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The Short Term Show with Travis Zappia
In this episode, Avery welcomes Travis Zappia, a 28-year-old real estate investor specializing in house hacking and short-term rentals. Travis shares how reading Rich Dad Poor Dad shifted his mindset, leading him to house hack his first property in Orlando. He discusses the power of real estate investing, focusing on the short-term rental market driven by tourism from Disney and Universal Studios.
Avery: Hey everybody, welcome back to the Short-Term Show. Today, we have Travis Zappia. He owns five different short-term rentals in three different markets, and I’m really excited to hear what his experience has been owning in several markets. Travis, how’s it going?
Travis: It’s going good! How are you? Thanks for having me on.
Avery: I’m doing awesome, thank you so much for coming. So, can you just tell us a little bit about yourself? How did you find yourself becoming a real estate investor, and what do you have in your portfolio?
Travis: Yeah, absolutely. So, my name is Travis. I’m 28 years old, currently live in Orlando. I started investing in real estate about 4 years ago, now focused mainly on house hacking to begin with. I had a friend I was working with, and he recommended that I read Rich Dad Poor Dad. At first, I wasn’t big into reading and told him thanks, but no thanks. I politely passed, but he kept insisting, “You really need to read this book.”
Avery: That’s the classic one. It changes so many people’s mindsets.
Travis: Yeah, exactly. So, I eventually took his word and read the book, and almost immediately realized that everything I had been taught—getting a steady job, working for someone else, and putting money into your 401k—was okay, but it wasn’t the only path. Many people follow that route, retire at 65, and live off some nest egg. After reading the book, I realized I was renting at the time. I had just gotten a promotion and moved to Orlando. I knew I wanted to purchase a home instead of renting.
Avery: Wow, what a shift!
Travis: Yeah, so I bought a home, and within three months, I learned about house hacking. I didn’t originally plan to house hack, but I ended up having a friend move in with me for $500 a month. Then two weeks later, another friend moved in, also for $500. All of a sudden, I realized the power of house hacking. It really opened my eyes to the potential of real estate investing. From there, I continued to grow, expand my knowledge, and look into different strategies, which eventually led me to the short-term rental game.
Avery: That’s awesome! Orlando seems like a prime spot for short-term rentals with Disney and everything.
Travis: Definitely. Being in Orlando, close to Disney World, was a great opportunity. The market here is very short-term rental friendly, with a lot of tourism driven by Disney World and Universal.
Avery: Tell me a little bit about owning in the Orlando market. Is it dependent on Disney, or are people coming for other things as well?