Utah

Why physicians are looking at Moab

Moab is the gateway to two national parks — Arches and Canyonlands — and the row calls it a top Southwest adventure STR market. Dual-park gravity is a structural moat: two permanent attractions, one lodging base, and an adventure-travel identity (trails, rivers, red rock) that extends the season well beyond a single park's peak. The result shows in the numbers — a $348 ADR at 70% occupancy is a demand signature few STR markets anywhere can print.

The numbers, interpreted

Roughly $348/night at 70% occupancy — about $244 RevPAR and $7,308/month in estimated gross revenue — against a $635,000 basis produces a 27.1× GRM and 2.3% cap rate. That is the highest revenue line in the Utah report outside Park City, at well under half Park City's entry. The set frames it cleanly: Springdale offers steadier single-park economics at $545,000 ($5,400/month), while Park City tops the scale at $1,523,000 and ~$15,429/month. Moab is the adventure-market sweet spot — marquee revenue at a basis that a physician's balance sheet can carry without resort-tier leverage.

Costs and rules to underwrite

Utah's 0.6% property tax runs roughly $3,810/yr on $635,000 — a small line against a $7,308 monthly gross. The gating item is regulatory: the row lists Moderate Regs, and gateway towns manage STR supply deliberately — verify local short-term-rental rules, permits, and zoning for the exact property before closing. Then underwrite like a hotelier: high-traffic adventure guests mean real wear, real cleaning costs, and a gross-to-net gap that punishes optimistic spreadsheets.

Building your local team in Moab

Your local team will make or break a high-volume adventure STR — 70% occupancy means constant turnovers, and remote owners without professional coverage feel every one. Structure it like a call schedule: guest messages, turnover crises, and the 2 a.m. lockouts belong to a professional STR manager's on-call rotation, not to a physician mid-shift three states away. Add a realtor who knows which properties legally operate and actually book, plus furnishing capital deployed for differentiation — adventure travelers comparing listings side by side book the themed property with standout amenities, the red-rock patio and gear-friendly layout that photographs like the trip they came for. Dr Home Investor introduces you to vetted local team members — including a Realtor match with boots on the ground in Moab — bypassing the blind Google search that wastes weeks in a market this specialized.

Bottom line

Moab pairs a $635,000 entry with ~$7,308/month gross potential, ~$244 RevPAR, and dual-national-park demand at 70% occupancy — the strongest adventure-market economics in the Utah report. Verify STR rules at the address level, staff the operation professionally, and model net revenue honestly. For physicians who want top-tier STR revenue without Park City capital, Moab is the flagship alternative. Explore other Utah markets for the full range. Weighing vacation-rental income against your timeline to financial independence? See physician FIRE through real estate.