An Educational Introduction for New Airbnb & Short‑Term Rental Owners If you’re just getting started in the vacation rental industry, one of the biggest mistakes you can make is trying to appeal to everyone.In the Poconos, the most successful short‑term rental properties are designed, furnished, priced, and marketed for specific types of guests, often referred to as guest avatars.A guest avatar is...
Top 10 STR Friendly Communities in the Poconos Mention HOA and many people think of cumbersome regulations, restrictive committees and added expenses. Here in the Poconos, we have our share of these, but we also have many communities which were built as vacation/resort communities and the HOA serves to bring attractive amenities and a pleasant vacation experience for homeowners and guests. As a real...
Why These Homes Still Make Smart STR Investments For years, the 3-bedroom home has been the backbone of the Pocono Mountains vacation-rental market. It’s the classic family layout—big enough for groups, yet manageable to maintain. Investment opportunities in 3-bedroom STRs, especially in the Poconos, remain worthwhile. But in recent seasons, investors have gravitated toward bigger,...
If you’re planning to buy a vacation home in the Poconos and rent it out on Airbnb or VRBO, you’ll need to understand the short-term rental (STR) license process. Pennsylvania is a Commonwealth, which means much of the regulatory power rests with local municipalities. That’s why the rules for STRs vary depending on whether your property is in a township, borough, or city — and why it’s so...
I got a call recently from a client who after some difficulties in getting her property up and running, was pleased to report that her vacation rental is live, and that in her first month, they generated over $45K in bookings. $45K in bookings for your first month is AWESOME! Their experience is a lesson for us all. Brian and Marybeth invested heavily in their new property in Penn...
The vacation rental market looks good. The surge of post-pandemic "revenge travel" has cooled, and travelers are once again considering trips to the Poconos versus air travel to more distant destinations. The Poconos' strategic location within a 3-hour drive of 47 million people continues to support a strong vacation home rental and resort travel market, year-round.
At the March 2025 Poconos STR Conference, attorney Eric Smith delivered a powerful session dissecting the legal complexities surrounding short-term rentals (STRs) in community associations and municipalities in Pennsylvania, and particularly the Poconos. He emphasized that many STR restrictions enforced by HOAs, or community association boards are invalid unless explicitly grounded in a community's...
Each spring, in conjunction with the Poconos Association of Vacation Rental Owners, Chris Barrett, CEO of the Pocono Mountains Visitors Bureau (PMVB) delivers a comprehensive update on the state of tourism and vacation rentals in the Poconos region. The key takeaway? The Poconos continues to thrive as one of Pennsylvania’s top vacation destinations, with short-term rentals playing a major role in the...
Bill Faeth is a seasoned entrepreneur, investor, and business coach based in Nashville, Tennessee. Bill is known for his ability to inspire and motivate audiences with his compelling entrepreneurial journey and practical insights. Bill was the keynote speaker at the first ever Poconos STR Conference in 2024. In his January 2025 Bill Faeth Unfiltered podcast, in an episode called Where NOT to Invest in...
NOTE: On Monday March 17, by a 3-2 vote the Tobyhanna Township supervisors voted 3 to 2 in favor of a resolution to rescind the STR cap, a clear victory for property rights here in the Poconos. Poconos VRO co-founder Marty Nicoll spoke at the meeting, he had two key messages: Don’t interfere with the real estate market with arbitrary caps, you are hurting people. Let the market do what it does...
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