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Mike Harrington

CEO & Owner, Carolina Retreats
BIO

Mike Harrington is the CEO & Owner of Carolina Retreats, a specialty lodging and vacation rental management firm serving more than 300 vacation property owners throughout the Cape Fear region. Before founding Carolina Retreats in  

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Residential Real Estate
Jun 15, 2022

Fall Vacation Rentals and Rising Cost of Real Estate

What we know is that the pandemic has created many “converts” out of guests that would previously have never considered a vacation rental. Because there are many advantages of having a com ...

Residential Real Estate
Jun 3, 2022

2022 Vacation Rentals New Normal?

The pandemic took the wind out of all our sails. When it swooped down in March of 2020, it was terrifying to many. COVID upended nearly every aspect of our lives and made us question choices we previo ...

Residential Real Estate
May 13, 2022

The Changing Vacation Rental Industry- Part Two: Integrating Technology and Automation

Carolina Retreats is at the forefront of integrating automation and technology into the vacation rental industry.  Many changes have occurred in the last 20 years and operations have become ...

Residential Real Estate
May 2, 2022

The Changing Vacation Rental Industry- Part One: The Evolution of Technology and Automation

The vacation rental business has seen many, many changes in the last two decades.  The industry has grown from an alternative vacation option, made up exclusively of small “mom and pop ...

Residential Real Estate
Apr 18, 2022

Property Managers Wear Many Hats Part Three: Property Managers Are Your Advocates

Carolina Retreats is the premier property management company here in Coastal North Carolina.  As a property owner’s advocate, we take real responsibility when it comes to all facets of ...

Residential Real Estate
Apr 5, 2022

Property Managers Wear Many Hats: Part Two: The Property Manager’s Role During Hurricane Season

As a professional property management company, Carolina Retreats takes nearly every burden away from the property owner.  During hurricane season, the saying goes, “It’s hard to ...

Residential Real Estate
Mar 15, 2022

Property Managers Wear Many Hats

Part One: The Property Manager’s Role In A Successful Vacation Rental Property We’ve seen it time and again.   A real estate investor purchases a property, with the intention of ...

Residential Real Estate
Mar 2, 2022

Personal Taste Transforms Short-Term Rental Industry

Part III - Design Trends   Today’s Short-Term Rental (STR) industry must be innovative and fresh. Under the mission of hospitality, STRs must respond to trends and guest demands. One area ...

Commercial Real Estate
Feb 15, 2022

Transformation of The Short-Term Rental Industry

Part II - Guest Expectations   Our industry, the Short-Term Rental (STR) industry has changed dramatically since COVID and the advent of work from anywhere. That transformation has impacted fac ...

Residential Real Estate
Feb 3, 2022

External Influences Transform The Short-Term Rental Industry

Part I – How Times Have Changed It used to be that a clean rental with included linens, enough dishes, and a TV was enough. A few books and/or games was a welcomed extra, but not expected. &nb ...

Residential Real Estate
Oct 27, 2021

Boosting Off-Season Vacation Rental Income with Tax Deductions

As we enjoy this fall season, it is important for vacation rental owners to continue to increase investment income. Maximizing tax benefits and understanding deductions can significantly boost off-sea ...

Residential Real Estate
Oct 13, 2021

Boosting Off-Season Vacation Rental Income with Technology Upgrades: Gaming, Wi-Fi, Charging Outlets, TV, Streaming, Etc.

As we dive into this year’s fall season, we continue to focus on creating a healthy work-life balance. Many continue to work from home and search for a getaway where they can experience a new pl ...

Residential Real Estate
Sep 29, 2021

Boosting Off-Season Vacation Rental Income with Physical Improvements: Kitchen, Bathroom, Hot Tubs, Pools, etc.

Fall is officially upon us, but for vacation rental owners, this doesn’t mean that your investment income has to wane. A few refreshes, re-dos, and amenity additions could go a long way in boost ...

Residential Real Estate
Sep 1, 2021

Making Your Vacation Home Storm-Ready: Tips for Protecting Your Investment

We’re in the middle of Hurricane season, but storms aren’t just seasonal things we deal with on the coast, here in North Carolina. If you own a vacation home, then you’re constantly ...

Residential Real Estate
Jun 14, 2021

Thinking of Buying a Vacation Rental? Start with The “Big 4"

It is no secret that the real estate market is hotter than it has been in over a decade. A lot of factors seem to be playing into this. Record low interest, a squeeze on inventory, more and more peopl ...

Residential Real Estate
May 10, 2021

Vacation Rental Pricing Strategy: 3 Steps to Early Success

Vacation rental revenue management is a broad field and setting a pricing strategy is no small task. It’s kind of like the early scene in The Lion King, when Mufasa takes Simba to the top of Pri ...

Residential Real Estate
Apr 13, 2021

Accidental Guest Damages: Take a Deep Breath!

Owning investment real estate comes with its share of highs and lows. The joy of providing an exceptional hospitality experience and a knack for hosting can be very rewarding when you have guests that ...

Residential Real Estate
Mar 18, 2021

How Vacation Rental Operations Have Changed

The vacation rental market has made a few twists and turns along its journey over the last two decades. The industry has grown exponentially, with independent hosts, small property management companie ...

Residential Real Estate
Mar 10, 2021

Forecasting Summer 2021: Vacation Rentals are on Fire!

Last year around this time life as we knew it came to a screeching halt. One minute all was normal with kids in school, people planning their summer vacations, and going about their daily lives. And t ...

Residential Real Estate
Feb 22, 2021

The Big Three: Occupancy, ADR, and RevPAR

The key to optimizing a vacation rental property's performance? It’s all about understanding the Big Three: Occupancy, Average Daily Rate, and Revenue Per Available Rental Night. Identify ...

Residential Real Estate
Feb 9, 2021

Are You Worth My Investment?

Questions Every Vacation Rental Property Owner Must Ask a Potential Property Manager   If you own a vacation home, then you know that you can’t trust just anyone to manage it for you. Vac ...

Residential Real Estate
Jan 15, 2021

AirBnB vs. VRBO vs. Book Direct: What You Need to Know

By now most anyone slightly involved in short-term vacation rentals has at some level engaged with AirBnB and VRBO. While there are others like them, these two companies command the lion share of atte ...

Residential Real Estate
Dec 19, 2020

Maximizing Your Property For Year-Round Guests (Part II)

In part I of this series we looked at detailed ways you can enhance your vacation or short-term rental properties to appeal to guests year-round. In today’s highly competitive onlin ...

Residential Real Estate
Dec 11, 2020

Maximizing Your Property For Year-Round Guests (Part 1)

If you have a home at the beach, it’s usually pretty easy to attract guests to your property during the summer months, but are you maximizing your home’s potential for guests year-round? ...

Residential Real Estate
Nov 13, 2020

Vacation Rental Maintenance: What to Expect

If you own a vacation or short-term rental, you know that maintenance and upkeep are always important, and at times, they can be overwhelming. But part of the value of enlisting a property management ...

Residential Real Estate
Oct 31, 2020

Vacationing in the Era of The COVID-19 Pandemic: Short-Term/Vacation Rentals are Top of Mind

Need a Fall Getaway? Let’s face it, the enduring COVID-19 Pandemic has weighed heavily on all of us. But Fall is a perfect time to visit the North Carolina coast because the water is still warm, ...

Residential Real Estate
Oct 16, 2020

Short-Term Rentals, Long Term Value

It’s been shown that when times are volatile, and investors feel uneasy about the current and near-term future stability of a market, they flock to safer investments. Gold, silver, cash, and Bit ...

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