Vacation Home Rentals Blog

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I have a few friends who went away to their Michigan or Wisconsin vacation homes this weekend, or shall I say, vacation homes their parents own. I’m in love with the romance of that–vacationing at the same lake house every summer–and frankly, I’m also a little bit jealous.

Once again, Crain’s Chicago Business validated the story that’s become all too common in 2008: People are staying closer to home and taking shorter vacations to curb costs and protect their job security.

As a result, Harbor County, Michigan vacation homes like this one have enjoyed a boom in bookings this summer, and I’d bet they could continue during fall, winter and spring if property owners play their cards right.

Whether it’s a huge backyard for kids (and adults) to throw the ball around, a gourmet kitchen for cooking up that anniversary dinner or a stone fireplace to huddle around when temps do a freefall, your homes’ best assets should be showcased on your listings. It might even be worth it to adjust your photos and property amenities according to the season to promote your home during the off season.

Because now that the economy is hurting, would-be renters will be looking for reasons to justify giving up those hard-earned dollars.

On-the-hour airfare hunting usually yields some kind of payoff for me, but lately I’ve lost faith in my own wizardy. Out of all my friends, I’m the girl who can usually land that fare to San Francisco for under $250. In recent months, notsomuch.

Thanks to decent airfares, The Wall Street Journal points to three places visitors might consider for fall if they’re up for some desert air, Mickey Mouse and Mexico.

Have you thought about a Palm Springs rental, Orlando vacation home or Cancun vacation villa?

An overall decline in travel is good news for tourists to all three destinations, which, according to the Journal, will see flights plummet to some of the lowest fares in years. Property owners, hotels should bode some stiff competition in the pricing war, as they attempt to lure folks in the off season with discounts as deep as 40 percent.

Property listers, the time is now to compel visitors to act spontaneously. Price it right – fingers crossed – and they will come.

If you’re like millions of Americans who thought their property would have been a goldmine by now, only to realize that there was something to those news stories about the crumbling of the real estate market, consider looking on the bright side. Because if you’re still able to pay the mortgage, there is one. There really, really is.

You still own.

While the market retreats from panic mode, why not bill your place as a vacation home? Let others pay the mortgage for you.

This Chicago vacation apartment rental illustrates that would-be renters are willing to live like locals if it means saving money. Paula Davis, a Satellite Beach, Fla., resident who visited Chicago for a three-day conference found greater value in renting this three-bedroom apartment than booking a downtown hotel for four days. Trust me, the rental was way cheaper. I recently stayed in a boutique hotel off the Magnificent Mile and was shocked to learn that parking was $38 a day … on top of the $250-a-night room.

If your property happens to be in a major tourist or convention destination–ahem, like Chicago–a steady stream of visitors is practically guaranteed. Even if your place is tiny, it’s likely the travelers will spend the day exploring anyway and won’t have too much time to rate the fluffiness of your pillows.

What’s better: Allowing your home to sit on the MLS to collect cobwebs or rebranding it as an affordable vacation rental for tourists willing to try it out as a local? I think the latter.

America, who says extended weekends have to end with Labor Day? Sure, it’s the unofficial close of summer, but I predict a surge in popularity for quickie trips: three days, four days, short enough not to sacrifice too much time off work or out of your wallet, but long enough to feel like you’ve gotten away.

Property owners, consider giving potential renters an excuse to be spontaneous with specials similar to this Tennessee vacation home, which is offering Labor Day weekend with a fourth night free. Those, for lack of a better word, “coupons,” will entice vacationers to visit your property even when plans were just in the maybe stage, not in the middle of a full-fledged, monthslong process.

People who seek out vacation homes will take their time looking anyway. Why not dangle them a carrot with an extra night on VacationHomeRentals.com’s last-minute deals page? In low seasons, that simple deal could work to your advantage. Sweethearts who stay four nights might have such a good time that they decide to stay longer. They in turn rave to their neighbors about the added value and make plans to do more short-term trips more often.

What do you, the owner, get? Happy clientele and word-of-mouth branding, which is the best kind of PR in the world.

I look at a lot of vacation rentals by owner, hopelessly pining for the one. I think, “Could I date this house for a weekend?” “Would we hit it off?”

I, like many American consumers, can safely say it has to take a lot to give up my time–and more important–my money for any old vacation home. That’s why it’s so important for property owners to sell the package through gorgeous pictures. In this age of instant Internet gratification, a neatly arranged set of images is a must.

This Tuscon vacation home does the job.

As homes go, it isn’t the most luxurious, but the interior flows. The pictures clearly map out the living, entertaining and sleeping quarters so that would-be renters like me can see exactly where we would be relaxing. The order of these shots makes sense: the front of the Spanish-flavored villa followed by money scenes of desert vistas and a contemporary-styled kitchen, family room, bedrooms and spa-like bathroom.

Owners, never underestimate the power of presentation. Remember, you’re selling renters on the romance of your listing–not just the property itself, and you can’t do that without good photos.

Fear of losing jobs and a general tightening of purse strings had many folks who planned to rent Hilton Head vacation homes cancelling their bookings at the last minute, according to The Island Packet, Hilton Head’s local paper.

The upside: Vacation homes and condos were deeply discounted, allowing families to take advantage of some great deals like resort credits and rentals marked down as much as 40 percent, the paper said.

A perusal of VacationHomeRental.com’s own listings of last-minute specials supports that. If you haven’t made Labor Day weekend plans yet or are willing to try early September to rejuvenate, now is the time. Perhaps a spontaneous trip is in order? If you live close enough to Hilton Head, why the heck not?

Some places you could stay – all for under $750 a week:

1. A two-bedroom, two-and-a-half bathroom townhouse in Shipyard Plantation overlooking a golf course complete with screened porch, full kitchen and pool access. $600 a week from Sept. 2 to Feb. 28, 2009.

2. A two-bedroom, two bathroom vacation condo right on the beach with pools, six tennis courts, indoor jogging track, gym, raquetball courts, cabana and boardwalk. $725 a week from Sept. 1 to April 30, 2009.

3. Another beach rental with two bedrooms and two baths with three pools, six tennis courts, sauna, private boardwalk and a cabana that serves food and drinks. All that for $375 week from Sept. 6 to Oct. 31.

Property owners, take a lesson from the Hilton Head landlords and price your properties right. You’ll be happy when they move.

I married a real life leprechaun from Croom, Co., Limerick (Brogue and all, which causes him to say things like 33 1/3 as ”turty tree and a turd.”) so I know a litle about traveling to Ireland. Shoot, I even got married there.

A few tips I’ve picked up along the way:

1. Have a “real” pint of Guinness in Ireland, which according to the hubs, tastes creamier and fresher. Make sure someone is capturing a photo of you taking that first sip and frame it. Much better than a mass-produced Guinness poster.

2. Buy tickets from January to March, when Aer Lingus drops its fares. We scored ours for a little more than $400 apiece for mid-January. My tickets home to Virginia were $100 less.

3. Skip the city, see the country. Dublin is lovely and all (fabulous shopping), but if you want postcard-perfect Ireland, head to counties Kerry, Clare, Wicklow, Donegal, Galway, Offaly, etc. One of my best memories was seeing sheep on the side of the road as a rainbow arched above us.

4. Book an Emerald Isle rental like this Banagher cottage. The 300-year-old farmhouse called Chestnut Cottage oozes Old World appeal and is close to pubs, restaurants and the River Shannon.

5. Eat some Cadbury’s Chocolate, a snack box (fried chicken and chips available at all the chippers) or Irish breakfast. Or all of the above. When I go, that’s pretty much my diet.

Let’s forget this recession business for one minute and pretend our bank accounts are so fat that we never have to check our balances on a daily basis or save up to buy a new pair of Hudson Jeans.

Let’s act like we have movie star friends and jet set between coasts to stay at places like this California vacation rental. Maybe we’re so A-list that Jennifer and Courtney want to come over to our house when we’re in town. Maybe they have house envy.

Alright, I’m not buying it either.

At any rate, it’s not unreasonable to think that you might run into the stars around these parts, given that “This and other neighborhood homes have frequently been rented to some of the most famous names in show business,” according to the listing. Reserving a vacation home rental in Malibu affords you access only insiders have.

The three-bedroom, three-bathroom beach rental is like Scarlet Johannson–it doesn’t need makeup to look smashing. Its understated living room with killer views of the Pacific allows the natural beauty to shine through. Downstairs find a bonus studio with kitchenette, sofa bed, bathroom, sauna and private beach access.

That last component is key, you know, for all the paparazzi trying to snag photos of you.

When searching for a California vacation home, I don’t need a McMansion. A gorgeous view and/or pristine pool will do.

This Palm Springs vacation rental known as Villa Amelia satisfies both of those requirements plus another one: a decent price. In September, you can rent this three-bedroom, two-bathroom house for $175 a night for two nights or $150 a night for three nights.

The whole space is tiled in Italian stone slate, creating a rustic chic feel grounded in earth tones like rust, chocolate and caramel. Proving that less is more, simple, yet elegant touches stand out: a flagstone fireplace, handsome leather furniture and twigs as decorative wall art.

The beds are covered in 600-count sheets with down pillows and down mattress pads to create an extra layer in the cocoon of softness.

When you’ve emerged from one heaven, fall into another: the pool.

The fenced-in 15- by 30-foot saltwater pool and spa looks out to the San Jacinto mountain range. With Palm Springs temperatures averaging more than 100 degrees in September, you won’t want to be anywhere but the water.

And how’s this for a nice touch: Upon arrival, guests receive a free bottle of California wine, grapes, cheese and crackers as a welcome to Villa Amelia.

Sweet.

Those of you typing Maine vacation rentals in the search engines are clearly looking to get back to the basics.

Or maybe, you’re like Atlanta resident Susan O., who called this Maine cabin rental a place to heal “after sad personal times.”

The two-bedroom, one-bath space called The Narrows Cottage isn’t palatial, but the scenery surrounding it–quite simply–stuns. Set on 5.5 acres of woodland, the property sits at the mouth of the Dennys River, which opens into Cobscook Bay. Your neighbors are osprey, seals, blue herons and jumping fish. You can kayak, read a book, bait a hook or just listen …

to the quiet.

Literally in the middle of nowhere, this vacation home rental provides a window into small-town life. Only a few hundred residents live in Dennysville, Me., according to the listing’s owner, Pam Chubbuck.

Inside the three-story cottage–priced right at $750 a week through September 2009–you’ll find two double beds, two twin beds, a bathroom with shower, living room, dining room and big picture windows that flood the home with natural light. Instead of checking e-mail on your Blackberry or surfing the net on your iPhone, notice how the tides roll in and out. Throw some lobster in the pot (which should be in the kitchen cabinet) and have a conversation that doesn’t require texting.

Remember why you’re on vacation and just relax already.