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The Daily Host STR Newsletter #14 - April 17
Happy Friday!
This week, real estate prices are finally dropping in many strong STR markets. Plus, we've got a lucrative 18.9% CoC deal and a pricing tool that helps you...rank higher?
Let's get into it.
By The Numbers
Data...and what you should do about it.
46%
That's the percentage of hosts who said their Airbnb helps them cover the rising cost of living, according to a new Airbnb article. And 42% say Airbnb income helps them afford their home.
Airbnb is not an investment strategy for the few. Building wealth with short-term rentals is one of the most accessible and beginner-friendly ways to build wealth in a difficult economic market.
Want to start investing in STRs? Read our free guide to see the different ways to break into short-term rentals. One strategy lets you start with basically $0.
👉 Read the free guide here
Host Headlines
The latest stories and takes in the world of short-term rentals
Are Luxury STR Markets Secretly Getting Cheaper in 2026?
Nearly one-third of all US real estate markets, 99 out of 300, are seeing prices drop right now. And these are not dead towns with zero demand. Think Aspen. Austin. Napa. Red River Gorge. Yep, the kind of places most people only dream of investing in.
Here are a few markets with the biggest price drops:
- Oxford, Mississippi – Down 8.9%
- Green Bay, Wisconsin – Down 7.2%
- Providence, Rhode Island – Down 7.0%
- Napa, California – Down 7.1%
- Aspen and Snowmass, Colorado – Down 6.8%
- Austin, Texas – Down 6.7%
- Naples, Florida – Down 6.8%
- Red River Gorge, Kentucky – Down 6.9%
Napa, Aspen, and Naples? Those are famously premium markets you would never expect to see this kind of softening.
👉 Read the full market guide to see:
- All 25 markets with falling home prices
- AirDNA's best markets to invest in for under $250K
- Key risks and considerations before you buy
Airbnb's TOS Deadline Is Days Away. Accept or Get Locked Out.
Airbnb is updating its Terms of Service, and hosts have to accept the new rules by April 20. Miss the deadline? Your listing stops accepting new bookings, payouts freeze, and host tools like your calendar lock up.
So what's changing?
- AI-generated evidence is banned from damage claims
- Smoke odor rules have been rewritten
- A new "consumables" definition means AirCover won't cover shampoo or coffee pods
- US arbitration moves back to AAA (cheaper for hosts)
- A class action waiver was added for Canadian users
But that's not even the juiciest bit. In the TOS update, Airbnb finally revealed details about their ranking algorithm and how it works.
👉 Read the full blog before the deadline to see all the changes before you click accept on Monday.
This Pricing Tool Wants to Steal Your Revenue Manager's Job
A few weeks ago, the PriceLabs team announced their new Revenue Accelerator. Now it's officially live, and it's nothing like what you expect from your standard pricing tool.
They've added over 30 new features to help you maximize revenue and make better data-backed investment decisions.
Here are the features that stood out:
- Smarter pricing that reacts to your actual booking data, not just market trends
- Competitor tracking that strips away hidden fees for an apples-to-apples comparison
- Rank tracking so you can see where your listing appears in Airbnb search results and improve it
- Smart minimum stay recommendations based on your calendar and demand to unlock revenue from orphan days
- Portfolio-wide controls to manage pricing across all your properties at once
They have a dedicated app and automatic owner reports coming soon, too.
PriceLabs is the tool that Rob, Kai, and our coaches trust and use in their own portfolios. And with the new Revenue Accelerator, it's the best tool to help you get the best rate and maximize revenue.
Use our link to try PriceLabs for 1 month and put their new Revenue Accelerator to the test.
👉 Get one FREE month of PriceLabs
Deal of the Week
Green Bay, WI | 4BR Group Friendly Luxury STR with 18.9% CoC
1945 Everbreeze Rd, Green Bay, WI 54304 is a 4-bedroom, 2.5 bathroom home built for group travel. This property is positioned to dominate the "easy for groups" segment.
The Property
• Purchase Price: $339,900
• Bed/Bath: 4BR / 2.5BA
• Square Footage: 2,564 sq ft
The Strategy
This is a "manufactured premium" asset. The returns come from a strategic refresh plus a hot tub, then selling group logistics hard in the listing. Make parking and sleeping arrangements extremely clear. That increases booking confidence for 8 to 10 guests.
Revenue & STR Performance
• Target Blended ADR: $492
• Target Gross Revenue: $90,000 (50% Occupancy)
• Operating Expenses: 42% (~$37,800)
• NOI: $52,200
• Profit to Pocket (PTP): $29,940
• Startup / CapEx: $70,000
• Cash‑on‑Cash: ~18.9%
Why Our Coaches Love This Deal
• Group forward layout – 4BR with 2.5BA attracts the lucrative family and group market
• Diverse Green Bay demand drivers – Football, events, and growing year‑round tourism
• Strong returns at target – 18.9% CoC with a clear, repeatable playbook
Winning with this deal depends on executing the refresh, adding the hot tub, and selling group logistics hard in the listing.
👉 View the full listing on Zillow
Peek the Playbook
Real host strategies you can steal (tested in the wild)
From Paycheck to Paycheck to a $6M Tiny Home Village
Chris Broomfield spent 35 years building beautiful custom homes for other people and walking away with nothing but a paycheck. Nothing to pass down to his kids. No financial independence.
So he bought 5 acres of land in Remsen, New York, for $27,000 and built a single A-frame cabin with his own hands. Today, he's scaled that DIY project into a 5-unit tiny home village projected to make $680,000 in 2026 and valued at $5.5 to $6 million.
The Results
• 2026 projected gross revenue: ~$680,000
• Annual net profit (cash flow): ~$428,000
• Valuation: $5.5 to $6 million
On 5 acres bought for $27,000 in the middle of nowhere
What He Did Differently
He built a brand, not just a job.
Chris does not work for Airbnb. 90% of his bookings are direct. He has an email list with over 60,000 contacts and an Instagram account with almost 200,000 followers. He owns the guest relationship.
He made it personal.
His kids designed the treehouse. His daughter's drawings are built into the container cabin designs. Those personal touches create a story guests genuinely connect with.
He created scroll-stopping wow factors.
A slide-out bed to look at the stars and a scenic cable bridge. An indoor waterfall and a sky bubble on top of a hand-painted silo. Every unit has a signature feature that guests cannot find anywhere else.
He never dropped the ball on interiors.
The location is beautiful, but Chris never used the jaw-dropping outdoors as an excuse to slack off. Every cabin has custom millwork, intentional design, and details that feel luxurious and immersive.
👉 Read the full playbook for his full journey and to learn:
- How he achieved 90% direct bookings
- The costly beginner mistake that lost him thousands
- More strategies you can steal for your own STRs
Airbnbs we ♥️
Our favorite listings that stop the scroll + raise the bar!
Everything About this Airbnb is Beige...And it Works?
Most top Airbnbs are designed to stand out. This one, designed by architect Frank Lloyd Wright, was designed to blend into the desert backdrop.
With neutral, tan exteriors and interiors, circular rooms, and curved walls, this house is all about quiet, understated luxury. Like a rest for your senses. It breaks all the rules, and that's what sets it apart.
Check it out here and give it a ♥️ →
Got a Few More Minutes? Dive Deeper.
Why Your HOA Has More Power Than the Government
Rob breaks down how HOAs became one of the most powerful forces in real estate and the real rules and legal loopholes that run them.
They Bought a Business and Got Free Land. Now it's a $2M Hotel.
Two ski buddies bought a small business that came with free land and turned it into a $2M hotel with four cabins. Kai breaks down how they scored free land and the creative strategies they used to reach $2M.
That's all for this week. But the conversation doesn't stop here. Join the free Host Camp community to swap strategies, ask questions, and learn from other hosts working towards financial freedom.
Have a great weekend,
The Host Camp Team.
