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THE EVERGREEN ESCAPES
ON THE BLOG
Checkout our favorite local recommendations, unique stays, and more


From One Property to a Portfolio: Scaling Your Colorado Short Term Rental Business
"Be not afraid of going slowly, be afraid only of standing still." - Proverb You've got one Colorado mountain property. It's generating $4,000 to $5,000 per month. It's stable. It's working. Now you're thinking: What's next? How do you grow from one property to three? Five? A full portfolio? Here's the roadmap. The One-Property Ceiling A single property generates $48,000 to $60,000 annually in gross revenue. After management costs (30%), maintenance, insurance, and mortgage o
evergreenescapesco
May 294 min read


Building Your First Short Term Rental: Should You Start with a Property You Own or Buy New?
"The secret to getting ahead is getting started."- Mark Twain You're committed. You're buying a short term rental property in Colorado. Now you need to decide: Do you convert a property you already own into a short term rental, or buy a property specifically built for short term rental? This decision affects your capital investment, your timeline, and your revenue potential. The Case for Converting an Existing Property You own a cabin near Divide or a mountain home in Idaho S
evergreenescapesco
May 263 min read


Hideaway At Pikes Peak: Your Mountain Gathering Place
Mountain life is the best life. When a family of ten reaches out asking for a space big enough to actually enjoy each other without tripping over belongings, we listen. That's what led to opening "Hideaway At Pikes Peak", a four-bedroom mountain home built for groups who want to spread out, gather around a fire pit, and actually relax. It sits at 7,426 feet on Pike Peak Highway, right at that sweet spot where you're close enough to Colorado Springs for supplies but far enough
evergreenescapesco
May 221 min read


Airbnb Superhost Status: What It Means and How to Get It for Your Colorado Property
"We are making memories one stay at a time." - Tony Doland You've seen the "Superhost" badge on some Airbnb listings. It's not just aesthetic. It signals to potential guests that your property is excellent, professional, and worth booking. Superhosts get: Higher visibility in search results Higher booking rates Ability to charge 10-15% premium pricing Priority customer support from Airbnb First access to new features and programs For a Colorado mountain property generating $5
evergreenescapesco
May 193 min read


A Colorado A-Frame Built for Two: Hot Tub, Cedar Sauna, & Room for the Dog
If you're looking for a quiet mountain getaway just outside Colorado Springs, this new A-frame in Florissant is built for exactly that. Two guests max, one queen bed, a private hot tub, a cedar sauna, and up to two dogs welcome. No nonsense. No crowds. Just pines, mountain air, and the kind of slow weekend you actually came here for. The space Classic A-frame layout: vaulted ceilings, big windows looking into the trees, and the deep peace you only get at elevation. One bedroo
evergreenescapesco
May 152 min read


How to Prepare Your Colorado Short Term Rental for Peak Season (Summer Weekends)
"Cause a little bit of summer is what the whole year is all about" - John Mayer Peak season in Colorado is coming. Summer weekends. Families. Friend groups. Back-to-back bookings. If you're unprepared, peak season turns into peak chaos. Here's how to prepare your mountain property for maximum revenue and minimum stress. April-May: The Preparation Window You have 4 to 6 weeks before peak season hits. Use them wisely. Deep Clean and Inspect Professional deep clean: carpet clea
evergreenescapesco
May 153 min read


Off-Grid at 10,000 Feet: Our Newest Idaho Springs Cabin
Some places exist to be convenient. This isn't one of them.
evergreenescapesco
May 142 min read


Colorado Mountain Properties: Why Location and Altitude Matter More Than You Think
"Im talking about a little place called Aspen" - Loyd Christmas You're considering buying a short term rental property in Colorado. Two properties are on your radar: Property A: A nice cabin near Divide at 9,000 feet, 30 minutes from Colorado Springs and Pikes Peak. Property B: A rental property outside Denver at 5,000 feet, an hour from downtown. Which one makes more money as a short term rental? The answer is the one that understands Colorado's geography. How Altitude Affec
evergreenescapesco
May 123 min read


The Airbnb Cohost Model: Is It Right For Your Colorado Mountain Property?
"If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together." — African Proverb You own a Colorado mountain property. You know it has rental potential. But you also know that managing it yourself means 25 or more hours per week dealing with guests, contractors, and emergencies. That's where the Airbnb cohost model comes in. A cohost is a professional property manager who takes over the day-to-day operations of your rental. You keep ownership. They handle everything
evergreenescapesco
May 74 min read


Why Professional Property Management (Hospitable and Beyond) Is Worth the Cost
You own a mountain property in Colorado Springs or Divide. You listed it on Airbnb yourself. You're handling the bookings, messages, cleaning coordination, guest problems, maintenance requests, and reviews. It's a job. A full-time job. And you're probably not making nearly as much money as you think. Let's talk about why hiring professional property management, whether through a property management system like Hospitable or a cohost operator, is actually a financial win, not
evergreenescapesco
May 53 min read


The Best Pricing Tools for Colorado Short Term Rentals (And How to Use Them Right)
You're looking at your Airbnb calendar for your Colorado mountain property. Same nightly rate for the whole year: $200. But demand fluctuates wildly. Summer weekends? You could charge $300 or more. Tuesday nights in February? $120 is realistic. Static pricing is leaving money on the table. Dynamic pricing tools fix that, but only if you're using them correctly. Why Dynamic Pricing Matters A Colorado mountain property near Pikes Peak or in Divide has wildly different demand ac
evergreenescapesco
May 13 min read


Should You Allow Dogs at Your Colorado Mountain Short Term Rental? The Financial Reality
"Be the person your dog thinks you are" — C.J. Frick You're listing your mountain property in Divide or Idaho Springs on Airbnb. One of the first questions you'll face: Do you allow dogs? It's not a small decision. It affects your booking frequency, your damage risk, your cleaning costs, and your guest reviews. Here's the actual data and the decision framework you need. The Financial Argument For Allowing Dogs Pet-friendly rentals book 20-30% more frequently than non-pet-frie
evergreenescapesco
Apr 293 min read


The Short Term Rental Tax Deduction You're Probably Missing (And How to Claim It Legally)
"The hardest thing in the world to understand is the income tax." — Albert Einstein. If you own a short term rental property in Colorado, you're likely leaving money on the table every single year. Not because you're doing something wrong. But because you're not capturing deductions that are specifically designed for short term rental owners. Let's talk about bonus depreciation and why it matters for your taxes. Bonus Depreciation: What It Is (And Why It Exists) Bonus depreci
evergreenescapesco
Apr 283 min read


Sleep in a Vintage Train Caboose at 10,000 Feet
Some mountain cabins blend into the landscape. The Colorado Mountain Caboose stands out on purpose. This fully restored 1960s train caboose sits at 10,000 feet in Idaho Springs, where the air is thin and the views go on forever. It's off-grid, runs on solar power, and sleeps six people who don't mind trading the city for stars. Inside, you'll find two bedrooms and two bathrooms tucked into a space that was built to move but now stays put on top of a mountain. The restoration
evergreenescapesco
Apr 271 min read


Top STR Management Firms Colorado: Your Guide to the Best Vacation Rental Management
Owning a high-end mountain vacation home in Colorado is a dream come true. But managing it? That can quickly turn into a full-time job. That’s where professional short-term rental (STR) management firms come in. They handle everything from guest communication to maintenance, so you can enjoy the benefits without the hassle. If you want to maximize your rental income and keep your property in top shape, choosing the right partner is key. Let me walk you through the top STR man
evergreenescapesco
Apr 274 min read


Can You Use a HELOC to Finance Your First Short Term Rental? Here's What You Need to Know
"A man who pays his bills on time is soon forgotten." — Oscar Wilde You own your home. You have equity. You're thinking about buying a short term rental property in Colorado, maybe near Pikes Peak, in the Divide area, or somewhere in the mountains. But the down payment is steep. Conventional loans want 20-25% down. And the timeline feels long. So you're wondering: Can I use my home equity line of credit to finance a short term rental purchase? The short answer: Yes, you can.
evergreenescapesco
Apr 244 min read


5 Must-Have Amenities That Drive Bookings (And Higher Rates) for Your Colorado Mountain Rental
"If you build it they will come" - your dads favorite movie You own a mountain property in Colorado. You've listed it on Airbnb. Now you're wondering why the booking calendar isn't as full as you'd hoped, and why your nightly rate isn't as high as competitors charging similar prices. The answer usually isn't the location. It's not the number of bedrooms. It's the amenities. A hot tub isn't a luxury add-on. It's table stakes. A property without one is leaving thousands of doll
evergreenescapesco
Apr 213 min read


The Best Large Group Cabin Near Colorado Springs
Base Camp in Divide, Colorado Planning a trip with the whole crew is hard. Finding a place big enough to actually fit everyone without it feeling like a hotel is harder. Base Camp in Divide, Colorado solves both. Set on one acre of pine-covered land at 9,000 feet, Base Camp is a six-bedroom mountain home built for large families and groups who want real space, real comfort, and easy access to some of the best outdoor adventure in the state. It sleeps up to 12 and sits just 30
evergreenescapesco
Apr 172 min read


Raven ridge is Now live
A Pet-Friendly Mountain Cabin Near Idaho Springs with a Private Hot Tub We're excited to add a new property to The Evergreen Escapes portfolio. Raven Ridge is a two-bedroom mountain cabin in the St. Mary's neighborhood above Idaho Springs, Colorado, and it's now available to book on Airbnb. About the Cabin Raven Ridge sits at 10,000 feet in a quiet wooded community that feels tucked into the pines without being fully remote. It's close enough to Idaho Springs for a coffee run
evergreenescapesco
Apr 92 min read


New Romantic a-frame cabin in florissant, Colorado
Welcome to a sneak peak of your next vacation destination, located in Florissant, Colorado! Friends, If you’ve been following our journey with The Evergreen Escapes, you know we’re passionate about creating boutique mountain stays in Colorado. Today we’re excited to share our newest project: a romantic A-frame cabin in Florissant, Colorado, designed specifically as a couples retreat in the mountains. For the past year, every time we drove Highway 24 from Colorado Springs into
Natalie
Feb 232 min read
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