August Owner Update
A Note to Our Homeowners — End of Summer
Hard to believe we're already looking at the back end of summer. So far so good — a lot of happy guests, and a season that ran about as smoothly as we could ask for across the portfolio. As always, thank you for trusting us with your home through the year's busiest stretch.
A few things to walk you through as we head into fall.
A Change in How We Handle Owner Financials
As BVR has grown, so has the responsibility that comes with holding and moving owner money. We've brought on Keystone Bookkeeping bookkeeping firm that works exclusively with vacation rental management companies. After talking with a number of firms, they were clearly the right fit — they understand this business specifically, and how owner funds need to be held, tracked, and reported.
Two reasons drove this decision. The first is protection. As our portfolio grows I want our accounts managed to the standard this business deserves, by people who do this work every day. The second is clarity. Owner statements are moving onto a platform built for exactly this purpose, and part of this transition is rebuilding those statements into something cleaner and genuinely easier to read.
Our team is handling the setup on our end, and anything that needs your attention comes to you directly — you won't have to chase anything down. Our accounts payable lead stays on and remains your first point of contact for anything financial, and she'll continue approving owner statements alongside me and releasing funds.
Wrapping Up Summer and Looking Toward Fall
For now I can say this summer was quite the success. Full calendars and generally happy guests across the portfolio. A shoutout to our summer intern Brad, who checked every house just about every time before a guest arrived — making sure welcome lights, flowers, snacks, thermostats, all of it, were properly set up and in place before anyone walked through the door.
Once we get through Labor Day weekend, the rhythm shifts. Occupancy naturally softens in September, and our focus moves to filling weekends through the October holiday weekend. Foliage season is one of the best stretches of the year in the Berkshires, and it's where a lot of our fall revenue gets made.
After the leaves come down, we head into the quieter part of the year. Things pick back up for winter at the homes near the ski areas, and we keep a close eye on pricing through the whole stretch.
A Timing Note on Owner Stays
Calendars run on a rolling six-month window, which means the holidays are now open and bookable. If you're planning to use your home over any of the upcoming holiday weeks or weekends, now is the time to get those dates on the calendar — just reach out and we'll block them.
A Change to How We Handle Maintenance
Most of you know Arees, who has been handling the smaller repairs at our homes for the last year or so and runs our recurring maintenance checks. Those resume after Labor Day weekend. Going forward, Arees is taking on more direct ownership of maintenance. He will have his own BVR email address and will be reaching out to you directly about repair and maintenance items at your home, coordinating with our vendors, and sending your maintenance reports. Maintenance matters too much to guest experience to sit and wait on any one person's inbox.
Small, straightforward items — the quick fixes that keep a home running — we'll continue handling on our own. For anything more involved, Arees will email you with the scope of work and to finalize a gameplan for getting things back to tip top shape.
Thanks for a great summer so far,
— Jaryn
