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the transformation

We put $23,000 into the renovation that took 4 months to complete. The property needed a nice facelift since most of the finishes were original to when the home was built in 1994. We used Luxury Vinyl Plank flooring to give the home a modern and comfortable feeling. All of our cabinets, ceiling and wall paint was low voc (odorless) paint by Benjamin Moore. We chose to leave existing cabinets and paint them blue to give a bold look. We updated all the interior lighting to LED and changed out all of the ceiling fans. The locks have smart keyless locks that can have the combination changed by our smart phones to avoid losing the old school key method. The staircase treads were sanded and re-stained a dark walnut. The roof was also replaced as it had some leak points and we wanted to make sure our investment was properly protected from the elements. We also stained the front/back porches, added cedar shutters and painted the garage door to add some curb appeal. There is also a security alarm that can be controlled by our smart phones to reset the password with new tenants. Check out some of the before and after pictures above.

the Pivot

Our plan to dip our toes into the AirBnB market quickly changed when the COVID-19 pandemic hit and the short term rental market was decimated. We needed to pivot and Mel suggested we explore the idea of a furnished short term rental for travel nurses (since we were so close to the medical center)--the backup plan for a long term renter was always an option. We knew we need to have a first class product for this demanding client base.

Our property has all the comforts of home you would come to expect. It is fully and comfortably furnished from top to bottom! The master bedroom and private bath are upstairs, with small loft for workspace/office. The secondary bedroom and bathroom (shower only) is downstairs. We also have a queen sleeper sofa in the living room for extra sleep space if needed. The townhome has a very large kitchen with granite counter tops and new appliances, Also included are flat screen TVs in each bedroom and living room and the fastest internet available in our area. You can also park in our 1 car garage with opener to get you inside your home safe and sound. We also have board games, dice, egg timer, toaster, k-cup coffee maker, washer and dryer inside, silverware, plates, cups, wine glasses, bottle openers, etc. Lastly, we also have a first class cleaning service that comes in to do cleanings as necessary.

As we navigated through the coronavirus and researched our competition, we decided put the property on the market for $2000 per month furnished. I know, I know....that a lot to ask when standard rents were under $1200, right? Well, I'm happy to say that we just signed a one year lease with a local realtor for $2000 per month.

This property taught a lot throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. We learned that having a back-up plan (or two) in the playbook is always needed. We could not have seen this coming, but luckily we were able to pivot and shift our marketing and target customer along when we needed to.

NEXT Steps

The bottom line

Despite the changes in environment due to COVID 19 we were able to execute a great rehab and exceed our original goal for the property. Mel and I are excited about the first group of investors who have jumped in with us and we have been working over the last month with local San Antonio banks to establish relationships for long term commercial financing for 210 Holding Group. We're actively looking for the next project--stay tuned!

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