$1,900 a night for eclipse housing? St. Joseph rentals are booming

The vacation rental market in St. Joseph is getting a boost from the impending total solar eclipse on Aug. 21. The city is a prime viewing spot to see the moon completely cover the sun, and thousands are expected to visit for the rare event.

“I know that there is a big market for it right now, and the supply is low,” said Lynne Stover with Berkshire Hathaway Home Services in St. Joseph, with rentals ranging from $500 to $5,000 a night. “We are trying to gear up as a city to have everybody come here.”

In middle of July, Stacy Smith, who is currently selling her house on Noyes Boulevard, noticed the demand and decided to rent out her house for eclipse day. She listed it on vrbo.com, a vacation rental by owner website, for $1,900 a night, and the house was rented out two weeks later.

Her house “would be much better than a hotel,” Stover said. “You could enjoy it on the back patio versus having to go somewhere else, or the parking lot of a hotel.”

This story was originally published August 1, 2017 at 5:10 PM with the headline "$1,900 a night for eclipse housing? St. Joseph rentals are booming."