Content Writer, Stacker

Head Of In-Lease Experience

Find out how to assess risk and protect investment property in fire zones

Real Estate Investing in a Fire Risk Zone: What you need to know

Destructive fires are becoming increasingly common, especially in the American West. States like California and Colorado have seen record-setting blazes damage or destroy hundreds of homes in recent years as the effects of climate change seem to worsen. For homeowners and real estate investors, this presents a number of risks and challenges, especially because (unlike with flood zones) there is no national standard for building codes or defining high-risk fire zones. 

Thankfully, there are tools to help home buyers understand their risk and choose appropriate fire insurance.

Fire zone designations and associated building codes vary from state to state. In California, building zones are rated from Low to Very High fire risk, and the state has Realty Disclosure laws that ensure you’ll be informed of the property’s status during the purchase process. For most other states, you’ll need to do research with your realtor to understand the property’s level of risk. 

How to research your property’s fire risk

Local and State Building Codes for that Zip Code

Your first step should be to research the local zoning for the property you are considering purchasing. Because fire risk and regulations vary so much by state and even municipality, going straight to the “horse’s mouth” is the surest way to get the most accurate and up-to-date information regarding the official risk designation for the property. 

After understanding official risk designation, you may want to use a tool like this fire risk calculator from First Street Foundation. First Street is a Brooklyn-based nonprofit that has mapped flood, fire, and heat risk to nearly every property in the United States. They use several reliable data points (from property tax data to satellite imagery) to assign a risk score that factors in zoning, construction types, weather, and more. 

Executive Director Matthew Eby told CNBC, “We calculate every individual property and structure’s risk across the country, be it a commercial building, or be it an individual’s home. What you’re able to see from that is that one home might have the same probability as another of being in a wildfire, but be much more susceptible to burning down.”

The Fire Maps from the US Forest Service are a bit less user-friendly, but they provide the most up-to-date global data on wildfires. These are an important place to look if you’re seriously concerned about a specific location or property you’d like to purchase.

Protecting your home or investment property from fire risk 

There are things you can do to protect a property that is in a high-fire-risk zone. Cathy Prudhomme, Firewise USA Program Manager for the NFPA’s Wildfire Division, told Homes.com that homeowners should prioritize the following:

Budget for modern, risk-mitigating construction features such as fire-resistant roofs and siding. Your insurance agent can help you decide on the best type of roof for your home. 

Work to implement best practices in the home ignition zones on the property (removing debris, keeping flammable materials at a distance, fire-resistant landscaping, etc). The surrounding property is often even more important than the actual structure, in terms of fire damage prevention. 

Ensure a minimum of two ingress and egress routes from the property — both so that residents can evacuate if needed, and so firefighters can easily defend your property if needed. 

Add a readily available source of water to your property such as a well or pool if possible. 

Choose a home insurance policy with robust fire protection, and carefully consider the recommendations from your insurance agent regarding risk mitigation opportunities. These may also lower your insurance premiums! 

Are homes in high-fire-risk areas a good investment?

It may seem counter-intuitive, but homes in high-fire-risk areas often sell for a higher price. According to Redfin, “the typical home with high fire risk sold for $119,200 (27.6%) more than the typical home with low fire risk.” This is likely partially because homes facing high risk of wildfires are near popular West-Coast metro areas. While homes in burn zones may decrease in value (as much as 23%) in the aftermath of a wildfire, this effect does not seem to be permanent.

Considering these factors, investing in a property that is located in a high-fire-risk zone can be profitable. It really depends on the property itself and the risk-mitigation steps that the owner is willing to take in order to protect the home and its residents. 

Don’t invest in a fire risk zone without expert help 

Only you can determine your level of comfort with the risks involved in a fire risk zone property, but Belong experts can help! Our rental pros bring years of experience and data to the table to help you understand how much you could earn and what property maintenance might look like in the area. Whether you own a property in a risk zone or are looking to purchase one, get in touch and we can help. 

With no national standard for building codes or defining high-risk fire zones, learn more about how to assess risk and protect investment property in fire zones

With reports of AirBnb hosts spending a fortune to remedy nightmares, is it time to switch your property from short-term vacation home to a long-term rental?

Mounting Problems with AirBnb: Should You Switch to a Long-Term Rental?

AirBnb guests have taken to Twitter and TikTok in recent months sharing horror stories and vowing to never vacation in a short-term rental again. Mounting fees, inconsistent host experiences, and even dangerous situations are among their reasons, all understandable. But what about the AirBnb hosts? 

It turns out that hosts around the world are souring on short-term rentals as well. A 2021 Bloomberg report revealed that AirBnb spends millions of dollars annually to make “nightmares” go away for guests and hosts alike. Meanwhile, local governments are fighting back against short-term rentals, which reduce the amount of available housing for full-time residents and raise rent and home prices for everyone. 

4 ways owning a short-term rental creates real problems

Short term rental problem #1: Taking on more work than you bargained for

Got a short term vacation rental? Congratulations, you now work in customer service! AirBnb hosts don’t get to sit back and collect passive income, they also take on the majority of communication with guests, are responsible for managing their own listing, setting and enforcing property rules, cleaning in between guests, and generally keeping guests happy. All too often, when something goes wrong, hosts are the ones left responsible for remedying the situation and dealing with angry (sometimes even dangerous) guests.

The payday that can come from a popular vacation rental becomes a lot less attractive when you factor in the number of hours you’ll spend working as a frontline customer service agent for your own property.

Short term rental problem #2: There’s a maze of convoluted tax laws and local regulations

NerdWallet’s Sam Kemmis reported earlier this year on the growing number of complaints from AirBnb hosts. Sam pointed out that in addition to the hospitality burdens placed on hosts, they also have legal obligations that can be difficult to understand and comply with. 

“Many local governments place the burden of tax collection on hosts, not Airbnb. A 2022 analysis by the National League of Cities, an advocacy organization composed of city, town and village leaders, estimated that 82% of cities require hosts to remit taxes themselves, while only 5% require the platform to do so on hosts’ behalf.”

Short term rental problem #3: The income is unpredictable

Even if everything goes well with your vacation rental, in most places vacation season is limited. You’re likely to experience booms and busts in your rental income, in contrast to long-term rentals, which are predictable and, in some cases even guaranteed income. 

Short term rental problem #4: Homeowners have limited protections

Even with all the liability insurance in the world, AirBnb hosts are opening themselves up to risk by allowing strangers to stay on their property. AirBnb’s insurance only covers limited property damages, and can’t give you back your time or your sanity if you’re faced with a squatter or criminal activity. Are you willing to take on that risk?

The good news is, switching your property from a short-term rental to a long-term rental is easy, especially if you work with a partner like Belong. Belong is a full-service residential network that takes care of your home and your residents for you, so those AirBnb headaches? Forget them.

Belong homeowners enjoy predictable, passive income with transparent management fees that often result in higher cash flow than even your best vacation rental months. 

The average Belong home is rented in under 17 days. That means you could say ‘bye-bye’ to AirBnb and ‘hello’ to guaranteed rent and passive income in just over two weeks.

Not sure if your home is an ideal long-term rental? Schedule a consultation with our team to discuss pricing and placement of your property so you can understand how much you’d earn with Belong. 

Mounting Problems with AirBnb: Should You Switch To Renting?

Learn how to prepare your home for an inspection from potential tenants, from access to cleaning and clearing furniture.

Prepare For Your Inspection

To set you on the right track from day one, Belong inspectors will make sure your rental home is safe, comfortable and ready for occupancy. This means they will need access to all areas of the home. If the home is currently occupied, ensure it is ready for inspection and any residents are aware of what is taking place. Any pets should also be secured. If the home is vacant, it's a good idea to remove any furniture or personal items, or at least ensure there there is nothing preventing access. 

In order to accurately test utilities throughout the home, please ensure that water, gas and electricity are up and running during inspection. 

Homes under construction or DYI projects make it difficult for our inspectors to understand the current state of the home, we want to make sure that your home is ready to be loved and taken care of by your upcoming residents.

Please ensure that a full set of keys is provided to us either prior to or at the time of inspection. Your homeowner growth associate can ensure that the keys are kept secure at all times. 

Putting your home on the rental market? Learn how to prepare your home for an inspection from potential tenants, from access to cleaning and clearing furniture.

That is why Belong can make your life so much easier!

Find The Perfect Rental or Rent Your Home Hassle-Free

Renting a home is an exciting and life-enhancing experience. Where would you like to live? What kind of home would suit your family best? And how do you find it all hassle-free? Belong is here to help with everything. Whether you own a home and want to put it out for rent without lifting a finger or you want to find the perfect rental for you without the hassle of driving around looking for available properties. We're here from start to finish, so let us take the stress out of renting or finding your home!

Access all the tools and support you need to rent your home with Belong

We manage your rental, so you don't have to worry about it.

If you ever rented out your home, you might have encountered many different problems and situations with renters. That is why Belong can make your life so much easier! 

Our software is designed to make renting easy, and we provide a full suite of tools and support to manage your rental. Our tech-enable platform allows us to offer the most seamless experience and take care of everything from managing tenant applications and background checks, collecting rent payments, and maintaining leases to reporting on any maintenance issues that arise at the property.

Sounds good? Well, it gets better. We're here for you every step of the way. 

These are some of the benefits you get when listing your rental property with Belong:

As you can see, Belong is not your regular property management, we offer happiness management so you can spend your time (and extra money) doing the things you really love. 

Find the perfect rental and enjoy a stress-free moving experience.

Renting is the perfect solution for many people. It gives you flexibility, a good return on your investment, and the ability to move around more quickly if needed. But finding the right rental can be difficult and time-consuming, especially in popular areas. That's where Belong comes in! With our easy-to-use website and simple but reliable software, you can browse thousands of properties all over the area instantly, anywhere, and any time. With Belong, finding the perfect rental for your specific needs has never been easier! 

Goodbye property management, hello happiness!

Rental services like ours can make your life easier. When you rent with Belong, you're dealing with one company that is an expert instead of many different ones. Our team does everything in-house: we manage the property, maintain it and take care of all incoming repairs. You don't have to worry about collecting rent or finding new tenants if someone moves out — we do that for you! You also won't need to deal with unexpected expenses like utilities or remodeling because they are included in our monthly fee.

All this saves time and allows you to focus on what matters most — your family, friends, and hobbies. At Belong, we believe property management is outdated, which is why we offer services that spark joy. 

Are you ready to list your rental? Get started today! All you have to do is enter your home address, click a button, and if you qualify, we will take care of the rest!  

On the other hand, if you are finding for the perfect place to rent, just go to our website, select the city you want to belong to, and just sit back and relax while we find the best property for you! 

If you have any questions about Belong, reach out to us! We are here to help.

If you ever rented out your home, you might have encountered many different problems and situations with renters. That is why Belong can make your life so much easier!

Belong

Ashleigh Graf

Annalise Mantz

Melanie Kershaw

Andrea Vale

Tamara Epelbaum

Ashleigh Graf

Annalise Mantz

Melanie Kershaw

Andrea Vale

Tamara Epelbaum