Think about this another way: where do you want to live? How do you want to live? Make the best choice for you and your family, not for phantom guests @Dave1457
Don’t make any financial decisions based on being “fully booked.” Make sure your nightly rate covers you even when you’re booked 15 nights a month.
You will need to make room in your calendar for regular maintenance on the house and property. You cannot schedule most of these events when you have guests in residence. If you do, they won’t be happy and your reviews will go down. And what do most hosts do when their reviews go down? They lower their rates.
If you keep with lower rates, you won’t be able to afford regular maintenance, and your listing will suffer. Then your reviews will go down some more, and you’ll probably lower your rates again.
By this point your listing will attract the kinds of guests who leave your house a mess.
So stop thinking about this as some kind of magical investment that’s going to pave the way for an easy Florida retirement. Face the fact that with a house in Florida, you’re going to have your air condition repair people and your exterminators on speed dial. You’ll face storms that blow out windows and a climate that isn’t always friendly.
The experiences listed above are not my own. I’ve created three spaces that give guests the feeling of living in beauty when they’re staying. Maintenance and their comfort are my top priorities and my listings remain strong after 10 years. But I’ve observed many hosts slide down that investment/retirement slippery slope to reduced rates and worsening guests and reviews. Don’t go that route.
