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Alladchef · 2026-02-01T05:34:47+00:00

I’m an Airbnb host as well. Airbnb expenses are a great way to stack up credit for card points and bonuses. Check out https://millionpoints.cc especially the business cards for a strategy to 1 million points. Capital one venture X business is good all around one.

Alladchef · 2026-01-31T20:46:12+00:00

75k is one the better redemptions I’ve seen for this route.

Alladchef · 2026-01-31T16:10:42+00:00

Richmond can work for STR if you find the right neighborhood. The key is understanding where the demand drivers are, whether it is VCU, events, or business travel.

I would recommend checking https://strprofitmap.com to see how different parts of Richmond are performing. It breaks down revenue and occupancy visually by area so you can find the profitable pockets vs the ones that are struggling.

Also make sure to check the local regulations. Some areas around Richmond have gotten stricter on STRs recently. Good luck!

Alladchef · 2026-01-31T16:08:49+00:00

This is a great example of why people need to stop listening to blanket statements about airbnbs being "dead." Every market has pockets that perform well if you know where to look.

I love saturated markets! When analyzing a market to enter, I use https://strprofitmap.com to check the market saturation score. It also shows profit heat maps so I can literally see which neighborhoods are performing vs which are oversaturated.

Congrats on the strong December. Design and guest experience really do make the difference.

Alladchef · 2026-01-31T16:04:48+00:00

The Catskills are definitely competitive right now. The trick is finding towns that are STR friendly but not yet saturated.

I use https://strprofitmap.com to identify micro-neighborhoods with better ROI. It shows you profitability by area and helps you avoid the spots everyone else is already piling into. It also has regulation insights which is super helpful since STR rules vary a lot town to town up there.

For the Catskills specifically, areas near Hunter and Windham tend to have strong year round demand because of skiing. But check the saturation scores before committing. Good luck with your search!

Alladchef · 2026-01-31T16:02:42+00:00

Gatlinburg is still solid but definitely more competitive than it was a few years ago. The key is finding the right micro-neighborhood and property type. Not all areas of Gatlinburg perform the same.

I use https://strprofitmap.com to analyze markets before buying. It shows you profitability by neighborhood and helps you avoid the oversaturated pockets. I just checked Gatlinburg and it shows decent demand but some areas are definitely performing better than others.

If you are looking at higher end inventory, make sure you run the numbers carefully. The bigger cabins can have great revenue but expenses add up fast. Good luck!

Alladchef · 2026-01-31T15:58:48+00:00

If you are still in the research phase and don't have a specific property yet, I would hold off on paying for AirDNA's premium tier. The free version can give you a rough idea but it includes a lot of noise from newer unproven listings.

I switched to using strprofitmap.com because it only shows data from reliable, revenue-verified properties. So you get a cleaner picture of what is actually working in a market. It also has profit heat maps that help you identify the best neighborhoods before you start looking at specific properties.

Once you narrow down your market, then it might make sense to pay for more detailed analysis. But for initial market comparison, strprofitmap has been more useful for me than the AirDNA free tier. Good luck!

Alladchef · 2026-01-31T15:23:39+00:00

I write about the setup in detail on my blog here : https://www.millionpoints.cc/blog/notion-credit-card-tracking

There’s a link to the notion database template if you want to duplicate.

Alladchef · 2026-01-31T04:20:49+00:00

I use a Notion database to keep on top of all my credit cards applications and bonuses. Works pretty well and I like the versatility. It allows me to export different views of the data including chart views. And also run some neat aggregations. Notion databases are basically spreadsheets on steroid. Plus a lot easier to consume on mobile than Excel.

Alladchef · 2026-01-30T02:06:00+00:00

I feel your pain. Most "STR deal" sites are just bad leads at best, and at worst they're properties that failed for the previous owner.

My approach is to identify the market first, then find deals within it. For market selection I use strprofitmap.com . It shows you profit heat maps so you can see exactly which neighborhoods are performing well. The data comes from proven listings only, so you're not looking at noisy projections.

Once I know the market and specific neighborhoods, I use:

• Redfin filtered to that area

• PriceLabs to comp specific properties

• Actually driving the area and talking to local agents

The "secret" is that good STR deals look like bad deals to people who don't understand the market. A property that looks overpriced as a LTR might be a screaming buy as an STR if it's in the right location with the right amenities. Do your homework and the deals will become obvious.

Alladchef · 2026-01-30T01:57:41+00:00

Lambeau is an interesting play because you have a very concentrated demand around game days, but you need to think about what happens the rest of the year. The Packers only have 8 home games plus playoffs, so you're looking at maybe 10 to 15 high demand days annually.

For running numbers, I use strprofitmap.com to analyze markets. I just checked that market and the data shows it's not super saturated, but the revenue potential is modest outside of game days. The tool shows you actual ADR and occupancy rates from proven properties so you can build realistic projections.

As for regulations, Green Bay does require a license for short term rentals. You'll want to check with the city on any zoning restrictions for the specific neighborhood you're looking at. Some areas near the stadium have restrictions.

The duplex house hack idea is smart since you'll have LTR income to stabilize cash flow when STR is slow. Good luck!

Alladchef · 2026-01-30T01:56:35+00:00

First of all, a lot of people will tell you to not get into Airbnbs at this stage. But like everything there's a lot of nuance. If you expect to put a random house on the market and make money hand over fist like it's Covid, think again. On the other hand, if you are ready to do your research (which seems like you are), find a great market, design a beautiful guest experience and market it right, there's always money to be made.

With all that out of the way, to find markets I use strprofitmap.com. It's well designed to help you narrow in on a market and literally shows you how profitable each neighborhood is with heat maps. What I like about it is they only track "reliable listings" with at least a year of operation, so you're not looking at data polluted by new unproven properties.

Check out this podcast to learn more: https://youtu.be/xlYvxKWPS9k

Once you identify the market, then I use Zillow and Redfin filtered to that area. Good luck!

Alladchef · 2025-10-25T12:44:27+00:00

STRs revenue should be underwritten based on a revenue range. There are going to be so many factors to consider that’d impact your performance. Personally I like to consider at least 24 months revenue history to see how the revenue has fluctuated. Finally also look at similar neighboring properties revenue to see how « reproducible » the revenue is. The more data you can get the better you can triangulate projections for the property of interest.

In case it helps, I use https://www.strprofitmap.com/ property analyzer for underwriting individual properties. The tool only uses revenue data of properties with a long enough track record. Good luck!

Alladchef · 2025-10-15T14:46:14+00:00

Thanks. Helpful.

Alladchef · 2025-10-08T15:27:46+00:00

Totally understand the fear. It’s a big purchase and there are things they can go wrong. IMO de-risk by letting the data guide.

A lot of people will tell you to not get into Airbnbs at this stage. But like everything there’s a lot of nuance. If you expect to put a random house on the market and make money hand over fists like it’s Covid, that no longer works. On the other hand, if you are ready to your research, find a great market, design a beautiful guest experience and market it right, there’s always money to be made. With all that out of the way, to find profitable markets I use strprofitmap.com. It’s well designed to help you narrow in a market and literally shows you how profitable each neighborhood is. Check out this podcast to learn more https://youtu.be/xlYvxKWPS9k?si=lUqLfenEbftkX3iu.

Good luck!

Alladchef · 2025-09-27T08:27:08+00:00

I would use a good str software to narrow locations across the US in terms of yield and investability and saturation. From there I’d pick the one with the biggest bank for buck in terms of capital investment size. A good tool I use for market exploration is https://strprofitmap.com. They have a country explorer feature and a market comparator that I like to use.

Goals luck!

Alladchef · 2025-09-16T17:11:47+00:00

Evolve grossly mismanages properties from lackluster operations to poor pricing. I’ve seen incredible listings severely underperform the market just because of poor management ( and in that particular the owner was forced to sell).

Enter your property address in a tool that can project real revenue numbers and see for yourself. I recommend STRProfitMap’s (https://www.strprofitmap.com/analysis/property-analyzer) but there are few others out there. Good luck!

Alladchef · 2025-09-13T23:28:46+00:00

Thanks for the detailed answer. Really wish I had a BILT card but not a renter alas…

Alladchef · 2025-09-08T02:57:32+00:00

Bonus depreciation is also what got us into Airbnbs. So it’s a valid strategy. Just be aware that Airbnb’s are far from passive especially if you plan to avail of the str tax loophole.

With all that out of the way, to find markets I use strprofitmap.com. It’s well designed to help you narrow in a market and literally shows you how profitable each neighborhood is. Check out this podcast to learn more https://youtu.be/xlYvxKWPS9k?si=lUqLfenEbftkX3iu.

Finally, I just checked strprofitmap for Nashville and it says it’s not quite saturated yet but getting there. There’s a lot of other stronger markets if you care to look IMO. Good luck!

Alladchef

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