What if your next investment wasn’t a house… but something on wheels?

In this episode, Mark Lumpkin sits down with Gar Russell, founder of Fireside RV Rental, to break down an entirely different angle on hospitality investing.

Gar shares how he went from building and losing a multi-million dollar real estate portfolio… to creating the largest RV rental management franchise in the country. 

They dive into:

•  Why RVs are NOT traditional investments (and what most people get wrong) 
•  How unused RVs can turn into cash-flowing assets 
•  The biggest mistakes Gar made that nearly cost him everything 
•  What scaling to 70+ locations actually looks like 
•  Where the future of travel, AI, and hospitality is headed 

This episode is a raw look at entrepreneurship, failure, and finding opportunity in unexpected places.

If you're thinking beyond traditional STRs or just want to sharpen your investing mindset, this one hits different.

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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 data for Big Bear Lake — including a full market snapshot + amenity performance breakdown.

This episode introduces a new format, giving you a clearer picture of:

•  Overall market supply and demand 
•  Where guests are coming from 
•  Seasonality and booking patterns 
•  And which amenities actually drive revenue 

Here’s what the data shows in Big Bear:

• Hot Tubs (59%) → +$14,000/year
 • Fire Pits (48%) → +$3,600/year
 • Game Rooms (29%) → +$14,752/year
 • Saunas (2%) → +$38,000/year
 • Waterfront (<1%) → +$25,000/year

With over 4,000 listings and steady growth, Big Bear is competitive — but still offers opportunity for investors who differentiate with the right amenities.

Most guests are coming from Southern California for short, weekend stays — making design, amenities, and guest experience critical to standing out.

If you’re investing in Big Bear or analyzing mountain markets, this episode gives you the data you need to compete.

In this week’s Monday Market Data Report, Mark Lumpkin breaks down the amenity data for The Poconos — one of the most competitive and heavily amenitized STR markets in the country.

This episode reveals a massive truth about the Poconos:

Amenities aren’t optional. They’re everything.

Using data from STR Search, we break down what top-performing properties are doing differently — and why some homes generate $250K+ per year while others struggle to break even in the exact same location.

Here’s what the data shows:

• Fire Pits (83%) → +$42,750/year
 • Hot Tubs (75%) → +$45,600/year
 • Game Rooms (71%) → +$41,100/year
 • Playgrounds (41%) → +$55,000/year
 • Saunas (19%) → +$21,000/year
 • Movie Theaters (13%) → +$58,000/year

The takeaway is clear: amenity stacking drives revenue in the Poconos.

Properties with multiple high-impact amenities consistently outperform — while under-amenitized homes fall far behind, even if they share the same location, views, and bedroom count.

If you’re investing in the Poconos, this episode gives you the blueprint to compete — and win.

Subscribe for market data every Monday and expert guests every Friday.

In this episode of the STR Investing Podcast, Mark Lumpkin sits down with Pierre-Camille Hamana, founder and CEO of Hospitable, to break down how short-term rental software has evolved over the last decade and where the industry is heading next.

Pierre shares how he went from hosting a single room in Brussels to building one of the most recognized property management platforms in the space. They dive into the early challenges of automation, the rapid evolution of integrations, and how technology has transformed operations for hosts and property managers.

The conversation also explores the balance between automation and hospitality, why guest experience still matters more than ever, and how operators can stand out in an increasingly competitive market.

At the end of the episode, Pierre reveals a major shift in how software will be offered moving forward — including a new $0 subscription plan designed to make professional tools accessible to every host.

If you want to understand where STR tech is going and how to stay ahead, this is a must-listen.

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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 episode, co-host Taylor Jones breaks down a simple, practical framework for building your short-term rental buy box without needing expensive tools or large amounts of capital.

If you’ve ever asked yourself where to buy, what to buy, and how to know if a deal actually works, this episode walks you through it step by step.

Taylor explains how to use Airbnb itself to identify top-performing areas, how to analyze amenities and design trends, and how to reverse-engineer what’s already working in your market. He also dives into how to validate your assumptions with data tools like AirDNA or Rabbu and, most importantly, how to determine if a deal will actually cash flow.

This is a straightforward, actionable approach to help you stop guessing and start making smarter acquisition decisions.

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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

We’re bringing back one of our most actionable episodes on using Instagram to drive real bookings.

In this episode of the STR Investing Podcast, co-host Taylor Jones sits down with Ben Wolff, founder of Onera and a pioneer in the unique stays space.

Ben shares how he built standout hospitality experiences that naturally attract attention online and convert that attention into direct bookings. From treehouse hotels to outdoor stays, his approach proves that the right content can become a powerful revenue engine.

This episode breaks down the real strategy behind influencer collaborations, content marketing, and building a brand that drives demand. Including how one influencer partnership generated $25,000 in direct bookings with no upfront cost, and how these strategies contributed to over $1,000,000 in bookings.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• How Instagram can drive serious revenue for STRs
• Why unique stays perform so well on social media
• The strategy behind a $25K influencer win
• How to turn content into consistent direct bookings
• What’s working right now in STR marketing

If you’re looking to grow bookings and reduce reliance on OTAs, this is one to study.

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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

Mark Lumpkin breaks down the amenity data for Blue Ridge, one of the most popular cabin markets in the Southeast.

Using insights from STR Search, this episode dives into which amenities top-performing properties are using to dominate the market—and how much additional revenue those features are generating annually.

Here’s what the data shows in Blue Ridge:

• Hot Tubs (91%) → +$20,000+/year
 • Game Rooms (50%) → +$16,451/year
 • Home Gyms (8%) → +$9,123/year
 • Saunas (5%) → +$24,861/year
 • Swimming Pools (3%) → +$57,348/year
 • Mini Golf (4%) → +$14,700/year

The biggest takeaway? In Blue Ridge, amenities drive performance.

Hot tubs are essentially mandatory for top-performing cabins, while features like saunas, pools, and mini golf courses are still rare—but generating massive revenue advantages for properties that have them.

If you’re investing in Blue Ridge or planning upgrades to an existing cabin, this episode reveals the amenities that can help your property stand out and maximize revenue.

Subscribe to the STR Investing Podcast for market data every Monday and expert guests every Friday.

In this episode of the STR Investing Podcast, co-host Mark Lumpkin sits down with  Tyann Marcink - Hammond, owner of Tyann Hospitality and one of the newest VRMA board members, to talk about what actually drives five star stays: hospitality.

Tyann shares why communication is the foundation of every great guest experience, how small moments can shape an entire stay, and why hosts who ignore hospitality are leaving money and reviews on the table. They also recap the Poconos STR conference, discuss Tyann's new book Hospitable Host: The STR Sisterhood Edition, and dig into what she is helping lead inside VRMA.

They also cover:

• Why five star reviews do not always mean true hospitality
• The simple communication shift that can separate you from most hosts
• How to train your team to create better guest experiences
• Why investors need to think beyond spreadsheets and ROI
• What Diane sees next for hospitality in the STR industry

This episode is a reminder that short-term rentals are not just a real estate business. They are a hospitality business first.

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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 amenity data for Bend, a popular mountain destination known for skiing, outdoor recreation, breweries, and year-round tourism.

Using data from STR Search, this episode looks at which amenities top-performing properties are using to outperform their competition—and how much additional revenue those features can generate.

Here’s what the data shows in Bend:

• Hot Tubs (59%) → +$16,834/year
 • Fire Pits (34%) → +$2,276/year
 • Home Gyms (11%) → +$8,004/year
 • Saunas (6%) → +$8,839/year

The biggest takeaway? Bend is still lightly amenitized compared to many other STR markets.

Some amenities—like pickleball courts and game rooms—are so rare they barely show up in the data, meaning investors who add them could dramatically differentiate their properties.

If you're investing in Bend or considering a mountain market, this episode breaks down the amenities that can give your property a competitive edge.

Need help finding the right property? Reach out to STR Search.
Need help designing or building your STR? Connect with STR Cribs.

Subscribe to the STR Investing Podcast for market data every Monday and expert guests every Friday.

In this episode, co-host Mark Lumpkin sits down with Hunter Harrelson of Beachball Properties — one of the most recognizable vacation rental management brands on Alabama’s Gulf Coast.

Hunter breaks down how he and his wife Ginger bootstrapped from 20 properties to 350+ under management, why brand + local marketing mattered more than trying to market “to the masses,” and how one decision during Covid (refunding guests fast) created massive goodwill that helped fuel their growth.

Then we get tactical: Hunter shares the real scaling problems that hit every time you add doors, why “everything breaks every 50 properties,” and how Beachball is solving training and consistency with an internal AI tool called Beach Bot — trained on their SOPs and connected to their PMS to help staff find answers fast.

We also dive into a hot industry topic: Airbnb, merchant-of-record rules, and Alabama escrow law, plus what operators should watch as OTAs push for more control.

Connect with Hunter / Beachball Properties
Website: Beachball.com
Email: [email protected]

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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