Why They Started

Both work full-time. She sells insurance. He’s in sales. They wanted more time together and a path that didn’t require taking on another mortgage the year after buying their home. On July 2, Lindsay watched a free workshop, then the longer session that followed. That night they bought the program, queued up the modules on their TV, and worked through the steps as a team.

The idea wasn’t to overhaul their lives in one jump. It was to add real income they could count on and build from there.

What Is Airbnb Arbitrage?

You lease a property with written permission to host short-term stays, furnish it, and operate it like a small hospitality business. It’s a common way to get into hosting without buying real estate, and it’s flexible enough to run alongside a full-time job once systems are in place.

For the Fischers, it checked every box: lower upfront capital than a purchase, fast time to launch, and a clear way to learn the business while earning.

Market Selection: Data Over Nostalgia

Lindsay grew up in North Carolina and went to college in the mountains. The obvious pick would have been her college town. The numbers disagreed. Using the research workflow from the modules—RevPAR, occupancy, ADR, and seasonality—she mapped sub-markets around Asheville and found a better fit thirty minutes away in Old Fort.

It had strong fall demand, a steady stream of family group travel, and fewer direct competitors with the exact amenity mix they planned to offer. Once the data cleared the thresholds, she didn’t linger. Outreach began that day.

“We put the modules on the TV, opened a laptop, checked RevPAR and occupancy, and moved when the numbers worked.”

Landlord Outreach: The 4-Call Close

Sourcing was simple: Zillow and Facebook Marketplace. Her first message to owners was short: “Would you consider a 2–4 year lease?” If the owner showed interest, she moved the conversation to a call. She avoided long text debates about the model. Trust builds faster in a five-minute conversation.

On call number four, she found the fit. The owner was mid-move and open to leaving roughly 75% of the furniture. That single decision cut weeks off setup and lowered cash needs. From first conversation on July 21 to a signed lease on August 11 took three weeks. With leaf season coming, speed mattered.

Her pitch stayed human and clear: guaranteed rent, professional standards, no party traffic, one point of contact. She positioned the arrangement as a win for the owner, not just for them.

Lease & Setup: Speed Through a Furnished Start

The cabin came partially furnished. They focused their energy and dollars on upgrades that would change booking behavior rather than buying everything from scratch. Keeping useful furniture in place and adding targeted pieces made launch faster and more affordable.

They created a short punch list: bedding changes, a few key amenities, photo-ready styling, and a staged plan for outdoor spaces. The goal was to go live quickly, then keep improving the listing while bookings rolled in.

Branding the Cabin: Name, Look, and Social Proof

They treated the property like a product. They named it The Old Fort Cabin—memorable, location-anchored, and easy to search. An Instagram handle with the same name collected user-generated content, and a small sign inside invited guests to tag the cabin for 10% off a future stay.

The brand wasn’t for decoration. It was there to help people remember the place and book it again.

Design & Amenities: Upgrades That Move the Needle

The big furniture stayed. They invested where families and groups actually feel the difference.

• Beds: three kings and one queen. For many families, a king bed decides the booking.

• Hot tub: in this micro-market, fewer than one in five comps had one. They added a tub below the deck and built it into the ops plan with service included.

• Game zones: the garage became ping-pong and darts. The downstairs got a black accent wall behind the TV, a college pennant wall for game days, and a card table for late-night hangouts.

• Cozy touches: layered blankets, a built-in shelf with real books, and small comforts that photograph well and feel good on arrival.

• Outdoor living: fire pit, sectional seating, a dining table, and string lights that read clearly in photos.

• Family-ready: baby gates, a pack-n-play, and dog-friendly rules. Families search with these filters. Many listings don’t match them.

None of this was flashy. It was practical differentiation aimed at longer, higher-intent stays.

Photos, Listing Order, and CTR

They hired a photographer who understands short-term rentals. The first five photos follow a simple logic: the hero image that sells the feeling, the main living space, the key amenity, sleeping comfort, and a group hangout spot. That sequence increases click-through rates from the search grid and sets clear expectations.

They planned to refresh the hero image as the seasons changed—fall color, winter coziness, spring greens—to keep the listing fresh and clickable.

“We wanted photos that make people picture their weekend, not just the square footage.”

Pricing, Visibility, and Early Reviews

They followed the same launch logic we teach. Go live as soon as the place is ready for guests, price to build early momentum, and collect reviews to unlock ranking power. To finish final touches without losing algorithmic exposure, they opened the listing and blocked the first ten days. By the time those dates cleared, they had exposure and a few early bookings lined up.

They watched comparable calendars, adjusted rates to stay competitive, and used near-term promotions on the platform to surface the listing in more feeds and emails. Once reviews and saves appeared, they raised rates in measured steps.

Launch Results: Two Weeks to $17,500

• Aug 11: lease signed

• ~Sep 7: listing went live

• Sep 21: $17,500 in bookings across 14 reservations, with dates stretching through New Year’s Eve

Most revenue came through search demand. To speed up awareness, they invited a small influencer group to stay for content. The comped stay produced posts, reels, and stories that sent more eyeballs to the listing while the Airbnb algorithm did its work.

They also set expectations with guests. The cabin is for families and groups who want space, comfort, and easy fun—hot tub, games, fire pit—not party traffic. That clarity reduces headaches and helps reviews.

Operations: Three Hours a Week

They built a local, cleaner-led model. The cleaner handles turnovers and acts as an extra set of eyes, with a reliable handyman on call for anything outside cleaning scope. Messages and calendar moves live inside the platform, and blocked dates protect install windows and deep cleans.

Lindsay likes the creative side, so she spends about thirty minutes a day on organic marketing—reels, local Facebook groups, and direct messages to families planning trips. That time is optional. If she removed it, weekly workload still sits around three hours.

“The house mostly runs itself now. My extra time goes to things I enjoy, like posting and answering trip planning questions.”

Surprises and How They Adapted

Hot tub total cost of ownership. The electrical work, pad, and access planning were more involved than expected. It was worth it, but they now filter future searches for properties that already have tubs installed to speed up the next launch.

Zoning and HOA details. One early conversation died because of HOA restrictions. They now verify fit earlier without getting bogged down in rules that don’t apply.

Photos carry weeks of revenue. Hiring a real shooter who understands composition, lighting, and amenity storytelling paid for itself quickly.

Roadmap: Duplicate Every 4–6 Months

They want to land another property every 4–6 months, preferably within the same service radius so the current cleaner and handyman can support both. Shared teams compress onboarding, lower costs, and keep quality consistent.

Once the arbitrage cash flow covers lifestyle and reinvestment, they plan to buy—either a small multifamily or a boutique vacation home—while keeping arbitrage as the cash engine up front.

To finance a slice of setup, they used 0% promotional financing for the hot tub and electrical work. For future units, they’ll prioritize places that already have high-ROI amenities, which shrinks capital outlay and time to live.

Advice If You’re Starting Now

Pick one market and start calling. Research matters, but long debates with your browser don’t move leases forward. Keep the first owner message short, then get on a call. Be a person, not a script. If you can, meet once in person. When you go live, price for momentum, protect those first reviews, and let data tell you when to raise rates. Design for a specific guest, not everyone.

“We closed on call number four by moving fast and talking live. Families booked because every detail felt made for them.”