House of Cheney – Free Airbnb Guide

Our Journey

We Didn't Start Out
as Investors. We Started
as Homeowners.

In 2021, my husband Chris and I bought our first house. We weren't thinking about real estate investing — we were just living our lives, raising our one-year-old, figuring it all out like everyone else. Two years later we bought a new house, and we thought: why not rent the first one out?

Our mortgage was $1,400/month. We rented it for $2,495. We were cash flowing around $1,000 a month and honestly felt pretty good about it. But then people kept telling us short-term rentals could make way more. So obviously we had to look into it.

In 2023 we bought a mentorship. And if I'm being real — we barely used it. Life was busy, we weren't ready, and we just didn't commit. Then in 2024 we went under contract on a property and our mentor told us the numbers weren't going to work the way we thought. We walked. And then we kind of just... froze. For a whole year.

January 2025, we decided enough was enough. We hired STR Search to find and analyze a property for us because we still didn't fully trust our own analysis. They found us a house in Charlotte, NC. We went under contract in March, closed in May, and were live on Airbnb by July. Oh — and I was very pregnant that entire time. Our third was born in September.

Year one, we brought in $115,000. After a cost segregation study, we got $30,000 back in taxes. And now we're on our second property — which we found and designed completely ourselves.

That's why this guide exists. I want to give you the exact framework that made all of this possible — for free.

$115K

Year 1 Revenue

$30K

Back in taxes via cost seg

$1K/mo

Cash flow on long-term rental

#2

Second Airbnb now live

Free PDF Guide

The 10 Questions I Wish Someone Had Handed Me on Day One

These are the questions that turned a $500K purchase into $115K in year-one revenue. Every single one matters — and most first-time buyers never think to ask them.

1

Does this market have STR regulations? The #1 risk most buyers overlook — and the first thing we checked before Charlotte.
2

What drives demand — and is it year-round? One demand driver creates dead months. You need a market that's always full.
4

What are comps actually earning? Not what listings claim — real historical data from AirDNA and Rabbu.
7

What tax advantages should I structure for now? We got $30K back in year one. Most investors don't even know this exists.
9

Does this property have a design angle? Good design is the difference between 60% and 85% occupancy.

+ 5 more questions in the full free guide →

Free Guide · PDF

10 Questions to Ask Before Buying Any Airbnb Property

The exact framework we used to turn a $500K Charlotte home into $115K in year-one revenue — plus a bonus checklist for every property you evaluate.

✓ All 10 questions with real explanations
✓ "Real talk" insights from our own experience
✓ Before-you-offer checklist (8+ yes's = a solid deal)
✓ Tax strategy section including cost segregation
✓ Free — no credit card, no catch

📬 Delivered to your inbox instantly

What's in the Guide

10 Questions. Real Answers.
No Fluff.

Each question comes with an explanation of why it matters, a real talk insight from our own experience, and a quick-reference checklist at the end.

⚖️

STR regulations

Know before you fall in love. The right market makes the difference between an asset and a liability.

📊

Real comp data

How to pull actual revenue numbers — not projections — so you know if the deal pencils.

🏦

Financing options

We used a 10% down second home loan. Most buyers don't know that's even possible.

💸

Tax strategy

We got $30K back in year one. This section alone is worth downloading the guide for.

🎨

Design & photography

Good design is the difference between 60% and 85% occupancy. Here's how to think about it.

🧠

The mindset question

The one nobody talks about — and the one that determines whether you thrive or burn out.

Coming Soon

The Full Airbnb Masterclass
Is in the Works.

I'm building the course I wish existed — step by step, no fluff, built from real experience. Here's what's coming:

✓How to find and analyze a property — read comps yourself, no expensive analyst needed
✓How to design and set up your Airbnb — what to spend money on, what to skip
✓Listing setup, photos, and pricing — exactly what got us booked fast
✓Tax strategy including cost segregation — we got $30K back, and you can too
✓How to host like a pro — 5-star reviews, guest communication, the whole thing
✓Scaling to property #2 and beyond — doing it yourself, without outsourcing everything

🎁 Waitlist members get first access + an early-bird discount

🚀 Coming Soon

Airbnb Masterclass

The complete system for confident first-time hosts — built by someone who did it with three kids and a newborn on the way.

🔔

Pricing announced at launch

Join the waitlist to get early access and a special discount before doors open to the public.

✓ Property finding & comp analysis
✓ Design & setup walkthroughs
✓ Listing, photos & pricing strategy
✓ Tax strategy + cost segregation
✓ Hosting systems & 5-star reviews
✓ Scaling to your next property

What People Are Saying

First-Timers Who Pulled the Trigger

★★★★★

"I was paralyzed by the idea of getting the analysis wrong. Jamie's guide gave me a framework I actually understood. I listed my first Airbnb 6 weeks after downloading it."

M

Maria T.

First-time host · Scottsdale, AZ

★★★★★

"What I love is that Jamie doesn't sugarcoat it. She tells you what it actually costs, what can go wrong, and how she worked through it. That honesty is what made me trust the process."

D

David K.

Now manages 2 listings · Nashville, TN

★★★★★

"I spent 2 years too nervous to do anything. Read the guide on a Sunday afternoon, and by Tuesday I had shortlisted 3 markets. Sometimes you just need someone to show you it's doable."

S

Sarah M.

New host · Austin, TX

Hi, I'm Jamie

Stay-at-Home Mom of 3.
Accidental Real Estate Investor.
Now Airbnb Host.

I'm a stay-at-home mom of three (born 2020, 2022, and September 2025 — yes, the same year we launched our Airbnb). I didn't grow up in real estate. I'm not a numbers person by trade. I'm just someone who saw an opportunity, got scared, waited too long, and then finally just did it.

We bought a mentorship we barely used. We went under contract on a property and walked away. We spent a year frozen. And then in 2025 we bought a property in Charlotte, NC for $500,000 — while I was pregnant — and we made $115,000 in year one. We also got $30,000 back in taxes. And we're now on our second property, which we found and designed completely on our own.

I'm not some guru. I'm just a mom who figured it out and wants to help other people skip the part where you sit on the sidelines for two years being scared.

If you're a hard worker who just needs someone to show you it's possible — you're in the right place.

Before You Buy an Airbnb,
Ask These 10 Questions.
I Learned Them the Hard Way.

We Didn't Start Out
as Investors. We Started
as Homeowners.

The 10 Questions I Wish Someone Had Handed Me on Day One

10 Questions to Ask Before Buying Any Airbnb Property

This Is What We Built.

10 Questions. Real Answers.
No Fluff.

STR regulations

Real comp data

Financing options

Tax strategy

Design & photography

The mindset question

The Full Airbnb Masterclass
Is in the Works.

Airbnb Masterclass

First-Timers Who Pulled the Trigger

Stay-at-Home Mom of 3.
Accidental Real Estate Investor.
Now Airbnb Host.

Get the Free Guide.
Start Asking the Right Questions.

Before You Buy an Airbnb,Ask These 10 Questions.I Learned Them the Hard Way.

We Didn't Start Outas Investors. We Startedas Homeowners.

The 10 Questions I Wish Someone Had Handed Me on Day One

10 Questions to Ask Before Buying Any Airbnb Property

This Is What We Built.

10 Questions. Real Answers.No Fluff.

STR regulations

Real comp data

Financing options

Tax strategy

Design & photography

The mindset question

The Full Airbnb MasterclassIs in the Works.

Airbnb Masterclass

First-Timers Who Pulled the Trigger

Stay-at-Home Mom of 3.Accidental Real Estate Investor.Now Airbnb Host.

Get the Free Guide.Start Asking the Right Questions.

Get the Free Guide

Join the Waitlist

Before You Buy an Airbnb,
Ask These 10 Questions.
I Learned Them the Hard Way.

We Didn't Start Out
as Investors. We Started
as Homeowners.

10 Questions. Real Answers.
No Fluff.

The Full Airbnb Masterclass
Is in the Works.

Stay-at-Home Mom of 3.
Accidental Real Estate Investor.
Now Airbnb Host.

Get the Free Guide.
Start Asking the Right Questions.