan "disappeared," the couple told Insider. At the time, Edd was 61 and months away from being able to take early Social Security, while Cynthia was 58. "It costs us more every year to go to the States than it does anywhere else in the world," noted Cynthia. Here are four strategies they use to live and travel internationally on a budget.

☆ 12 things your Airbnb hosts wish they could tell you
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-26 | by ( Gabbi Shaw | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

But dealing with an Airbnb host, as opposed to a hotel concierge, can be tricky. We spoke to Airbnb hosts across the US — here are 12 things they wish they could tell all guests. Insider spoke to multiple Airbnb hosts and asked them what they wished they could tell their guests. First things first: Don't use Airbnb or similar services, like VRBO, if you don't have toMultiple Airbnb hosts told Insider they'd actually prefer leaving Airbnb out of the process altogether. Some hosts simply shouldn't be hosts — don't let that put you off Airbnb"The main reason people should get into this business is to provide exceptional service to guests.

☆ A popular Phoenix suburb is cracking down on Airbnbs ahead of the Super Bowl, with one critic saying its 5,000 short-term rentals are 'destroying neighborhoods'
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-18 | by ( Dan Latu | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

There are about 5,000 short-term rentals in Scottsdale, Arizona, a local CBS affiliate reported. Some locals say short-term rentals have had a detrimental effect on neighborhoods. The regulation is a warning to the industry that has flourished under a 2016 Arizona law that banned local caps on short-term rentals. Scottsdale is joining the dozens of cities across America attempting to control their number of short-term rentals, which reached a record high in US supply last year. The expansion of vacation pads has been a 'slow-cooked lobster'Indeed, the explosion of short-term rentals in Scottsdale is "out of control," Whitehead, the councilwoman, said.

☆ See 32 pitch decks that some of the hottest proptech startups used to raise millions from top VCs like SoftBank and a16z
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-17 | by ( Alex Nicoll | James Rodriguez | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

VC investment fell by 38% in 2022, but the technological transformation of real estate continues. investment fell by 38% in 2022, but the technological transformation real estate continues. Early innovators like Zillow showed that there was a place for real estate on the internet, while investments from firms like SoftBank showed that big money was paying attention. Insider has collected 32 pitch decks that successful firms have used to raise funding from VCs and private-equity firms. Clockwork AnalyticsThe pandemic laid bare the necessity of a technological transformation of commercial real estate.

☆ I make $30,000 per year renting my DC flat, and I've dropped every listing platform but Airbnb — here's why
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-13 | by ( Cari Shane | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

She wanted supplemental income and decided to list the basement on Airbnb, Vrbo, and other platforms. Courtesy of Cari ShaneI immediately realized that creating a short term rental property in my basement was the answer to my problems. According to research by iProperty Management, the rate for short term vacation rentals increased 240% from 2011 to 2019 and 86% of consumers surveyed say they plan to book a short term rental some time in 2022. Because Vrbo launched as a short term house rental, as opposed to room rental, this makes a lot of sense. Because Vrbo launched as a short term house rental, as opposed to room rental, this makes a lot of sense.

☆ Floridians can blame vacation homes and 'oppressive' homeowners associations for their high rents, economist says
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-13 | by ( Robert Davis | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Too many vacation rentals and strict homeowners associations are pushing up housing costs, a study said. According to Johnson, there are too many vacation rentals in the Sunshine State. It's this particular combination of strict HOA rules and the sheer number of vacation rentals is a mixture that is affecting housing affordability negatively, he said. According to Johnson's study, Florida is now home to 9 of the 21 most overpriced rental markets in the US. The number of vacation rentals in the state is only making it harder for people to find affordable places to rent, the study suggests.

☆ How a handy businessman found a derelict castle on Craigslist and transformed it into a thriving Airbnb with rooms from $369/night
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-12 | by ( Jordan Pandy | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

After years of renovations, Smith opened the castle to travelers booking rooms on Airbnb and Vrbo. "Everybody loves a castle," Smith, 57, told Insider. Smith turned the castle from rundown to traveler-readySmithmore Castle is nestled in the Blue Ridge Mountains on 121 acres of land. Smith has seen an increase in bookings each year since he listed the castle's rooms on Airbnb and Vrbo. Robert SmithSome Airbnb hosts have reported a slowdown in bookings since spring 2022, prompting fears of an "Airbnbust."

☆ I started an ice vending machine business that made $33,000 last year. This recession-proof side hustle takes 2 hours a week to run.
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-07 | by ( Kimanzi Constable | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Steve Slagle, 42, bought two ice vending machines in 2021 after seeing a gap in his local market. I bought two ice vending machines and started selling ice and water in February 2022 as a second income stream. I no longer had a storefront in Panama Beach City, Florida, where I live, so I started researching ice vending machines. After four months of researching ice vending on Google, I found an ice machine I wanted to buy in October 2021. The ice machines are a side hustle I comfortably manage myselfWhen I create my weekly schedule, I plan time for managing the ice machines.

☆ Only 3 Sedona Airbnb hosts have applied to a program that would pay local landlords $10,000 to rent homes to everyday people instead
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-05 | by ( Dan Latu | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Sedona, Arizona, offered last year to pay short-term-rental hosts up to $10,000 to delist homes. Sedona is just one US town grappling with the question of how short-term rentals should operate in their communities. One Sedona local identified as Kaitlin told Wired's Rosie Bradbury that the rent on her three-bedroom house increased by $800 in just one year, which forced her to move out and live in a friend's caravan. Many of the property owners who reached out in the initial wave of interest, didn't qualify for the program, Boone said. Instead, Boone hopes statewide legislation is passed this year that allows towns to cap their number of short-term rentals.

The 2022 College Football Playoff begins December 31 with four teams in the semifinal round. How to watch the College Football PlayoffYou can watch the College Football Playoff on ESPN. College Football Playoff scheduleGame Date and time Channel (#2) Michigan vs. (#3) Texas Christian University December 31, 4 p.m. Other college football bowl games are filled by teams that won their conferences and by invitation. Where is each College Football Playoff game being played?

☆ A couple that went from having 'terrible credit' and working restaurant shifts built a multi-million dollar real estate portfolio that earns $30,000 a month in revenue. They explain how anyone can sta
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-26 | by ( Kathleen Elkins | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

Here is their four-step guide to investing in real estate. Get your personal finances in orderThe first and most important step to take before investing in real estate is to establish a solid financial foundation, the couple emphasized. You're not going to learn everything you need to learn about real estate in a five second TikTok video. Real estate investor Natia SeegarsThe more time you invest in educating yourself about real estate, the more likely you are to succeed, they emphasized. "You're not going to learn everything you need to learn about real estate in a five second TikTok video," said Natia.

☆ A couple who are financially independent from their real estate portfolio explain how they bought their first house for less than $2,000 and scaled up to 5 properties that bring in $30,000 a month in
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-21 | by ( Kathleen Elkins | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +13 min

Jervais, who started with worse credit than Natia, bumped his score up from 524 to the low- to mid-600s, he said. Plus, Natia started working in marketing in 2005 and went from an hourly wage plus tips to earning a salary. The way rental arbitrage works is, you sign a long-term lease and then rent out that property on short-term rental platforms like Airbnb and VRBO. Courtesy of Natia and Jervais SeegarsThey ended up raising about $500,000 from private lenders, they said, which financed their next three properties. They purchased them all within 45 days of each other in late 2021 and immediately listed them on the short-term rental market.

☆ A couple with 22 active Airbnb properties that bring in $1.3 million in annual revenue said on YouTube that they're planning to 'quit' the platform because they want 'more control'
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-17 | by ( Dan Latu | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Sara and Tony Robinson told their 30,000 YouTube followers they wanted to "quit" Airbnb. They won't pull their 22 active properties off Airbnb, but they'll try to increase direct bookings. The couple added that they will not delist their 22 active properties from Airbnb entirely, but rather embark on an aggressive push to lure direct bookings. Airbnb prohibits hosts from giving guests who book via Airbnb a direct-booking link, and bans moving conversations off the platform or embedding any links in instruction manuals. More YouTube channels: The Robinsons want to create additional YouTube accounts with content showing off activities in the local markets for their properties.

☆ Airbnb and Vrbo owners should brace for 2023. There's more competition than ever and hosts will have to work harder to stay booked.
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-12 | by ( Dan Latu | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Short-term rental owners will see a drop in occupancy rates in 2023, one forecast shows. While travel is still expected to remain high, travelers will have more listings than ever to choose from. "Even if we go into a mild recession, we don't expect demand for travel to decline next year," he told Insider. The hosts that will do best will most likely be those that offer discounted rates, Lane says. Those who don't actively manage their prices will "most likely" see a drop in their revenue, Lane said.

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