Living Off Rentals

Joining us on this episode of Living Off Rentals is Maria Laoang, our Airbnb Manager who's been overseeing the day-to-day operations for my short-term rental business, Dune Dwellings, for the past two years.

Maria is a virtual assistant (VA) from the Philippines who manages our team of 3 full-time customer service team members. Together, they run the day-to-day operations of our Airbnb business.

Listen as she shares how her background in customer service led her to Airbnb management, her responsibilities, and what it means to hire for ownership rather than tasks.

She also gets into what onboarding and training VAs look like in practice, how something as simple as a daily Slack recap can keep a whole team on the same page, and just how many moving pieces a short-term rental operation actually juggles, from guest services and cleaning to maintenance, vendors, systems, processes, and more.

If you're looking to scale up your Airbnb operations with a virtual team, this one's for you! Enjoy the show!

Key Takeaways:

[00:00] Introducing Maria Laoang and her role as virtual rental manager

[04:21] Maria's background in customer service and training

[07:30] Responsibilities as a virtual short-term rental manager

[08:18] Improving systems, SOPs and processes

[10:28] The difference between a team member and a manager

[13:28] How Maria found the job opportunity

[15:15] Why clearly defining the role matters when hiring

[19:17] The right time to hire a virtual team member

[21:19] Language and communication in the Philippines

[26:41] Building the onboarding and training process

[31:37] Using Slack as the day-to-day communication hub

[34:16] Advice for rental property owners thinking about hiring virtually

[35:25] Being ready to delegate and build systems

[37:54] Rewarding your team as owners

[39:52] Outro

Show Links:

Living Off Rentals YouTube Channel – youtube.com/c/LivingOffRentals

Living Off Rentals YouTube Podcast Channel - youtube.com/c/LivingOffRentalsPodcast

Living Off Rentals Facebook Group – facebook.com/groups/livingoffrentals

Living Off Rentals Website – https://www.livingoffrentals.com/

Living Off Rentals Instagram – instagram.com/livingoffrentals

Living Off Rentals TikTok – tiktok.com/@livingoffrentals

Want to start investing in short-term rentals? Book a call to see if my STR Blueprint program is a good fit for you: livingoffrentals.com/call

Joining us in this episode of Living Off Rentals is Dustin Heiner, a real estate investor behind several podcasts, including Master Passive Income, and the man behind Income Builder - a new tool that lets investors manage all their real estate tools in one place.

Dustin started investing in long-term rentals in 2006 after a wake-up call at his government job. Since then, he has built systems around his portfolio and created Income Builder, a business system designed to help investors analyze properties, manage their portfolio, organize documents, and track their progress toward financial freedom.

Listen as he explains why investors need to think like business owners, how to keep everything in one place, and how AI can help investors make better decisions and build systems. Enjoy the show!

Key Takeaways:

[00:00] Introducing Dustin Heiner and his real estate background

[03:42] Starting with long-term rentals in 2006

[04:38] Don't be an investor, be an income builder and business owner

[05:29] Why Dustin focuses on systems and processes

[07:26] The story behind Income Builder

[09:46] Investors need a complete business system

[11:03] Replacing multiple tools with one system

[15:38] Investors should organize everything from the beginning

[17:26] Getting started with Income Builder for free

[20:33] Tracking your financial freedom goal

[23:28] Building an AI investor coach

[24:57] How AI could impact real estate investing

[28:18] Nothing can replace mentors and community for real estate investors

[31:07] Learning from other people's mistakes

[32:44] Appreciation is icing on the cake

[37:30] The importance of community and surrounding yourself with investors

[43:04] 50% off the first month of Income Builder

[44:57] Outro

Guest Links:

Website: https://incomebuilder.io/

Get 50% off the first month of Income Builder.

Visit https://livingoffrentals.com/incomebuilder and use the promo code KIRBY.

Show Links:

Living Off Rentals YouTube Channel – youtube.com/c/LivingOffRentals

Living Off Rentals YouTube Podcast Channel - youtube.com/c/LivingOffRentalsPodcast

Living Off Rentals Facebook Group – facebook.com/groups/livingoffrentals

Living Off Rentals Website – https://www.livingoffrentals.com/

Living Off Rentals Instagram – instagram.com/livingoffrentals

Living Off Rentals TikTok – tiktok.com/@livingoffrentals

Want to start investing in short-term rentals? Book a call to see if my STR Blueprint program is a good fit for you: livingoffrentals.com/call

In this episode of Living Off Rentals, Mike and Caroline Neubauer of the Our Family Invests podcast join us to share how they built financial freedom through real estate investing and short-term rentals in Maui.

Starting with an ADU on their primary home, they eventually built a short-term rental business that allowed Mike to leave the fire department. Along the way, they learned some hard lessons about financing, renovations, cash flow, and building systems.

Listen as Mike and Caroline share how they got started, the challenges they faced with their first short-term rental, the impacts of COVID and the Maui fire, and how having a clear family goal helped them keep moving forward. Enjoy the show!

Key Takeaways:

[00:00] Introducing Mike and Caroline Neubauer

[03:18] Building financial freedom in a really expensive market

[07:52] Building an ADU on their primary residence

[13:58] From being a firefighter to discovering short-term rentals in Maui

[23:00] The different path to financial freedom

[24:20] The lessons learned from landlording short-term rentals

[26:01] Finding and purchasing their first short-term rental

[29:30] How COVID affected their real estate operations

[31:09] Pivoting their short-term rentals during COVID

[33:36] Investing remotely and funding new properties

[40:44] Deciding when to leave the fire department

[46:18] How their real estate goals have changed

[48:18] Moving toward more passive investments

[53:16] Choosing properties based on location and lifestyle

[55:51] Mike's experience with the Maui fires

[01:00:59] The impact of the Lahaina fire

[01:03:06] Mike and Caroline's advice for those starting in real estate investing

[01:04:20] Connect with Mike and Caroline Neubauer

[01:05:13] Outro

Guest Links:

Website: https://ourfamilyinvests.com/

Show Links:

Living Off Rentals YouTube Channel – youtube.com/c/LivingOffRentals

Living Off Rentals YouTube Podcast Channel - youtube.com/c/LivingOffRentalsPodcast

Living Off Rentals Facebook Group – facebook.com/groups/livingoffrentals

Living Off Rentals Website – https://www.livingoffrentals.com/

Living Off Rentals Instagram – instagram.com/livingoffrentals

Living Off Rentals TikTok – tiktok.com/@livingoffrentals

Want to start investing in short-term rentals? Book a call to see if my STR Blueprint program is a good fit for you: livingoffrentals.com/call

On this very special episode of the Living Off Rentals podcast, I am joined by my wife Taryn Atwell, who is also my business partner and the designer behind all our short-term rental properties.

In this episode, we talk about how we started with a short-term rental in our basement and gradually grew the business by leaning into their different strengths. I focus more on the numbers and property decisions, while Taryn handles design, guest experience, and communication.

We also talk about tips on how to get your spouse on board with real estate investing, dividing responsibilities, setting goals around the lifestyle you want, and handling the unexpected challenges of running short-term rentals.

Enjoy the show!

Key Takeaways:

[00:00] Introducing Kirby and Taryn Atwell and their background

[02:53] Taryn's background and how she got into designing their rentals

[04:20] Starting with a short-term rental in their basement

[06:44] The mistakes they made along the way

[08:13] What it's like being married to an entrepreneur

[10:46] How to get your spouse on board with real estate investing

[14:25] The pressure of being the entrepreneur in the relationship

[15:48] How couples can divide responsibilities and make decisions together

[17:09] How their goals have changed over the years

[21:24] Starting with your ideal day and working backward

[25:33] Handling difficult guests and unexpected problems

[27:20] Dealing with unexpected wins and losses

[28:28] Negative guest experiences stick with you

[32:24] Best way to maintain a strong marriage

[36:53] Staying aligned on priorities and long-term goals as a couple

[39:00] Getting kids involved in the family business

[43:19] The most rewarding parts of the real estate lifestyle

[45:33] The trade-offs of working and living together

[49:03] Using challenges to create repeat guests and long-term business

[53:37] Outro

Guest Links:

Dune Dwellings: https://www.dunedwellings.com

Kirby's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kirbyatwell/

Taryn's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tarynlee85/

Show Links:

Living Off Rentals YouTube Channel – youtube.com/c/LivingOffRentals

Living Off Rentals YouTube Podcast Channel - youtube.com/c/LivingOffRentalsPodcast

Living Off Rentals Facebook Group – facebook.com/groups/livingoffrentals

Living Off Rentals Website – https://www.livingoffrentals.com/

Living Off Rentals Instagram – instagram.com/livingoffrentals

Living Off Rentals TikTok – tiktok.com/@livingoffrentals

Want to start investing in short-term rentals? Book a call to see if my STR Blueprint program is a good fit for you: livingoffrentals.com/call

Joining us on this episode of Living Off Rentals is someone who went from one duplex to 38 rental units in just two years — and retired from her full-time job before turning 30.

Rachel Richards is a real estate investor and author of Money Honey and Passive Income, Aggressive Retirement. She built her portfolio using a rent-by-the-room strategy that generated far more cash flow than traditional rentals, and by 2022 had grown her passive income to $20,000 a month.

Listen as she shares how she scaled from one duplex to 38 units, why she focused on cash flow instead of counting doors, and how a $10,000 monthly income goal gave her the freedom to walk away from her job.

She also opens up about turning her Denver home into a 4-unit house hack she now lives in for free, getting burned by contractors along the way, and the hard lesson from her divorce that changed how she thinks about protecting what you build — including why she now recommends a prenup.

Enjoy the show!

Key Takeaways:

[00:00] Introducing Rachel Richards and her background

[02:20] Why Rachel wanted to pursue financial freedom

[05:38] How Rachel scaled to 38 units in just a few years

[07:52] Reinvesting cash flow to keep growing

[09:01] How pad split type of properties increased her cash flow

[11:54] Challenges in tenants sharing common spaces

[14:16] Finding her first off-market deal

[17:26] How to stand out in the MLS competition

[18:24] Cash flow number vs number of doors

[21:21] Reaching the number and leaving her job

[25:16] Rachel's books and teaching others about financial freedom

[26:40] Lessons she learned from dealing with tenants, property managers and contractors

[28:14] Finding the right market

[31:27] Why you still need to manage the manager

[34:48] Rachel's $750,000 Denver house hack

[39:29] Working with women investing with a spouse

[42:24] Managing risk in marriage and real estate

[44:24] Protecting businesses and assets built during marriage

[45:55] Connect with Rachel Richards

[46:34] Outro

Guest Links:

Website: https://moneyhoneyrachel.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/moneyhoneyrachel/

Show Links:

Living Off Rentals YouTube Channel – youtube.com/c/LivingOffRentals

Living Off Rentals YouTube Podcast Channel - youtube.com/c/LivingOffRentalsPodcast

Living Off Rentals Facebook Group – facebook.com/groups/livingoffrentals

Living Off Rentals Website – https://www.livingoffrentals.com/

Living Off Rentals Instagram – instagram.com/livingoffrentals

Living Off Rentals TikTok – tiktok.com/@livingoffrentals

Want to start investing in short-term rentals? Book a call to see if my STR Blueprint program is a good fit for you: livingoffrentals.com/call

Joining us on this episode of Living Off Rentals is a real estate investor and private-money expert who has taught hundreds of investors how to raise millions of dollars for their deals.

Amy Mahjoory started raising private money when she was a new investor flipping houses in Chicago. Listen as she breaks down how new investors can overcome the fear of raising private capital, build relationships with potential lenders, and create a simple process to get deals funded.

She also shares what to do when a deal doesn't go as planned and why communication with your lenders is so important. Enjoy the show!

Key Takeaways:

[00:00] Introducing Amy Mahjoory and her background

[03:06] Becoming one of the leading experts on raising private money

[05:11] What is private money?

[06:33] Using private money as gap funding

[07:24] Using private money on different types of real estate deals

[10:35] Amy's step-by-step process for raising private money

[11:35] Four-second power pitch

[13:04] The biggest mistake real estate investors make

[16:52] Getting into the actual details of the deal

[20:54] How long to ask for private money

[25:17] The basic documents you need when working with private lenders

[27:11] Stay in touch with potential lenders

[30:58] Screening the ideal type of private lender

[35:06] The minimum investment amount

[36:20] Examples of investors who successfully raised private capital

[44:20] Amy's RPM Masterclass

[46:17] Connect with Amy Mahjoory

[46:40] Outro

Guest Links:

Website: https://amymahjoory.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/amymahjoory/

Show Links:

Living Off Rentals YouTube Channel – youtube.com/c/LivingOffRentals

Living Off Rentals YouTube Podcast Channel - youtube.com/c/LivingOffRentalsPodcast

Living Off Rentals Facebook Group – facebook.com/groups/livingoffrentals

Living Off Rentals Website – https://www.livingoffrentals.com/

Living Off Rentals Instagram – instagram.com/livingoffrentals

Living Off Rentals TikTok – tiktok.com/@livingoffrentals

Want to start investing in short-term rentals? Book a call to see if my STR Blueprint program is a good fit for you: livingoffrentals.com/call

In this episode of Living Off Rentals, we are joined by Bri West, founder of Somerled Designs and a real estate investor with 36 short-term rental properties of her own.

Bri started investing in short-term rentals in 2020 and used her background in marketing to approach design from a different angle. Instead of designing a property based on personal preferences, she focuses on the target guest, the market, and the return on investment (ROI).

Listen as Bri explains how she uses data to choose amenities, set design budgets, and create short-term rentals that stand out. Enjoy the show!

Key Takeaways:

[00:00] Introducing Bri West and her background

[02:47] How Bri got started in short-term rentals and Somerled

[05:24] Using strategy and marketing before design

[07:25] Using data to build an ROI-focused design strategy

[09:39] Provide experience to charge premium rates

[11:56] Bri's strategy for market selection

[14:37] How Somerled is different from a typical design firm

[17:57] The amenity strategy explained

[21:14] Creating unique amenities for the target guest

[25:40] Bri's short-term rental design budget rule of thumb

[29:19] When to start working with the client

[33:42] Changing amenities and increasing competition

[36:40] No-brainer amenities for short-term rentals

[42:11] Connect with Bri West

[43:07] Outro

Guest Links:

Website: https://www.somerleddesigns.com/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bri-west-2a7a93288/

Show Links:

Living Off Rentals YouTube Channel – youtube.com/c/LivingOffRentals

Living Off Rentals YouTube Podcast Channel - youtube.com/c/LivingOffRentalsPodcast

Living Off Rentals Facebook Group – facebook.com/groups/livingoffrentals

Living Off Rentals Website – https://www.livingoffrentals.com/

Living Off Rentals Instagram – instagram.com/livingoffrentals

Living Off Rentals TikTok – tiktok.com/@livingoffrentals

Want to start investing in short-term rentals? Book a call to see if my STR Blueprint program is a good fit for you: livingoffrentals.com/call

Joining us in this episode of Living Off Rentals is someone who is helping make travel easier for people with disabilities while showing short-term rental owners how accessibility can also be a smart business decision.

Lorraine Woodward is the CEO and founder of Becoming RentABLE, a platform that helps travelers find accessible short-term rentals across the United States.

Listen as she shares practical ways property owners can make their rentals more accessible without major renovations, simple improvements that can make a big difference for guests, and why accessible rentals are in high demand and very profitable. Enjoy the show!

Key Takeaways:

[00:00] Introducing Lorraine Woodward and her background

[02:25] Starting a listing platform for accessible short-term rental properties

[08:20] What is considered wheelchair accessible in the short-term rental industry?

[09:10] Accessibility means more than just wheelchair access

[12:03] Simple updates that make a rental more accessible for guests

[16:38] The best accessibility improvements to make during a renovation

[23:29] Accessible short-term rentals are an underserved market

[26:27] The business benefits of investing in accessibility

[29:14] The growing demand for accessible vacation rentals

[31:55] Becoming RentAble as one source shop for accessible short-term rentals

[36:09] Ideal locations for accessible rentals

[47:31] Lorraine's recommendations for investors building an accessible rental today

[49:31] A powerful story about how an accessible rental gave a family precious time together

[51:22] Connect with Lorraine Woodward

[51:43] Outro

Guest Links:

Website: https://www.becomingrentable.com/

Email: [email protected]

Show Links:

Living Off Rentals YouTube Channel – youtube.com/c/LivingOffRentals

Living Off Rentals YouTube Podcast Channel - youtube.com/c/LivingOffRentalsPodcast

Living Off Rentals Facebook Group – facebook.com/groups/livingoffrentals

Living Off Rentals Website – https://www.livingoffrentals.com/

Living Off Rentals Instagram – instagram.com/livingoffrentals

Living Off Rentals TikTok – tiktok.com/@livingoffrentals

Want to start investing in short-term rentals? Book a call to see if my STR Blueprint program is a good fit for you: livingoffrentals.com/call

Joining us in this episode of Living Off Rentals is a real estate investor who scaled from zero to six short-term rental properties (very soon to be 7) in just 13 months by using nearly every financing strategy available, from DSCR loans, to HELOCs, to a self-directed IRA.

Joanna N is the co-owner of One Life Getaways and a member of my STR Blueprint program.

Before real estate, she built a career as a chiropractor, then pivoted through sales, sales training, leadership development, and recruiting — a path she once saw as a string of failures, but now credits as the foundation for how she successfully runs her STR business today.

Listen as Joanna shares the financing strategies that helped her get started, buying the right property, building a team, and the practical advice she has for anyone looking to invest in short-term rentals. Enjoy the show!

Key Takeaways:

[00:00] Introducing Joanna N. and her background

[02:57] How she got started with short-term rentals

[04:55] The benefits of short-term rentals

[06:51] Picking the right market

[10:21] Assessing your best place to buy property

[11:44] Confidence of investing remotely

[14:31] Working with a listing agent

[15:53] The metrics Joanna use in selecting a property

[23:25] Managing multiple short-term rentals while continuing to grow

[26:39] Creating a team from scratch

[35:18] How to balance conflicting ideas in your team

[40:08] The different financing deals Joanna use

[45:58] Building confidence in your team and lenders

[54:21] Doing house tours on all her properties

[57:30] Connect with Joanna N.

[58:09] Outro

Guest Links:

Airbnb: https://www.airbnb.com/users/profile/1526349716038260752

Show Links:

Living Off Rentals YouTube Channel – youtube.com/c/LivingOffRentals

Living Off Rentals YouTube Podcast Channel - youtube.com/c/LivingOffRentalsPodcast

Living Off Rentals Facebook Group – facebook.com/groups/livingoffrentals

Living Off Rentals Website – https://www.livingoffrentals.com/

Living Off Rentals Instagram – instagram.com/livingoffrentals

Living Off Rentals TikTok – tiktok.com/@livingoffrentals

Want to start investing in short-term rentals? Book a call to see if my STR Blueprint program is a good fit for you: livingoffrentals.com/call

Joining us in this episode of Living Off Rentals is someone who has built an incredible real estate portfolio while serving as a Green Beret in the U.S. Army.

Sterling Seizert is a real estate investor, entrepreneur, and the author of Buy Your Freedom. From balancing military service, deployments, and training, he built a $60 million self-storage portfolio and created a path to financial freedom through disciplined investing.

Listen as Sterling shares how he got started in real estate, why self-storage became his investment of choice, and the mindset that helped him build wealth while serving his country. Enjoy the show!

Key Takeaways:

[00:00] Introducing Sterling Seizert and his background

[02:21] Investing in self-storage while on active duty

[07:30] Mid- to short-term rental play

[10:48] Structure can make almost any deal work

[13:54] Finding time in real estate between deployments, training exercises

[17:32] How compounding works in real estate investing

[19:30] Business plan for the deal vs what actually plays out

[21:23] The four drivers of appreciation

[23:50] Partnership structure problem

[27:11] The five stages of income and how income works

[35:07] You can be in multiple stages of income

[39:43] How does the freedom matrix work

[48:35] The accumulation trap

[51:36] Using the value loop

[57:39] Understanding your market and market dynamics

[58:31] What would Sterling have done differently in the past

[01:02:28] Connect with Sterling Seizert and buy his book

[01:04:41] Outro

Guest Links:

Website: https://www.sterlingseizert.com/

Buy Your Freedom Book: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0H2NSLJVZ

Show Links:

Living Off Rentals YouTube Channel – youtube.com/c/LivingOffRentals

Living Off Rentals YouTube Podcast Channel - youtube.com/c/LivingOffRentalsPodcast

Living Off Rentals Facebook Group – facebook.com/groups/livingoffrentals

Living Off Rentals Website – https://www.livingoffrentals.com/

Living Off Rentals Instagram – instagram.com/livingoffrentals

Living Off Rentals TikTok – tiktok.com/@livingoffrentals

Want to start investing in short-term rentals? Book a call to see if my STR Blueprint program is a good fit for you: livingoffrentals.com/call