3 Disturbing Signs For AirBnb Investor "Hosts"

Is the big-time AirBnb boom opportunity winding to a close? There are three totally anecdotal, but eerily accurate, indicators I’m seeing, each of which gives an unambiguous answer to that question. I’m Bryan Ellis. I’ll tell you what those 3 indicators are RIGHT NOW in Episode #316 of Self-Directed Investor Talk.

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Hello, Self-Directed Investors, all across the fruited plane. Welcome to Episode #316 of Self-Directed Investor Talk, the SHOW OF RECORD for savvy self-directed investors like you, and today we have an excellent show for you.

To ask question, just call 833-212-2112. Or if you’d like to receive a link to this show you can listen again at your leisure or possibly share it with a friend, just text today’s episode number – 316 – to 833-212-2112 and I’ll get that link to you right away. Again, that’s text today’s episode number – 316 – to 833-212-2112 right now.

Today we jump into a topic that I bring up with some concern. I want the answer to this question to be different than I fear it might be. The question we’re considering is this: Is the big-time boom opportunity in AirBnb drawing to a close? 

I’ll give you my answer, along with the 3 pieces of evidence I’ll cite to support that opinion. But first, a quick word from a sponsor I know you’ll enjoy hearing from:

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Ok, AirBnb… Very cool concept, I’ve really respected the creative thinking of this company since the beginning. The idea is simple: You have a property. You let AirBnb list your property for short-term – as little as a single night – rentals, and the two of you share revenue from that rental. And it turns out that that concept has been so popular that many people who otherwise would have tried to monetize their real estate by doing conventional year-long or month-to-month rentals have instead been making money, and frequently MUCH more money, by doing short-term rentals through AirBnb than by using the more conventional approach to generating rental income.

But all gravy trains slow down, and this one will too at some point.

Are we there yet?

I don’t think so. But I think we’re getting pretty close… close enough that making money on AirBnb is no longer easy as “shooting fish in a barrel”, so to speak. I’ll share 3 pieces of evidence that leads me to this thinking, but I’ll go ahead and readily admit:

Each of these 3 reasons are anecdotal, not statistical. You probably know that my formal education is in engineering and computer science, so I don’t typically have a lot of use for anecdote. But I have noticed that anecdotal evidence is frequently a leading indicator for the more empirical form of evidence I prefer, so I can’t ignore it and neither should you.

So without further adieu, here are my 3 anecdotal indicators that suggest the AirBnb gravy train is slowing down:

Reason #1: Anytime there’s a cable TV show about an investing s