A year ago, Jenn and Dave "Davy" Harriss opened the doors to their house, they had moved out the December before, to the world of AirBnb rentals.
Davy had retired from the military and Jenn too had come to a transition point with her home health job. Together they decided to give it a go rather than selling the home. Now, a year later, Jenn has been named the top new host in New Mexico.
After spending three months renovating and opening last March, the couple have made a good go with their three-bedroom home on an Alamogordo cul-de-sac. With Jenn’s business acumen and Davy’s almost obsessive attention to detail. The house is a pristine space that also feels completely welcoming when the guests walk in.
“We tried to think of everything we could to make it homy and provide everything someone might need from a night stay to a week,” Davy said.
Even pets are welcome, with a deposit. There is a pet door installed to the back yard and if you have a pet along, you will find a water and food dish at the ready in the kitchen.
“We redid the tile, paint, locks, lights,” he said. “We try really hard to make it comfortable. Even if it doesn’t look like it needs it, we mop.”
Jenn said many of their guests are visiting for the beauty of White Sands National Park and other tourist activities. They had a father and son in for a hunting trip and a group of comedians in town for a show. The place stays pretty busy generally.
“We’ve always wanted to work together doing something,” Davy said. “Now we can.”
Maybe Hawaii, overseas trip somewhere Davy
The top new host honor stems from a wider AirBnb report highlighting the top new host in each of the 50 U.S. states. The criteria included becoming a first-listing Airbnb Host in 2022, having the most guest check-ins within that universe and already achieving Superhost status on the platform.
By the end of 2022 Jenn and Davy had logged nearly 100 check-ins, maintained a near-perfect 4.96 rating, and were named Superhost. Between Jan. 1 and Sept. 30, new hosts in New Mexico with wingle listings earned nearly $8 million total.
