Airbnb hosting, 1031 exchanges & vacation rental ownership in Oregon, including the ongoing Cabin on the Canal series.
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…
By the time we found the house that would eventually become The Cabin on the Canal, we were excited. Really excited. But excitement can get buyers into trouble. As a Realtor, I’ve seen people fall in love with properties, overlook important details, and spend years regretting decisions they made too quickly. I didn’t want that…
I’ve helped buyers purchase homes for more than twenty years. During that time, I’ve guided clients through inspections, financing, negotiations, and countless conversations about neighborhoods, resale value, and long-term maintenance. So naturally, I assumed buying a short-term rental would be pretty much the same process. I couldn’t have been more wrong. While many of the…
