Hello,

Many people ask, “Why did you decide to purchase a home as a short-term rental?” or “What made you take that leap?”
Today, I want to share that story.

My name is Cody Zahm, and my wife Brenda and I had always talked about owning a lake home. It was a dream we shared—but like many people, we didn’t know where to start.

I began learning any way I could. I watched videos whenever I had free time—content about short-term rental “loopholes,” lake home appreciation, and even the impact lakes have on family happiness. I knew this was something we wanted to pursue; I just didn’t yet know how to make it happen.

A few months later, I started noticing videos on Facebook from someone I actually played basketball with. He was sharing different ways people were acquiring investment properties. One day at the gym, I started asking him questions. Each day we played, I learned a little more. Eventually, we grabbed lunch and spent over an hour going through the ins and outs of how we could get started.

That’s when we decided to use an AIO (All-In-One) loan. This type of loan allows constant access to the equity in your home and gives you the flexibility to use that equity however you choose. There are many benefits to this approach—but the biggest one for us was that it allowed us to determine exactly how much we could put down on our next property.

Once we knew our budget, the search began.

At the time, I wasn’t yet a realtor, so we worked with our amazing agent, Lydia, and looked at more than a dozen lake homes. Then we walked into what would become the Jewel of Maston Lake. The moment we entered and saw the lake through the massive sliding doors, filling the living room with light, we knew this was it.

The home was listed at $429,000 and had been on the market for over 100 days. With that in mind, we decided to come in aggressively at $400,000. We submitted the offer later that day—and it was accepted that same night.

About a month later, the home was ours.

Then the real work began.

We had no idea what we were doing—but we were committed to figuring it out. We bought mattresses, bedding, kitchen supplies, furniture—everything you could imagine. Throughout the entire setup process, we had one guiding principle:
Buy high-quality products that people will truly enjoy.

That mindset shaped everything we did.

Two months later, we went live on Airbnb. We had professional photos taken and optimized the listing as best we could. And then… nothing.

For the first four months, we didn’t receive a single booking.

It was scary. We questioned whether we had made a mistake. But instead of sitting in doubt, I kept learning. I kept adjusting. I kept improving.

Then, on January 1st, we got our first booking.

Our first guests left us a five-star review—and from that point on, everything changed. Bookings took off, and we suddenly couldn’t keep the house empty.

After our first year, we reinvested the profits into finishing the basement. We envisioned a full game room with a pool table, large TV, wet bar, and a space designed for people to gather and enjoy time together. After investing roughly $40,000, the transformation was complete.

The result?
Our margins increased by approximately 24%, and demand skyrocketed even further.

As our success grew, other Airbnb owners started reaching out with questions:

• “How do you keep the house so booked?”

• “How do you keep it so clean?”

• “How do you manage everything so efficiently?”

The answer was always the same: systems and teams.

We built everything in-house—cleaning, hot tub maintenance, lawn care, and general maintenance. It became a family operation. My sister manages all of our cleaning, and we were able to retire my dad so he could handle maintenance full-time. We partnered with the best hot tub technician we could find and sent him consistent referrals.

What started as one short-term rental turned into something much bigger.

So when people now ask, “Why did you purchase a home to become a short-term rental?” the answer has evolved.

Originally, we just wanted a lake house—a place for our family to grow and spend time together. Today, that single decision has grown into a property management company that employs over seven people, manages 11 properties, and continues to grow.

And the best part?
We get to help others do the same—build wealth, create memories, and take steps toward a better future for their families.