Sheila if you buy a brand new house you may have no rentals for up to 6 months depending upon the building going on round you.

As Blottie says you may be able to take the bookings over from the owner if you buy a villa that is already STR. It may be conditional upon you using the same management company (if they are MC bookings) or if they are owner bookings they would want the bookings to be in place so that the guests would not have their bookings cancelled.

Also if you know the purchase is going ahead you can have your website ready bar the pics and then get going immediately you take it over, plus sign up with sites such as this!