162: Unique Strategies For Short-Term Rental Profitability with Michael Chang

What if you didn’t have to buy your own property to turn it into a short-term rental investment?

On this episode of Zen and the Art of Real Estate Investing, Jonathan sits down with Michael Chang, co-founder and partner at TrustBNB Vacation Rentals and TrustBNB Capital. Michael is a New York-based investor who owns and operates a portfolio of short-term rentals in Philadelphia and the Tennessee Smoky Mountains. He is an expert in using arbitrage for short-term rental properties. Michael shares other non-traditional investing methods while outlining how location and your experience level meet.

Jonathan and Michael begin their conversation by exploring Michael Chang’s experience as an immigrant to the U.S. as a child and his first exposure to real estate when his family bought a home. He shares how he and his wife began real estate investing with short-term rentals in Queens, New York, using arbitrage. Michael explains the benefits of jumping into the investing waters and using trial and error to determine what works for your business. You’ll hear Michael’s buy box requirements for arbitrage, his competitive advantage in Philadelphia, and the value of flexibility as an investor. Finally, Jonathan and Michael delve into the specifics of his Smoky Mountains properties, revealing the impact HOAs have on them, how the market there has shifted, and his tips for new investors who want to use arbitrage in their portfolios.

Michael Chang makes a strong case for arbitrage if you’ve ever considered short-term rentals but aren’t sure if you want to jump in with purchasing your own properties.

In this episode, you will hear:

• Michael Chang’s experience as an immigrant to the U.S. and his exposure to real estate when his family bought their first house
• How he and his wife began real estate investing with short-term rentals in Queens, New York
• Leveraging rental arbitrage to test the short-term rental waters
• The benefits of jumping in and using trial-and-error to figure out what works for your rental business
• Michael’s buy box for rentals he’s looking to arbitrage
• The underrated competitive advantage he has in Philadelphia
• Why a lack of amenities in arbitraged apartments isn’t necessarily a bad thing
• The value of flexibility as an investor and how that benefitted Michale with his Smoky Mountains properties
• The impact of HOAs on short-term rentals
• How the market has shifted
• Michael’s tips for using arbitrage in real estate investing

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If you enjoyed this episode, we've created a PDF that has all of the key information for you from the episode. Just go to the episode page at https://zenandtheartofrealestateinvesting.com/podcast/162/ to download it.

Supporting Resources:

Michael Chang on Instagram - www.instagram.com/michaelchangbnb

Connect with Michael on LinkedIn - www.linkedin.com/in/michaelhchang

Michael’s TikTok - www.tiktok.com/@michaelchangbnb

Website - www.streamlined.properties

YouTube - www.youtube.com/c/JonathanGreeneRE/videos

Instagram - www.instagram.com/trustgreene

Instagram - www.instagram.com/streamlinedproperties

TikTok - www.tiktok.com/@trustgreene

Zillow - https://www.zillow.com/profile/StreamlinedReal

Bigger Pockets - www.biggerpockets.com/users/TrustGreene

Facebook - www.facebook.com/streamlinedproperties

Email - [email protected]

Episode Credits

If you like this podcast and are thinking of creating your own, consider talking to my producer, Emerald City Productions. They helped me grow and produce the podcast you are listening to right now. Find out more at https://emeraldcitypro.com Let them know we sent you.