285: Creating and Understanding Your Short-Term Rental Buy Box with John Bianchi
Zen and the Art of Real Estate Investing
Release Date: 10/13/2025
318: The Rise of Mid-Term Rentals As Housing's Fastest-Growing Segment with Jeff Hurst
Zen and the Art of Real Estate Investing
On this episode of Zen and the Art of Real Estate Investing, Jonathan Greene sits down with Jeff Hurst, CEO of Furnish Finder, to explore the fast-growing world of midterm rentals and why they’re becoming an increasingly attractive option for both renters and real estate investors. Jeff explains how monthly furnished rentals serve professionals, relocating families, and healthcare workers—distinctly different from traditional short-term vacation rentals. The conversation breaks down why midterm rentals often deliver better cash flow than long-term rentals with far less operational...
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317: How Commercial Real Estate Can Enrich The Lives of People at Work with Jonathan Iger
Zen and the Art of Real Estate Investing
On this episode of Zen and the Art of Real Estate Investing, Jonathan Greene is joined by Jonathan Iger, CEO of Sage Realty Corporation, to explore how a 100-year-old, family-owned real estate company is redefining the modern office experience. Drawing on Sage’s deep roots in New York City office development, Jonathan explains how brand, hospitality, and operational excellence can drive higher tenant retention and long-term value creation. The conversation dives into why office real estate was already changing before COVID, how renewal rates are often misunderstood, and why “experience”...
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316: How To Break Through Your Income Ceiling With Real Estate with Stuart Gethner
Zen and the Art of Real Estate Investing
On this episode of Zen and the Art of Real Estate Investing, Jonathan Greene is joined by Stuart Gethner, a longtime real estate investor, educator, and connector who has spent decades helping investors move from analysis into action. Stuart shares insights from his experience coaching investors and building his own portfolio across multiple market cycles. The conversation centers on why real estate is ultimately a people business. Stuart explains how networking, local market knowledge, and face-to-face relationships help investors avoid costly mistakes—especially when investing out of state...
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315: Thinking Outside the Short-Term Rental Box with Nick Korwin
Zen and the Art of Real Estate Investing
On this episode of Zen and the Art of Real Estate Investing, Jonathan Greene sits down with Nick Corwin, founder of Oak and Ember, to explore what it really looks like to move from long-term rentals into short-term hospitality and eventually into ground-up development. Nick shares how an engineering mindset, strong mentorship, and disciplined downside analysis shaped his early investing decisions. The conversation traces Nick’s evolution from owning Midwest long-term rentals to building unique short-term experiences in the Wisconsin Dells. He explains why chasing the middle of the market can...
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314: Why Higher Short-Term Rental Rates Start With Better Design with Bri West
Zen and the Art of Real Estate Investing
On this episode of Zen and the Art of Real Estate Investing, Jonathan Greene sits down with Bri West, co-founder of Somerled Designs, to explore how strategic design has become a competitive advantage in today’s short-term rental market. Drawing on her background in marketing and real estate investing, Bri explains why design should be treated as a revenue-driving investment rather than a cosmetic expense. The conversation dives into how niching down on a clear guest avatar, using data to guide design decisions, and prioritizing high-impact spaces can dramatically increase ADR—even if...
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313: Learning To Invest Beyond Multifamily In Growth Markets with Ash Patel
Zen and the Art of Real Estate Investing
On this episode of Zen and the Art of Real Estate Investing, Jonathan Greene sits down with Ash Patel, a commercial real estate investor with more than 15 years of experience investing beyond multifamily. Ash shares how an early mixed-use deal opened his eyes to the advantages of commercial assets and ultimately reshaped his entire investing approach. The conversation explores why many commercial assets are misunderstood or overlooked, including office, retail, medical, and mixed-use properties. Ash explains how changing work patterns, suburban growth, and market cycles are creating rare...
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312: A Playbook For Buying and Holding Rental Properties with Jennifer Ruelens
Zen and the Art of Real Estate Investing
On this episode of Zen and the Art of Real Estate Investing, Jonathan Greene sits down with Jennifer Ruelens, a longtime property manager and unapologetic truth-teller in the real estate industry. With more than two decades of hands-on experience, Jennifer shares what buy-and-hold investors often misunderstand about property management, tenant relationships, and the real work required to make rentals perform over time. The conversation explores why real estate investing is rarely passive, how deferred maintenance and avoidance cost investors far more than management fees, and why many...
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311: Building a Wealth Creation Value-Add System with August Biniaz
Zen and the Art of Real Estate Investing
Jonathan Greene is joined by August Biniaz, co-founder and CIO of CPI Capital, to explore how early exposure to real estate shaped August’s investing philosophy and led him from single-family investing into large-scale multifamily and build-to-rent strategies. August shares how his family’s experience with real estate as a hedge against inflation influenced his long-term view on housing and capital preservation. The conversation dives into the realities of syndication, from learning the GP/LP structure through trial and error to building investor trust, infrastructure, and discipline over...
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310: Learning How To Invest Like a Billionaire with Bob Fraser
Zen and the Art of Real Estate Investing
On this episode of Zen and the Art of Real Estate Investing, Jonathan Greene sits down with Bob Fraser, bestselling author of Invest Like a Billionaire and CFO and Chief Macro Strategist at Aspen Funds. Bob shares how billionaire investors moved away from traditional 60/40 portfolios toward alternative investments—and why everyday investors can adopt the same mindset without billionaire-level wealth. Throughout the conversation, Bob explains why professionally managed real estate is often the most approachable entry point into alternatives, especially for investors who want...
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309: Redefining the Standards of Commercial Real Estate Services with Greg Trotter
Zen and the Art of Real Estate Investing
On this episode of Zen and the Art of Real Estate Investing, Jonathan Greene sits down with Greg Trotter, CEO and founder of Commercial Building Consultants, to unpack what real estate investors often miss during commercial due diligence. With over 40 years of experience in construction, inspections, and forensic building analysis, Greg explains how his role is to act as a “bodyguard” for investors—protecting their equity by identifying real risks before they close. Greg walks through how property condition assessments should align with an investor’s hold period and exit strategy,...
info_outlineIn this episode of Zen and the Art of Real Estate Investing, Jonathan welcomes back John Bianchi, founder of STR Search and widely known as “The Airbnb Data Guy.”
John specializes in data-driven short-term rental analysis, helping investors identify profitable properties that align with their personal and financial goals. Returning for his second appearance on the podcast, John and Jonathan dive into the evolving world of short-term rentals, discussing how to define your “buy box,” evaluate returns, and balance yield, appreciation, and tax advantages.
Their conversation explores how every investor’s short-term rental strategy depends on their personal goals, whether it is generating cash flow, appreciation, or tax savings. John explains how STR Search tailors property searches to each client, analyzing data to match them with the right market and home. They discuss how operational excellence and guest experience can make or break a property’s performance, and why even the best data can’t replace curb appeal, hospitality, and local expertise.
Jonathan and John also share stories from their own experiences, examining properties together, assessing markets like upstate New York and the Poconos, and learning how aesthetics, first impressions, and good operations drive long-term success. They delve into the creative aspects of short-term rentals, encompassing design and storytelling, as well as crafting unique guest experiences that encourage repeat bookings. By the end, John and Jonathan uncover the art of turning data into hospitality and the mindset needed to build lasting value in short-term rental investing.
In this episode, you will hear:
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Defining your short-term rental “buy box” based on yield, appreciation, and tax priorities
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Understanding how personal goals shape your investment strategy
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The crucial role of curb appeal, neighborhood quality, and first impressions
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Why photography, design, and hospitality directly influence revenue
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Balancing data-driven property selection with local market expertise
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Avoiding costly tax-savings-only purchases and focusing on sustainable returns
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How operational discipline and creative design elevate guest experience
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The growing importance of storytelling and experiential stays in the STR space
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Supporting Resources:
STR Search website - strsearch.com
John Bianchi’s YouTube channel - www.youtube.com/@theairbnbdataguy
Find John on Instagram - www.instagram.com/theairbnbdataguy
Connect with John on LinkedIn - www.linkedin.com/in/john-bianchi-245608a6
John’s TikTok - www.tiktok.com/@theairbnbdataguy
The Bianchi Method - shop.strsearch.com/offers/hoQjGYBG/checkout
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 - www.zillow.com/profile/StreamlinedReal
Bigger Pockets - www.biggerpockets.com/users/TrustGreene
Facebook - www.facebook.com/streamlinedproperties
Email - info@streamlined.properties
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.