Traditional real estate investing requires saving for a down payment and securing a bank loan before you purchase an asset. And this process limits how often you can add properties to your portfolio. But that is not the only way to acquire real estate, and Scott Glass contends that with a little creativity, you can own more properties and accelerate the growth of your STR listings!
Scott Glass is a serial entrepreneur and real estate investor who manages 65 STR units in his native Canada, the US and the Dominican Republic. He has been active in the space for nine years and full-time for the last five. Today, Scott joins me to share his unconventional method of acquiring more properties more quickly, the land contract or seller financing strategy.
Scott explains how the above-average cashflow of the Airbnb model supports land contracts and walks us through the process of finding FSBO properties and negotiating with owner-investors. Listen in to understand how Scott’s focus on larger properties helps him stand out on STR sites and learn how he leverages what he calls clustering to accommodate large groups and earn a premium on his listings!
Topics Covered
Scott’s background in the STR space
- Active nine years and full-time last five
- Listings in Canada, US + Dominican Republic
What inspired Scott to pursue Airbnb
- Unconventional strategy to acquire properties
- STR provides above-average cashflow
Why Scott uses land contracts or seller financing
- Deal directly with investor-owner
- Find motivated seller living in different market
How Scott finds seller financing deals
- Basic research on Craigslist and Zillow
- Search FSBOs by zip code (larger properties)
The terms + conditions Scott proposes
- Cash offer for significant discount
- Zero down, balance of sale over 60 months
Scott’s success with the land contract strategy
- Recoup investment within two years
- Own asset debt-free by year five
The fundamentals of land contracts
- Title held by owner until final payment
- Value-add in lieu of down payment/interest
Scott’s success in secondary markets
- Attracts business travelers, tradesmen
- Recoup investment in 15 months
How Scott stands out on Airbnb
- Large properties to accommodate groups
- Less competitive and higher yield
Scott’s cluster listing strategy
- List entire nine-unit building (i.e.: weddings)
- List entire floor (cluster of three units)
- List clusters of two 60 days out
- Make singles available 30 days out
Connect with Scott
Resources
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