Jeff Castleton is the proud homeowner of Sunset Cottage, a stunning four-bedroom home in the WaterColor community of Florida’s panhandle. Partnering with Inspirato Real Estate made it possible for him to successfully own a second home—from the fixed rental income to expert property maintenance to maximized appreciation, Jeff has experienced complete peace of mind.

Once Jeff and his wife decided to purchase a home in WaterColor, they knew they wanted to work with Inspirato because of the brand recognition, fixed rental income, and overall effortless experience.

“One of the more distinguishing features of our business model is that we can offer fixed rental income regardless of if we book the property or not. It’s what starts to separate us from other open market rentals like Airbnb or VRBO,” says Brandon Cassagnol, Senior Manager of Real Estate Acquisition.

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Jeff also found that with other property management companies, he would be responsible for much of the marketing, property damage, and more.

“I didn’t want the hassle of having to market my home though a site like Airbnb or VRBO. The value proposition of having fixed income was instrumental," says Jeff.    

On two different trips, Jeff and his wife toured homes with Inspirato’s local partner broker, a real estate expert in the WaterColor area. This helped them understand the types of assets that would be in demand with Inspirato members. When they found their ideal vacation home in 2018, they made an offer that was accepted, and the rest has been smooth sailing with Inspirato managing the asset.

“I stretched to make this purchase and my personal decision-making on doing this, was that it couldn’t have a downside. Inspirato was the only vehicle that I knew that could provide fixed income if the property was a fit,” Jeff says.

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Jeff also loves that when his home is not rented as much during the off season, within a certain number of days’ notice, he can enjoy more time in the home without it interrupting the income he receives from Inspirato.

Another huge benefit of working with Inspirato was knowing the type of clientele that would be using his home.

“As a member of Inspirato, I know the quality of the families that are coming into the house. They are all close members and partners with Inspirato and have been vacationing many years with Inspirato. There have been zero instances of anything disappearing or being damaged. I don’t think other property management companies are able to vet their patrons the way that Inspirato does, because they have a relationship with all their members,” Jeff explains.

Jeff sees his relationship with Inspirato as a true partnership—benefitting him, the business, and all Inspirato members. An example of this is the home improvement budget that each home is assigned when it’s brought into the portfolio.

“The improvement budget brought my home (Sunset Cottage) up to an even nicer quality or standard. It puts in place a standard of appointments and luxury in these homes, and that’s why Inspirato members are members. They don’t want surprises either when they go to a home,” he says.

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He recently partnered with Inspirato to add a pool to Sunset Cottage, which will not only increase the rental income, as it’s an added amenity to the home, but it will increase his property value, and it will be a benefit for members visiting the home, as well.  

Of course, gaining access to the Inspirato portfolio of vacation homes and hotels was another advantage for Jeff and his family. So far, they have traveled to Vail, Aspen, and Sonoma, which Jeff says brought home first-hand the quality and high standard of Inspirato assets across the portfolio.