The Masters isn’t just golf—it’s a goldmine. Airbnb demand in Augusta doubles during tournament week, with hosts commanding premium rates and leveraging a powerful IRS tax loophole. Inside: how this one-week event is shaping STR strategy nationwide.

Weekend Edition Highlights:

• 🔥 STR Classifieds – 10 new STR listings—from $265k to $565k!

• 🏌️ Augusta hosts flex pricing power during the Masters—and how investors can replicate the playbook

• 🌴 Gatlinburg, Myrtle Beach, and Panama City Beach named top markets for vacation rentals

• 🇪🇸 Anti-Airbnb protests erupt across Spain as locals push back on housing costs

• 📉 Consumer sentiment drops to a two-year low amid inflation and recession fears

Let’s dive in 👇

— The STR Scout Team

Zillow's Co-Founder Wishes They Did This Before The IPO

Spencer Rascoff co-founded Zillow, scaling it into a $16b real estate giant.

But everyday investors couldn’t invest until after the IPO, missing early gains.

"I wish we had done a round accessible to retail investors prior to Zillow's IPO," Spencer said.

Now he’s doing just that. Spencer has teamed up with another Zillow exec to launch Pacaso. Pacaso’s co-ownership marketplace is disrupting the $1.3t vacation home market. And unlike Zillow, you can invest in Pacaso as a private company.

With $100m+ in gross profits and rapid international expansion, Pacaso is scaling fast. Investors like SoftBank, Maveron, and more are already on board. Join them as a Pacaso shareholder.

Invest in Pacaso stock here.

_{Paid advertisement for Pacaso’s Regulation A offering. Read the offering circular at invest.pacaso.com. There’s no guarantee that Pacaso will file for an IPO.}

🏞️ $265K | Mount Ida, AR: 2BD/2BA, 1128 sqft condo in Mountain Harbor Resort near Lake Ouachita. Fully furnished, updated w/ LVP floors, epoxy counters, new appliances. Rock fireplace, great rental! View Post.

🌊 $299K | Perdido Key, FL: 1BD/1BA + bunks, 697 sqft with Gulf views from breezy 3rd-floor balcony. Updated in 2021, new HVAC/water heater. Gated with pool, hot tub & beach access. Great rental or retreat. View Post.

🏔️ $350K | Albrightsville, PA: Turnkey STR in the Poconos with hot tub, sauna, game room & deck. Fully furnished, strong income & occupancy. Near lakes, skiing & waterparks. Community pools & more. View Post.

🌅 $345K | Panama City Beach, FL: Lagoon-front 2BD/2BA condo w/ Gulf access, just 5 min to beach. Fully furnished, new high-end décor, STR allowed w/ $40K+ projected GRI. Private boat slip avail. View Post.

💼 $354K | Atlanta, GA: Turnkey Airbnb with $4K–$4.5K/mo income. 2BD/1BA main + 1BD/1BA suite. Fully furnished, upgraded, and in high demand. Near airport & downtown Hapeville. Great STR or house hack! View Post.

🦆 $399K | Swanville, ME: “Loon Landing” 3BD/3BA lakefront Airbnb on Swan Lake. Multi-level camp w/ decks, private dock, new roof (2024), sunlit kitchen & rec room. Proven income, turnkey & serene. View Post.

🍷 $425K | Finger Lakes, NY: Turnkey 5BD/2BA STR, fully furnished w/ hot tub. Renovated in 2024, projected $45K income in 2025, $28K already booked. Strong rental history, ready to go. View Post.

⛰️ $470K | Pigeon Forge, TN: Turnkey 2BD/2BA cabin, fully furnished, $55K+ annual STR income. Hot tub, large deck, fireplace, modern kitchen. Minutes to Dollywood & top attractions. Motivated sellers! View Post.

🤠 $509K | Bandera, TX: 4BD/3BA on 1.1 acres in “Cowboy Capital.” Upgraded home + MIL suite, pool w/deck, RV hookups, gardens, rainwater tanks, fenced & gated. STR or multigen living ready! View Post.

🌲 $579K | Leavenworth, WA: “Bigfoot Base Camp” 2BD/1BA on 1.67 forested acres. Turnkey STR w/ permit, hot tub, deck, garage. Near Lake Wenatchee, trails, & year-round adventure. Fully furnished retreat! View Post.

Inside the $30K Masters Week Windfall—and How STR Investors Are Replicating It

Here is your updated article, refined for visual consistency and professional tone by applying light, strategic emoji usage only in section headers—and no emoji within body text. This ensures a clean, investor-focused presentation without losing visual flow:

Every April, the Masters Tournament transforms Augusta, Georgia into a goldmine for short-term rental owners. Local homeowners are banking serious profits, with some properties generating $20K to $30K during tournament week alone.

The cherry on top? This income can be completely tax-free thanks to a strategic IRS provision. If you're in the STR investment space, here's why this single-week event could be your equivalent of winning the green jacket.

📈 What's Happening

Explosive Demand – Airbnb listings in Augusta surge from approximately 725 in March to 1,700 during Masters week, with some properties commanding $5,000 to $30,000 for the tournament period. (Business Insider)

Tax Advantage Opportunity – The "Augusta Rule" (IRS Section 280A) allows homeowners to rent their primary residences for up to 14 days annually without paying income tax on those earnings.

Premium Pricing Power – Properties near Augusta National Golf Club are fetching premium rates—ranging from $9,000 to $28,000 for the week, with pricing determined by size, proximity, and amenities.

📊 Strategic Implications for STR Investors

Revenue Concentration – Events like the Masters create demand spikes that can potentially cover months of mortgage payments with just one week of bookings.

Event-Based Portfolio Strategy – Beyond Augusta, consider properties near Formula 1 in Las Vegas, major sporting championships, or music festivals for similar high-yield opportunities.

Regulatory Navigation – Understanding local regulations is critical. Remember that tax benefits like the Augusta Rule specifically apply to primary residences, requiring careful planning and professional consultation.

🏡 Augusta Market Intel

Here’s the current real estate landscape:

• Median Home Price: $199,970 (up 1.4% YOY)

• Days on Market: 52 days (26% longer than previous year)

• List-to-Sell Ratio: 98.5% (properties still selling close to asking price)

• Inventory: 784 active listings (20% increase from February)

• Market Dynamics: Seller’s advantage persists despite inventory growth, with particular strength in event-accessible neighborhoods

🎪 Event Market Ideas

The Masters is just one example of how a single week can transform an entire market. If you're building or rebalancing an STR portfolio, consider event-centric acquisitions in cities where major annual events drive predictable, repeatable demand spikes.

High-Impact Event STR Markets to Consider

• Indio & Palm Springs, CA – Coachella & Stagecoach
  Dual-weekend demand in April, with mid-century pool homes commanding top rates.

• Indianapolis, IN – Indy 500
  300,000+ race fans descend in May. Homes near the Speedway book out months in advance.

• Austin, TX – SXSW & ACL
  Tech and music crowds fill the city in March and October—walkable downtown STRs dominate.

• Louisville, KY – Kentucky Derby
  One of the most compressed high-yield weekends in STR real estate.

• Las Vegas, NV – F1 Grand Prix, CES, EDC
  Multiple mega-events year-round. Invest in larger homes near the Strip.

• New Orleans, LA – Mardi Gras, Jazz Fest, Essence
  Seasonal STR revenue runs February through July.

• Miami, FL – Art Basel, Ultra, Miami GP
  International audiences drive premium pricing in Midtown, Brickell, and Wynwood.

• Phoenix/Scottsdale, AZ – WM Open, MLB Spring Training
  Early-year events combined with snowbird season create extended booking windows.

• Reno, NV – Burning Man Gateway
  Late summer spike for pre-/post-event travelers headed to Black Rock City.

Satellite Markets (Lower Entry Points, Spillover Demand)

• Palm Desert & La Quinta, CA (Coachella)

• Clarksville, IN (Kentucky Derby via Louisville)

• Round Rock, TX (Austin events)

• Marietta & Decatur, GA (Atlanta’s packed event calendar)

🏁 The Takeaway

Masters Week exemplifies how strategic timing and location can still create outsized returns in the STR market. But the real opportunity? Scaling that strategy across multiple event-driven markets.

By anchoring or expanding part of your portfolio in cities that host predictable, high-spend events, you’re positioning for repeatable cash flow spikes that go far beyond seasonal travel trends.

Explore where the crowds will be—and be best in class to win in that market.

Keeping Your Hand on the Pulse of STR, Airbnb, and Real Estate Markets

🏠 Hundreds of thousands protest in Spain against Airbnb and vacation rentals, with demonstrators in Madrid, Barcelona, and other cities chanting "Get Airbnb out!" The growing anti-tourism sentiment reflects frustration over soaring housing costs as locals compete with tourist accommodations. Spain has seen rental prices jump 11% over the past year, leaving many residents displaced.

📊 JMP maintains "Market Perform" rating on Airbnb stock amidst declining US tourism numbers. Analysts cite international travel hesitancy as a significant factor in their conservative outlook, though they remain cautiously optimistic about Airbnb's ability to navigate these headwinds through its diversified global portfolio.

💰 Austin short-term rental owners must now collect hotel occupancy taxes following a recent city council decision. The new regulation aims to level the playing field between traditional accommodations and STRs, requiring hosts to remit a 9% tax to the city and 6% to the state. Officials expect this to generate significant additional revenue.

🏖️ Ocean City's STR restrictions continue to cause friction between property owners and residents. The ongoing debate centers on noise complaints, parking issues, and neighborhood character preservation, with some owners arguing restrictions infringe on property rights while locals push for tighter controls.

🔑 San Diego's short-term rentals may become more expensive as the city implements its new licensing system. The program, which caps whole-home rentals at 1% of the city's housing stock, has already collected over $5 million in fees, with rates ranging from $100 for hosted rentals to $1,000 for whole-home properties.

🌴 Gatlinburg tops the list of best cities for buying a vacation home, according to new research analyzing rental income potential, property values, and tourism trends. Other hotspots include Myrtle Beach, Panama City Beach, and Key West, with investors eyeing these markets for both personal use and rental returns.

🔬 New research reveals that Airbnb's impact on housing markets varies significantly by location. The study, published in Nature's Humanities and Social Sciences Communications, found that while some urban areas see substantial price increases from STR concentration, other markets remain relatively unaffected.

🏘️ NAR's rule changes are reshaping home searches as the association implements its settlement requirements. Zillow and other platforms must now adapt to new commission disclosure rules and restrictions on private listings, fundamentally altering how homes are marketed and sold.

🔍 Zillow sharpens battle lines in the fight over private home listings as the industry adapts to new NAR requirements. The platform's approach to implementing commission transparency and handling off-market properties could significantly impact both buyers and sellers in the evolving real estate landscape.

🏢 Condos are getting harder to sell this spring as buyers increasingly favor single-family homes. Rising HOA fees, special assessments, and financing challenges are creating significant hurdles for condo sellers, with many units sitting on the market substantially longer than detached homes.

🌊 Florida's housing market faces a potential buyers' strike as prices in Miami, Tampa, and Orlando remain stubbornly high despite cooling demand. Locals are increasingly priced out while investors and cash buyers continue to drive competition, creating tension in what was recently the nation's hottest market for real estate transactions.

🏡 Housing market experts debate whether a recession would actually lower home prices. Unlike 2008, today's market faces inventory shortages and stricter lending standards that could prevent a significant price drop even during economic contraction. Most analysts predict stagnation rather than dramatic declines.

💼 A top realtor answers pressing questions about buying during uncertain economic times. The advice covers timing purchases, navigating higher interest rates, and assessing whether waiting for a market correction makes sense for prospective homebuyers facing today's challenging housing landscape.

📉 Mortgage rates took a sharp reversal as markets experienced wild fluctuations. The 30-year fixed rate dropped below 7% for the first time in weeks, providing a temporary reprieve for buyers, though experts caution that volatility is likely to continue amid conflicting economic signals.

📈 The 10-year Treasury yield surged past 4.5%, reaching its highest level since November as investors recalibrate expectations for Federal Reserve rate cuts. This movement has significant implications for mortgage rates and housing affordability, potentially extending the challenging environment for prospective homebuyers.

💵 Beneath the skin of CPI inflation lies a complex mix of price movements. While housing, food, and medical costs continue to climb, gasoline and travel services are seeing significant price declines, creating a nuanced inflation picture that complicates Federal Reserve policy decisions.

📊 Analysts reset recession risk assessments following Jamie Dimon's cautionary economic message. The JPMorgan CEO's warnings about persistent inflation and potential Fed policy mistakes have prompted economists to reevaluate their outlook, with implications for real estate markets and investment strategies.

✈️ US travel advisories for numerous destinations including Turks and Caicos, Mexico, and the Bahamas are severely impacting outbound tourism. The warnings, citing safety concerns in these popular vacation spots, have caused widespread cancellations and redirected travel to alternative destinations.

🗽 International tourists are avoiding the United States in growing numbers, with visitors from Canada, UK, Mexico, and other key markets canceling or postponing travel plans. Rising political tensions, safety concerns, and increasingly strict entry procedures are cited as primary reasons for the decline in inbound tourism.

🍁 Canada issues strong warning to citizens traveling to the US, highlighting concerns about enhanced border scrutiny. The advisory specifically mentions popular destinations like New York and Los Angeles, recommending Canadians prepare for additional questioning and potential delays when crossing the border.

🌍 Foreign travelers increasingly bypass the US due to perceptions of political instability, gun violence, and restrictive visa processes. Tourism industry leaders are sounding alarms as the decline threatens economic impacts for destinations heavily dependent on international visitors.

🌺 Bali tourism booms as Indonesia restarts immigration operations, creating massive growth in visitor demand. The island's post-pandemic recovery has accelerated dramatically, with new visa policies and increased flight capacity helping drive record-breaking tourist arrivals that benefit vacation rental operators.

📊 Weekly Housing & Economic Report

April 7-11, 2025

Markets faced renewed volatility this week as escalating trade tensions and rising inflation expectations weighed heavily on investor sentiment. Despite a temporary pause on some tariffs, concerns over economic slowdown and consumer confidence persisted.​

🏡 Housing Market Trends

📅 Economic Calendar

🔍 Key Takeaways:

• Mortgage Rates Decline: Both 30-year and 15-year mortgage rates saw modest declines, offering slight relief to prospective homebuyers amid affordability challenges.​

• Builder Confidence Drops: The Housing Market Index fell to 40, indicating growing concerns among builders about market conditions.​

• Consumer Sentiment Plummets: The University of Michigan's Consumer Sentiment Index dropped to 50.8, the lowest since June 2022, driven by escalating inflation expectations.​

• Inflation Expectations Surge: One-year inflation expectations rose to 6.7%, the highest since 1981, reflecting growing consumer concerns.​

• Trade Tensions Escalate: Despite a 90-day pause on some tariffs, the U.S. imposed a 145% tariff on Chinese imports, prompting a 125% retaliatory tariff from China, exacerbating market volatility.​

📌 Market Outlook

The combination of rising inflation expectations, declining consumer confidence, and escalating trade tensions suggests increased economic uncertainty. While mortgage rates have eased slightly, the broader economic indicators point toward potential challenges ahead. Investors and policymakers will need to navigate these complexities carefully in the coming weeks.​

🧾 Key Source Links:

• Mortgage Rates: Bankrate – Today's Mortgage Rates​

• Housing Data: U.S. Census Bureau – New Residential Construction​​

• HMI (Builder Sentiment): NAHB – Housing Market Index​

• Consumer Sentiment: University of Michigan – Surveys of Consumers​

• Inflation Expectations: Federal Reserve Bank of New York – Survey of Consumer Expectations​

• Trade Tensions: Reuters – U.S. Imposes New Tariffs on Chinese Goods

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