15 Most Affordable Places to Travel in the U.S. in August

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While August is one of the most popular travel months, that doesn’t necessarily mean your trip has to cost a small fortune — especially if you know where to go.

To determine the most affordable places to travel in August, we tapped the pros at Kayak to pull flight and hotel data between Aug. 1 and Aug. 31, 2024. The prices listed for each destination below include a combined average for round-trip economy airfare and rate for one overnight stay in a standard double hotel room. “Among the cheapest destinations to fly this August are southern hotspots with major airports like Orlando, New Orleans, and Miami,” says Cara Johnson, Kayak’s consumer travel trends expert. “While these southern destinations come with a lower price tag (and warmer temps!), if you want something on the cooler side, try Denver or San Francisco.”

Additionally, it’s worth noting that all but one of these destinations are located in the mainland United States, making for an easy long weekend escape. So, whether you’re craving a serene beach retreat or an action-packed city adventure, the below destinations offer something for every type of traveler — and, best of all, they won’t break the bank.

Here are 15 of the most affordable places to travel in the U.S. this August.

  • Orlando, FL

  • New Orleans, LA

  • Miami, Florida

  • Fort Lauderdale, Florida

  • Denver, Colorado

  • Washington, D.C.

  • Myrtle Beach, South Carolina

  • Atlanta, Georgia

  • Las Vegas, Nevada

  • San Francisco, California

  • Chicago, Illinois

  • Nashville, Tennessee

  • New York, New York

  • San Juan, Puerto Rico

  • Los Angeles, California

Airbnb host finds unexpected benefits from not charging guests a cleaning fee

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Airbnb defines its notorious cleaning fee as a “one-time charge” set by the host that helps them arrange anything from carpet shampoo to replenishing supplies to hiring an outside cleaning service—all in the name of ensuring guests have a “clean and tidy space.”

But as many frustrated Airbnb customers will tell you, this feature is viewed as more of a nuisance than a convenience. According to NerdWallet, the general price for a cleaning fee is around $75, but can vary greatly between listings, with some units having cleaning fees that are higher than the nightly rate (all while sometimes still being asked to do certain chores before checking out). And often none of these fees show up in the total price until right before the booking confirmation, leaving many travelers feeling confused and taken advantage of.

Rachel Boice runs two Airbnb properties in Georgia with her husband Parker—one being this fancy glass plane tiny house (seen below) that promises a perfect glamping experience.

Like most Airbnb hosts, the Boice’s listing showed a nightly rate and separate cleaning fee. According to her interview with Insider, the original prices broke down to $89 nightly, and $40 for the cleaning fee.

But after noticing the negative response the separate fee got from potential customers, Rachel told Insider that she began charging a nightly rate that included the cleaning fee, totaling to $129 a night.

Read full article and watch video here.

Bill hiking taxes for short-term rentals to be gutted after resistance from AirBnB, VRBO

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A bill that would have quadrupled property taxes for thousands of short-term rentals in Colorado is set to be significantly watered down next week, according to the bill’s sponsor.

Since Sen. Chris Hansen, D-Denver, proposed the bill last fall, AirBnB, VRBO, and other short-term rental owners have rallied against the idea, saying it would devastate the tourism economy that ski towns rely on.

Senate Bill 33 proposed classifying any property used as a short-term rental for more than 90 days per year as a lodging property beginning in 2026. Colorado’s property tax assessment rate for lodging properties in 2023 was 27.9%. For residential properties, it was set at 6.765%. 

Ready full article HERE.

Google reveals top destinations for summer vacation 2024

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For anyone feeling a sudden urge for summer wanderlust, Google unveiled its top 20 destinations that travelers have already taken an interest in for any upcoming warm weather getaways.

From domestic to international locations, Google shared insights based on past flight booking data and search trends with "Good Morning America" to help people start planning summer vacation spots or shape an ideal itinerary.

Much like snubs and surprises during awards season, there are a couple of places that fell out of favor since last year as well as some new additions that made this year's list.

London
2. Paris
3. Tokyo
4. Rome
5. New York
6. Cancun
7. Orlando
8. Las Vegas
9. Seattle
10. Athens
11. Los Angeles
12. Miami
13. Barcelona
14. Dublin
15. Fort Lauderdale
16. Honolulu
17. Denver
18. Madrid
19. Boston
20. San Juan

Read full article HERE.

If you rent an Airbnb in Colorado, here’s where some of your renter fees go

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DENVER (KDVR) — If you’ve booked an Airbnb and the price was more than the initial cost per night, some of it might have to do with tourism tax.

Some fees don’t go to Airbnb or the host

In some locations, Airbnb has agreements with government officials to collect and remit certain local taxes on behalf of Airbnb hosts. Sometimes, regulations require the host to charge a tax to guests.

Customers could see these charges in a few different ways.

These taxes are either included in the reservation price or are paid during check-in and vary based on your booking. Depending on local law, these factors can include a flat rate or percentage rate, number of guests, number of nights or property type booked.

READ FULL ARTICLE HERE.

Airbnb: These Colorado homes among top spots in the world to propose

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DENVER (KDVR) — From a marriage in the backyard to a rental with over 100 proposals, these two Colorado Airbnbs are some of the most well-known stays in the world for proposals.

Airbnb listed a handful of spots around the world that are the top stays for popping the question, and two of them are in Colorado.

One Airbnb home in Idledale, known as the “Red Rocks Oasis,” made the list after having over 100 proposals on the property, according to Airbnb. Idledale is an unincorporated town south of Genesee.

Read full article here

The CEO of Airbnb wants you to charge less for your house

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The CEO of Airbnb wants you to charge less for your house

Airbnb CEO Brian Chesky thinks hosts on his platform should lower their prices.

  • "We want prices to move and to be more competitive vis-à-vis a hotels—that is really important," said Chesky.

  • "We need to get our house in order," he added.

Airbnb CEO Brian Chesky has a message for hosts on his platform: lower your prices.

"We want prices to move and to be more competitive vis-à-vis a hotels— that is really important," said Chesky as part of a Monday interview with Bloomberg.

Airbnb's current rate comparison tools for hosts do not incorporate nearby hotel rates. Chesky said he wants hosts "to look at rates for hotels in their area just so they have a sense of what travelers are getting on other platforms."

"We need to get our house in order," said Chesky, who pointed to issues of affordability, not showing customers total prices per listing, and fake listings as things the company would seek to address going forward.

READ MORE HERE.

12 ways to experience Denver on a budget

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Denver is a budget-friendly destination when compared to its Rocky Mountain neighbors like Aspen and Vail (and especially so when compared to much bigger metro areas like New York and Los Angeles).

But as this mid-sized city’s profile continues to rise, so do prices. If you wanted to, you could easily drop a hefty chunk of change on a luxurious Mile High City vacation.

Fortunately, you don’t have to. Denver still offers plenty in the way of affordable activities, eats and transportation. If you’re hoping to do Colorado’s capital city on the cheap, here are some tips for keeping more money in your pocket.

Daily costs in Denver

  • Hostel room: $45–75

  • Basic room for two: $175–500

  • Self-catering apartment (including Airbnb): $100–380

  • Public transit ticket: $3–5.25

  • Coffee: $4

  • Sandwich: $10–20

  • Dinner for two: $50–100

  • Beer at the bar: $6 

Average daily cost: $300–450

Check out full article here.

What Are Allowable Expenses for Rental Income, and How Do I Track Them?

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Photo: Pexels



If expense tracking is a confusing mess to you, you'll be glad to know this article is just for you. Many landlords struggle with rental property expense tracking. They wonder what to track, what to deduct, and what tools to use for tracking. Read on for answers to those questions and more, courtesy of Rocky Mountain Short Term Rental. 

 

Allowable Rental Property Expenses 

First, understand what expenses are covered as a rental landlord: 



  • Operating expenses

  • Repair costs

  • Mortgage interest

  • Property taxes

  • Advertising

  • Utilities

  • Insurance

  • Maintenance

  • Pest control

  • Flooring

  • Inspections

  • Depreciation



The IRS allows landlords to recover expenses by accounting for the wear and tear of the property. Using Form 4562, landlords can deduct some or all of their original acquisition costs and the cost of any improvements made to the property starting in the first year of renting out the property. 



How to Track Your Rental Property Expenses

In the past, the best way to track rental property expenses was to use a spreadsheet. While this is still an option, and, as Zillow points out, templates made for tracking rental property expenses are a great tool, there are better ways. Two of these ways are a property expense tool and business expense tracking software.

 

Property Expense Tools

These tools make it easy to see what expenses you have compared to rental income. They vary from platform to platform in their features, so finding the right one is often cumbersome. 

 

One of the best rental property expense tools is Personal Capital. You can link your properties and assets within the platform, and Zillow is fully integrated with the app so that you can monitor your money more easily. 

  

Key Features of Personal Capital:

  • Automated net worth tracker

  • User-friendly

  • Free retirement planning

  • Integrated with Zillow for home price estimates

  • Limited tax planning capabilities and accounting functions

  • Financial planning platform



Business Expense Tracking Software

Business expense tracking software offers far more than property expense tools; in fact, experts note that financial tracking software is among the top tools every startup and small business should employ. The difference between platforms like Personal Capital and a business expense tracking software like QuickBooks is that Personal Capital tracks just that - personal capital. While you can track your rental property income and expenses with the tool, you miss out on some highly valuable features when choosing the tool over the software. 

 

What should you look for in business expense tracking software?

When choosing a business expense tracking software, look for features that protect from costly mistakes, like tax penalty protection and auto-calculations. Another type of protective feature is security functions that protect your data from hacking attempts. 

 

Additionally, if you have employees for your rental business (contractors or property managers, perhaps), look for a platform that offers automatic payroll scheduling, automatic calculating and tax filing, and same-day direct deposit. When you automate payroll via payroll apps and software, you make wage calculation a quick and smooth process. 



You can also make changes more quickly and improve your recordkeeping and timekeeping. Ace Cloud Hosting explains that software like QuickBooks Payroll offers all these benefits and integrates into other administrative functions, reducing your workload and streamlining processes so you can maximize your return on investment.  

 

The key takeaway is that expense tracking and tax deductions are simple with business expense tracking software and property expense tools. While each has its benefits, business expense tracking software can integrate into other business tools, reduce your repetitive tasks, and give you back your time. 


You can sit back and relax while Rocky Mountain Short Term Rental converts your space into a 5-star vacation rental property. Our premium service provides data driven success, maintenance, repairs, cleaning and more! Request a 10-minute consultation today!



Written by Natalie Jones of homeownerbliss.info/

11/01/2021



Is now a good time to get into the short-term rental game in Colorado?

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DENVER, Colo. — Renting out a primary residence can be pretty lucrative. But the pandemic changed a lot of things in this world. The question now: Is it smart to join in on the short-term rental game?

Dana Lubner, with the group Mile High Hosts, said things are looking up and then some. More people are feeling comfortable traveling, but are still wanting to keep their distance from others.


Full article and video HERE!

Airbnb warns that the Delta variant could disrupt travel

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New York (CNN Business)Airbnb had a blockbuster second quarter, with revenue soaring nearly 300% and topping expectations. But it also reported some bad news: The company is worried about the Delta variant's impact on consumers' future travel plans.

The company benefited from more people taking vacations in the spring and summer, but Airbnb says the next few months could be extremely bumpy. Shares of Airbnb fell nearly 2% in late morning trading Friday on the company's warning.

Check out full article and video HERE.

2,600 bookings banned from Airbnb in Denver due to party concerns

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A spokesperson from Airbnb said that in the last year they’ve banned 2,600 suspicious bookings in Denver and maybe even prevented a large house party from being rented during All-Star Week.

Airbnb said if you are trying to book an entire home rental local to where you live, are under 25 years old, and don’t have a history of positive reviews or any reviews at all the Airbnb system will block you from making that booking. 

Full article and video HERE!

Airbnb blocks 2,600 young adults from renting “party” homes in Denver

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Airbnb for the past year has actively blocked short-term rentals it suspects might be used to host large parties, the kind that upset hosts, disturb neighborhoods, and give the industry a bad name.

“If you are under the age of 25 and you don’t have a history of positive reviews, we will not allow you to book an entire home listing local to where you live,” said Ben Breit, head of trust and safety communication with San Francisco-based Airbnb.

A year in, the technology Airbnb deployed has blocked or redirected potentially risky reservation attempts from more than 2,600 people in Denver, he said. By comparison, the company has blocked 5,000 suspicious bookings in Phoenix; 4,500 each in Las Vegas and Seattle; 2,600 in Portland, Ore.; 1,800 in Salt Lake City and 1,500 in Albuquerque.

Full Article HERE!

Short-term rental demand surpasses 2019 levels

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The U.S. short-term rental market has officially recovered demand above 2019 levels, a new report from AirDNA finds.

April 2021 marks the first month since the start of the coronavirus pandemic to surpass 2019 performance.

According to AirDNA, short-term rental demand increased by 66.4% in April compared to 2020 levels and 5.4% over 2019 levels.

Occupancy levels also built on the strength seen in March, notching up 61.6% in April from 60.9% in March. The trend is a deviation in traditional seasonality: Occupancy typically falls in April after the spring break rush in March.

Full article HERE.

Travel Trends with Airbnb

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With guidance from the CDC indicating it is safe for fully-vaccinated Americans to travel, many are beginning to plan their summer vacations. In a new report, airbnb has revealed that travelers are opting for remote and off-the-beaten path destinations this summer. Joining us to discuss this and other travel trends is the Director of International Communications at airbnb, Cassidy Blackwell.


Watch video HERE!

All Denver landlords would be required to have a license under proposed City Council bill

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DENVER — A bill that would create the largest licensing program in Denver will be introduced at a City Council meeting Monday night. 

Denver already requires short-term rental property owners to be licensed, but Council President Stacie Gilmore wants to expand that to require all landlords in Denver to get a license to rent. 

Full article and video HERE.

6 Pristine Hidden Beaches Throughout Colorado You’ve Got To Visit ASAP

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When most people think of beaches, they think of such tropical locations as Mexico, Hawaii, and Florida (or better yet, the Florida Keys), but if you are a tried-and-true Coloradan, you know very well that we have several beautiful beaches and lakes of our own that may or may not totally rival those vacation-destination beaches you see in the movies. If you are craving a pseudo-tropical getaway, we recommend visiting one (or all) of these six awe-inspiring hidden Colorado beaches:


Full article HERE!

20 Best Airbnbs In Colorado (Treehouses, VRBOs and more!)

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Are you looking for a vacation rental in Colorado? You have come to the right place. From a Cozy Mountain Vail rental to a Historic Carriage rental in Denver, we have found some of the most unique, cozy, and highest-rated rentals in Colorado. Whether you want to take it easy or are the more adventurous type, we have got your covered.


Full article HERE!