In this week's Monday Market Data Report, Mark Lumpkin breaks down the short-term rental market in Asheville, North Carolina, combining revenue by bedroom count with amenity data to show investors exactly where the biggest opportunities are.

Despite the challenges following Hurricane Helene, Asheville continues to be one of the country's fastest-growing mountain destinations, welcoming millions of visitors each year and showing strong signs of recovery.

In this episode, you'll learn:

• How revenue changes by bedroom count
• Why 5 and 6-bedroom properties dramatically outperform smaller homes
• Which amenities are becoming must-haves
• How to differentiate your property from the competition

The data shows:

• Fire Pits → 71% of listings
• Hot Tubs → 53%
• Game Rooms → 24%
• Saunas → 11%
• Pools → 5.5%
• Pickleball & Mini Golf → Less than 2%

The takeaway?

A fire pit and hot tub help you compete. Adding amenities like a sauna, pool, pickleball court, or mini golf is how you create a true standout property.

If you're considering investing in Asheville, this episode provides a data-driven blueprint for building a top-performing STR.

Subscribe for new Market Data Reports every Monday and expert guest interviews every Friday.

Most short-term rental owners assume Airbnb and Vrbo handle all of their lodging taxes.

They don't.

In this episode, Mark Lumpkin sits down with Julie Banting Rogers from Avalara to uncover one of the biggest blind spots in the STR industry: lodging tax compliance.

Julie explains why thousands of hosts and property managers unknowingly fall out of compliance, how platform-collected taxes actually work, and why failing to file the right paperwork can result in massive penalties, interest, or even liens on your properties.

In this episode, you'll learn:

• How Airbnb and Vrbo handle lodging taxes (and what they don't do)
• The difference between state, county, and local lodging taxes
• Why many STR operators unknowingly owe back taxes
• The costly mistakes property managers make
• How to stay compliant without spending hours on paperwork
• What every STR owner should know before buying their next property

If you own, manage, or are planning to invest in short-term rentals, this episode could save you from an expensive mistake.

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Episode Sponsored By:
STR Search

STR Search is the industry leading property finder service. They've helped investors acquire over 215 profitable STRs across the US. If you'd like the data professionals to help you find your next STR, reach out to STRsearch.com

In this week's Monday Market Data Report, Mark Lumpkin breaks down the short-term rental market in West Palm Beach, Florida, combining bedroom-count revenue data with amenity-stack analysis to show investors exactly where the biggest opportunities exist.

West Palm continues to see strong tourism growth, with more than 10 million annual visitors and growing demand fueled by major corporate relocations from cities like New York, Philadelphia, and Washington D.C.

In this episode, Mark covers:

• Revenue potential by bedroom count
• Why 4, 5, and 6-bedroom homes dramatically outperform smaller properties
• The amenity combinations driving $200,000+ annual revenue
• What amenities are becoming mandatory in the market
• How investors can still stand out from the competition

Key takeaways:

• 4-bedroom properties average over $100K annually
• 6-bedroom properties average more than $200K annually
• Top performers can exceed $300K+ per year
• Pool + Hot Tub + Waterfront is the highest-performing amenity combination
• Only 4% of properties have pickleball courts
• Less than 1% have movie theaters

If you're investing in South Florida, this episode provides a roadmap for building a high-performing STR that stands out in a growing market.

Subscribe for new Market Data Reports every Monday and expert guest interviews every Friday.

What does it take to stay relevant in the short-term rental industry for nearly three decades?

In this episode, Mark Lumpkin sits down with Michael St. Pierre, a hospitality veteran with 28 years of experience spanning vacation rentals, luxury resorts, revenue management, owner acquisition, and some of the industry's most recognized brands.

Michael shares how he got started in the business, the lessons he learned from working in Hawaii and with Hyatt-affiliated properties, and why hospitality is still the foundation of long-term success in a rapidly changing industry.

They also discuss:

• What investors can learn from luxury hotel brands
• Why relationships are one of the most valuable assets in business
• The evolution of revenue management and dynamic pricing
• How AI is changing the vacation rental landscape
• The importance of building systems, standards, and memorable guest experiences
• What the next generation of STR operators needs to focus on

Whether you manage one property or hundreds, this conversation is packed with practical insights on hospitality, growth, and building a sustainable business in the vacation rental industry.

Connect with Michael St. Pierre on LinkedIn to learn more about revenue management, owner acquisition, and the future of short-term rentals.

🎧 Listen now and be sure to subscribe for more STR Investing Podcast episodes.

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Episode Sponsored By:
STR Search

STR Search is the industry leading property finder service. They've helped investors acquire over 215 profitable STRs across the US. If you'd like the data professionals to help you find your next STR, reach out to STRsearch.com

In this week's Monday Market Data Report, Mark Lumpkin breaks down one of the most competitive short-term rental markets in America: Sevierville.

With more than 15 million annual visitors to the Great Smoky Mountains and over 13,000 active short-term rentals in the surrounding market, Sevierville has become the perfect example of the "Amenities Arms Race" that has transformed the STR industry.

The data is eye-opening:

• Hot Tubs → 94.8% of listings
• Game Rooms → 77.8%
• Fire Pits → 52%
• Pools → 45%
• Pool Tables → 50%

These aren't luxury amenities anymore. They're the baseline.

In this episode, Mark breaks down what amenities you need just to compete and which upgrades can still help you stand out from thousands of competing cabins.

If you're investing in the Smokies, this episode is a masterclass in understanding what it takes to win in a mature STR market.

Tune in for new Market Data Reports every Monday and expert guest interviews every Friday.

Tax season just got a lot more interesting.

In this episode, Mark Lumpkin sits down with CPA and real estate tax strategist Ryan Carriere to break down one of the most powerful tax strategies available to short-term rental investors today.

Ryan explains how the return of 100% bonus depreciation under the One Big Beautiful Bill impacts investors, why the Short-Term Rental Tax Loophole remains a game changer for high-income earners, and the specific rules you must follow to qualify.

They cover:

• The return of 100% bonus depreciation and what it means for investors
• How the Short-Term Rental Tax Loophole actually works
• The 7-day average stay rule explained
• Material participation requirements and common mistakes
• How to track hours correctly for audit protection
• Personal use rules that can destroy your tax benefits
• Why most investors need a tax strategist, not just a tax preparer
• Real-world examples of how investors can potentially save six figures in taxes

If you're buying short-term rentals for cash flow, appreciation, and tax savings, this episode is essential listening.

Connect with Ryan Carrier:
Website: CarrierTaxConsulting.com
LinkedIn: Ryan Carrier, CPA
YouTube: Ryan Carrier, CPA

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Episode Sponsored By:
STR Search

STR Search is the industry leading property finder service. They've helped investors acquire over 215 profitable STRs across the US. If you'd like the data professionals to help you find your next STR, reach out to STRsearch.com

In this week’s Monday Market Data Report, Mark Lumpkin heads to the Pacific Northwest to break down the short-term rental market in Seattle, Washington.

With more than 5,000 active listings, nearly 40 million annual visitors, and inventory growth exceeding 50% over the past few years, Seattle has become an increasingly competitive market for STR investors. But despite the growing competition, the data reveals something surprising:

Seattle may be one of the least amenitized STR markets we've analyzed.

In this episode, Mark covers:

• Seattle's tourism demand and seasonality
• The impact of corporate and mid-term rental travelers
• Current STR regulations and licensing requirements
• Why occupancy and revenue vary so dramatically across the market
• The amenities that can instantly separate your property from the competition

The takeaway?

Unlike many markets where amenities have become standard, Seattle still offers tremendous opportunity for investors willing to create something unique. A simple hot tub and gym combination immediately puts you ahead of most of the competition, while a true "super property" would have virtually no competition at all.

If you're considering investing in Seattle, this episode provides a roadmap for how to stand out in one of the country's fastest-growing STR markets.

Subscribe for new Market Data Reports every Monday and expert guest interviews every Friday.

A dirty property can ruin a guest experience before the vacation even begins.

In this episode, Mark sits down with Logan, founder of Dream Clean Team, one of the largest vacation rental cleaning companies on Florida's Emerald Coast. Starting as a side hustle with his wife cleaning properties during summer break, Logan has grown the business into a full-service operation serving hundreds of short-term rentals across Northwest Florida.

The conversation dives into one of the most overlooked parts of STR success: cleaning systems, guest readiness, and operational consistency.

You'll learn:

• The difference between a clean property and a guest-ready property
• Why laundry is often the biggest bottleneck in vacation rentals
• How professional operators scale cleaning across hundreds of properties
• The systems and SOPs that transformed a small side hustle into a major operation
• How cleaning impacts reviews, rankings, and repeat bookings
• Real stories of the wildest guest damage and turnover situations they've encountered
• How AI is helping streamline operations without replacing people

If you're an STR owner, host, property manager, or investor, this episode will change the way you think about cleaning, guest experience, and operational excellence.

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Episode Sponsored By:
STR Search

STR Search is the industry leading property finder service. They've helped investors acquire over 215 profitable STRs across the US. If you'd like the data professionals to help you find your next STR, reach out to STRsearch.com