Need help with frequent week-long stays in Boston over next 18 mos

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goodcents
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Need help with frequent week-long stays in Boston over next 18 mos

Post by goodcents »

What do people think is the most financially beneficial way to lodge in Boston under these circumstances? Over the next 18 months or so I will need to stay in Boston on average about 10 work days a month (I will be flying in via Logan airport). It would be roughly in blocks of 4-6 days for each stay. Some months I may not go at all but other months more frequently. So there will be a degree of variability in this regard. The area would be near the Hynes Convention Center (900 Boylston St, Boston, MA 02115). A 30 minute one-way commute by public transportation to that location would be fine. I could commute longer if needed.

I am considering:

1) Buying something, like a small condo under 800K (or small house on outskirts of Boston) and trying to generate income by renting it out via Airbnb when I am not there. Of course, assuming the condo would even allow that. Do any? However, I don't particularly want to be in the Airbnb business and if my needs to be in Boston changed I could find myself selling shortly after buying. I'd consider this if others report it is very lucrative and viable to do Airbnb.

2) I rent via Airbnb as needed.

3) I use a hotel or extended stay hotel. Which one? Any suggestions on which of these have the best reward programs?

If I do options 2 or 3. I would like suggestions for the absolute least expensive that can be found in a relatively safe and clean area.

Suggestions/thoughts? Thank you in advance.
The Wizard
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Re: Need help with frequent week-long stays in Boston over next 18 mos

Post by The Wizard »

Are we to assume these stays are all for personal reasons?
You are not getting reimbursed by your employer?
Attempted new signature...
wilked
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Re: Need help with frequent week-long stays in Boston over next 18 mos

Post by wilked »

Tough one...

One thought - do airbnb. Pick a new neighborhood each stay, until you've tried 5-7 of them. Learn the city a little, take it as an adventure. Then once you like a certain hood try to get something more regular in that hood
RollTide31457
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Re: Need help with frequent week-long stays in Boston over next 18 mos

Post by RollTide31457 »

Avoid Legal Seafood. It is nasty.
tarmangani
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Re: Need help with frequent week-long stays in Boston over next 18 mos

Post by tarmangani »

I like the idea of Airbnb'ing throughout the city when you have to visit.

You can rent/buy a place on the Commuter Rail, like in Canton/Quincy/Braintree, but I wouldn't exactly call that financially beneficial, especially if you don't really want to manage an Airbnb property.
The Wizard
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Re: Need help with frequent week-long stays in Boston over next 18 mos

Post by The Wizard »

RollTide31457 wrote: Mon Feb 11, 2019 8:18 pm Avoid Legal Seafood. It is nasty.
I agree.
It's a terrible place to stay overnight...
Attempted new signature...
Topic Author
goodcents
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Re: Need help with frequent week-long stays in Boston over next 18 mos

Post by goodcents »

The Wizard wrote: Mon Feb 11, 2019 8:10 pm Are we to assume these stays are all for personal reasons?
You are not getting reimbursed by your employer?
Thanks Wizard - your question actually has me thinking about a possible tax benefit. So this is not personal travel. It is work related but will NOT be reimbursed by my employer. I suppose I might be able to get a tax break later as unreimbursed business expenses. I wonder if that is the same tax impact regardless of which 3 options I listed. Anyone have an understanding of the tax implications here? That could sway choices.
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goodcents
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Re: Need help with frequent week-long stays in Boston over next 18 mos

Post by goodcents »

wilked and tarmangani, Thx. That makes sense and would help me learn about the areas a little more. I've just never used Airbnb and have a bedbug phobia :-) so I wonder how well maintained they are. I usually check the beds and frames even in very nice hotels.
integrity
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Re: Need help with frequent week-long stays in Boston over next 18 mos

Post by integrity »

I think we need a lot more background context to help you out here.

Managing an airbnb from a different city is a major challenge. That being said, rates are high in Boston. If you were to do this, I would choose a smaller, expensive (per square foot) place right in the city so you can keep occupancy rates high. A bigger place in the suburbs is not going to get as much traffic on airbnb.

Hynes Convention Center is on the Green Line (generally a terrible way to get around the city). You can take the Green Line out to the suburbs (Brookline, Newton, Chestnut Hill) going west, and going North and East you can get to North Station or into Somerville (they are working on a Green Line extension). There are some brand new condos on top of North Station (and TD Garden) actually.

Still seems crazy to me to buy a place though, given how infrequently you will be there. It will be a pain.

One thing I will say about Boston is that hotels are not uniformly easy to reserve. During May, all the universities have their graduations and prices go sky-high for the whole month. As in >$600/night depending on location.
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goodcents
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Re: Need help with frequent week-long stays in Boston over next 18 mos

Post by goodcents »

The Wizard wrote: Mon Feb 11, 2019 8:41 pm
RollTide31457 wrote: Mon Feb 11, 2019 8:18 pm Avoid Legal Seafood. It is nasty.
I agree.
It's a terrible place to stay overnight...
LOL, yes, I guess I won't eat there and definitely won't attempt to sleep there.
bluebolt
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Re: Need help with frequent week-long stays in Boston over next 18 mos

Post by bluebolt »

goodcents wrote: Mon Feb 11, 2019 9:01 pm
The Wizard wrote: Mon Feb 11, 2019 8:10 pm Are we to assume these stays are all for personal reasons?
You are not getting reimbursed by your employer?
Thanks Wizard - your question actually has me thinking about a possible tax benefit. So this is not personal travel. It is work related but will NOT be reimbursed by my employer. I suppose I might be able to get a tax break later as unreimbursed business expenses. I wonder if that is the same tax impact regardless of which 3 options I listed. Anyone have an understanding of the tax implications here? That could sway choices.
That unreimbursed business expense deduction was eliminated with the most recent tax law changes.

https://www.hrblock.com/tax-center/fili ... -expenses/
Iridium
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Re: Need help with frequent week-long stays in Boston over next 18 mos

Post by Iridium »

goodcents wrote: Mon Feb 11, 2019 9:01 pm Thanks Wizard - your question actually has me thinking about a possible tax benefit. So this is not personal travel. It is work related but will NOT be reimbursed by my employer. I suppose I might be able to get a tax break later as unreimbursed business expenses. I wonder if that is the same tax impact regardless of which 3 options I listed. Anyone have an understanding of the tax implications here? That could sway choices.
Assuming you are a W2 employee, unreimbursed expenses are no longer deductible.

Option 1 seems unlikely to be the right answer. Commission when you sell alone would be nearly $50K. I'm not sure you have to pick between option 2 and option 3 right away, as you can always trade off. Would probably rule out hotels, as you would probably want to have a kitchen if you are going to be traveling that much. Also, the extended stay's discount on a week long stay will probably make it cost less then a hotel.

I am shocked your employer won't reimburse you. Pretty sure in CA, that would be illegal and it would cause me to reevaluate my employment with the company. Did they have any advice? Or are really expecting you to go ~$30K out of pocket without it being a big deal?

Other unconventional options to consider:

1) Are other employees in this same situation? Might be cheaper to bite the bullet on splitting a 2BR unit with a colleague, even if you both are there only half the time. Even better if you can split a 3BR 3 ways. If you are trading off with other employees (i.e. 2 employees half time are creating a continuous presence, but virtually never overlap), then splitting a traditional studio would definitely be the way to go.

2) Move to Boston full time. Try to get your employer to agree that you need to go back to home base as rarely as possible (you can work from 'home'). Get rid of or rent out your existing place.

3) Does your employer or client have negotiated deals with any local extended stay chains?

4) Even if you usually do extended stays and Air B&B's, you will probably be able to pick up a fantastic deal on an apartment during the summer when all the students leave.
Winston19
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Re: Need help with frequent week-long stays in Boston over next 18 mos

Post by Winston19 »

Another option is renting an apartment. Not sure how that would compare in cost to an extended stay hotel or an airbnb.
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goodcents
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Re: Need help with frequent week-long stays in Boston over next 18 mos

Post by goodcents »

integrity wrote: Mon Feb 11, 2019 9:08 pm There are some brand new condos on top of North Station (and TD Garden) actually.
integrity, this is great information. Thank you. I am grateful to you and everyone for the input so far. Some more background context that might be helpful:

1) My stays in Boston would solely be for work purposes. I am a W2 employee but the costs for this second residence or my hotel/Airbnb stays and travel costs there would not be reimbursed by the company. I'm a US citizen.

2) My main residence is elsewhere in the northeast US so I would be flying in to Logan. Driving would be very difficult and I don't plan to do so. This eliminates the need for a parking space in Boston though.

3) The minimum time I would need to be doing this is the next 14 months but I would guess there is about a 50% chance it could be 3 years.

Great tip about lodging costs in the month of May. I'll have to explore a solution. i.e., planning work flow so I don't have to be there in May or booking well in advance if that helps. Great info, I certainly would not have thought about that and May is not that far off.

Buying a place:
When I was looking on my own initially on Zillow. I was thinking of something like this:
$599K: 1bd, 1ba, 661 sqft: 255 Beacon St APT 2, Boston, MA 02116

However, this North Station/TD Garden project (which BTW doesn't show up on Zillow just yet but does on certain broker sites) is very interesting. I was just reading about that and although I am likely to begin with Airbnb/Hotel stays reading about the 'Hub on the Causeway' - what they want to re-brand as Boston’s ‘Uptown’ - makes me interested in a potential investment there in one of the smaller 500 sqft units. It could help me with my trips there and maybe be a decent long term real estate investment. I'll have to research it some more. Happy to hear about other opinions. Another thing I would not have otherwise considered. Thank you.
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goodcents
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Re: Need help with frequent week-long stays in Boston over next 18 mos

Post by goodcents »

bluebolt wrote: Mon Feb 11, 2019 9:24 pm
goodcents wrote: Mon Feb 11, 2019 9:01 pm
The Wizard wrote: Mon Feb 11, 2019 8:10 pm Are we to assume these stays are all for personal reasons?
You are not getting reimbursed by your employer?
Thanks Wizard - your question actually has me thinking about a possible tax benefit. So this is not personal travel. It is work related but will NOT be reimbursed by my employer. I suppose I might be able to get a tax break later as unreimbursed business expenses. I wonder if that is the same tax impact regardless of which 3 options I listed. Anyone have an understanding of the tax implications here? That could sway choices.
That unreimbursed business expense deduction was eliminated with the most recent tax law changes.

https://www.hrblock.com/tax-center/fili ... -expenses/
bluebolt and Iridium,
Thank you for this. Bummer, I thought at first that you CAN'T BE RIGHT... but you saved me time from unnecessary research. thx
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goodcents
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Re: Need help with frequent week-long stays in Boston over next 18 mos

Post by goodcents »

dlabel wrote: Mon Feb 11, 2019 10:40 pm Another option is renting an apartment. Not sure how that would compare in cost to an extended stay hotel or an airbnb.
dlabel, you are hitting the nail right on the head here. This is a key thing I'm trying to figure out and hoping on getting some help from locals or others.

I just started looking on Airbnb on and off and was frustrated that I couldn't sort by price. Surprised I reached out to support and they confirmed that they do not allow that price sorting feature and are not intending on adding it. I don't want to hijack my own thread here and discuss Airbnb (they are remarkable in many other ways) but it makes the financial analysis harder for me. So back to my problem...

I would appreciate suggestions on best move financially, where to rent or Airbnb or Hotel (location and brand - factoring in Rewards programs) - 30 minutes public transportation commute from Hynes Convention Center (as a landmark for the area I need) that is relatively safe and clean. For a person like me that will be in Boston on avg 10 workdays a month (5 day blocks) for the next 18 mos. I haven't given up totally on buying something as a long term investment and short term solution to this but after the reality check here I will start with rent/Airbnb/hotel probably. I still would appreciate input on buying though. The TD Garden/North Station condos is very interesting would seem like a great Airbnb spot too (if allowed). Other input on such things would be great please.

Thank you all.
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Re: Need help with frequent week-long stays in Boston over next 18 mos

Post by Jack FFR1846 »

I would be very, very careful about buying anything in Boston or the immediate connected cities (especially Cambridge) with renting via an Air BnB type arrangement. I live close enough to get local news on the radio and there have been a LOT of stories about the cities either limiting, banning or taxing the heck out of Air BnB type places. I'm sure every city has a different angle on this, so you'd need to become an expert for any city you consider. With affordable housing being both a local government priority and nearly impossible to find, there have been all kinds of proposals restricting rental units. The governments want to make these rentals difficult and/or expensive to do in order to depress housing costs for city residents looking for rentals or buys.

As to the solution to your situation.....not really sure. But I would absolutely not bank on being able to rent out over the long run to an Air BnB kind of client.
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lthenderson
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Re: Need help with frequent week-long stays in Boston over next 18 mos

Post by lthenderson »

I live in the Midwest near a regional hub city and all the workers who do year or two year long stints working road construction bring in a RV/camper to a conveniently located park and use that as a base for work. In our local park, it costs only $10/night for full hookups. I see there are a number of RV parks in the suburbs of Boston so perhaps this might be an option for you if you can find one near mass transportation. Definitely a much smaller investment than buying a condo and much cheaper than renting an apartment or hotel room.
deltaneutral83
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Re: Need help with frequent week-long stays in Boston over next 18 mos

Post by deltaneutral83 »

Buying seems insane, renting an apartment seems mostly insane. Find two or three AirBnB's you like (with good feedback presumably) on your first couple of trips and then explain that you would like to be a "regular" once you establish all the basics from your host and everyone gets along just fine and explain you'd be willing to pay in cash for a significant discount for your future visits.
muddlehead
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Re: Need help with frequent week-long stays in Boston over next 18 mos

Post by muddlehead »

Oh boy. Saw a mention of 255 Beacon St. Lived, worked and schooled in the Back Bay a million years ago. Lovely part of the world, for sure. One word, however. Cockroaches.
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goodcents
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Re: Need help with frequent week-long stays in Boston over next 18 mos

Post by goodcents »

Iridium wrote: Mon Feb 11, 2019 9:34 pm
goodcents wrote: Mon Feb 11, 2019 9:01 pm Thanks Wizard - your question actually has me thinking about a possible tax benefit. So this is not personal travel. It is work related but will NOT be reimbursed by my employer. I suppose I might be able to get a tax break later as unreimbursed business expenses. I wonder if that is the same tax impact regardless of which 3 options I listed. Anyone have an understanding of the tax implications here? That could sway choices.
Assuming you are a W2 employee, unreimbursed expenses are no longer deductible.

Option 1 seems unlikely to be the right answer. Commission when you sell alone would be nearly $50K. I'm not sure you have to pick between option 2 and option 3 right away, as you can always trade off. Would probably rule out hotels, as you would probably want to have a kitchen if you are going to be traveling that much. Also, the extended stay's discount on a week long stay will probably make it cost less then a hotel.

I am shocked your employer won't reimburse you. Pretty sure in CA, that would be illegal and it would cause me to reevaluate my employment with the company. Did they have any advice? Or are really expecting you to go ~$30K out of pocket without it being a big deal?

Other unconventional options to consider:

1) Are other employees in this same situation? Might be cheaper to bite the bullet on splitting a 2BR unit with a colleague, even if you both are there only half the time. Even better if you can split a 3BR 3 ways. If you are trading off with other employees (i.e. 2 employees half time are creating a continuous presence, but virtually never overlap), then splitting a traditional studio would definitely be the way to go.

2) Move to Boston full time. Try to get your employer to agree that you need to go back to home base as rarely as possible (you can work from 'home'). Get rid of or rent out your existing place.

3) Does your employer or client have negotiated deals with any local extended stay chains?

4) Even if you usually do extended stays and Air B&B's, you will probably be able to pick up a fantastic deal on an apartment during the summer when all the students leave.
Iridium,

Really great input thank you for all the the brainstorming. Very thoughtful response.

You're totally right this is unusual. It was a discussion. So I am W2, my employer is great, they pay for other travel/lodging just not this. The extra costs to me will be made up for essentially with a compensation boost.

I'm happy with that result actually even when I figure my effective tax rate (after federal, state and payroll) on the compensation boost. I feel it can work to cover my giving up precious out-of-pocket money - that as we all know here, made such a perilous journey to get in my pocket to begin with considering the many threats that picked off so many dollars on the way.

Suddenly, I was left with the bewildering question of: "Ok, so how will I actually manage to do this now and stay in Boston under these conditions - in a financially beneficial way?"

I like your idea of a decent extended stay hotel with kitchen (maybe even with good reward program). This is a top candidate at least to start. I hope locals can give some intel on details on hotels, areas to avoid, areas that are great, clean safe etc.

On the unconventional side:

1) A roommate is a tough one. It would likely be a stranger. Not sure I can do that but the economic advantage is certainly clear there. I wouldn't want to sign a year lease on that. However, if someone had a place and didn't mind my highly variable travel schedule and I only gave them a few bucks when I crashed there for a week. I would like to include that in my arsenal of places to stay and reach out too. Especially, if I went the nomad hotel/Airbnb strategy vs. renting (with lease)/buying.

2) Move to Boston full time - not an option.

3) Totally work from 'home' is my dream...and why not I say for all of us! In this globally connected virtual reality laden world how can any company be so backwards as to spend revenue on renting office complexes when their employees would so gladly offer their homes for free - but I have always been unsuccessful in convincing anyone of this.

3) I'm exploring where the company has negotiated rates with hotels. However, in the past. I noticed that the prices at hotels were we had negotiated rates were often higher than what I could book for myself directly at the hotel or on Expedia. As a good steward of the company's money, on occasion I would book myself directly. I was instructed to "stop that" and book through our service and the negotiated, albeit higher rate.

It was explained to me that at year end the company received a rather large discount back from the hotel, the percentage given back to the company depended on the total amount of money spent over the year and they always came out very well ahead.

In my case now I'll have to watch that closely because by telling the hotel to give me our company rate all I'll be doing is helping the company get back a bigger percent at the end of year and I may pay more...I'm a good steward of company money but I need to be a good steward of my money too.

Sorry for going off on a tangent but Yes, good point, you're right and where possible I'll look for that benefit too. I am hoping they have a good one for me at an extended stay place - that would be major in making a decision.

4) You're last point on cheaper summer deals is great to keep in mind. Poster iridium mentioned the month of May can be expensive for a hotel because of many visitors for graduations. I forgot to consider this seasonality of college areas.

Thank you for the detailed response and help you gave me.
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FlyAF
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Re: Need help with frequent week-long stays in Boston over next 18 mos

Post by FlyAF »

My spouse works M-F in the same city every week in a different part of the country. Hotels/AirBNB by FAR is the best solution. Do you really want to have to spend your work time on travel working half days waiting for the plumber or electrician to show up? Internet goes out, another "your appt is scheduled between 8am-12pm. How are you going to furnish this place when you live out of a suitcase and no car? 600k rents a lot of hotel rooms. 1-3 years is not enough time to justify the PITA factor of buying a place, even if it "might" make financial sense. We've been at this for 10 years and still won't consider anything like buying, heck my spouse doesn't even want a corporate appt. paid for by the company due to some of these types of things.
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goodcents
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Re: Need help with frequent week-long stays in Boston over next 18 mos

Post by goodcents »

Jack FFR1846 wrote: Tue Feb 12, 2019 12:32 pm I would absolutely not bank on being able to rent out over the long run to an Air BnB kind of client.
Thanks for highlighting the risk part of this. Yes, I'll make a note of trying to figure out the politics in Boston for the future of Airbnb. If I look at something to buy I need to weight it more towards does it save me on rents vs. keeping the purchase money invested elsewhere/resale value and give the 'Airbnb income' it's appropriate risk adjusted value as it could disappear. thanks.
blackburnian
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Re: Need help with frequent week-long stays in Boston over next 18 mos

Post by blackburnian »

If you're still thinking of buying and renting out your unit as an airbnb, be aware that Boston just passed new regulations on short-term rentals:
https://www.boston.gov/departments/insp ... rm-rentals
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goodcents
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Re: Need help with frequent week-long stays in Boston over next 18 mos

Post by goodcents »

lthenderson wrote: Tue Feb 12, 2019 12:45 pm I live in the Midwest near a regional hub city and all the workers who do year or two year long stints working road construction bring in a RV/camper to a conveniently located park and use that as a base for work. In our local park, it costs only $10/night for full hookups. I see there are a number of RV parks in the suburbs of Boston so perhaps this might be an option for you if you can find one near mass transportation. Definitely a much smaller investment than buying a condo and much cheaper than renting an apartment or hotel room.
I love this! I have to look into that. It could be very fun to be that mobile too.
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goodcents
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Re: Need help with frequent week-long stays in Boston over next 18 mos

Post by goodcents »

deltaneutral83 wrote: Tue Feb 12, 2019 1:03 pm Find two or three AirBnB's you like (with good feedback presumably) on your first couple of trips and then explain that you would like to be a "regular" once you establish all the basics from your host and everyone gets along just fine and explain you'd be willing to pay in cash for a significant discount for your future visits.
Good idea. I have no experience to date with Airbnb but I just googled and they charge the host 3% and the guest a service fee from 0-20% so there would seem to be room for a discount if we came to an agreement. Even if he stayed in the Airbnb platform they could maybe waive the 20% fee?

Many folks are negative on the buying side. It is definitely a risk. Airbnb and extended stay hotel are leading with a wildcard in play - RV type situation (although I'm already thinking high speed internet???)
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goodcents
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Re: Need help with frequent week-long stays in Boston over next 18 mos

Post by goodcents »

FlyAF wrote: Tue Feb 12, 2019 1:23 pm My spouse works M-F in the same city every week in a different part of the country. Hotels/AirBNB by FAR is the best solution. Do you really want to have to spend your work time on travel working half days waiting for the plumber or electrician to show up? Internet goes out, another "your appt is scheduled between 8am-12pm. How are you going to furnish this place when you live out of a suitcase and no car? 600k rents a lot of hotel rooms. 1-3 years is not enough time to justify the PITA factor of buying a place, even if it "might" make financial sense. We've been at this for 10 years and still won't consider anything like buying, heck my spouse doesn't even want a corporate appt. paid for by the company due to some of these types of things.
good to get this real world feedback and experience. thank you. I am souring on buying something. I think a piece of helpful info would be details from more locals on best bang for buck on extended stay hotel (rewards program factored in) in Boston within 30 min commute to Hynes Convention Center area.
DarthEnol
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Re: Need help with frequent week-long stays in Boston over next 18 mos

Post by DarthEnol »

Boston area resident here.

I vote for the AirBnB route. Try out a few of them, pick one that you like and see if you can do a deal with the owner/manager.

Otherwise, look at extended stay hotels. They can get pricey quick though and the quality of them can vary greatly.

Buying to rent out? Like others have said, be careful. Boston (and Cambridge) have resently passed some very anti-AirBnB legislation.
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goodcents
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Re: Need help with frequent week-long stays in Boston over next 18 mos

Post by goodcents »

blackburnian wrote: Tue Feb 12, 2019 1:29 pm If you're still thinking of buying and renting out your unit as an airbnb, be aware that Boston just passed new regulations on short-term rentals:
https://www.boston.gov/departments/insp ... rm-rentals
Wow, you folks have just been killing my dream of solving my short term housing problem AND becoming an Airbnb real estate mogul at the same time ... now blackburnian just drove the final nail into it - that regulation just started Jan 2019. My dream isn't realistic. So all I can say now is just ... thank you...no really THANK YOU! that what this site is all about. I appreciate it.

I still need advice on nomad strategy (Hotel/Airbnb/RV?) vs. Rental. I feel like I'm leaning towards Nomad at least to start and then visit possible rental units and see if it makes sense while I'm there.
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goodcents
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Re: Need help with frequent week-long stays in Boston over next 18 mos

Post by goodcents »

DarthEnol wrote: Tue Feb 12, 2019 1:53 pm Boston area resident here.
Otherwise, look at extended stay hotels.
I understand because you live there you may not have actually had to use these extended stay places yourself but do you happen to know a good one? Any dangerous areas you would stay away from?
Iorek
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Re: Need help with frequent week-long stays in Boston over next 18 mos

Post by Iorek »

I would look at Oakwood as a possibility for an extended stay hotel/short term apt. Their main market is corporate housing for people who need short stays/furnished accommodations (although I don't know how short they get). Might be a compromise between air bnb and a hotel.
Slapshot
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Re: Need help with frequent week-long stays in Boston over next 18 mos

Post by Slapshot »

Find a Residence Inn or a Town Place Suites and use a Marriott Rewards card to pay for it. You'll get a kitchen and multiple points on the card.
This time, like all times, is the best of times if we but know what to do with it.
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Re: Need help with frequent week-long stays in Boston over next 18 mos

Post by Valuethinker »

goodcents wrote: Mon Feb 11, 2019 7:43 pm What do people think is the most financially beneficial way to lodge in Boston under these circumstances? Over the next 18 months or so I will need to stay in Boston on average about 10 work days a month (I will be flying in via Logan airport). It would be roughly in blocks of 4-6 days for each stay. Some months I may not go at all but other months more frequently. So there will be a degree of variability in this regard. The area would be near the Hynes Convention Center (900 Boylston St, Boston, MA 02115). A 30 minute one-way commute by public transportation to that location would be fine. I could commute longer if needed.

I am considering:

1) Buying something, like a small condo under 800K (or small house on outskirts of Boston) and trying to generate income by renting it out via Airbnb when I am not there. Of course, assuming the condo would even allow that. Do any? However, I don't particularly want to be in the Airbnb business and if my needs to be in Boston changed I could find myself selling shortly after buying. I'd consider this if others report it is very lucrative and viable to do Airbnb.

2) I rent via Airbnb as needed.

3) I use a hotel or extended stay hotel. Which one? Any suggestions on which of these have the best reward programs?

If I do options 2 or 3. I would like suggestions for the absolute least expensive that can be found in a relatively safe and clean area.

Suggestions/thoughts? Thank you in advance.
There's enough hassle in this I would benchmark against renting - just take a rent on a studio for the period. Depends in part whether you can rent for less than 12 months periods.

Owning a condo or house is probably the worst solution - you become a landlord out of town - and that can be a nightmare. Plus all the costs of closing, and the costs of reselling.

I would tend to shop hotel bargains close to the dates. But a Suites Hotel, if available, is a possible solution.
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Re: Need help with frequent week-long stays in Boston over next 18 mos

Post by SRenaeP »

goodcents wrote: Tue Feb 12, 2019 1:23 pm
Iridium wrote: Mon Feb 11, 2019 9:34 pm
goodcents wrote: Mon Feb 11, 2019 9:01 pm Thanks Wizard - your question actually has me thinking about a possible tax benefit. So this is not personal travel. It is work related but will NOT be reimbursed by my employer. I suppose I might be able to get a tax break later as unreimbursed business expenses. I wonder if that is the same tax impact regardless of which 3 options I listed. Anyone have an understanding of the tax implications here? That could sway choices.
Assuming you are a W2 employee, unreimbursed expenses are no longer deductible.

Option 1 seems unlikely to be the right answer. Commission when you sell alone would be nearly $50K. I'm not sure you have to pick between option 2 and option 3 right away, as you can always trade off. Would probably rule out hotels, as you would probably want to have a kitchen if you are going to be traveling that much. Also, the extended stay's discount on a week long stay will probably make it cost less then a hotel.

I am shocked your employer won't reimburse you. Pretty sure in CA, that would be illegal and it would cause me to reevaluate my employment with the company. Did they have any advice? Or are really expecting you to go ~$30K out of pocket without it being a big deal?

Other unconventional options to consider:

1) Are other employees in this same situation? Might be cheaper to bite the bullet on splitting a 2BR unit with a colleague, even if you both are there only half the time. Even better if you can split a 3BR 3 ways. If you are trading off with other employees (i.e. 2 employees half time are creating a continuous presence, but virtually never overlap), then splitting a traditional studio would definitely be the way to go.

2) Move to Boston full time. Try to get your employer to agree that you need to go back to home base as rarely as possible (you can work from 'home'). Get rid of or rent out your existing place.

3) Does your employer or client have negotiated deals with any local extended stay chains?

4) Even if you usually do extended stays and Air B&B's, you will probably be able to pick up a fantastic deal on an apartment during the summer when all the students leave.
Iridium,

Really great input thank you for all the the brainstorming. Very thoughtful response.

You're totally right this is unusual. It was a discussion. So I am W2, my employer is great, they pay for other travel/lodging just not this. The extra costs to me will be made up for essentially with a compensation boost.

I'm happy with that result actually even when I figure my effective tax rate (after federal, state and payroll) on the compensation boost. I feel it can work to cover my giving up precious out-of-pocket money - that as we all know here, made such a perilous journey to get in my pocket to begin with considering the many threats that picked off so many dollars on the way.

Suddenly, I was left with the bewildering question of: "Ok, so how will I actually manage to do this now and stay in Boston under these conditions - in a financially beneficial way?"

I like your idea of a decent extended stay hotel with kitchen (maybe even with good reward program). This is a top candidate at least to start. I hope locals can give some intel on details on hotels, areas to avoid, areas that are great, clean safe etc.

On the unconventional side:

1) A roommate is a tough one. It would likely be a stranger. Not sure I can do that but the economic advantage is certainly clear there. I wouldn't want to sign a year lease on that. However, if someone had a place and didn't mind my highly variable travel schedule and I only gave them a few bucks when I crashed there for a week. I would like to include that in my arsenal of places to stay and reach out too. Especially, if I went the nomad hotel/Airbnb strategy vs. renting (with lease)/buying.

2) Move to Boston full time - not an option.

3) Totally work from 'home' is my dream...and why not I say for all of us! In this globally connected virtual reality laden world how can any company be so backwards as to spend revenue on renting office complexes when their employees would so gladly offer their homes for free - but I have always been unsuccessful in convincing anyone of this.

3) I'm exploring where the company has negotiated rates with hotels. However, in the past. I noticed that the prices at hotels were we had negotiated rates were often higher than what I could book for myself directly at the hotel or on Expedia. As a good steward of the company's money, on occasion I would book myself directly. I was instructed to "stop that" and book through our service and the negotiated, albeit higher rate.

It was explained to me that at year end the company received a rather large discount back from the hotel, the percentage given back to the company depended on the total amount of money spent over the year and they always came out very well ahead.

In my case now I'll have to watch that closely because by telling the hotel to give me our company rate all I'll be doing is helping the company get back a bigger percent at the end of year and I may pay more...I'm a good steward of company money but I need to be a good steward of my money too.

Sorry for going off on a tangent but Yes, good point, you're right and where possible I'll look for that benefit too. I am hoping they have a good one for me at an extended stay place - that would be major in making a decision.

4) You're last point on cheaper summer deals is great to keep in mind. Poster iridium mentioned the month of May can be expensive for a hotel because of many visitors for graduations. I forgot to consider this seasonality of college areas.

Thank you for the detailed response and help you gave me.
Re unconventional option 1 - consider a flight attendant/pilot crash pad. Obviously they would most likely be near or within easy commute to Logan but it's a not uncommon setup.
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Re: Need help with frequent week-long stays in Boston over next 18 mos

Post by jminv »

I’ve had to do something like this for work before and I never considered buying a place. It doesn’t make any sense. You then say that you are worried about bedbugs in Airbnb’s but go on to say that you would list the place you bought on Airbnb. Travelers can bring bed bugs into your new Airbnb, never mind any anti Airbnb legislation. Then, since you won’t be living there when you rent it out, you’ll have to pay someone to take care of it. That will eat up a lot of your earnings.

Rent something on Airbnb each time you’re there. Take some time and find something that looks nice and has very good reviews.not just good, since people find it a little more difficult to rate individuals honestly. Try to find something with quality furniture, not ikea or second hand garbage. Ive found that places with quality stuff are usually better in terms of cleanliness as well. Rotate each time you stay if you like. I use Airbnb all the time, staying in another one for a week on Thursday. Sometimes they’re great and sometimes I pick something that’s more average. As far as I’m concerned, it’s still nicer than staying in a hotel and more flexible than buying or renting. I always do the entire place, though, never roommates and I gather you wouldn’t either.
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Re: Need help with frequent week-long stays in Boston over next 18 mos

Post by eddot98 »

Here’s my 2 cents. Join Marriott rewards if you haven’t already and get their credit card for the sign up bonus. Within walking distance of the Hynes convention center there are several Marriott/Starwood properties: Boston Copley Marriott, Westin at Copley Place, Courtyard Copley, and the Sheraton at the Prudential Center. Contact the management at each of these hotels and explain your situation and see what kind of rates that they can offer you. I have seen lots of Airline crews at the Marriott Copley and I’m sure that they aren’t paying top dollar for all their stays. It wouldn’t hurt to ask and you could walk to work and there are lots of eateries in the Copley Square area, plus it’s a great place to be in Boston. The Green line of the subway is right there and it’s a quick, cheap trip to downtown if you are so inclined.

And, you will rack up lots of Marriott points for future use.
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Re: Need help with frequent week-long stays in Boston over next 18 mos

Post by renue74 »

I'll put my $0.02 in. We have a full time AirBnb property near Charlotte, NC. Just started in Oct. 2018. It's work. We booked 27 nights out of 31 in December. I don't hire a cleaning service because of the tight turnaround times...meaning, somebody checking out at 11am and somebody checking in at 4pm on a Sunday or some crazy holiday. We NET anywhere from $1800 to $2500/month.

I would never buy a property in a city to AirBnb and rely on vendors. Plus all the government issues. Buying just sounds like a bad idea all around.

I will note this...after you visit a few airbnbs and find one you like, you can approach the owner and set up a long term deal that is sans Airbnb. That way, you can offer 20% less. Airbnb owner just blocks off the weeks you visit.

I have a "short term" family leasing our airbnb for 2 1/2 months. They approached me on AirBnb...and I spoke to them off the ecosystem....and we negotiated a better deal...for them and me.
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Re: Need help with frequent week-long stays in Boston over next 18 mos

Post by ResearchMed »

eddot98 wrote: Tue Feb 12, 2019 3:23 pm Here’s my 2 cents. Join Marriott rewards if you haven’t already and get their credit card for the sign up bonus. Within walking distance of the Hynes convention center there are several Marriott/Starwood properties: Boston Copley Marriott, Westin at Copley Place, Courtyard Copley, and the Sheraton at the Prudential Center. Contact the management at each of these hotels and explain your situation and see what kind of rates that they can offer you. I have seen lots of Airline crews at the Marriott Copley and I’m sure that they aren’t paying top dollar for all their stays. It wouldn’t hurt to ask and you could walk to work and there are lots of eateries in the Copley Square area, plus it’s a great place to be in Boston. The Green line of the subway is right there and it’s a quick, cheap trip to downtown if you are so inclined.

And, you will rack up lots of Marriott points for future use.
Ah, eddot98 just beat me to it... about -->> speaking with the manager.
If they know they'll get lots of business from you, especially if on "off times" (meaning, you aren't only there on holidays, or the May graduation rush - and also note freshman arrivals, but not as bad) they may want to encourage you to "choose me", etc.

But you might want to use your first time(s) checking out a few different properties and also a few different locations.
It would be a shame to find out many months later that you could easily have found a few better places. (Yes, there can *always* be "better places", but I mean, something you could easily have found if you just looked across the street, or sort of...)

Also ask if you could leave a suitcase or two there, if you plan to stay at the same facility. That will save you a lot of wear and tear on the traveling back and forth. That way you can leave a few extra things that would make it feel more like "home"... photos, toiletries that aren't mini-travel versions, even OTC meds, rather than have to buy aspirin or Benedryl each time you need something (or whatever your choice of "poison" is :wink: ).
If appropriate, also ask if you could get comped for breakfast, if that's not already included, unless just a cup of coffee is your thing.

Years ago, DH had to be across country for more nights than seemed reasonable. He was expensed, so that made it easier (and more comfortable!), but still... keeping some things "there" made it just a bit more pleasant.

Good luck!

RM
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Re: Need help with frequent week-long stays in Boston over next 18 mos

Post by Slapshot »

To add to the "talk with the manager." Years ago we had a house fire and stayed at a Residence Inn that night. I talked with the manager, and he gave us a 2 bedroom, 2 bath unit for $99/night as we were going to stay there for 5 months while our house was rebuilt. We did the same thing a few years ago at a Town Place Suites in Florida as we had to stay there for quite a while due to a family issue. It sure doesn't hurt to ask. And as an aside, when we stayed for 5 months, we paid for it with a Marriott Rewards card, got reimbursed by our insurance company, and accumulated enough points to get a free week at the Marriott on Maui.
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Kywildcat
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Re: Need help with frequent week-long stays in Boston over next 18 mos

Post by Kywildcat »

Just out of curiosity, in what type of situation would a W-2 employee be expected to pay their own travel / lodging costs?
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Re: Need help with frequent week-long stays in Boston over next 18 mos

Post by GoldStar »

goodcents wrote: Mon Feb 11, 2019 9:08 pm
The Wizard wrote: Mon Feb 11, 2019 8:41 pm
RollTide31457 wrote: Mon Feb 11, 2019 8:18 pm Avoid Legal Seafood. It is nasty.
I agree.
It's a terrible place to stay overnight...
LOL, yes, I guess I won't eat there and definitely won't attempt to sleep there.
Depending upon which one you eat at the food can be quite good but if you attempt to sleep there you might be arrested.
Hotel and AirBNB costs will vary depending upon conferences in town, etc. You can stay out on one of the train lines for a bit cheaper (sorry I don't have any specific suggestions).
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Re: Need help with frequent week-long stays in Boston over next 18 mos

Post by The Wizard »

GoldStar wrote: Tue Feb 12, 2019 6:28 pm
goodcents wrote: Mon Feb 11, 2019 9:08 pm
The Wizard wrote: Mon Feb 11, 2019 8:41 pm
RollTide31457 wrote: Mon Feb 11, 2019 8:18 pm Avoid Legal Seafood. It is nasty.
I agree.
It's a terrible place to stay overnight...
LOL, yes, I guess I won't eat there and definitely won't attempt to sleep there.
Depending upon which one you eat at the food can be quite good but if you attempt to sleep there you might be arrested.
Hotel and AirBNB costs will vary depending upon conferences in town, etc. You can stay out on one of the train lines for a bit cheaper (sorry I don't have any specific suggestions).
Unlike NYC, the Boston T shuts down by 1 am each night.
I had to leave Fenway Park by 12:20am during playoffs last fall to be confident of getting a train back to Oak Grove...
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Re: Need help with frequent week-long stays in Boston over next 18 mos

Post by GoldStar »

The Wizard wrote: Tue Feb 12, 2019 7:13 pm
GoldStar wrote: Tue Feb 12, 2019 6:28 pm
goodcents wrote: Mon Feb 11, 2019 9:08 pm
The Wizard wrote: Mon Feb 11, 2019 8:41 pm
RollTide31457 wrote: Mon Feb 11, 2019 8:18 pm Avoid Legal Seafood. It is nasty.
I agree.
It's a terrible place to stay overnight...
LOL, yes, I guess I won't eat there and definitely won't attempt to sleep there.
Depending upon which one you eat at the food can be quite good but if you attempt to sleep there you might be arrested.
Hotel and AirBNB costs will vary depending upon conferences in town, etc. You can stay out on one of the train lines for a bit cheaper (sorry I don't have any specific suggestions).
Unlike NYC, the Boston T shuts down by 1 am each night.
I had to leave Fenway Park by 12:20am during playoffs last fall to be confident of getting a train back to Oak Grove...
Weekends are still until 2:30 I believe (but you better be on a train by 1:15).
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Re: Need help with frequent week-long stays in Boston over next 18 mos

Post by RudyS »

The Marriott chain (Residence Inn, etc) as mentioned above is a great option. We find Homewood Suites (Hilton chain) is quite nice too. Free breakfast, and Monday through Thursday afternoons free happy hour (wine, beer, snacks).

A research idea - If you aren't familiar with the area, look for some hotels on/near the T or commuter rail. Then plug that address into google maps and search for nearby hotels to get lots more ideas.
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Re: Need help with frequent week-long stays in Boston over next 18 mos

Post by DaleMaley »

Find a hotel you like, then ask manager for a deal on future stays. We did this successfully a couple of times when the employee had to spend 6 months at a site, and came home on weekends.
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goodcents
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Re: Need help with frequent week-long stays in Boston over next 18 mos

Post by goodcents »

SRenaeP wrote: Tue Feb 12, 2019 2:28 pm Re unconventional option 1 - consider a flight attendant/pilot crash pad. Obviously they would most likely be near or within easy commute to Logan but it's a not uncommon setup.
Wow, another creative idea! Never would have thought about that. I'll investigate.
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goodcents
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Re: Need help with frequent week-long stays in Boston over next 18 mos

Post by goodcents »

jminv wrote: Tue Feb 12, 2019 2:49 pm I’ve had to do something like this for work before and I never considered buying a place. It doesn’t make any sense. You then say that you are worried about bedbugs in Airbnb’s but go on to say that you would list the place you bought on Airbnb. Travelers can bring bed bugs into your new Airbnb, never mind any anti Airbnb legislation. Then, since you won’t be living there when you rent it out, you’ll have to pay someone to take care of it. That will eat up a lot of your earnings.

Rent something on Airbnb each time you’re there. Take some time and find something that looks nice and has very good reviews.not just good, since people find it a little more difficult to rate individuals honestly. Try to find something with quality furniture, not ikea or second hand garbage. Ive found that places with quality stuff are usually better in terms of cleanliness as well. Rotate each time you stay if you like. I use Airbnb all the time, staying in another one for a week on Thursday. Sometimes they’re great and sometimes I pick something that’s more average. As far as I’m concerned, it’s still nicer than staying in a hotel and more flexible than buying or renting. I always do the entire place, though, never roommates and I gather you wouldn’t either.
You're right jminv, thanks, i hadn't made that obvious observation as I am figuring this out that people I rent my place too via Airbnb could obviously bring in bed bugs too. I would need very good cleaners and bed protectors etc. (certainly a cost). I'd probably end up not even being comfortable in my own home too. Yet another reason the buying strategy is off the table.

Thanks for the Airbnb advice. I have collected this advice from you and others and reading articles. On top of this I'm also an Airbnb newbie (never used it):
Search for:
Entire place
Super host

Also:
Read reviews especially cleanliness
Look at safearound.com for a Crime Map
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goodcents
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Re: Need help with frequent week-long stays in Boston over next 18 mos

Post by goodcents »

eddot98 wrote: Tue Feb 12, 2019 3:23 pm Here’s my 2 cents. Join Marriott rewards if you haven’t already and get their credit card for the sign up bonus. Within walking distance of the Hynes convention center there are several Marriott/Starwood properties: Boston Copley Marriott, Westin at Copley Place, Courtyard Copley, and the Sheraton at the Prudential Center. Contact the management at each of these hotels and explain your situation and see what kind of rates that they can offer you. I have seen lots of Airline crews at the Marriott Copley and I’m sure that they aren’t paying top dollar for all their stays. It wouldn’t hurt to ask and you could walk to work and there are lots of eateries in the Copley Square area, plus it’s a great place to be in Boston. The Green line of the subway is right there and it’s a quick, cheap trip to downtown if you are so inclined.

And, you will rack up lots of Marriott points for future use.
eddot98,
thx, great advice. I see Marriott Starwood is also starting their entire new rewards program literally TODAY. I guess they are consolidating all memberships from all the brands they acquired into one program under the rebranding of Bonvoy Rewards. I put on my to do list to call these properties. If I can get a really good deal via talking to management that would be awesome. good luxury spot, no commute, safe, clean would be perfect...thx
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goodcents
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Re: Need help with frequent week-long stays in Boston over next 18 mos

Post by goodcents »

renue74 wrote: Tue Feb 12, 2019 3:51 pm I'll put my $0.02 in. We have a full time AirBnb property near Charlotte, NC. Just started in Oct. 2018. It's work. We booked 27 nights out of 31 in December. I don't hire a cleaning service because of the tight turnaround times...meaning, somebody checking out at 11am and somebody checking in at 4pm on a Sunday or some crazy holiday. We NET anywhere from $1800 to $2500/month.

I would never buy a property in a city to AirBnb and rely on vendors. Plus all the government issues. Buying just sounds like a bad idea all around.

I will note this...after you visit a few airbnbs and find one you like, you can approach the owner and set up a long term deal that is sans Airbnb. That way, you can offer 20% less. Airbnb owner just blocks off the weeks you visit.

I have a "short term" family leasing our airbnb for 2 1/2 months. They approached me on AirBnb...and I spoke to them off the ecosystem....and we negotiated a better deal...for them and me.
very good to know. This is consistent with the percentages I saw. My travel would be variable but in week blocks so when I develop a good relationship with a host I am going to try this for sure. It is going to be interesting. thx for confirming the viability of the doing this.
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Re: Need help with frequent week-long stays in Boston over next 18 mos

Post by Epsilon Delta »

If you are not familiar with the area stay somewhere. Then look around and see if there is somewhere better. Check out the commute, neighborhoods etc. You do not have to, nor should you, start with an 18 month commitment.
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