🏡 STR Scout | Weekend Edition — May 17, 2025

Airbnb’s Summer Release just unlocked a powerful new revenue stream—no booking required. Think chef dinners, massages, and personal training, now sold à la carte. It’s a bold move—and Pro STR operators will be the first to cash in. Inside this issue:

🔥 STR Classifieds – New (search by region): Explore 35 new trending STR deals for sale from $190K to $1.9M
📈 Weekly STR Market Watch – Rates tick up, builders pull back, rents dip in key markets, and the housing slowdown continues
📰 News Nuggets – Galveston inventory surges, Carolinas STR’s brace for a rough summer, plus the headlines that matter

Let’s dive in 👇
— The STR Scout Team

🧭 Airbnb Just Opened a New Revenue Stream—Are You In?

Hosts can now sell services—think chefs, spa treatments, and more—even without a guest stay. Here’s what this means for STR operators.

🎆 The Big Picture

Airbnb’s 2025 Summer Release isn’t just a product update—it’s a platform expansion. For the first time, hosts can earn income from services like massages, private chefs, and personal training—even if no one books a stay. It’s a bold move to become the all-in-one travel and lifestyle app.

🆕 What’s New

Airbnb Services
A brand-new category now live in 260+ cities with 10 vetted offerings:

• Private chefs

• Massage and spa services

• Personal training

• Makeup and nails

• Prepared meals and catering

Experiences Expansion
Now in 650+ cities with deeper, more localized offerings:

• New premium tier: Airbnb Originals, featuring celebrity-hosted events (Megan Thee Stallion, Patrick Mahomes, etc.)

App Overhaul
The Airbnb app has been rebuilt from the ground up:

• New tabs for Homes, Services, and Experiences

• Enhanced messaging, payment, and itinerary features

• Upgraded host dashboard with better calendar and listing management

💰 Why It Matters

New income path
STR owners, co-hosts, and managers can now earn directly through Airbnb Services—whether or not there's a stay.

Upsell opportunities
Add services to your listing, recommend trusted pros, or bundle local offerings to increase revenue per guest.

Guest stickiness
By combining homes, services, and experiences in one place, Airbnb boosts stay length, app engagement, and brand loyalty.

📊 What to Watch

Margins
Airbnb will take a cut, but hosts who use their own teams (chefs, cleaners, stylists) can keep more revenue in-house.

Control and brand
This is a new layer of the guest experience. Curate partners carefully, build trust, and offer services that align with your brand.

Market shift
Airbnb is now competing with TaskRabbit, ClassPass, and local concierge startups. Early adopters can build a moat before the space crowds.

🔑 The Bottom Line

Airbnb is no longer just about where you stay—it’s becoming a full-service travel platform. For STR investors and operators, that means new revenue streams, added value, and a competitive edge in a shifting market.

Full details: 2025 Summer Release: Now you can Airbnb more than an Airbnb →

Sourced from the largest STR buyer/seller network online.

🏠 STR Classifieds | Regional Deals Roundup

Explore this week’s best income-producing, turnkey, and lifestyle-rich STR listings—organized by region for quick discovery.

🗻 Smoky Mountain Region

🔹 View Details $744k – Sevierville, TN
3BD/2.5BA, 1,686 sqft Cape Cod-style cabin. $90K STR income, unobstructed views, wraparound porch, cathedral ceilings. Furnished and turnkey.

🔹 View Details $589k – Pigeon Forge, TN
1BD + loft/2BA, 1,352 sqft cabin. 4 miles from Pigeon Forge, turnkey with game room, reviews, and strong STR history.

🔹 View Details $584k – Maggie Valley, NC
2BD/2BA turnkey escape with hot tub, fire pit, and treehouse. Proven STR, furnished, and full of charm. Ready to rent or retreat.

🔹 View Details $995k – Sevierville, TN
3BD/3.5BA luxury cabin with $115K projected income. Private swim spa, upscale finishes, fully furnished and STR-ready.

🔹 View Details $675k – Sevierville, TN
4BD/3BA, 2,664 sqft cabin with $112K gross in 2024. Mountain views, game room, decks, and hot tub. STR with strong income and room to grow.

🏖 Southeast

🔹 View Details $345k – Kingston, GA
2BD/2BA, 1,357 sqft mountain chalet on 5 acres. Travertine floors, copper sinks, updated systems. Wraparound porch, stone fireplace—STR potential with rustic charm.

🔹 View Details $385k – Dahlonega, GA
3BD/2BA rustic farmhouse retreat on 2.5 acres. Cozy wood accents, wood-burning stove, proven rental history. Serene and turnkey.

🔹 View Details $999.9k – St. Augustine, FL
4BD/3BA, 2,475 sqft historic district home with pool. Sleeps 10, Superhost-managed, $70K+ income. Turnkey, walk to downtown.

🔹 View Details $1.295M – Panama City, FL
4BD/3BA, 3,313 sqft lagoon-front home with private dock. Fully booked STR, pool, modern upgrades. No HOA.

🔹 View Details $569k – Kissimmee, FL
5BD/5BA themed villa near Disney. Turnkey STR with private pool/spa, themed rooms, and resort-style amenities.

🏛 Mountain & Lake

🔹 View Details $1.1M – Del Rio, TN
3BD/2.5BA + guest house on 60+ acres. New luxury build with views, smart systems, generator, and turnkey potential. Seller financing offered.

🔹 View Details $625k – Bellaire, MI
5BD/2BA, 2,596 sqft golf course home. Hot tub, game room, decks, turnkey STR with beach club access. Proven performer.

🔹 View Details $190k – Lake Travis, TX
1BD/1BA condo in resort community. Lakeside STR with pools, tennis, and onsite dining. Turnkey and budget-friendly.

🗭 Northeast & Midwest

🔹 View Details $475k – Milwaukee, WI
4BD/2.5BA, ~2,200 sqft STR near Walkers Point. $84K+ 2024 gross, 7 queen beds, 3 W/D sets, turnkey and fully furnished.

🔹 View Details $797k – Pocono Lake, PA
4BD/4BA, plus 2 bonus rooms on 3 acres. Former $200K+ STR, fully furnished with game rooms and space to expand. Adjacent lot bonus offer.

🌴 Beach & Tropics

🔹 View Details $674.9k – Fernandina Beach, FL
3BD/2.5BA STR across from beach access. R3 zoned, updated bathrooms, roof & HVAC. Fully managed and approved rental zone.

🔹 View Details $775k – Tampa, FL
5BD/3BA, $145K gross in 2024. $70K in bookings to transfer, 84 reviews (4.99 avg), $36K in upgrades. STR powerhouse with furnishings.

🔹 View Details $665k – Perdido Key, FL
2BD/2BA, 1,204 sqft beachfront condo. Panoramic Gulf views, updated, turnkey STR. Pools, tennis, fitness, gated community.

🔹 View Details $1.1M – Mexico Beach, FL
4BD/2BA with swim spa. Gulf views forever, no build zone across street. STR-ready with beach access steps away.

🌍 International

🔹 View Details $350k – Playa del Carmen, MX
2BD dual-key condo in beachfront resort. Instant equity, seller financing w/ $100K down. Lock-off layout for dual income.

🔹 View Details $262k – Tulum, MX
2BD/3.5BA condo in Aldea Zama. Private rooftop pool, turnkey STR in prime location. Fully furnished with strong local appeal.

📦 Multi-Unit / Unique Investment

🔹 View Details $1.4M – Canyon Lake, TX
4-home STR portfolio grossing $144K/year. Fully furnished, branded, with ops in place. Turnkey with room to scale.

🔹 View Details $1.35M – Spicewood, TX
STR lodge with 3 cabins, sleeps 26, dock and lake access. RV pad, hot tub, bookings in place. Fully furnished and plug-and-play.

🔹 View Details $1.1M – Portland, OR
6BD/4BA Craftsman with STR permit. $121K avg income, Superhost, fully furnished. Permit transfers. Income Day 1.

🔹 View Details $1.899M – Topanga, CA
3-structure compound with $200K+ STR history. Private, scenic, flexible uses. High income and future development potential.

🔹 View Details $1.5M – Phoenix, AZ
4BD/3BA, 3,330 sqft new build. Modern, solar-powered, sustainable design. STR potential with high-end finishes and pool.

🧠 Pro Tips | Smarter STR Moves

Quick wins and actionable insights for Pro members to help you optimize your portfolio, listings, and strategy.

🎨 Curate Local Experiences to Boost Guest Engagement

Pro Move: Enrich guest stays while opening new income streams.
Airbnb’s upgraded Experiences platform is tailor-made for hosts to monetize their local edge. Pro hosts are partnering with chefs, outdoor guides, and artists to offer high-margin, bookable add-ons. With fewer travelers spending more per stay, curated experiences can set your listing apart and become a scalable revenue stream.

🛎️ Upsell with Airbnb Services Integration

Revenue Punch: Offer premium add-ons guests will pay for.
Top hosts are jumping on Airbnb’s new Services layer to upsell chef dinners, mid-stay cleans, or personal yoga sessions. These extras attract high-expectation travelers and turn your STR into a boutique hotel-lite. Even with softened demand, Services give Pros a way to boost revenue per booking and out-earn the competition.

📱 Lean Into Airbnb’s Host Tools to Drive Conversion

Why It Works: Tech-forward hosts convert more with less effort.
With Airbnb’s redesigned app and guest itinerary features, Pro hosts are leveling up their communication game. Smarter messaging, bundled local guides, and faster replies now drive more 5-star reviews and fewer guest issues. The best listings are already using these tools to fill calendar gaps and earn more per night.

📰 STR News Nuggets

Skim trending STR headlines shaping Airbnb, housing, and investing—stay current, catch the signals, know what’s driving the market

PLATFORM MOVES

🏠 Airbnb is expanding beyond just accommodations with its new "Experiences+" program, offering hotel-like services to guests staying at select properties. This innovative approach allows hosts to provide amenities such as daily housekeeping, concierge services, and even in-room dining options through local restaurant partnerships. → Why it matters: This positions hosts to compete directly with hotels while creating new revenue streams.

🎁 After years of customer requests, Is Airbnb finally launching a loyalty program to reward frequent guests and encourage repeat bookings? Hints of a membership program with tiered benefits including discounted service fees, early access to unique properties, and exclusive experiences based on booking frequency and spend. → Key stat: Loyalty programs typically increase customer retention by 20-30% in hospitality sectors. Stay Tuned!

MARKET SPOTLIGHT

🌊 The short-term rental market in Galveston, Texas has dramatically shifted from seller's to buyer's market as investors rush to offload properties amid declining tourism and profitability concerns. Local real estate agents report seeing a 40% increase in vacation rental listings compared to this time last year.

🇭🇷 Croatia's coastal short-term rental market is experiencing a significant profitability decline as supply outpaces demand in popular tourist areas. Property managers report bookings down 15-20% compared to last year while available listings have increased by nearly 30%.

🌧️ Short-term rental operators in Western North Carolina are bracing for a challenging summer season following last year's devastating Hurricane Helene. Booking data shows reservations down approximately 30% compared to pre-hurricane levels in Buncombe County, which includes Asheville.

🌴 Luxury travelers seeking tropical escapes are increasingly turning to high-end Airbnb properties in Costa Rica, where private villas with infinity pools and jungle views have become Instagram sensations. These properties, often featuring personal chefs and concierge services, are experiencing particularly strong demand despite commanding nightly rates exceeding $1,000 per night.

✈️ Luxury travel demand remains surprisingly robust despite economic uncertainty, with high-end accommodations seeing steady bookings for summer 2025. Industry data indicates affluent travelers appear largely insulated from inflation concerns, with premium vacation rentals reporting stronger advance bookings than mid-market properties.

🚗 AAA forecasts record-breaking travel for the upcoming Memorial Day weekend, with an estimated 43.7 million Americans expected to journey at least 50 miles from home. This projection represents a 3.2% increase over last year and the highest volume since AAA began tracking holiday travel statistics.

REGULATORY RADAR

🏛️ Ohio lawmakers are considering a new tax on short-term rentals that could generate substantial revenue for state and local governments. The proposed legislation would implement a lodging tax similar to what hotels already pay, with estimates suggesting it could raise over $50 million annually.

🗻 The town of Basalt, Colorado has approved a new fee structure for short-term rental properties despite vocal opposition from local property owners. The measure implements a tiered annual fee system based on unit size, ranging from $500 for studios to $2,000 for larger homes.

🇪🇺 European cities are increasingly taking aggressive measures to regulate short-term rentals as housing concerns dominate urban policy discussions. Major destinations like Barcelona, Amsterdam, and Lisbon have implemented strict licensing systems, rental night caps, and hefty fines for non-compliance.

🏔️ Eagle County officials in Colorado have decided against implementing short-term rental regulations, taking a notably different approach than neighboring mountain communities. After months of study, commissioners determined that vacation rentals were not significantly impacting housing availability in the area, which includes Vail and Beaver Creek.

ECONOMIC INDICATORS

📊 New tariff policies introduced by the Trump administration are showing early signs of pushing inflation higher, potentially complicating the outlook for travel sectors. Analysts caution that rising consumer prices could dampen domestic travel demand if household budgets become increasingly constrained.

✈️ Airfare prices have seen significant increases following recent policy changes, with domestic flights costing an average of 12% more than this time last year. These rising transportation costs could potentially benefit drive-to vacation rental destinations as travelers seek ways to minimize total trip expenses.

🔑 Mortgage rates have climbed back above 7% for the first time in several months, adding pressure to an already challenged housing market. This increase could particularly impact vacation rental investors weighing new property acquisitions, as higher financing costs directly affect potential returns.

💳 Household debt metrics show concerning trends that could impact discretionary travel spending in coming months. Recent Federal Reserve data indicates the average debt-to-income ratio has reached its highest level since 2010, while serious delinquencies on credit cards and auto loans continue to rise.

OPPORTUNITIES & TRENDS

🇻🇳 Vietnam has introduced a new 10-year "golden visa" program aimed at attracting wealthy international investors and digital nomads. Tourism officials note this could significantly impact the country's vacation rental market as more foreigners seek extended stays and investment opportunities.

💸 Student loan delinquencies have surged dramatically in recent months, potentially impacting the vacation rental market as younger travelers reassess discretionary spending. Travel industry analysts express concern that this growing financial strain could disproportionately affect weekend getaways and short-term rental demand among millennial travelers.

🏡 Many home sellers continue to price their properties unrealistically high despite changing market conditions, leading to longer days on market and eventual price reductions. This disconnect is particularly pronounced in areas that experienced rapid appreciation during the pandemic boom, including many vacation rental hotspots.

💰 Home equity line of credit applications have reached their highest level since 2008, signaling potential trouble for overleveraged property owners including vacation rental investors. This trend raises concerns about financial stability if property values decline or rental income falters.

🏡 STR Weekly Market Watch May 12–16, 2025

Rates ticked up. Builders pulled back. Rents dipped in key markets. The spring housing slowdown continues—offering a few quiet openings for STR investors who are watching carefully.

📈 “The U.S. housing market is experiencing a sluggish 2025 spring sales season, dampening hopes for a rebound after two stagnant years.”
— The Wall Street Journal

📊 The Pulse

Mortgage Rates
• 30-Year: 6.81% ↑
• 15-Year: 5.92% ↑
→ Rates remain a hurdle. Existing low-rate financing is a major asset.

Builder Sentiment
• NAHB Index: 34 (−6 pts)
→ Confidence hit a 1.5-year low. Builders are hitting pause.

Housing Starts & Permits
• Starts: 927K (−2.1%)
• Permits: 922K (−5.1%)
→ New supply is drying up. Could tighten STR markets later this year.

Median Rent
• $1,625 (−1% YoY)
→ Down modestly, but drops in overbuilt metros could present buy-low STR plays.

Inventory
• Active listings: +30.6% YoY
→ More options than last year—but still under pre-COVID norms.

📈 STR Stock Tracker

→ Redfin surged with rising inventory. Airbnb and STR platforms held steady.

🧠 What STR Investors Should Know

• Low Rates = Leverage: Holding a sub-5% mortgage? That’s a major edge in this market.
• Inventory is Back: More listings = smarter deals. Don’t rush—scout well.
• Soft Rents, Strong Strategy: Some metros are slipping—time to underwrite carefully and selectively.
• Build Slowdown = Opportunity: Fewer future units could strengthen STR pricing later.
• High Rates Still Matter: The math is tighter. Run conservative models before you buy!

🔭 Outlook

The broader market is cautious—and that’s your signal to scout smarter before you pull the trigger on a deal. With more homes available and rent softening in the right spots, STR investors willing to dig may find value while others sit on the sidelines.

STR Scout Rule of the Week:
“In uncertain markets, your edge is preparation—not prediction.”