Ep 238 - How Ron Curtis Built a 50-Unit STR Empire While Working Full-Time

HE BUILT 50 STR UNITS AND STILL WORKS A 9–5. Ron Curtis didn’t quit his job. He just built a business so efficient that he didn’t have to. In this episode, Ron breaks down how he:Turned a $3,700 house hack into a 50-property portfolioCleared over $10K in credit card debt and now manages $300K in available creditUses his 9–5 income to fuel real estate moves without burnoutBuilt systems, VAs, and SOPs to scale without stressTeaches financial literacy by living it, not just posting about it You’ll also learn:Why relationships > money in cohostingThe mindset shift that tripled his capacityAnd how he helped one client buy a $1M building, just from Airbnb cash flow This episode is proof you don’t need to quit to win. 04:30 – Market Momentum: Flips, Deal Flow, and Fear-Based Opportunity 09:00 – Financial Literacy First: Foundational Principles for Entrepreneurs 13:30 – Zero to Fifty Listings: Scaling with Systems and Strategic Partnerships 18:00 – Designing Teams for Freedom: SOPs, VAs, and the Org Chart Blueprint 22:30 – The Mindset Shift: Working On the Business, Not In It 27:00 – Simplify to Scale: Letting Go of the Noise and Focusing on ROI 31:30 – Buying Back Time: Vertical Integration and Efficiency Hacks 36:00 – Real Client Wins: How STR Cashflow Changed Lives and Bought Freedom 41:00 – House Hacking & Books That Sparked a Million-Dollar Portfolio Guest Bio: Ron Curtis is a native Washingtonian and the founder of a short-term and mid-term rental management business based in the Washington, DC area. Ron's journey into short-term rentals started with house hacking—he leveraged first-time homebuyer programs to purchase his first home, a turnkey $423,000 property, for just $3,700 out of pocket. He converted his basement into a studio efficiency and listed it on Airbnb. As Ron traveled, he realized his basement was consistently booked and covering his mortgage. That’s when he fell in love with the concept of Paycations—earning passive income while exploring the world. He built an automated, scalable business model that allows him to manage rentals from anywhere with just WiFi and a reliable cleaning team. Over the last 3.5 years, he has organically grown from managing one property to 50—all while working a full-time 9–5 government job in DC. Ron loves to share his insights on scaling a short-term rental business, automation strategies, and how others can achieve financial freedom through short-term rentals. Guest Link: www.instagram.com/wavy_stay Get FREE Access to our Community and Weekly Trainings: https://group.strsecrets.com