For a buyer who wants a turnkey Big Bear vacation rental, this furnished four-bedroom, three-bath Moonridge cabin is worth a close look. It sits on Villa Grove with a 7,200-square-foot lot, a posted short-term rental permit for 10 guests, and a price that just dropped $50,000 to $649,900.
By Rachael Smith | October 13, 2026
Most cabins you tour in Big Bear need work before they earn a dime.
This one doesn't. It's clean, updated, and already running as a rental, which changes the math for anyone shopping for a mountain getaway that pays its own way.
I walked through every room in the video, and I'll break down what matters most here. If you're newer to the area, my guide on what $420,000 buys in lower Moonridge shows you how this neighborhood stacks up at a lower price point.
The cabin is about 2,058 square feet, and that doesn't include the downstairs bonus room. That bonus room is extra usable space you won't see in the listing numbers.
The main level holds the living room, kitchen, dining room, a primary suite, a second bedroom, and a second bathroom. Two more bedrooms and a third bathroom are downstairs.
That layout matters. You can live on the main floor and never go downstairs, or you can hand the whole house to a group of ten.
Watch me walk through the main-floor layout at 2:53.
The posted notices show a permit for 10 overnight guests and 4 vehicles. Big Bear's occupancy rule is two people per bedroom plus two, so four bedrooms gets you to ten.
Here's the part I want you to read twice: the permit on the wall is set to expire December 27, 2026. A permit doesn't automatically transfer or renew the way you might hope, so confirm the current rules with the city before you write an offer. In my experience, this is the step that separates a smart rental purchase from an expensive surprise.
I show the permit notices at 3:24.
Want more Big Bear real estate insights like this? Rachael walks through cabins, rental properties, and market data every week on her YouTube channel. Subscribe here so you never miss a new property tour.
Short-term rental owners get burned by maintenance, so I look at what will wear out first. Here, the railing and stairs are newer, the front deck is composite, and the stacked stonework looks great. That's the right call for a rental, because wood decking would be a constant headache.
The back deck kept its original wood, but I walked on it and it felt sturdy. I'd let my own kids out there.
There are two limits you should know about:
The property lines are also worth a closer look. I spotted lot markers out front but couldn't confirm the back corners, so a survey or a property-line check should be on your list.
This is mid-to-upper Moonridge, minutes from downtown Moonridge, where a new village is planned for lower Moonridge. There's already a donut shop and a bar, and more restaurants and shops are coming. Buying near an area that's growing is a smart move if you plan to hold long-term.
The sellers first listed with another agent at $699,000. The price is now $649,900, which is the kind of movement I track closely. If you want to see how pricing is trending across town, my September 2026 Big Bear market update covers it.
Weather helps too. I mentioned in the video that we're expecting an El Niño winter, and snow is what fills rental calendars here.
I'd point three kinds of buyers toward this house.
The vacation rental investor. You want a property that's already set up, already furnished, and already guest-ready. You skip the renovation phase, and you can start building a booking calendar right away once your permit paperwork is in order.
The second-home buyer. You want a place for family weekends that can cover some of its own costs when you're not there. Ten-person occupancy means the whole family fits, including the cousins.
The full-time mountain resident. The primary suite, kitchen, laundry, and dining room all sit on the main level, so everyday life happens on one floor. The downstairs bedrooms stay available for guests or the kids.
The bedrooms are a good example of how well the space is used. Bedroom three has a queen bed with double bunks, and it doesn't feel tight. In the clients I work with, that's often the difference between a rental that sleeps ten on paper and one that sleeps ten comfortably. I show the lower-level bedrooms starting around 16:56.
Those five answers tell you whether the numbers work. If you want help running them, that's exactly what I do with buyers every week.
This cabin is clean, furnished, and permitted today, with a fresh price drop. Before you buy, confirm the permit status, check the property lines, and run the numbers on a hot tub.
I break down these steps on every tour I film. Subscribe to my YouTube channel for more Big Bear cabin tours, and download my free Airbnb guide if you're weighing a vacation rental.
About Rachael Smith
Rachael Smith is a top-producing real estate agent with RE/MAX Big Bear, specializing in mountain homes, short-term rental investments, and luxury properties in Big Bear Lake and surrounding areas. With over a decade of experience and hundreds of homes sold, she helps buyers, sellers, and investors make smart, strategic real estate decisions. Through her strong online presence and data-driven approach, Rachael connects clients with opportunities both on and off the market.
