Life and Work with Anne Kleve

Today we’d like to introduce you to Anne Kleve.

Anne, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
In December 2014, my husband-Jason and I purchased Bear Creek TWO in Estes Park as a get-away investment rental. Over the last four years, we have slowly purchased other properties in Steamboat Springs-Ski Time Square, Pineapple Paradise in Windsor Hills in Kissimmee, Florida and the most recent was in Riverside Retreat in Hi Country Haus in downtown Winter Park. We have rebranded our company under “Notable Vacation Rentals” and created a whole new website. I still continue to operate customer service, bookings, and marketing, while Jason does all the finances.

Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
The first year was very much “learn on my own” and “fly by the seat of my pants.” As a stay at home mom of two, this was now another part-time job. I learned not to take complaints too personally, I really had to adjust my mindset of this is a business, not personal attack if things weren’t exactly perfect.

We have upgraded all our “home away from homes” to a high standard. We want our renters to be comfortable and relaxed on vacation while enjoying themselves in our condos!

Advice for others would be to surround yourself with people you trust: Realtors, lenders, local housekeepers, maintenance, and management! You can’t expect to be an expert in everything – specialize in what you do best and find trusted associates for their expertise.

But be ready to be “on-call” 24 hours a day. We had a renter who was struggling to lock the back sliding door. Due to a prior house invasion, she was very uncomfortable if it wouldn’t lock. Our staff was unavailable to help, so I drove an hour up the mountain to help her. And since then, I’ve made a little sign that says “flip the lockdown, then shut the sliding door.”

Please tell us about Notable Vacation Rentals.
We are a small family-run operation. Jason does all the accounting including the quarterly business taxes. I handle everything else, including some maintenance, as I’m the “fix-it” lady in our house! This division of work really works for us, as we rely on our strengths and each other. Our brand “Notable Vacation Rentals” gives a nod to the fact that we are a family of musicians. Even our logo has a sideways treble clef!

We love having repeat customers, who reserve well in advance to bring their families back to our homes. I have always worked as front desk receptionist or retail, so those “front lines” of customer service. I love helping people! We strive to make everything in our homes of the highest standard.

Surround yourself with employees that you have interviewed and back-ground checked completely. Trust your gut when it comes to working with people. Not all customers will treat your homes with respect, so be sure to give yourself a safety net with damage deposits.

Annually, we freely donate our homes to charitable causes we believe in. Many of those organizations have silent auction fundraisers. Those groups include our children’s school, church, music groups, and community outreach service organizations.

There’s a wealth of academic research that suggests that a lack of mentors and networking opportunities for women has materially affected the number of women in leadership roles. Smart organizations and industry leaders are working to change this, but in the meantime, do you have any advice for finding a mentor and building a network?
Jason started listening to “Bigger Pockets” podcast. It’s all about real estate investing, small and large! That network has helped us gain the confidence to go out and take some risks. Don’t be afraid to ask questions. There are lots of “investors” out there.

We have a great realtor in Rebecca Holley of Spaces Real Estate in Boulder. We worked and trusted her on with the sale and purchase of our personal homes. So, when it came time for an investment property, we called our trusted family friend. She had the patience and expertise in the real estate market and understood our vision.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.NotableVacationRentals.com
• Phone: 303-898-7056
• Email: bearcreektwo@gmail.com
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/BearCreekTWO

Image Credit:
Logos: Lori Punko & Stephanie Fisher

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