About Us
Our
Story
Buying our first home was an unintentional series of events that ultimately led us to an opportunity to make passive income. We were happily renting a 700-square-foot apartment in a high-rise filled with amenities in Chicago, our intention was to live there for a few years before moving to the suburbs.
A few months into our life in the Chicago apartment, a headhunter reached out to Nick about a procurement role at Amazon in Seattle. After eight rounds of interviews, much deliberation, and final negotiations, we found ourselves on our way to Seattle! We didn’t plan on staying in Seattle long-term, so our initial plan was to rent in another high-rise in the SLU area. However, Amazon paired Nick with a real estate agent to assist in our search. We figured it couldn’t hurt to see what was available; that moment marked the beginning of our homeownership journey.
We had planned to see five places, but it only took two stops for us to fall in love and put in an offer for a two-bedroom townhouse. With the 3% mortgage rate and our love for the place, it felt like a no-brainer. We happily lived in our townhouse for a little over two years until another headhunter approached Nick with a dream job offer that led us to relocate to San Francisco.
After a lot of deliberation, we decided to list our home on Airbnb – after a year, we’ve turned our first home into a successful Airbnb property, with a higher than average 82% occupancy rate. Our journey wasn’t as easy and straightforward as we initially thought, but through a ton of research and trial and error we’re ready to share our findings with you.
Timeline of Our Journey
We Get It
You’re feeling overwhelmed (but excited) about renting out your current place
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We’ve been in your shoes; just a few years ago, we successfully navigated the complexities of renting and were able to get our first guests staying with us within 3 weeks after going live.
You already have a job and you don’t have time to figure this out
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We completely get it; we both have demanding jobs, we’ve figured out how to automate our rental and we only spend 1-2 hours a week maintaining it.
You’re hesitant because you don’t know how successful you’ll be
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That’s fair, we thought the same thing, through a ton of trial and error; in our first year we’ve had 82% occupancy and have been able to generate ~$75k in revenue.
The investment to start feels daunting
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Trust us, you can do it cheaply and make your money back, we were able to make our initial short-term rental investment of ~$15k back in 5 months.
We’re not trying to diminish your fears, but to tell you that we get it, we felt the exact same way when we started, with Rental Revelations, you can expect:
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An approachable & digestible rental blueprint with a step-by-step guide to help set you up for success
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Candid process, where we highlight lessons learned to help you save time and money
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Highlights of new trends and information to keep you up to date
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Tips and tricks of what worked for us; as a couple where being a host/landlord isn’t our main focus
Our mission is to empower you, with the knowledge, tools, and confidence to transform your property into a successful rental. Whether you’re excited about the possibilities but unsure where to start, or you’re looking to streamline and automate your Airbnb experience, we’re here to share our insights.
We believe that everyone has the potential to unlock a new stream of income and change their lives through rental property ownership. By sharing our journey, the good and the challenging, we hope to inspire and guide you through your own process.
Join us as we dive into the nitty-gritty of setting up your property, selecting the right furnishings, understanding the legal landscape, and mastering guest relations.