This week we bring Ryan Bakke back on the podcast AGAIN (I'm losing count but I think this was round 5?!). Ryan is a CPA who specializes in real estate tax strategy, and this week I BEGGED him to come back and talk to me about how to invest in real estate through retirement accounts. Plot twist–this was totally a selfish move on my part, as I've been youtubing my way down the rabbit hole looking for these answers for myself. I figured it was time to go straight to the source with Ryan. In this episode, you can expect me grilling Ryan about: Why invest in RE through a retirement account? Pros and cons of investing this way How to actually invest via retirement account (without incurring the 10% penalty!) Self-directed IRAs vs Solo401Ks How much should someone invest through their retirement accounts (vs just investing through personal funds)? Should you establish an LLC or trust before investing in RE? This episode really only scratched the surface, so if you have more questions for Ryan, make sure to join his online community here. P.S. Has this episode inspired you to do more with your retirement accounts?! Invest with us! We're looking for 1-3 more partners on a luxury STR in Upstate NY. If interested, fill out this form and I'll send you more info right away. Thank you to our sponsor Lodgify – Take 20% off Lodgify’s most powerful plans with code novacancy20! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Katie Cline is back! You loved her from episode 115 (in fact, that was one of my top listened to episodes of all time!), so I knew we were due for another dose of Katie. She just launched her new podcast, "Second Home First" which is all about why, although contrary to everything we're taught, it might make sense for you to invest in a second home while still renting your primary residence. Katie runs through several scenarios of why putting off your primary home purchase could be your best financial decision, and why doing so shouldn't hold you back from jumping into real estate investing. If you're someone who's been sitting on the sidelines, or maybe you already own a second home and feel guilty that you're still renting, this conversation will be so refreshing on why you just might be on exactly the right track. Listen to Second Home First here.Thank you to our sponsor Lodgify – THIS WEEK ONLY!!! Take 65% off Lodgify’s most powerful plans with code BF65NV at checkout!Deal ends 12/12 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
I know I say this every week, but you guys... I am PUMPED for you to hear this episode! If you don't know Jon Schoeller yet (aka @thefrugalinvestor) you are in for a treat today. Jon's intro into real estate began after he sold his moving company, and started flipping houses with partners. After raising private money from other investors for nearly a hundred flips, he had saved up enough to be the private money lender (PML) on one of their own flips, and after seeing the returns on that, he was hooked. Since then, Jon has funded over 150 loans, and currently has over two dozen loans out at any given time. He takes us through: - The exact questions he asks borrowers to vet them before investing funds - What kind of returns he looks for - What kinds of deals he avoids - How borrowers can establish more trust with their lenders - How to determine how much you can safely invest as a private money lender (PML) If you are looking to either raise capital OR become a PML yourself, you will get so much value out of Jon's candid thoughts and years of experience! Thank you to our sponsor Lodgify – Take 20% off Lodgify’s most powerful plans with code novacancy20! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
This week I bring back my international business partner and interior designer extraordinaire, Tatianna Taylor-Tait! Today we’re reflecting on how much Level Up Your Listing Summit has changed over the years, as well as how it’s changed us. We’re also revealing two MAJOR changes happening to the 2026 summit, and how these changes evolved directly from YOUR feedback. LUYL SUMMIT is coming back to Phoenix, AZ, March 29-31st, 2026!!! Black Friday for tix is happening NOW! Thank you to our sponsor Lodgify – Take 20% off Lodgify’s most powerful plans with code novacancy20! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
IT'S HAPPENING! We're officially buying a sleepaway camp – literally, picture the summer camp from The Parent Trap!This deal has been in the works since July, and 4.5 months later, we finally reached an offer with the seller. Today I'm taking you through the whole story of how this fell into our lap, including: The process of analyzing this deal What scared us from almost pulling out What convinced me to finally commit How we found investors The deal structure The short-term and long-term vision for this camp And of course, allllll the numbers! I feel like the last 8 years of my experience in this industry has been preparing me for this project, and cannot wait to reimagine what this property can be. This is the first of many updates about taking over this business so stay tuned! Thank you to our sponsor Lodgify – Take 20% off Lodgify’s most powerful plans with code novacancy20! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
This week we’re overdue for some personal updates! Filling you in on: why I quit social media, the real reason behind why I stopped my coaching program, BTS of us maybe buying an overnight camp, and my big career shift into capital raising this year. Oh, and did I mention baby #4 on the way?! Hope you enjoy this much needed catch up and long-winded ramble on my life as of late! Thank you to our sponsor Lodgify – Take 20% off Lodgify’s most powerful plans with code novacancy20! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
This week on No Vacancy I talk with Ali Haney, host of the Brand & Market Podcast, who is a branding and marketing expert. We get into some juicy strategies that you can implement to improve your listing's online presence today! But before we dive into that, Ali walks us through the painful months-long journey of her attempt to turn a gorgeous Bourbon Trail estate into a wedding venue. She did her due diligence on the regulation, ran the numbers, and knew the property was in good shape with no surprise repairs. But what wasn't expected was the backlash the local community would feel towards this project. Ali takes us through the emotional rollercoaster and endless city meetings to fight for this deal, and how unfortunately, it ultimately failed. The good news? She was ready to pivot with a backup plan, and even though that property isn't a functional wedding venue today, it IS a profitable, cash-flowing STR. Ali is an open book, and if anyone has considered riskier projects, this episode is a must-listen on how to navigate emotional backlash and obstinate neighbors. Thank you to our sponsor Lodgify – Take 20% off Lodgify’s most powerful plans with code novacancy20! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
It’s that time of year of again 👻 Our annual scary Airbnb stories episode is back for the 4th year in a row! Craving more than just 3 stories in this year’s episode? Go back and binge the last ones! Happy hosting and happy Halloween 🎃 Episode 129 Episode 80 Episode 28 Thank you to our sponsor Lodgify – Take 20% off Lodgify’s most powerful plans with code novacancy20! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Today I talk with Skyler Vaughn, cofounder of For The Love Of Upstate. You'll remember his partner Madi Johnson from episodes 96 and 156, and after having her on the show twice, it was finally time I convinced Skyler to join. Skyler is incredible when it comes to project management, and this skill is how FTLOU is able to crank out 6-7 property renovations per year, and is on track for 10-12 next year! If you, like me, are the kind of investor who gets all excited at the Pinterest moodboard phase, but then cries multiple times during a project wondering why you subjected yourself to this torture, you will be fascinated by Skyler's ability to manage so many tasks at so many different projects all at the same time and make it look so effortless. Skyler shares with us the exact project management tools he uses, his SOPs, how he builds his team to get the job done, and his timelines for each project. This is a no-fluff episode, with practical tips you can implement right away on your next rehab. Connect with Skyler Invest with us! Thank you to our sponsor Lodgify – Take 20% off Lodgify’s most powerful plans with code novacancy20! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
This week I bring Kassidy Warren back on the podcast! You can listen to his last episode here, where he broke down each property in his portfolio and how he scaled to something bigger and better with each investment. Today, we dive even deeper into that same philosophy with the "velocity of money". Kassidy shares how you can be doing the same amount of work on each STR you launch... but getting 2-3x more returns from that same project?! It all comes down to which deals you're pursuing. If you're someone who's turning and burning flips or 1031 exchanges, wondering why you've done so many deals, but still don't feel like you're getting ahead, this episode is for you! Connect with Kassidy Thank you to our sponsor Lodgify – Take 20% off Lodgify’s most powerful plans with code novacancy20! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
This week I chat with Heather Mueur who is the owner, founder, and visionary behind The Embers, a glamping and RV resort in Branson, Missouri. Heather and her husband Ryan built and sold an auto parts business, and used the proceeds from that to purchase this abandoned campground. Heather takes us through the 2-year process of permits, plans, and construction, as well as the financing process–everything from SBA loans to finding investors. I asked all about the additional income streams they created, including an onsite laundromat and coffee shop. And you'll also hear how she grew her social media account from a couple hundred followers... to over 100,000 from LITERALLY JUST ONE POST. Lastly, Heather teases us on her newest project, a boutique motel located just a couple miles from her campground which will be slowly renovated in phases to accommodate existing reservations! Connect with Heather @roaminghomeheather Follow @theembersbranson Thank you to my sponsors! Lodgify - Link Receive 20% off Lodgify’s most powerful plans with code NoVacancy20 at checkout Proper - Link Visit the link to claim your free risk assessment with Proper. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
This week I got to speak with Erin Dalton-Cooney, the Head of Property Management Design at Wayfair Professional. Erin is a wealth of knowledge in this industry, and in her role she's gained experience overseeing design and set up for every type of property from STRs, MTRs, boutique hotels, and unique resorts. She shares with us today how Wayfair Professional is the secret weapon that designers are using to take shipping consolidation and install completely off their plates. If the pro designers trust Wayfair Professional, you should too! Erin teases us with what's coming next for Wayfair Professional, what they have to help you now, and how they are saving hosts serious time and money, so you can get back to what you do best – investing! Check out mine and Tatianna Taylor-Tait's official Wayfair Tastemaker collection HERE Connect with @wayfairproffesional on Instagram Thank you to my sponsors! Lodgify - Link Receive 20% off Lodgify’s most powerful plans with code NoVacancy20 at checkout Proper - Link Visit the link to claim your free risk assessment with Proper. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
This week I'm excited to be talking with Devana Cavé from The House of Courage, a collection of sober living homes that Devana owns and operates. Forget everything you've ever known or pictured about a sober living home, because Devana does things completely different. Yes, she's a real estate investor, but what sets her business apart is the care she takes with every single house guest. From the colorful designs and nice furniture she invests in, to custom built bunks that offer total privacy, to the care package that every new house guest receives on arrival, Devana has made sure that what she offers is so much more than "heads in beds". If you've been interested in investing in co-living spaces, but aren't sure if sober living is the right avenue for you, this episode will encourage you in how fulfilling and rewarding this type of real estate can be. Devana wants to be very clear – this is NOT for everyone! But if you feel called to offer an experience like this, you'll get to hear first hand how thoughtfully you can approach this for the people who need it most. Check out some of the resources Devana mentioned: narronline.org The Sober Living Network Find Devana on instagram @devanainvests Thank you to my sponsors! Lodgify - Link Receive 20% off Lodgify’s most powerful plans with code NoVacancy20 at checkout Proper - Link Visit the link to claim your free risk assessment with Proper. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
This week I'm going solo on the mic breaking down every nitty gritty detail of my latest project... drum roll please... raising investor capital for a luxury, waterfront Upstate New York property! As I write this, I'm happy to announce we officially closed and all funds have been wired. All that to say, I definitely made some mistakes with how I went about this. And today I'm sharing the good, the bad, and the ugly. In this episode I'll take you through the entire process, start to finish, and detail what worked and what definitely did not. As promised, here's the investor interest form I mentioned in today's episode. Either copy it for your own purposes, or fill it out if you want to partner on a future deal! Episode 156 with Madi Johnson Thank you to my sponsors! Lodgify - Link Receive 20% off Lodgify’s most powerful plans with code NoVacancy20 at checkout Proper - Link Visit the link to claim your free risk assessment with Proper. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
This week I sit with Brian Hatcher to talk about his new Japandi-inspired wellness development in the mountains of Georgia. This 5-unit unique stay will feature a dedicated wellness center, and it's being designed by none other than my partner in crime, Tatianna Taylor-Tait, so you know it's going to ooze luxury and serenity. Brian takes us through every step of how he found this land, the deals that fell through before finding the one, and the struggles of doing this all self-funded (that's right, Brian has ZERO investors on this)! You'll hear Brian walk us through his start in house hacking, the rental arbitrage business he built along the way, and how his real estate journey has evolved to get him to the DREAM project. Enjoy! Follow Brian's journey on Instagram @hatch_capital Thank you to my sponsors! Lodgify - Link Receive 20% off Lodgify’s most powerful plans with code NoVacancy20 at checkout Proper - Link Visit the link to claim your free risk assessment with Proper. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
This week I talk with Katie Johnson PLC on all things STR law! Katie shares tons of insight on how to: Make sure your portfolio is protected Legally form partnerships Ensure regulation won't change on you Double check that you're actually allowed to STR your property As a bonus, I share my current asset structure with me and Katie gives me a much needed reality check on how vulnerable I might be right now 😱 Hope you enjoy this one, and if you're now terrified of your risk profile, just listen to Katie's podcast or work with her directly. Listen to Katie's podcast here. Work with Katie Johnson PLC. Thank you to my sponsors! Lodgify - Link Receive 20% off Lodgify’s most powerful plans with code NoVacancy20 at checkout Proper - Link Visit the link to claim your free risk assessment with Proper. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
This week's episode with Ariel Smith was such a fun conversation! Ariel is the face behind Stay At The Coastline vacation rentals in San Diego, CA, and in just 8 months she's grown her cohosting business from zero to 40+ properties. Ariel walks us through exactly how she's finding her clients, how she's grown so fast, and the details behind her unique partnership structure with her brokerage that has sped up her growth process. Most importantly, she tells us exactly how she's managing over 40 listings without using any VAs for guest messaging?! It seems like every guest we've had on the podcast in the last 2 years is sharing how essential VAs have been to their operations, so I was dying to hear how Ariel is successfully scaling while still personally responding to every single guest message. If you've been hesitant to hire VAs, you'll find this conversation so encouraging that you might not need to! Maybe what you're already doing is exactly your secret sauce that's helping your business thrive. Connect with Ariel here, and check our her listings here. Thank you to my sponsors! Lodgify - Link Receive 20% off Lodgify’s most powerful plans with code NoVacancy20 at checkout Proper - Link Visit the link to claim your free risk assessment with Proper. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
On this week’s episode, I talk with Jesse Vasquez about all things midterm rental. I’ve done episodes on the MTR strategy before, but this one was next level in terms of PRACTICAL knowledge you can apply today. By the time you’re finished with this conversation, you’ll know exactly where to find your next midterm guest, how much to charge them, how to keep the relationship warm for next time, AND how to make money even after they check out by referring them to their next rental. My biggest takeaway from this episode was that you don’t even need property for these tips to work. Jesse shows us how he’s making $30-40k per MONTH in referral fees alone. The bottom line, listen to this only if you’re ready for 100% occupancy, because your booking calendar is about to be slammed with leads coming in. Connect with Jesse at @therealjessevasquez Thank you to my sponsors! Lodgify - Link Receive 20% off Lodgify’s most powerful plans with code NoVacancy20 at checkout Proper - Link Visit the link to claim your free risk assessment with Proper. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Today we catch up with Marilynn Taylor on the latest Airbnb updates (remember her from episode 56?)... could this spell trouble for hosts and set you up for MAJOR liability risk?! I always do a solo episode whenever we have new Airbnb updates, but the summer release went right over my head. There was so much to break down, so many changing policies, so much that left hosts vulnerable... but luckily, Marilynn did the hard work of calling Airbnb and getting to the bottom of this so I didn't have to 😜 For anyone who has been scared by what you've seen on social media about this update, I think you'll find this episode really clarifying on what we actually need to worry about, and what could end up a blessing in disguise! Watch Marilynn's webinar replay! Read the update for yourself here. Check the Airbnb approved list of preferred PMS partners. Hint: Our sponsor Lodgify is a preferred partner! Sign up for Lodgify with code NoVacancy20 INVESTOR DINNER SERIES - Austin, TX | Wed, June 25th | 6:30-9pm Apply for our Austin dinner here! 🤠🍽 Pssst, only 4 seats left! Thank you to my sponsors! Lodgify - Link Receive 20% off Lodgify’s most powerful plans with code NoVacancy20 at checkout Proper - Link Visit the link to claim your free risk assessment with Proper. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Today I talk with Madi Johnson. If you don't know her already from STR Book Club and her growing brand, For The Love Of Upstate (FTLOU), you may remember her from episode 96 where we talked about how Madi's favorite deals are "the ones that don't pencil in AirDNA". When we last had her on No Vacancy in February 2024, Madi's idea of going all in on the Upstate NY market was just a gut feeling, but 15 months and 4 live properties later, she has proven her intuition true – this market, and her approach to it, is CRUSHING IT. Some quick stats: FTLOU is outperforming in winter 4x market projections Their summer months are outperforming their own high-end revenue goals by 30-40% Their social media presence has exploded, landing Madi over $18,000 in free furniture for their listings And over $5,000 in sales commission through her affiliate shop Over 600 DMs looking to book FTLOU properties directly I'm also so excited to announce that I'm now working with FTLOU to help find partners for their growing portfolio!!! If you're interested in partnering on our current or next deal, fill out this investor interest form. INVESTOR DINNER SERIES - Austin, TX | Wed, June 25th | 6:30-9pm Apply for our Austin dinner here! 🤠🍽 Pssst, only 8 seats left! Thank you to my sponsors! Lodgify - Link Receive 20% off Lodgify’s most powerful plans with code NoVacancy20 at checkout Proper - Link Visit the link to claim your free risk assessment with Proper. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices