The Portera Brothers: Joe x Elliot x Oliver x Mike

Hello everyone! Back in January I had the privilege of sitting down with Joe, Elliot and Oliver Portera - three brothers who collectively realized their STR plans with the help of DEN. Their 3 DEN compound was built in Luray, Virginia. Our chat ranged from how DEN's plans impacted their build/relationship with their builder, challenges building with the local Luray weather, and how their first few bookings have gone. Check out their properties at https://skylineglobalproperties.com/. I hope you enjoy listening to this conversation as much as I did having it!

1. Meet the Porteras & Their Vision

Mike: Let's start there, who are you guys? Let's do just kinda a round of introductions.

What DEN design did you build, where did you build it and what's the use case for this project? 

Joe: Sure, I'll jump in and start. My name is Joe Portera and I live in the Annapolis, Maryland area. I'm a defense contractor as my formal job, but this is the job that I really want to get into, which is real estate development and, you know, DEN has been a great path, especially a first step for somebody that has not a ton of experience in that area.

Oliver: I'm Oliver Portera, based in Charlottesville, Virginia. I'm also in the management consulting and contracting world. Passionate about real estate, passionate about design, and really kind of building something from the ground up to call my own and our own, not just from a business perspective, but to have something physical and tangible.

And when we saw the DEN product, it was a no brainer for us. 

Elliot: I'm Elliot Portera, also in Charlottesville, Virginia. I've been working in restaurants and the hospitality industry for 10 years, and now currently, aside from doing the short-term rental thing with these cabins, I'm helping my wife who just opened a donut shop.

But, I've always been interested in food and hospitality and I think that, especially since we've been getting started, that there's like a lot of similarities there and it's cool to branch out but also see, how I can apply what I've learned to these projects as well. 

Joe: Following up, answering your question, we built three Modern Alpine Plus models, slight variations on each.

They're located in Luray, Virginia, which is in the Shenandoah Valley. And you know, two of 'em especially are very unique, 'cause they're nested up on a ridge. And so they are on big pillars and one of them looks like it's kind of... it's way up there. I mean, in terms of the decks that we had to do and everything else.

And so the views are pretty incredible. One of 'em has double deck, so kind of an over under, with some, you know, different access. And then we've done different amenities in each one of them. So they all have kind of some unique feature to them. 

Mike: Nice. Nice. Is this a first of its kind for you guys in terms of a hospitality project?

Joe: It is, yeah. 

2. Why Build Instead of Buy?

Mike: Awesome. Awesome. That's great. So what made you guys decide to build something instead of buying preexisting property and potentially rehabbing it for this particular project? Talk me through some of that thinking. 

Oliver: Yeah, I mean we did a lot of research.

I think, buying existing and either renting out directly, if it was ready to do so, or getting a fixer upper, doing a lipstick and renting it out, or buying land and building... We went down each scenario pretty deeply. And I think with the real estate market the way it was when we decided to do this over a year ago, home prices were really high.

Even for something that was a fixer upper and comparing that to what either rental rates were short term or long term, it was kind of hard to make the financials work unless you had something very special or you got something very cheap, relatively compared to the rest of the market. So that's kind of what pushed us into building our own, buying land, developing raw land, doing utilities, you know, finding DEN. Using, you know, plans that we knew were tried and true as opposed to just kind of doing a modular build that we also thought about.

So that's what we ultimately landed on. Very happy with it so far.

3. How DEN Plans Helped

Mike: Awesome. Also, uh, feel free guys, if like anyone else wants to jump into, to any of these answers. 

Joe: Yeah. So, to piggyback on that, I mean the idea really did evolve, I mean, to Oliver's point. The initial strategy was actually to do exactly what you're saying, which was, you know, frankly we were looking at like college rentals around college towns in Virginia.

And the numbers just didn't work with the high interest rates and the home prices, as Oliver was mentioning. And so, you know, we've all got a little bit of experience with real estate and building our own homes or long-term rentals. But nothing with short-term rentals and certainly not building, you know... the buildings that at least that collectively we've done, have been with major builders that have their process right, where... it's limited customizations on what you're doing.

And so we decided to go from dipping our toe in the real estate waters to, 'let's make it as painful and difficult as possible and just develop raw land', as Oliver was mentioning. I mean. We did drill the well, two septic systems. You know, one unconventional, had to do all the electrical infrastructure, and you know, with the electrical and, you know, running these water lines from the well, because the DENs are so geographically dispersed on the property, we had to run a lot of line. And on that part of it ran into a lot of issues, not with the DEN designs at all. But with the infrastructure piece, especially, I mean, it's a very rural area, Luray, Virginia. So that, that complicated things during the winter and during the summer when they got torrential downpours and whatnot, but wouldn't take it back for anything in the world.

It was absolutely the right decision, and can't wait to continue. 

Mike: Awesome. This is a perspective that we try to share as transparently and in as unvarnished a way as possible with prospective customers, right? That developing land, either for a single family build out or multiple units is really like a time intensive, logistically intensive, capital intensive process.

Sometimes we get prospects who are like, 'oh yeah, I just want this ADU for $10,000', but like, we're like, 'that is an unrealistic expectation in terms of price', but, it also sounds like you guys are no stranger to complex logistics, in your day to day and complex projects.

So I'm sure that helped you guys a lot. How did the DEN plans help you deliver on this vision and how do they help you align to the right contracting partner for the project?

Oliver: Yeah. I think in terms of the DEN plans themselves, we just fell in love with the minimalist style. The ability to purchase the plans, the starter set [planning package] first, and then the [building package], set so we actually bought a few starter sets in order to have those conversations with local builders.

Like, 'is this doable? What do you think we're talking about in terms of price?' So that we could really narrow in our budget and our vision. So that was step one. And then, you know, step two, after getting the full plan set, just the ease of translating that vision and having that conversation on paper with a builder without having to hire an architect and spending a lot of time and money on revisions and changing certain things.

Like we were just so happy with the design that the ability to eliminate an entire step and chunk of money in terms of purchasing the plans was really helpful for us. 

Elliot: Yeah. I also think, the plans coming with the supplies list, our builder commented on it and he was like, 'I'm gonna use this exactly for my future builds', it's like way more useful and purposeful for him and his next build. So like that was great that he could just kind of plug and play with that. And as things changed and as we wanted to add, you know, a deck or change the patio, it was easy for him to have that, that he had never used before.

Joe: Yeah, I think his comment was, 'I mean, it's down to the number of drywall screws that you need, you know-' 

Elliot: Yeah. 

Joe: -for project', which is, you know, a level of detail that just typically... he wasn't familiar with, right? He'd just buy boxes of them and you go, 'you use 'em when you need 'em' and, you know, that was that.

So, from a pricing perspective as well, it was very detailed, and that helped us, right? Because, no surprises. And that was one thing that was great, because everything was detailed and captured at that level. Now we did a lot of modifications and, you know, a number of different, you know, design elements that did increase the overall build.

But in terms of, what we were getting, like what we would see on the DEN website, right? That's what we got for the price that we paid. which was great, because, you know, building a couple of my own homes, I've been surprised, right? And the, 'oh, by the way, you know, you want recess lights in your basement. Sorry, you know, you're gonna have to pay for those $500 a piece'. 

'What, it doesn't come with lights?' 'No.' so that was very helpful and transparent throughout the process for us as well. 

4. Launch & Guest Reactions

Mike: Awesome. When did you guys start taking bookings for this project?

Oliver: Our first booking was the weekend of December 13th, 2024. We went live probably a week before that on Airbnb. We have a direct booking website as well, skylineglobalproperties.com. So yeah, we've been about a little over a month in operations now, renting out full time.

Mike: Awesome. And what are your guests saying about staying there? 

Oliver: Incredible things. Yeah, yeah, yeah. They're very happy. I mean, we get a lot of comments on just the design. Not just how we furnished things, but the layout. the, A-Frame all windows in front, especially as Joe mentioned with the views that we have, in all the cabins really, one by a lake, two with mountain views.

A lot of comments on that. We added cedar tubs, cold plunges, hot tubs, [a] sauna. So amenities are also a part of that. But yeah, it's mostly around the design, and, how the layout is. 

5. Favorite Design Features

Mike: Awesome. As far as you guys are concerned, I feel like you probably have spent a lot of time in the buildings themselves.

What are your favorite aspects of this particular design? Or what's your favorite room or part of the exterior? 

Joe: I'll jump in, and this is gonna sound weird, but the bathroom. 

Joe: The reason being is it's a really good size for the unit and - if you have four people - again, like everything is well proportioned, but specifically what we did is we went all in on the bathroom.

So we did heated floors. It's Cedar line, the ceiling is cedar lined. It's got [a] Bluetooth speaker in the ceiling that also doubles as a fan and LED lighting. We've got a backlit mirror that's got an anti-fog setting, heated towel rack. We just kind of went all out with the bathroom.

Body sprayers in the shower as well as a handheld and a big of rain type of setup for the shower. We also did like a frameless shower door and so that has been... we've gotten a lot of feedback on the bathrooms, and how they've never seen anything like that. And then lastly, we did a lighting niche where you can change colors that come in and it kind of shines down in the shower and it just gives it a really cool look.

So that's my favorite room. And it would appear that a lot of our guests, it's their favorite room as well. 

Mike: Awesome. 

Elliot: Yeah, I mean, you can't beat the great room. I think that especially with the views and the windows, you don't get that glass house vibe where you feel exposed. It still feels really cozy and comfortable, but you also feel like you're right there.

We're looking out into the Shenandoahs and you feel like you could step through that door and into the valley. So I think the way that that's all designed and the fact that you walk in that door in the back and you can see [a] straight shot through, I always walk in and I'm like, even at this point, you know, we're going on like a year of when we decided to build 'em.

But even at this point I'm like, 'that's insane'. It's awesome. 

Mike: That is awesome. I noticed also that you guys have like very close to a five star flawless review here. You've got 15 reviews currently, you have a 4.87. That is amazing. Good for you. 

Elliot: Thank you. 

Joe: Yeah. Yeah. Thank you, so close to being a perfect 5.0.

We had one minor issue. 

Mike: All good, all good. Yeah. I actually, I recently read that people don't believe perfect scores when it comes to reviews. 

Joe: Oh, really? 

Mike: Yeah. Yeah. So as long as you're in like the high fours range, you guys are crushing it. 

Elliot: Nice. Nice. 

6. Marketing Strategy & Guest Experience

Mike: So I'm looking at the cabins right now.

I mean, they photograph really well. You guys have presented them really well. I like to think that there's kind of embedded marketing in the design themselves. But also like how have you guys approached really positioning this project and how have you approached the marketing of this project?

Joe: So it's a good question and frankly we're just really revving up. Ironically enough, we hired a marketing firm. They are staying there right now. As we speak they're in one of the cabins. And they're shooting content right now. They've gotten a lot of snow over the last three weeks. So it's kind of got that picture perfect snow landscape. We're focusing heavily on social media, and trying to drive direct bookings. Airbnb is great, don't get me wrong, but we prefer to be able to control as much of it as we can.

And we're also looking at ourselves - and this is no disrespect to Airbnb hosts - but a lot of Airbnbs you stay in, it's like you gotta do the dishes, you gotta run the laundry and strip the beds and all of this. And you don't really get that feeling like it's a luxury or hotel type of stay.

We're the antithesis of that, right? Like our check-in checkout is like, we want you to feel like you're being pampered. And so as part of that on the direct booking site is, we want to be able to offer packages and like, differentiate in terms of how we're treating our guests.

That's not just like, 'hey, you're staying in my basement. Um, by the way, lock the door on the way out and, you know, do the laundry'. So we're really focusing on kind of like that luxury aspect of it, driving direct bookings and using social media as much as we can. 

Mike: That's cool. That's cool. 

Joe: We're all fast becoming, expert concierge. 

7. Highs, Lows, & Advice for Future Builders

Mike: Amazing, amazing. I noticed you guys also have a fireplace - a stove - in these units. Did you guys opt for wood burning or gas? 

Elliot: Wood burning!

Mike: Oh, wow. You guys are like, 'I'm gonna hand it over to the guests and if they wanna be cowboys and cowgirls, they can do it'. 

Elliot: Yeah. We have really good insurance, so. 

Mike: Okay. Yes, having operated a short-term rental myself with a similar stove, I have a Morsø 6148 in there.

You guys also have a Morsø, right? 

Joe: Yep. 

Mike: Yeah. Like sometimes you get back, and you see how someone attempted to create a fire and you're like 'that's not how I would've done it'. 

Oliver: Yeah, we think most guests just use our kindling like to start the fire just for their main fire.

So we go through a lot of those little starter splits. 

Mike: I see, I see. That's funny. Cool. Few more questions here. So...

You guys mentioned that the process of developing this property was somewhat complex and I'm looking at the photos of everything. Everything looks amazing. Like you also have unique siting conditions. Like there is a slope, in building some of these buildings, right?

Elliot: Yeah. 

Mike: I wanna talk about the high point and the low point in the process. Like what was the most fun you had, where you guys were really clicking as a team with the builder, you know, like everything seemed to be progressing smoothly. Like what was that moment for you guys or for each of you individually?

Then what was the moment that was like, 'oh man. Why did we do this? You know, like, I can't believe we have to deal with this situation'. Would love to know the high and the low for each of you. 

Elliot: I'll jump in. I would say, I think that we all might have the same low point, but I'm not sure.

But I think the high point for me at least, and like where we were all like getting real pumped was: rough-in was done, we were picking selections, especially kitchen and a lot of the wood accents and our builder and, like a bunch of his guys, they're just, they're pros. They're artisans and they have a great eye for things.

And they were just shooting us stuff that we could add. And it just felt like things were flowing great. And then watching that come together, it was like... It was very validating and satisfying and, I think that's gonna be what we look forward to for the next one. But as far as the low point, I would say is everything and anything that had to do with the well, that's from the drilling of it all the way to them testing water, not having water in two cabins, us having to go back and forth with 10 different well companies to figure out the logistics and the fix. That was a nightmare.

Oliver: Yeah, for me. I don't wanna get too sappy, but high point was standing on one of the decks with my brothers, also my best friends, seeing something that we built physically. Something we accomplished. We started have these weekly meetings years ago, coming up with business plans and proposals and ideas, and to be standing at the deck of one of these DENs, finished product. Poured our hearts and souls into it. Just being able to see what we built, right before we were renting, that was very special for me. As well as just taking trips out there and seeing, pre drywall, post drywall, post finishes, like all of those moments are just very cool to have something conceptualized on paper and to see it in real life.

Low point: water for sure. Just, we hit a lot of snags. A lot of it was with land work, you know, buying 10 acres of raw land and clearing trees and digging wells and all that. There were very stressful times, but I think the ability to get water from our well that's located at the bottom of the hill up to the cabins up there was quite the challenge.

Joe: Yeah. That, that's tough to follow. Love that. Love that. Oliver. I agree with you wholeheartedly. My high point, outside of what Oliver said, of course. I really enjoyed a lot of the outdoor design, frankly. I mean the indoor design, agree with everything Elliot said as well. That was a lot of fun. 

But kind of mapping out like... we did some unconventional stuff with the decks, the amenities, there's hardscaping and putting that puzzle together in terms of how that was all gonna sit, especially with the two cabins that are up on the ridge, and you know, we had to do retaining walls, which we weren't expecting.

But you know, one of them's concrete, one of 'em are railroad ties and, and just, you know, you see those unique aspects of it and seeing that come together and the way that it turned out, from our vision to it actually being there was pretty incredible. And I think the results were better than any of us could have imagined.

The well: agree. But I'll go on a different one. One day that was particularly disheartening was we had a site visit planned and it was after the valley had gotten like torrential rain and this was after, like the cabins were built and we were not that far away from buttoning them up in terms of like the cabins themselves.

Infrastructure was still an issue, but the entire site had like washed out, where we were dealing with like red clay and mud. I mean, just the road washed out. It was all over the decks. It was all over the front of the cabins. I mean, it was a tropical depression that came through and that was... we ended up having to go back and put in a bunch of culverts and actually gutters on the cabins, which we did not initially do. And that was disheartening. I remember showing up to the site that day and I was just like, 'oh my god. Like, you know, this is gonna cost us so much money'. And it just set us back in terms of getting the site back to where it was, like a week's worth of work and that was very disheartening.

Mike: Gotcha. Okay last question. If one of your friends or colleagues wanted to pursue building a weekend home or potentially a short-term rental asset like this, using a set of DEN plans, what advice would you give them?

Oliver: I would say go for it. Full disclosure since we've rented, and opened doors on December 13th, we've gotten maybe four or five questions on who our builder was, where we got the plans, how did we design it, how much did it cost, how long did it take? So, you know, we've seen our dream come true and are reaping the benefits and rewards of our work through those plans.

So I would encourage it wholeheartedly. 

Joe: This is being a hundred percent honest here about the whole thing. I mean, we have been advocates for DEN, not just with our guests, but with other people like you're saying, friends and family, colleagues that we've shown it to. You know, I can't count how many hyperlinks I've sent, to DEN, the main website and specifically the Alpine Plus.

So yeah, I would agree. I would say go for it, but also make sure that you're finding the right network of people and builders. We absolutely found the right builder, he's phenomenal. some of the infrastructure stuff, maybe not so much, with our initial decisions that were made between the builder and us.

Just that is the most important aspect that I've taken away from this whole process. Just making sure that - the plans are bulletproof. They're amazing - making sure you've got all the right people in order to, you know, make your vision become a reality, is the key. 

Elliot: Yeah.

I just like... Piggybacking on that, only advice would be spend way more time researching and doing your due diligence on everything but the plans. Everything that surrounds it. And then, with the plans themselves, it seemed like everyone who got eyes on 'em loved them, so.

That would be all I'd have to say. 

Mike: Awesome. Well cool. On behalf of the whole team here at DEN, thanks for spending some time with us. Yeah, really psyched to see your project come to fruition. I'm gonna pause the video right here and then I'll follow up with some thoughts.