It’s late—around 10:30 p.m.—when Mark gets a calm call no host ever wants: “We have a little problem…the cabinets just fell off the wall.” In Part 2 of our Halloween Special, operations pro Misty Schmidt walks us through a surreal scene: upper kitchen cabinets ripping off the wall, 24 place settings shattering, and a heroic guest scooping glass with a snow shovel…in flip-flops.

Misty shares:

• How she triaged a true “oh-no” moment with safety-first steps and on-site cleanup
• Why installation quality (anchors, weight, wall type) matters more than you think
• What thoughtful recovery looks like: immediate response, refund, and personalized gifts (yes, tequila and local cigars)—leading to a 5-star review

Plus, Mark wraps with real Reddit horror stories (from no-show hosts to “watched on camera” creepiness) and the big takeaway after dozens of convos at VRMA: genuine STR nightmares are rarer than the internet suggests—great systems and fast empathy go a long way.

You’ll learn: crisis playbooks for hosts, guest comms that defuse drama, and how to turn a disaster into loyalty.

Monday Market Data
Whitefish, MT

Airbnb Performance Data
___________________________________

3 Bedroom

Annual Revenue
50th Percentile: $45,990
75th Percentile: $62,555
90th Percentile: $88,592

Average Daily Rate
50th Percentile: $380
75th Percentile: $474
90th Percentile: $585

Occupancy
50th Percentile: 33%
75th Percentile: 45%
90th Percentile: 55%
________________________________

4 Bedroom

Annual Revenue
50th Percentile: $64,538
75th Percentile: $87,028
90th Percentile: $114,867

Average Daily Rate
50th Percentile: $493
75th Percentile: $607
90th Percentile: $875

Occupancy
50th Percentile: 34%
75th Percentile: 45%
90th Percentile: 58%
___________________________________

5 Bedroom

Annual Revenue
50th Percentile: $71,604
75th Percentile: $91,722
90th Percentile: $107,812

Average Daily Rate
50th Percentile: $557
75th Percentile: $710
90th Percentile: $771

Occupancy
50th Percentile: 32%
75th Percentile: 44%
90th Percentile: 57%
_________________________________

6+ Bedrooms

Annual Revenue
50th Percentile: $124,603
75th Percentile: $160,987
90th Percentile: $183,155

Average Daily Rate
50th Percentile: $816
75th Percentile: $965
90th Percentile: $1,321

Occupancy
50th Percentile: 38%
75th Percentile: 45%
90th Percentile: 57%
_________________________________

-Data provided by SummerOS-

Which market do you want to see next?

In this special Halloween episode of the STR Investing Podcast, Mark Lumpkin is joined by four seasoned hosts who have seen it all—ghosts, break-ins, nightmares, and even a guest covered in blood. From haunted houses in Pennsylvania to eerie first stays gone wrong, these are the stories that prove hosting isn’t for the faint of heart.

In this episode:

• A host shares the tale of a haunted Airbnb with guests seeing a mysterious little boy.
• Another one recalls a California stay gone wrong when guests woke up to find a stranger, covered in blood, asleep on their couch.
• One host tells how a simple wallpaper mishap convinced his very first guest that his home was haunted—and how he turned it into a five-star review.
• Lessons every host can take from these chilling, real-life encounters.

Grab your pumpkin spice, dim the lights, and settle in for the Halloween Special 2025: True STR Horror Stories. Because sometimes… the scariest part of hosting isn’t the guests—it’s the house.