If you had the opportunity to purchase a historic home, what would you do with it? James and Jacob created an Airbnb rental, a country retreat, and a hub for fine dining, photoshoots, weddings, and more.The two now own Farrand Hall, a historic estate built by Henry K. Farrand in the magic capital of the world: Colon, Michigan. Farrand Hall was added to Michigan State Preservation Office’s List of Historic Sites in 1971 and The National Register of Historic Places in 1972. Both James and Jacob live and work in Chicago, but expect to make Farrand Hall their full-time jobs very soon.We’re passionate about hosting on Thanks for Visiting, but James takes it to a whole new level. He talks about how he and Jacob grew Farrand Hall into a multi-faceted business with rentals, events, and more. Hear the details of how he hires professional chefs to host unique dinner events at the property, the challenges with turnover, and the secret behind their signature pink door...Resources:farrandhall.comInstagram: instagram.com/farrand1854#STRShareSunday: @honeybebeachhousesThanks for Visiting is a production of Crate MediaMentioned in this episode:Hosting Business Mastery Method | Join us for our live, free, host masterclass and learn how to OWN your digital real estate!HBMM | Sign up today at hostmasterclass.com.

Safety is such an important component of the rental industry. You’re inviting people who aren’t familiar with the space and carry responsibility for their safety while they stay. We’re talking to our Safety Captain, Justin Ford, once again to discuss safety when it comes to pools and spas.With summer just around the corner and the world opening up after the pandemic, people are itching to get out there, relax, and cool off. Before they do, Justin has seven tips for hosts and owners to keep their pools and spas safe for guests.Resources:justinford.expertbreezeway.io$11.6 Million Verdict Against Short-Term Rental OwnerWater WatcherSafety Barrier GuidelinesCoral Manta: coraldrowningdetection.comJoin our on-demand training at thanksforvisiting.me/workshop#STRShareSunday: @duckpondaframeThanks for Visiting is a production of Crate MediaMentioned in this episode:Hosting Business Mastery Method | Join us for our live, free, host masterclass and learn how to OWN your digital real estate!HBMM | Sign up today at hostmasterclass.com.

Who wouldn’t want to vacation on a Caribbean island for free?That was the goal for Larry Nettles, a short term rental property owner in St. Croix. He bought one property as an investment with no experience but he is bringing the dream to life. His story is relatable for anyone looking to start their own STR journey and shows what’s possible in just a few years.Resources:Larry’s Airbnb: abnb.me/25rfKNENofbEmail: lnettles34@gmail.com#STRShareSunday: @stayincrozetThanks for Visiting is a production of Crate Media.Mentioned in this episode:Hosting Business Mastery Method | Join us for our live, free, host masterclass and learn how to OWN your digital real estate!HBMM | Sign up today at hostmasterclass.com.

What if we told you that the actual reservation is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the true value your guests represent?We’ve been in a reflection mood lately. Part of looking back on our hosting journey is recognizing how much we’ve grown while looking closely at the mistakes that we’ve made along the way. There are three giant missteps that we’ve made that we can’t stop thinking about. One of the biggest ones is this: Underestimating the lifetime value of your guest.Automation is great, but if you limit interaction with your guest just to “turn and burn” you’re going to leave money on the table. You can get so much more value out of each guest beyond the actual reservation.Resources:thanksforvisiting.me/workshopJoin StayFi#STRShareSunday: @dustyrosegaThanks for Visiting is a production of Crate Media.Mentioned in this episode:Hosting Business Mastery Method | Join us for our live, free, host masterclass and learn how to OWN your digital real estate!HBMM | Sign up today at hostmasterclass.com.

Being a successful host requires more than being reactive to issues — you have to be proactive and preventative. Andrew Kaiser of MendBnb chats with us to cover the top five maintenance issues that all hosts can prevent to improve the guest experience.Resources:mendbnb.comVisit https://mendbnb.com/thanksforvisiting/mend/59/ for 50% off your first monthRequest MendBnb in your city: mendbnb.com/newcity#STRShareSunday: @broadrivercabin_____________________________________________ Are you ready to master your hosting business without sacrificing guest experience? Click HERE for our free workshop! Thanks for Visiting is a production of Crate Media.Mentioned in this episode:Hosting Business Mastery Method | Join us for our live, free, host masterclass and learn how to OWN your digital real estate!HBMM | Sign up today at hostmasterclass.com.Hosting Handbook | Get everything you need to fast track your way to Superhost at thanksforvisiting.com/handbook

In Part One of this interview with Shannon Leyh, we heard how she wanted to get into the short-term rental game and purchased a rental in Snowshoe, West Virginia. Thanks to some recording magic, you don't have to wait months to hear how that story ends — we have the answers for you right now!Resources:Shannonleyh.comInstagram: @shannon_realestate_life | @happyshamrock68Are you ready to master your hosting business without sacrificing guest experience? Click HERE for our free workshop! Thanks for Visiting is a production of Crate Media.Mentioned in this episode:Hosting Business Mastery Method | Join us for our live, free, host masterclass and learn how to OWN your digital real estate!HBMM | Sign up today at hostmasterclass.com.Hosting Handbook | Get everything you need to fast track your way to Superhost at thanksforvisiting.com/handbook

What if you could follow someone’s journey from hopeful host to burgeoning success and see what exactly it takes to make it in this business?Shannon Leyh reached out to us just as she decided to take part in this world and asked us to chronicle her experience — and we couldn’t say no! She’s vulnerable, honest, and shares all of the numbers behind what it takes.Don’t worry — you won’t have to wait months to find out how this all turned out! In part two of our discussion, we’ll dive deep into how all of this plays out. We can’t wait to share it with you.Resources:Shannonleyh.comInstagram: @shannon_realestate_life | @happyshamrock68#STRShareSunday: @heavencentcabinAre you ready to master your hosting business without sacrificing guest experience? Click HERE for our free workshop! Thanks for Visiting is a production of Crate Media.Mentioned in this episode:Hosting Business Mastery Method | Join us for our live, free, host masterclass and learn how to OWN your digital real estate!HBMM | Sign up today at hostmasterclass.com.Hosting Handbook | Get everything you need to fast track your way to Superhost at thanksforvisiting.com/handbook

Anyone who’s worked in the industry long enough begins to identify some of the pain points. Still, it takes a true entrepreneur to turn the solution into a business — one that’s going to make the lives of all rental property hosts and managers easier.Jeffrey Iloulian has been in the vacation rental industry for over a decade, setting up, managing, or operating over 250 vacation rental properties. Most recently, he created HostGPO, a Group Purchasing Organization (GPO) that helps short-term rental owners get supplies more easily and cheaper.Resources:hostGPO.com#STRShareSunday: @wildpinescabinAre you ready to master your hosting business without sacrificing guest experience? Click HERE for our free workshop! Thanks for Visiting is a production of Crate MediaMentioned in this episode:Hosting Business Mastery Method | Join us for our live, free, host masterclass and learn how to OWN your digital real estate!HBMM | Sign up today at hostmasterclass.com.Hosting Handbook | Get everything you need to fast track your way to Superhost at thanksforvisiting.com/handbook

Should you be focused on short-term or long-term rentals?Julie Gates is a real estate investor, and while she enjoys the complex world of short-term rentals, she specializes in stays of 30 days or more. She’s been in the long-term rental industry for a while now, renting out a guest home on her property, but making Airbnb a part of her business allowed her to grow tremendously — to over 30 properties owned and managed.She goes over all of the considerations when booking for longer term rentals, as well as where she finds her guests, booking for businesses, and more.Resources:sidwashere.com#STRShareSunday: @bigbluehavenAre you ready to master your hosting business without sacrificing guest experience? Click HERE for our free workshop! Thanks for Visiting is a production of Crate Media.Mentioned in this episode:Hosting Business Mastery Method | Join us for our live, free, host masterclass and learn how to OWN your digital real estate!HBMM | Sign up today at hostmasterclass.com.Hosting Handbook | Get everything you need to fast track your way to Superhost at thanksforvisiting.com/handbook

We’ve talked about what the short-term rental industry can learn from the hotel industry… but what can Airbnb and other short-term rentals do even better than big chain hotels?Wil Slickers is the creator of hospitality podcasts Slick Talk and Good Morning Hospitality and co-founder of Recreation Rentals, a boutique rental management company. He always had a love for people but didn’t know where to channel that passion until he discovered the hospitality industry. He started his podcast to interview people who had an extensive background in the industry and great stories that people could learn from. We talk about what he’s learned from working in the hospitality industry and from the many guests he’s featured on his show, as well as what short-term rentals can do that hotels just can’t.Resources:slicktalkthepodcast.comdestinationaire.comInstagram: @slicktalkpodListen: Slick Talk Podcast with Merilee Karr#STRShareSunday: @birminghamtreehouseAre you ready to master your hosting business without sacrificing guest experience? Click HERE for our free workshop! Thanks for Visiting is a production of Crate Media.Mentioned in this episode:Hosting Handbook | Get everything you need to fast track your way to Superhost at thanksforvisiting.com/handbookHosting Business Mastery Method | Join us for our live, free, host masterclass and learn how to OWN your digital real estate!HBMM | Sign up today at hostmasterclass.com.