10 Best Locations to Buy an AirBnB in Florida

10 Best Locations to Buy an AirBnB in Florida

Senior Loan Officer
Brian Decker
Published on February 27, 2022

10 Best Locations to Buy an AirBnB in Florida

10 Best Locations to Buy an AirBnB in Florida

If you want to purchase an AirBnB in Florida, you have several different options. Here’s how to find the right location for your rental property.

Keyword(s): airbnb in florida

Are You Considering Purchasing an AirBnB to Earn Passive Income?

Well my current top pick on where to invest is Florida. Florida is a large state, and with so many cities, it can be hard to narrow down areas where you could potentially buy property to rent. Where do you even begin?
As a Florida real estate broker/investor, I’ve searched high and low for the best locations where you can earn investment from short-term rental and vacation properties.  With my wife I personally own about $10,000,000 worth of real estate and Florida is currently at the top of my list for 2022.
Keep reading for my top 10 favorite cities to buy Florida rental properties, as well as some tips on what to do when you find one!

What to Look For When Buying an Airbnb in Florida:

When looking for properties, you want to be sure to look for areas that:

  • Welcome this type of investment
  • Cater to a rental property environment
  • Draw in a large percentage of people from various states and countries around the world

With 131 million visitors a year, the state of Florida is the perfect destination for short-term rental investment properties.

Here are the 10 areas that are sure to get you the best ROI possible. 

1. The Upper Keys

The Florida Keys are a string of tropical islands connecting to the southernmost tip of Florida. Its location between the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Mexico makes it one of the top destinations as it draws in over 5 million visitors a year.
Visitors come from all over to swim in the blue waters and fish, with ample choice of bars and restaurants.
The Key West can be expensive, but there are ways around that if you focus solely on the Upper Keys. Islamorada, Key Largo, and Marathon all have unique Airbnb properties, from condos and motorhomes to live aboard boat slips available for sale.

2. Fort Myers Beach

Fort Myers Beach is located in Southwest Florida, close to prime locations like Bonita Springs and Naples. The area provides easy access to all the public beaches in the area and your choice of Florida Airbnb condos, single and multi-family properties.
What’s unique about the properties in Fort Myers is that each lies within particular occupation zones. There are weekly zones with a minimum occupancy of 7 days and monthly zones with a minimum of 30 days.
You’ll benefit the most from the short-term minimum zones because they’re perfect, not only for quick turnaround but because you’ll have a higher probability of booking in the busy months of January through April.

3. Bonita Springs

South of Fort Myers Beach, you reach the great Bonita Springs. This area has great beaches, plenty of fun and entertainment for all visitors.
One key thing to note about buying an Airbnb here is that no hotels are located directly on beach property. Instead, you’ll find the Beach and Tennis Club residing across the street, where you can buy available studios.
You can, of course, buy single and multi-family rental properties for a reasonable price away from the island in Bonita Shores; they’ll just be a small distance away from beach access.

4. Anna Maria Island

A barrier island south of St Petersburg, Anna Maria Island is an older family-friendly destination with seven miles of beach to stroll on. There’s no shortage of things to do on the island, and you have the choice to drive street legal golf carts and bicycles to get around.
This island is considered more on the higher end, but it’s perfect for renting out homes and condos due to having little to no competition from big-chain hotels.

5. St. Petersburg

St. Petersburg can be broken up into two separate areas, Downtown St. Pete and St. Pete Beach. Both are different in their own way but come with great local amenities that support buying an Airbnb.
Downtown St. Pete is a unique small city that hosts many breweries, art studios, bars, and restaurants. Here you’ll find an array of converted room-and-board properties for short-term renting, as well as bed and breakfasts.
Across the bridge is St. Pete Beach, with miles of beach shore to choose from and plenty of beach bars to go along with them.

6. St. Augustine

St. Augustine is known to be the oldest city in the United States and is a popular tourist destination as it rakes in over 6 million visitors annually. Vacationers always have something to do, whether it’s a ghost tour, a museum trip, and more.
Buying here can easily create a high ROI margin.

7. Cocoa Beach

East of Orlando, you’ll find the next area on the list, Cocoa Beach. Cocoa Beach is a great place for visitors who want to stay close to the Central Florida theme parks without all the congestion that comes with it.
At Cocoa Beach, you’re far enough to practice surfboarding while remaining close to inland attractions like watching the space center launches at Port Canaveral.
Finding an Airbnb for sale in this area can be a wise investment, especially now that Disney plans to revamp the area. Once it’s completed, you can expect to see a huge influx of visitors in the near future.

8. Orlando

There’s a reason you’ll find Orlando on every top destination list for vacationers. In fact, Forbes named it in its list of top 25 destinations to visit.
It has a dozen theme parks, all within a short driving distance on the I-4, making it a prime location for living in Florida and renting in Florida. In Orlando, you can find just about every type of short-term rental property, from condos hotels to cottages within the Jimmy Buffet Resort communities.

9. Panama City Beach

Panama City Beach is one of the two most economically friendly areas on this list of places. Not only are properties here fairly cheap, but they’re also right on the beach with easy access to the water.
Panama City Beach sits right in the Gulf of Mexico and has very busy summer months. But since it’s North, it does experience some of the winter cold fronts later in the year.
Nevertheless, this area is perfect for starting your journey of owning Airbnbs because of the budget-friendly studio condos available.

10. Daytona Beach

Located on the east coast of Florida, Daytona Beach is a popular spring break destination. This city hosts various events throughout the year, from bike week to the Daytona 500, that keep visitors coming back all year round.
This is the second most economically-friendly area listed, with plenty of cheap studios and beach property available. As a bonus, you can even pay a small fee to drive your 4×4 vehicle on the beach and onto the sand.

Essential Tips to Keep In Mind

One important tip is to ensure you thoroughly research each area you’re interested in. Take a trip to the areas, and talk with local real estate agents to learn as much information as possible on the particular properties.

Choose areas you’d feel you’ll enjoy yourself rather than places you wouldn’t see yourself traveling to.

If buying in an HOA location, be sure to review the rules and regulations. This will ensure that you can, in fact, rent out the desired properties and allow you to check to see what maintenance costs are included.
Lastly, take time to go over the financial documents diligently to guarantee that what you’re quoting as the return of interest is, in fact, accurate.

Get Started on Your Search Today

With so many great locations to choose from, buying an Airbnb in Florida is one of the best decisions you can invest in. Each area is unique and caters to a high percentage of visitors that’ll keep revenue up and passive income flowing in your pockets.

One unique offering of Modern Lending is for anyone who gets Pre Approved through us for their investment property purchase we offer A COMPLETE FULL INVESTMENT ANALYSIS ON THE MARKET YOU ARE LOOKING INTO.  This includes a 20 page custom report going over expected occupancy rates, daily rental rates, profit/loss expectation and so much more.

Start Your Journey of Earning Passive Income with Short Term Rentals Today! 

Check out Modern Lending, for more information on getting a free mortgage quote.

or call 844-4MODERN today to get details on available airbnb programs with as little as 10% down!

If you found this article insightful, follow me on Instagram and Facebook @thebriandecker for more expert tips!

Senior Loan Officer
Brian Decker Senior Loan Officer
Click to Call or Text:
844-4-Modern

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