John’s Corner

Hey, it’s John.

This week flew by, and not for the usual reasons.

Football season is here. I’ve been coaching my four boys and pouring into another 100 kids who trust me to lead them. Early mornings. Long practices. A lot of sweat. A lot of lessons.

I missed two days of content on Instagram.

REI Staffing didn’t get the time it needed either.

But I wouldn’t trade it. Because some weeks aren’t about balance. They’re about being where you’re needed most.

For me, that meant being on the field. Being present. Helping young men chase something bigger than themselves.

Now let’s get back to business.

STRs Are Getting Crushed

Let’s stop pretending STRs are “still strong.”

They’re not. They suck right now.

Bookings are down. Prices are down. Everyone and their cousin has an Airbnb and nobody’s making money.

My take:

STR is a great alternative strategy to improve cash flow when we’re at the top of the market.

But as a primary strategy? It’s garbage unless you’re in a unicorn location or running it like a tech-enabled hotel.

If you want real growth in this market, get back to the fundamentals.

Buy smart. Add value. Hold long term.

The Truth About Florida Real Estate

There are only four cities that matter.

Tampa.

The best city in Florida. Great neighborhoods. Strong demand. Pro-landlord. Everyone wants to be here.

Orlando.

Not for me, but families and investors love it. Disney, development, and a strong rental pool.

Jacksonville.

All the potential in the world. But people don’t want to live there. Low price points and good cash flow, but soft demand and slow growth.

Miami.

None of us are hot enough or rich enough for that life. Great to visit. Hard to build a portfolio unless you’re playing a different game.

How to Find Deals Right Now

Want real opportunities? Stop chasing hype.

Step one. Search for properties that have been sitting on the market for 180 days or more.

Step two. Call the agent and ask:

Why hasn’t this sold?

Have you had any offers?

Sometimes, they’ll give you the real number.

I had an agent once say,

“If you can get them anything over 325K, cough cough, they’ll probably take it.”

The house was listed at 499K.

That’s how you win in a buyer’s market.

REI Staffing Spotlight

Stop doing it all yourself.

We help real estate professionals hire trained virtual team members for:

Cold calling. Lead follow-up.

Social media and marketing.

CRM cleanup and transaction coordination.

Starting at ten dollars an hour.

Book a call and let’s talk.

Local Plug

Two spicy chicken sandwiches and a large Diet Coke from Chick-fil-A.

Still undefeated.

Also, asking your kids if they want Chick-fil-A on a Sunday?

That’s peak dad humor. It never misses.

Got a Real Estate Question?

Reply to this email. I’ll answer one in next week’s edition right here in the journal.

See you next Tuesday.

John

Tampa Real Estate Guy — Helping you crush your real estate investing goals