SARASOTA, FLORIDA, May 31, 2018 – Rather than downsize, some senior citizens moving to Sarasota may opt to upsize and consider Sarasota homes for sale with in-law suites or apartments which could be rented profitably to vacationers. There’s strong ground for this possibility, as recent figures from the online home-sharing facility Airbnb show that its hosts in the Southwest Florida region is dominated by homeowners aged 55 and up.
More than 50 percent of its hosts in this region belong to the seniors’ demographic, according to Airbnb. Sarasota’s seniors accounted for 30 percent of all Airbnb hosts in this county, it noted, adding that these local hosts’ total take in 2017 amounted to $3.8 million. In Manatee County, seniors who are into Airbnb hosting took a 17 percent slice, earning $1.9 million in the process. Similarly, Airbnb senior hosts rule in Charlotte, with its aged 55-plus hosts cornering 45 percent of the county’s total and generating income of $720,000.
In all of Florida, over 45 percent of Airbnb’s 40,000-plus hosts are senior citizens. These 18,000 Sunshine State hosts pocketed more than $150 million through the online hospitality company’s platform in 2017. Airbnb said seniors throughout Florida represent its fastest growing and top-reviewed host. It noted that their year-over-year count is growing by 46 percent. Through Airbnb, a typical Florida senior host could earn $6,400 a year.
The global value of the whole vacation rental industry, a quarter of which is held by the U.S., is projected to soar from the $100 billion generated in 2016 to nearly $170 billion in 2019. Since Airbnb was launched in 2008, it has grown to be the largest online platform worldwide compiling 5 million listings in over 191 countries and booking “guest arrivals” totaling 300 million.
Airbnb hosts in Southwest Florida contribute in expanding lodging accommodations in the region and in so doing, help the local economy. This contribution is vital especially during the spring training season, especially in Manatee and Charlotte counties where hotel accommodations is more limited. With these hosts, visiting baseball fans are being accommodated in safe and affordable lodging in Sarasota, Manatee, and Charlotte.
The accommodations that the Airbnb hosts provide also help the region’s small businesses benefit from the positive economic impact of visitor and tourist arrivals. For seniors in the Airbnb program, the greatest benefit come from supplemental income and sustainable living in their retirement years.
The social interaction that most seniors crave for is another benefit that this demographic derives out of Airbnb hosting. By sharing their homes, these older Floridians are able to avoid isolation which significantly lessens the risks to their mental and physical health. Activity as an Airbnb host likewise provided seniors an opportunity for further learning and growth with their exposure to new cultures and ideas as presented by their interaction with other folks.
Remarkably, Airbnb noted that seniors are its best-reviewed hosts in Florida, with 85 percent average top ratings in the company’s six categories for such an evaluation. These parameters include guest communications with the host; accommodations’ cleanliness, accuracy of the host’s statement on Airbnb, location, check-in, and value.
SARASOTA, FLORIDA, October 7, 2019 – Property values of communities in the Sarasota-Manatee region now face lesser threat from neighborhood eyesores brought about by abandoned, foreclosed homes. Known in the real estate trade as zombie foreclosures, these properties have shrunk significantly in the region. According to an August report of ATTOM Data Solutions, abandoned […] more>>