STR Like The Best
Review

Learn Short-Term Rental Business Through 6-Month Direct Mentorship

Medium
  • Last updated 17/06/2025
by Chi Ta

What you'll learn ? Overview

STR Like The Best, created by Michael Chang, offers a 6-month mentorship program aimed at teaching students how to build a profitable short-term rental business using both Airbnb arbitrage and property ownership strategies.

Michael Chang presents himself as a former investment banker at BofA Merrill Lynch with an MBA in Finance from Cornell University. He claims to have generated over $2.4 million in revenue from roughly 40 rental units and to have purchased vacation rental properties worth over $9 million. However, these claims couldn’t be independently verified, which raises a caution flag typical of high-ticket programs.

The course is hosted on Kajabi, a trusted platform, but pricing isn’t clearly stated on the website. While they promote a “Free for Limited Time” offer for their private investor community, actual course fees require direct contact.

An unusual aspect is the confusion around the course’s attribution online—some mistakenly link it to someone named “Chi Ta,” with reported prices varying wildly from $997 to $10,000. This suggests unclear marketing or possibly multiple similar programs in circulation.

The curriculum covers key areas such as Airbnb arbitrage, property acquisition and management, market research, tax strategies, and automation. While the content aligns with what you’d expect for a short-term rental business course, the lack of transparent pricing and limited independent reviews make it hard to fully assess its value.

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Is this course for you?

👉

Prior experience needed

Intermediate (Some Foundational Knowledge Recommended)

👉

Learning style

Hybrid (Mix Of Pre-Recorded Lessons & Live Workshops)

👉

Goal

Make Money

Best suited for:

Individuals with some capital and business experience looking to enter the STR market, particularly those who value mentorship over self-directed learning and can afford potentially high course fees without transparent pricing

Instructor

Chi Ta

Airbnb Arbitrage Mentor and BnB University Founder Legitimacy Score: 5/10
Chi Ta is the founder of BnB University, offering a corporate housing arbitrage mentoring program. His course focuses on teaching strategies for Airbnb arbitrage, aiming to help students scale their short-term rental businesses. The program includes a 12-month membership with financing options and assistance in securing the first arbitrage deal from landlords.
While specific details about Chi Ta's background are limited, he has developed a course on Airbnb arbitrage and corporate housing strategies. His program, priced at $10,000, suggests a level of expertise in the short-term rental market. However, the extent of his personal success in the field is not clearly documented in public sources.
  • Founded BnB University
  • Developed a comprehensive Airbnb arbitrage course
  • Established a mentoring program for aspiring short-term rental entrepreneurs
  • N/A
    Chi Ta's digital footprint appears minimal, with limited visibility across major social media platforms. His online activity primarily revolves around promoting his BnB University course, though the frequency and depth of his engagement remain unclear.

    Course Details

    • ⏱ Duration180
    • 📶 DifficultyMedium
    • ⌛ Access Lifetime
    • ⏰ Time investmentModerate (5–10 Hours/Week)

    🧠 Prerequisites

    No specific prerequisites mentioned, though some business or real estate knowledge would likely be beneficial given the investment banking background of the instructor


    💻 Requirements

    Computer with internet access for Kajabi platform, capital for property deposits and setup, good credit score for lease approvals


    💸 Hidden Costs

    Significant costs beyond course fees include property security deposits, furnishing costs ($5,000-20,000 per unit), insurance, photography, cleaning services, property management software, and potentially negative cash flow during startup phase


    🙋‍♂️ Support Options

    6-month direct mentorship with Michael Chang, private investor community access, platform hosted on Kajabi

    Course content

    • Module 1: Airbnb Arbitrage Fundamentals and Business Models
    • Module 2: Market Research and Property Analysis Strategies
    • Module 3: Buying and Self-Managing STR Properties
    • Module 4: Tax Strategies for STR Business Owners
    • Module 5: Automation Processes and Systems
    • Module 6: Scaling Your STR Portfolio

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    Feedbacks

    Overall sentiment

    The sentiment around STR Like The Best is notably sparse and mixed. We found limited independent reviews, with most discussions showing skepticism about high-ticket STR courses in general. The confusion between instructor names (Michael Chang vs. Chi Ta) in online discussions suggests poor brand clarity.

    Praised points

    • Comprehensive curriculum covering both arbitrage and property ownership models
    • Direct mentorship component over 6 months provides personalized guidance
    • Instructor credentials in investment banking add some financial credibility

    Criticisms

    • Lack of transparent pricing requires contacting sales team directly
    • Limited verifiable student success stories beyond marketing claims
    • General skepticism about high-priced STR courses offering information available elsewhere

    Testimonials

    "Built a business generating over $2,400,000 in revenue with approximately 40 units" - Michael Chang (self-reported, unverified)

    "Purchased over $9,000,000 of vacation rental real estate" - Michael Chang (self-reported, unverified)

    "Free for Limited Time offer for private investor community" - Official website claim

    "6 months of direct mentorship" - Program promise

    "Former investment banker at BofA Merrill Lynch with MBA from Cornell" - Instructor credentials claim

    Social insights

    We couldn't locate specific discussions about this exact course on platforms like Reddit or BiggerPockets. The general sentiment in STR communities leans toward learning from free resources before investing in expensive programs. One YouTube video we found was titled as exposing "cheaters" in the STR course space, though it didn't specifically name this program.

    Video review

    Marketing Analysis

    Claim Verification

    Michael Chang claims to generate over $2,400,000 in revenue with 40 units and own $9,000,000 in vacation rental real estate. We couldn't independently verify these claims through public records or third-party sources. The revenue per unit ($60,000 annually) is plausible for successful STR operations but remains unverified.

    Price History

    Current pricing not publicly displayed. Various online sources quote different prices ($997 to $10,000), creating confusion about actual cost. The "Free for Limited Time" private investor community offer appears to be a lead generation tactic.

    Upsell Practices

    Without transparent initial pricing, it's impossible to assess upsell practices. The requirement to contact for pricing often indicates a high-pressure sales process with potential upsells.

    Student Success

    No independently verifiable student success stories found. The website lacks testimonials with full names, locations, or verifiable business details. This absence is concerning for a mentorship program.

    Platform & Delivery

    Learning Platform

    Kajabi (a reputable, user-friendly course platform we've seen many legitimate educators use successfully)

    Content Accessibility

    Lifetime access mentioned, though specific details about downloadable materials or replay availability not provided

    Mobile Compatibility

    Kajabi offers excellent mobile compatibility, allowing course access on smartphones and tablets

    Technical Requirements

    Standard internet connection and device capable of streaming video content through Kajabi platform

    Red flags check

    😬

    Complaints

    We found significant confusion online about who actually runs this course (Michael Chang vs. Chi Ta), which is a major red flag. When basic facts about a course can't be consistently verified, it suggests either poor brand management or intentional obfuscation.

    😬

    Refund policy issues

    No refund policy information is provided on the official website. For any course, especially one requiring direct contact for pricing, this absence is concerning. We always recommend clarifying refund terms before purchasing.

    😬

    Marketing practices

    The website doesn't display pricing transparently, requiring prospects to contact them directly. This "contact us for pricing" approach is often used in high-pressure sales environments. The claims of multi-million dollar revenue lack independent verification.

    😬

    Community feedback

    While we couldn't find specific complaints about this exact course, the general STR education community frequently warns about overpriced courses teaching information available for free on YouTube and in forums.

    Is this course legit?

    Value For Money

    Without transparent pricing, assessing value is challenging. The 6-month mentorship could justify higher costs if delivered effectively, but the lack of verifiable student outcomes and pricing opacity suggests poor value proposition compared to free STR education resources available online.

    Conclusion

    After thorough investigation, STR Like The Best presents several concerning issues that prevent us from recommending it. While Michael Chang's claimed credentials in investment banking could bring valuable financial insights to STR education, the numerous red flags outweigh potential benefits.
    The most troubling aspects include the complete lack of pricing transparency (requiring direct contact suggests high-pressure sales tactics), no visible refund policy, confusion about the instructor's identity across different sources, and absence of independently verifiable student success stories. These issues are particularly concerning for what appears to be a high-ticket program.
    The 6-month mentorship format could provide value, and the Kajabi platform is reputable. However, without transparent information about costs, refund policies, or verified student outcomes, we can't assess whether this course delivers on its promises.
    For those interested in STR business, we recommend starting with free resources from established YouTube creators, BiggerPockets forums, and local real estate investment groups. These provide substantial education without the financial risk of an unverified high-ticket course. If you're determined to purchase a course, look for ones with transparent pricing, clear refund policies, and abundantly verifiable student success stories.
    Our legitimacy score of 5.8/10 reflects the mix of potentially valuable content (comprehensive curriculum, mentorship component) against significant transparency and verification concerns. Proceed with extreme caution if considering this program.

    FAQs about this course

    STR Like The Best is a 6-month mentorship program by Michael Chang that teaches short-term rental business strategies including both Airbnb arbitrage and property ownership models.

    Michael Chang presents himself as a former investment banker at BofA Merrill Lynch with an MBA from Cornell University, though we couldn't independently verify his current STR business claims.

    The course doesn't display pricing publicly, requiring you to contact them directly. This lack of pricing transparency is concerning, as various sources cite wildly different amounts from $997 to $10,000.

    No refund policy information is provided on the website. We strongly recommend clarifying refund terms in writing before making any payment.

    The program covers Airbnb arbitrage, property buying and management, market research, tax strategies, and automation systems over a 6-month mentorship period.

    Michael Chang claims over $2.4 million in revenue, but we found no independent verification. Such results, even if true, likely aren't typical for most students.

    Some sources incorrectly attribute this course to 'Chi Ta' instead of Michael Chang, suggesting either poor brand management or multiple similar programs causing confusion.

    Given the lack of pricing transparency, missing refund policy, and unverifiable claims, we recommend exploring free STR education resources first before considering any high-ticket program.

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    STR Like The Best Review
    $ 0
    Total score: 4,2/10 ⭐
    • Duration180
    • DifficultyMedium
    • Release Date01/2022
    • Format Self-Paced
    • AccessLifetime
    • Time InvestmentModerate (5–10 Hours/Week)
    • Payment Options Installments
    • LanguageEnglish
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    STR Like The Best Review