Thanks For Visiting

Josh Peterson didn’t start in short-term rentals by chasing deals. He started by solving a problem.

After too many mediocre hotel stays visiting his daughter at UNC, he bought a home near campus. What started as a second home quickly turned into a high-performing short-term rental—and then a full-on business.

But here’s where it gets interesting.

Instead of rushing to scale, Josh hit pause. He went back, optimized his first property, and unlocked a 35% revenue increase and a major jump in occupancy.

In this episode, we break down:

What does it actually take to scale a short-term rental business without burning out?

In this episode, we sit down with Amy Ruocco, founder of Hosted Guest, who went from running herself ragged in her business to building a more profitable, sustainable, and scalable operation.

Amy shares how she transitioned from instinct-based decisions to data-driven strategy, what finally helped her let go of day-to-day tasks, and how hiring the right team member changed everything.

We also dive into her journey from weddings to short-term rentals, the mindset shifts that unlocked major revenue growth...

Airbnb changed the fee structure again… and most hosts are asking the wrong question.

Everyone is debating which option to choose, but almost no one is looking at what actually happened to their numbers after the last change.

In this episode, we break down what Airbnb quietly updated, the biggest mistakes hosts are about to repeat, and the four audits you need to run before touching a single setting.

Because this isn’t about opinions, it’s about your profit.

What You’ll Learn:

If your Airbnb listing is getting views but not bookings, your title might be the problem.

In this episode, we’re breaking down one of the fastest and most overlooked ways to improve your listing performance: your Airbnb title. Because your title isn’t there to describe your space, it’s there to win the click.

We’re sharing the exact prompts we use (and teach our students) to create high-converting titles using AI, plus the strategy behind why they work. From understanding the click-through funnel to aligning your title with real-time demand, this episode will hel...

Most hosts think once the cleaner leaves, the property is ready for guests. But that assumption is exactly where five-star reviews start to slip.

In this episode of Thanks for Visiting, we’re walking you through the exact pre-arrival inspection checklist we use across our properties to ensure consistency, elevate the guest experience, and protect our reviews.

We break down the difference between “clean” and “guest ready,” why relying on one person to do both jobs creates gaps, and how introducing an inspector role can completely transform your operations.

You’ll learn how to systemati...

The short-term rental market is shifting—and what worked even a few years ago won’t cut it anymore.

In this episode, we sit down with Kenny Bedwell to break down the new rules of buying short-term rentals in 2026. From changing demand patterns to increased competition and rising guest expectations, we’re unpacking what’s actually happening in the market—and how to adapt.

Kenny shares how he’s still finding profitable deals across the country, why average properties are falling behind, and what it takes to create a top-performing listing today.

They get into:

Are you lowering your nightly rates because your calendar looks empty? If so, you might be panic pricing and leaving money on the table.

In this episode of Thanks for Visiting, Sarah and Annette break down one of the most overlooked metrics in short-term rental pricing strategy: your booking window.

Your booking window tells you when guests actually start shopping and booking their stay. If you don’t understand this data, you may be discounting too early, waiting too long to adjust pricing, or reacting emotionally instead of strategically.

The hosts share the tw...

If you’re hosting in 2026, chances are you’ve asked yourself at least one of these questions:

Am I underpriced if my calendar is filling faster than everyone else’s?

Should I switch to midterm rentals during the slow season?

Why is my listing cheaper than the competition but still not getting booked?

In this episode, Sarah and Annette break down three real questions from hosts inside the Priced and Profitable Bootcamp VIP coaching sessions—questions that many hosts are quietly struggling with right now.

They unpack what these question...

If your cleaner controls your calendar… this episode is for you.

Today, we’re breaking down how to actually hire a five-star cleaner (not reactively, not desperately, and definitely not based on price alone).

Because here’s the truth: You are not hiring a cleaner. You are hiring the guardian of your five-star brand.

In this episode, we walk you through:

If you feel like you’re working harder than ever but not seeing the profit you want from your short-term rental, this episode is for you.

Today, we’re breaking down the pricing mistakes we still see hosts making every single day and how those mistakes are quietly costing you thousands in missed revenue.

We cover:

The 2026 FIFA World Cup is coming to the United States, and for short-term rental hosts, this is not just another busy weekend.

It is a multi-week, multi-city revenue opportunity.

In this episode, we break down what is really happening behind the headlines, including those $17,000 Airbnb listings near MetLife Stadium, and what smart hosts are doing differently.

This is not about price gouging. It is about understanding demand timing, fan behavior, booking windows, and strategic positioning.

Whether you are in a host city, a drive-to market, or nowhere near a stadium, the...

Where you host matters, but how you operate matters even more.

In this episode of Thanks for Visiting, Sarah and Annette break down what it really means to host legally and responsibly in today’s short-term rental landscape. From host-friendly states to high-risk markets, they explain why relying on outdated advice, spreadsheets, or assumptions can cost you everything.

You’ll learn how state and city regulations differ, why Airbnb won’t protect you from illegal operations, and how professional hosts stay informed, compliant, and profitable long-term. This episode is a must-listen for anyone buying, operating, or sca...

If the idea of hiring a virtual assistant feels overwhelming, or like something only “big hosts” do, this episode will change how you think about leverage.

In this episode, we break down five practical ways short-term rental hosts can use virtual assistants to improve follow-through, stay organized, and grow their business without handing over the keys or losing visibility.

Virtual assistants aren’t about stepping away from your business, they’re about staying focused on what actually matters. We share real-world examples, common mistakes hosts make when hiring VAs, and how to build a partnership that cre...

Many hosts say “I feel like my listing is buried.” But feelings don’t get bookings—data does.

In this episode, we break down the four Airbnb metrics that actually impact bookings and show you how to use Airbnb’s Professional Hosting Tools to pinpoint exactly where guests are dropping off in your funnel.

Instead of randomly tweaking photos, prices, or descriptions and hoping for the best, you’ll learn how to make one strategic change at a time, guided by real performance data, not guesswork.

We also reveal a common mistake hosts make that qu...

What if your short-term rental could make money without guests sleeping there?

In this episode, Sarah and Annette break down unconventional — but proven — ways hosts are generating additional revenue by leveraging their properties during the day, shoulder seasons, or slower periods.

From commercial photo shoots to coworking days, private events, pool rentals, and wellness experiences, this conversation challenges the idea that overnight stays are the only path to profitability.

You’ll learn:

If you haven’t looked at the 2026 calendar yet, this episode is your wake-up call.

In 2026, major holidays fall on Fridays and Saturdays — and that one detail changes how guests book, arrive, and leave. If you price holidays the same way you always have, you risk blocked calendars, forced turnovers, or sitting empty on some of the biggest revenue weekends of the year.

In this episode, Sarah and Annette walk through the 2026 holiday calendar and explain exactly how different holiday placements affect demand, guest behavior, minimum stays, and turnover flow. This is not about guessing — it’s a...

This Hosting Hotline episode looks a little different.

Instead of answering a listener question, Sarah and Annette are pulling back the curtain on a big decision: sunsetting the Hosting Hotline format and refocusing their time, energy, and creativity on deeper ways to support hosts.

In this episode, they share the real reasons behind the shift, what they’ve learned from years of Hotline questions, and why “less but better” has become a guiding principle for both Thanks for Visiting and their own hosting businesses.

You’ll hear:

AI is no longer a future concept for hosts. It is already shaping how guests search, discover, and choose where to stay.

In this episode, Sarah and Annette sit down with AI strategist Rick Mulready to break down what hosts actually need to understand about AI right now and how it impacts visibility, bookings, and direct booking websites. From generative engine optimization to answering guest search questions inside AI tools like ChatGPT and Gemini, this conversation goes beyond buzzwords and into real, practical applications.

You will learn how AI is changing search behavior, why traditional...

Should you rename your Airbnb listing photos with SEO keywords before uploading them? In this Hosting Hotline episode, Sarah and Annette break down when photo naming actually matters and when it doesn’t.

They explain how Airbnb and other OTAs interpret image data, why guest search behavior matters more than marketing adjectives, and how intentional photo naming can support long-term visibility and accessibility across platforms. This isn’t a shortcut or hack—but it is a smart, low-effort optimization that compounds over time.

If you’re serious about aligning your listing with how guests search, and help...

Furnishing a short-term rental can feel overwhelming and expensive, especially when you’re trying to stand out in a competitive market. In this episode, we break down exactly where hosts should splurge and where they can save when furnishing their properties.

After furnishing dozens of short-term rentals and helping hosts across the country do the same, we’ve seen the same costly mistakes over and over again: overspending on things guests don’t care about and cutting corners on the things they absolutely do.

We walk through the specific items that have the biggest impact on gue...

Airbnb’s host fee changes have left many hosts wondering where, and how, to make adjustments without breaking their pricing strategy.

In this Hosting Hotline episode, Sarah and Annette answer a question from Jenna Louise about whether management fee changes should be handled inside PriceLabs or directly through Airbnb or a PMS.

They walk through why your base rate must remain stable, why there’s no universal percentage that recaptures Airbnb’s new host fee, and what hosts should be tracking right now as platforms continue to evolve. If you’re trying to protect your margins...

What do the most-downloaded Thanks for Visiting episodes of 2025 have in common?

They weren’t about shortcuts or trends. They were about pricing, revenue, and running a smarter hosting business.

In this episode, Sarah and Annette break down the top-performing episodes of 2025 and what they reveal about how hosts are thinking differently. From pricing strategy and upgrades to insurance, taxes, cancellation policies, and direct bookings, a clear pattern emerged: hosts want clarity, confidence, and better decision-making backed by data.

If you’re heading into the next year focused on profitability and long-term growth, this...

This week on the Hosting Hotline, Vanessa brings a highly unique scenario: an off-grid cabin by the river and a big decision to make: stay fully off grid or add water to potentially increase demand.

Rather than treating this as a technical upgrade question, Sarah and Annette zoom out to what really matters: your goals, your values, and the kind of hosting business you actually want to build.

In this episode, we cover:

AI is everywhere—and short-term rental hosts are using it more than ever. But where does AI actually help, and where can it quietly create risk?

This week, Sarah and Annette are joined by attorney Scott Brown to break down what hosts need to understand before relying on AI in their business, especially when it comes to legal agreements, contracts, and compliance.

In this episode, we cover:

This week on the Hosting Hotline, Randa writes in with a question many new hosts face: What should I be focusing on while I’m waiting to take possession of my first short-term rental?

Sarah and Annette walk through exactly how to use this in-between time wisely—so you’re not scrambling once the first guest checks in.

In this episode, we cover:

Every market has a slow season—and no, it doesn’t mean your listing is broken. This week, Sarah and Annette break down how to use your slow season strategically so you can maximize revenue when demand returns.

In this episode, we cover:

This week on the Hosting Hotline, Alexandra asks a common question: “How do you screen guests?”

Sarah and Annette break down why the word “screening” doesn’t belong in hospitality—and how hosts can shift their approach to something far more effective: guest alignment.

In this episode, we cover:

This week, Sarah and Annette break down a simple but powerful strategy every host should be using to stay competitive: analyzing your comp set the same way professional revenue managers do—without spending thousands on data tools.

Inside the episode, they walk you through a three-step workflow for using ChatGPT to read, synthesize, and analyze your competitors’ guest reviews so you can understand what travelers actually value, what’s frustrating them, and where you can immediately stand out.

But before the AI magic, they start by defining what a comp set really is—and why most hos...

In this Hosting Hotline episode, Sarah and Annette answer a question from Susie, a host who’s leveling up her short-term rental and wants to know: should you provide shampoo, conditioner, and body wash in every bathroom?

It seems simple, but this small decision says a lot about your professionalism, your brand standards, and the overall guest experience. The answer is yes—and Sarah and Annette dive into why this baseline amenity matters more than hosts often realize.

Inside the episode, they cover:

• The Nashville stay that proved why missing basics can sink an oth...

In this episode, Sarah and Annette break down their data-backed predictions for the 2026 short-term rental market. After a recalibration year in 2025—marked by softened bookings, rising standards, and increased competition—they’re sharing the six major trends every host needs to prepare for.

They cover what a “flat but stable” market really means, why guest expectations continue to climb, how regulations will tighten nationwide, the growing dominance of drive-to markets, shrinking traveler loyalty, and the economic factors shaping demand.

Whether you’re navigating new permitting rules, rethinking your guest experience, or finally committing to a revenue mana...

This week on the Hosting Hotline, Sarah and Annette answer a thoughtful question from Emily in Australia, who’s deciding between two strong guest avatars for her soon-to-launch short-term rental: a family-friendly, non-toxic stay or a high-demand wedding-guest retreat located just steps from one of the area’s most popular venues.

If you’ve ever wondered whether you’re choosing the right avatar—or worried you might be leading with emotion rather than strategy—this episode breaks down exactly how to assess your market, understand your demand drivers, and choose an avatar that aligns with your goals.

Sarah a...

Airbnb’s new 24-hour free cancellation policy is officially live—and if you’re not prepared, this change could mean a bumpy ride ahead. In this week’s episode, Sarah and Annette break down exactly what’s new, what’s going away, and how these updates impact hosts of every size.

From understanding the shift toward guest-friendly policies, to forecasting cancellations as a standard cost of doing business, to tightening up your communication strategies—this conversation gives you the mindset, tactics, and next steps you’ll need to stay profitable and confident.

Whether you’re managing a luxury...

How long should you clean your own property before handing it off to a professional cleaner? In this Hosting Hotline episode, Sarah and Annette tackle one of the biggest questions for new hosts: when to outsource cleaning—and how to make sure your standards don’t slip once you do.

From systemizing your process to defining what a “done” bed actually looks like, the duo walks through the mindset shift every host needs to make: your guests should never be the ones to discover a bad clean. Learn how to document your cleaning routine, train your team with cla...

This week, Sarah and Annette sit down with CPA and tax strategist Amanda Han to break down the major tax updates hosts need to know heading into 2025.

From the newly passed “One Big Beautiful Bill” to evolving depreciation rules, Amanda explains what’s changed, what’s stayed the same, and how short-term rental owners can use these updates to maximize savings and make smarter financial decisions.

She also shares why bookkeeping is the “bad B word” no host can ignore, the truth about the short-term rental loophole (and why it’s not actually shady), and how to identif...

When should you actually use Airbnb promotions—and are they really just discounts in disguise?

In this Hosting Hotline episode, Sarah and Annette clear up the confusion around Airbnb’s promotion tools and explain how to use them strategically to boost visibility, not slash profits.

They cover:

If you’ve been collecting guest emails for years but never actually sent one—this episode is for you.

Sarah and Annette are walking you through five repeatable guest email ideas to help you stay connected with past guests, strengthen loyalty, and drive more direct bookings—all without sounding pushy or salesy.

From newsletters to new-amenity announcements, you’ll learn how to keep your property top of mind and build a marketing system that runs year-round.

You’ll Learn:

This Hosting Hotline question comes from Renee, a Superhost in Tucson, Arizona, who found herself in an incredibly frustrating situation: after purchasing a new property, Airbnb deactivated the listing—citing “violations” she couldn’t see and refusing to explain why.

In this episode, Sarah and Annette unpack what to do if this ever happens to you. They’ll walk through practical next steps for appealing the decision, plus the smart moves every host should make before a problem like this arises.

Here’s what they cover:

Think charging extra per guest is helping you make more money? Think again.

In this episode, Sarah and Annette reveal how per-guest pricing could actually be hurting your short-term rental business—and why it’s one of the most common (and costly) settings hosts overlook.

They’ll break down:

If your guests keep telling you your place is too cheap, this episode is for you.

This week on the Hosting Hotline, Sarah is joined by COO and revenue management expert Colleen Prochaska to unpack one of the trickiest parts of hosting—pricing your short-term rental.

They break down:

What does it take to turn a 10,000-square-foot building into a thriving short-term rental that can host up to 42 guests? For Andrew Llewellyn, the answer included grit, rejection, and relentless problem-solving.

In this episode, Sarah and Annette sit down with Andrew to hear how he went from running ice cream shops and a food truck to becoming a real estate developer along Kentucky’s Bourbon Trail. Andrew shares how he convinced a bank to back his vision (after 40 rejections), why he leans on parent-child listings to maximize occupancy, and the systems his team uses to pull off ba...