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I’m here in Palm Bay, Florida, with two of my students, Manny and Hailey, and they have an incredible story to share with you.
They came all the way from Spain to attend my boot camp and joined my coaching program shortly after that. Today, they’re working on house number three. This property will become their very first Airbnb investment.
According to AirDNA, this property is projected to generate around $60,000 per year in annual income. Another one of our students, Andy, who is absolutely crushing it with Airbnb, believes it could potentially generate as much as $100,000 annually if we create the right “experience”. To stay conservative, let’s split the difference and estimate around $80,000 per year in income from this Airbnb, which I think is very doable.
Think about that for a moment. For many people, $80,000 would be considered a great annual salary from a traditional 9 to 5 job. Imagine replacing your income from your job and having $80,000 a year in income from just one Airbnb property.
That’s exactly the kind of strategy we teach at our Airbnb & Short Term Rentals Boot Camp, which is coming up at the end of the month (Friday, May 29 to Sunday, May 31). Manny and Hailey will be sharing their story at the boot camp, as will many of my other students who have Airbnb’s.
The outdoor space on this property has huge potential. It’s situated on a lake, and the outdoor area from the pool to the lake can be transformed into a lakeside oasis. But this property definitely needs work. You don’t buy houses at 50 cents on the dollar unless they need a lot of work. This house was purchased for just $140,000, and its ARV is easily $280,000. I would estimate that after repairs, they can easily add $60,000 in equity to their net worth. In addition to that, they can generate $80,000 a year in annual income. This is how you create wealth!
The pool area is currently in rough shape. The water is green and full of frogs! This pool area is going to require plenty of cleanup and lots of work before it’s guest-ready. But that’s often how opportunity is created in real estate. This pool home on a lake was sold at a huge discount because of its condition. As a real estate investor, that is how you create equity.
Manny and Hailey are exploring several options for renovating the outdoor area. Ideally, they would love to install travertine around the pool, but because they’re working within a budget, they’re also considering alternatives such as pressure washing and staining the existing concrete.
Hailey emphasized an important lesson about Airbnb investing that we have learned over the years with some of our students, like Andy. It’s important that guests have an experience.
There is a reason why some Airbnb’s do so well, and many others do not. The attention is in the details. You must create an “experience” for your guests. That is what will get you rave reviews and returning guests who will tell others about their experience.
With the customer experience in mind, they are planning to create multiple outdoor gathering areas, including a covered pergola space with outdoor seating, a separate grilling area with built-in barbecue, refrigerator, wine cooler, and TV. They’re also considering converting the garage into a game room with a pool table, some pinball machines, and vintage game room machines. The game room will have direct pool access, giving families and guests more usable entertainment space. The game room will also keep the kids occupied, so the adults can enjoy the outside area and the lake.
One of the property’s biggest selling points is the lake directly behind the home. With additional privacy fencing planned, guests will be able to walk from the backyard directly to the lake while enjoying a peaceful, secluded atmosphere. This will be a very nice, serene area to sit with a coffee or a glass of wine – especially at sunset. There are bass in the lake, so the kids can also be entertained by fishing in the lake.
Before entering the home, we had to put on masks because the odor inside was overwhelming. The previous occupants had several cats, and unfortunately, the house had extensive cat urine and cat poop. Even after cleaning this up, the odor still lingered. So the first step will be odor removal, which will take some time and a lot of bleach as well as some ozone machines.
I call odors like cat urine the “smell of money”. That’s something that I learned from my mentor Ben. Experienced investors know that ugly houses that are smelly, or houses with rats or cockroaches, often become the houses purchased at the biggest discount. These houses are great opportunities because the odor makes them less desirable, and because of this, they sell at more of a discount to market value.
Inside the house, Manny and Hailey are planning a contemporary European-inspired design. Manny is originally from Austria, and he wants to go with the European simplicity in design with:
For the kitchen, they’re planning on installing white shaker cabinets paired with gray granite countertops and stainless steel appliances. They also want to install a built-in cooktop integrated directly into the island countertop for a more elevated, modern feel.
One interesting point they brought up was their decision to choose granite over quartz. Since Airbnb guests can sometimes be rough on surfaces, placing hot pots directly on counters or spilling staining foods like curry, granite provides better durability for a short-term rental environment.
The plan is to combine:
The bathrooms will also undergo a full remodel, with careful consideration about whether to keep a bathtub and have one shower and one tub, or to convert both bathrooms to showers.
In a market like Miami, we would definitely have both bathrooms converted to showers since the majority of guests coming to Miami are not families that are staying in our Airbnb’s. They are groups of younger people who are there to see South Beach and the Miami nightlife.
One thing Manny and Hailey consistently emphasized throughout the renovation is the importance of creating a memorable guest experience.
Unlike a traditional rental property, an Airbnb must feel welcoming, comfortable, and thoughtfully designed. Guests are paying not only for a place to sleep, but for an enjoyable stay.
Their vision includes:
This is exactly the kind of thinking that separates average Airbnb properties from highly profitable ones. When you hear people say “Airbnb doesn’t work,” you are looking at someone who thought they could just throw some furniture from Wayfair together and rent out the house. The problem with this strategy is that the guest does not have an experience, and there is nothing differentiating one Airbnb from another. The key is to stand out, and you do this by creating an experience. If you do a good job, you will get rave reviews and returning guests, which will help keep your Airbnb rented and your cash flow high.
Different Airbnb markets attract different guests, and understanding your target guest is part of designing a successful Airbnb experience. I anticipate that in this Palm Bay market, your typical guest is going to be grandparents visiting grandkids or more likely kids visiting the grandparents.
Imagine older parents and the kids coming in from out of town to visit their parents and grandparents for Christmas or Thanksgiving. There could be 6 adults and 4 kids in a house like this. With a hotel that would require having up to 5 hotel rooms, which can become prohibitively expensive.
But a house like this can have the entire family, parents, their kids, and their grandkids all together in one house for the holidays. That is why the “experience” becomes so important. The house is not somewhere to sleep. The house is the place to be.
Imagine the kids swimming together in the pool with their cousins and enjoying the game room while the adults are able to enjoy the outdoor area and the serene lakeside experience. Imagine at sunset being able to have an outdoor barbecue while the kids enjoy summer swimming in the pool and watching a movie on the outdoor big screen TV. This is the experience we will be trying to create.
What makes this story especially inspiring is how quickly everything happened for Manny and Hailey.
Manny first attended one of my real estate training boot camps while visiting South Florida. Hailey originally discovered my content while listening to my Investing in Real Estate podcast. At the next boot camp, Hailey flew in from Spain to attend. After attending multiple boot camps, they decided to sign up for my coaching program.
And that’s when they made a life-changing decision:
They decided to move from Spain to Florida.
In a relatively short period of time (just 9 months), they:
And now they’re building momentum toward acquiring even more properties. In fact, after we shot this video, we went to see another house that they have under contract, which will be a rental property.
When I asked them about their educational experience over the last 12 months, they were honest about the process. It’s important for new students to be realistic.
Real estate investing is not magic. It takes time to learn, it requires immersion to fully understand all of the concepts, and it takes consistent action and persistence to put the pieces together. That is where I come in. I will teach you how to put the pieces together.
As Manny explained:
“It’s a lot of material packed with value. We had to go through things multiple times before everything finally started fitting together and making sense.”
But once those pieces started coming together, doors began opening.
That’s one reason their company logo is built around a Rubik’s Cube. At my boot camps, I often explain that most real estate information can already be found online for free — but the challenge is knowing how to organize all the pieces into a cohesive strategy and putting all of the pieces together, just like solving a Rubik’s cube.
That’s where education and training, mentorship and coaching, systems, processes, and guidance become valuable.
The equity that Manny and Hailey gained by buying this Airbnb property alone already exceeded what they invested in their education and coaching. And the income this Airbnb generates will provide them more than what most people make working 9 to 5 at their job.
More importantly, they now possess a lifelong skill set that can continue generating wealth and income for the rest of their life.
My goal has always been to show people that real estate investing is far more achievable than they think. But it will take some education and training, and it will take some time to put all of the pieces together. Investing in real estate can increase your wealth and your income and can provide more freedom and opportunity to live your life the way you imagined than spending decades working a traditional 9-to-5 job.
Manny and Hailey’s story proves that.
This Palm Bay property is going to be an incredible transformation, and I’ll be sharing an updated walkthrough once the renovation is complete and the property is renovated, furnished, and listed on Airbnb.
At the upcoming Airbnb and Short Term Rentals Boot Camp, Manny and Hailey will be sharing their full story alongside several other successful students who are building Airbnb businesses throughout Florida. We have students with Airbnbs in Miami, Palm Bay, Melbourne, Port St Lucie, Port Charlotte, Punta Gorda, Lehigh Acres, Pompano Beach, Cape Canaveral, and even Mount Dora. We are constantly adding more Airbnb students in different areas. And every single student has had their life transformed by adding Airbnbs to increase their income and net worth.
The key is to buy right. You have to buy the houses at a huge discount to market value. I lent Manny and Hailey the money to buy this house. When the house is repaired with borrowed funds, they will be able to refinance into a conventional mortgage, and they will have enough left over to pay off the loans on the rehab as well as the loan to me. This will essentially be a “no money down” deal for them. That is the key. To learn how to buy houses using the “Buy, Repair, Rent, and Refinance” Strategy. The only twist is that instead of renting to a long term tenant, we rent it short term on Airbnb. This triples the cash flow and allows the property to be a cash cow. As the money stacks up, the student is able to buy their second and third Airbnb. At that point, they don’t need to have a job anymore and have income for life. This is what I want to teach you. Come to the Airbnb and Short Term Rentals Boot Camp and learn how to do this. The key is to take action and get started.
If you’ve ever wondered whether real estate investing is possible for you, stories like Manny and Hailey show you how real this is. Attend the boot camp and hear their story.
If two people can move from Spain to Florida, start from scratch, and in just 9 months be on house number 3, then imagine the momentum that they are building towards complete financial freedom through investing in real estate. You could be doing this too! The key is to get started.
The Airbnb and Short Term Rentals Boot Camp will be held from Friday, May 29, to Sunday, May 31, 2026. Here is a link to learn more about the boot camp: www.lexlevinrad.com/airbnb-short-term-rentals-boot-camp/
If you would like to book a Zoom Call to learn more about our real estate training boot camps and coaching programs, click here to schedule your call
To learn more about the boot camp or to see if there are any seats left for the Airbnb & Short Term Rentals Boot Camp, you can call my office and speak to one of our Student Support Managers at: (561)-200-6613