About Banjoe Vacations
About us
About the company
We wanted to let you know a little bit about Banjoe Vacations. We are a small, family-owned vacation rental company. The name, Banjoe, is just a collection of the first letters in our names – ‘B’ is for me, Bruce, ‘an’ is for Anna (our youngest daughter), ‘jo’ for Jo, my wife, and ‘e’ is for Erin (our oldest daughter). We live in Asheville, NC, and absolutely love living, working, and playing in the mountains. For us, renting our homes is all about sharing our love of the mountains with others.
I have been managing vacation rental properties professionally for many years, and am fascinated by the industry. There are so many facets, from guests to owners to the actual properties, that there is a never-ending source of enjoyment for me.
I started my property management adventure when we bought The Enchanted Cottage on Lake Lure. Having a background as an entrepreneur, I understood the importance of treating the rental of our house as a real business, with the care and thoughtfulness that goes into any venture. It has been an adventure ever since with both ups and down (but definitely more ups!). As our rental fleet grows, I work hard to make sure every property, owner, and guest, is given the personal touch that makes us stand out.
We are not some big, anonymous rental company – we are Banjoe Vacations, and I am the B in Banjoe.
more about bruce
I have been managing vacation rental properties professionally for many years, and am fascinated by the industry. There are so many facets, from guests to owners to the actual properties, that there is a never-ending source of enjoyment for me. Interacting with guests is always interesting as we get a small snapshot view of their lives as they head out for their vacation. At the same time, working with owners is fun as we help them earn money while maintaining (and upgrading!) their properties.
But property management was not always my chosen profession. I am actually a recovering rocket scientist (a M.S. in Aerospace Engineering and a Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering) with a background in environmental acoustics (yes, that really is a thing), but I’m also interested in so much more. I play the bass in a local band with some friends, and we sometimes gig in the area. I love running, cycling, trail running, and hiking in the beautiful mountains here in Western North Carolina. And one of my big passions is skiing! Although big mountain snow is hard to come by here in the southeast, I still get out to the local ski hills when I can.
I’ve also had the honor of being interviewed by two of the biggest names in the vacation rental inductry – Heather Bayer and Matt Landau. Check out the pod casts below!
(Founder, Banjoe Vacations)
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Giving back
We are incredibly fortunate to have properties we can rent out, especially here in Asheville where there is something of an affordable housing crisis. For that reason, we are committed to contributing 10% of our profits back to the community, especially to help support the homeless and to support improved housing for everyone in our community. We are proud to support Homeward Bound’s efforts to create permanent supportive housing for the chronically homeless in Asheville. Please feel free to contact us if you’d like more information.
Podcasts We've Been Featured In
We never shy away from sharing our property management expertise with others. Get to know us a little better by tuning into these podcasts!
Guest Reviews
We love it when our guests have a fantastic time staying in our vacation rentals — check out what these satisfied travelers had to say about Banjoe Vacations!
Sarah
Calynne
6/30/2019 – Airbnb
Great AirBnB in the heart of West Asheville. Easy to walk around to great restaurants, cafes and explore along the main street. Easy parking and check-in process. Mike was a great host! Will definitely be back to Asheville and stay at the West Nest. 5/5.
Wes
9/06/2019 – Airbnb