Vacation Home Rentals Blog

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Property owners, it’s time to take a good, hard look at your listing.

Is it stuck in the wrong season? Is your posting riddled with photos of people water skiing or golfing in shorts? Yep, it may be time for a makeover.

With the right “staging,” your lovely little getaway can be billed as the perfect ski bunnies’ retreat or Christmas cabin. Remember: Even Floridians need a break from 80 degrees.

To properly winterize, say, your California vacation rental, think like a prospective tenant.

What would you  associate with the season?

1. In cold-weather climates, tenants look for places to play in the snow. Think skiing, snowboarding and snowmobiling. If your property is near a ski resort, by all means, say specifically how close your home is, as the owner of the Big Bear Lake vacation rental does above.

2. If you have any photos of the property dressed up for the holidays, upload them. Who can resist a fully lit, 16-foot Fraser Fir in all its yuletide glory?

3. Show off that hot tub in photos. Folks who endure subzero temps will be grateful for the soothing jet action after taking their muscles to their limits on the slopes.

4. Ditto for fireplaces, and by all means, make sure there’s fire in the photos. A stone-surround fireplace is gorgeous and all, but even more brilliant when lit with logs. The only thing missing there is a family in reindeer sweaters sipping hot cocoa.

5. When the season is over, change the “linens” with new images that are appropriate to the time. Keeping the listing fresh reminds renters that you’re a conscientious business owner who tends to his properties and cares about the customer experience. An absentee landlord is like the neighbor who refuses to take down his Christmas lights–in February. Come on already.

After winding through mountains and past gold-flecked trees and sparkling streams, your reward is a cabin in the woods.

The 1920s cottage above, affectionately called “The Lilacs,” perches at an elevation level of 5,300 feet, blessing visitors with views of starry skies, a pond below and all that gorgeous greenery. Besides its name, the setting oozes with historical charm. The property was once part of the Bailey Palomar Resort, where “townies” would come to play during summers to enjoy the warmth and the community gathering places like the dance hall and hotel.

The no-frills, Redwood cabin looks every bit the part of rustic retreat, where walls are wood-paneled and decorated with antlers, the fireplace is stone and guests can climb to a loft bedroom upstairs or chillax in one of a living room that streams the light in from multiple windows.

And now for the secret of this California vacation rental, one that may apply to many other vacation homes throughout VacationHomeRentals.com …

Through the end of December, the three-bedroom house is $65-$95 a night with a two-night mininum stay. Even in the summer (May 22-Sept. 10), the rate is an affordable $145 a night.

Shhh. No one has to know but you, your lady and mountain bike.

From State College, Pa., to Rochester, Minn., the cold has reared her frosty head. Winter has come early, and folks aren’t happy about it.

Well America, it looks like it’s going to be a long, blustery season, so it’s time to think about that warm weather vacation ahead. Counter seasonal affective disorder with thoughts of the other powdery stuff: the sandy, er, rocky beaches of California.

Now is as good a time as any to reserve your California vacation rental.

For you lucky Bostonites, flights on Virgin America are going for as little as $100 each way to Los Angeles if you purchase your ticket by Oct. 27. And why wouldn’t you want to? That white stuff during last week’s Patriots-Titans game wasn’t your TV on its way out–it was a blanket of snow, and the Pats’ earliest snow game on record, according to a FOXNews.com report.

Sure, it’s cool and pretty initially, but come January, when all the holiday lights are down and the roads are left a hard, slippery, grey, slushy mess, a weekend in California will be calling your name. Do it. Your UGG boots will need a rest.

Actually, lemme take that back, the California beach rental pictured perches over Monterey Bay, one of ForbesTraveler.com’s prettiest towns in the U.S. A total of 20 made the annual  list, including Union, Wash., Annapolis, Md., Sedona, Ariz., and Lake Placid, N.Y.

The feature sparkles with coastal communities, postcard-perfect Main Streets and desert diamonds. What strikes me the most about each of the selections is just how authentic the cities are: There is nothing chintzy or feels-like-a-souvenir shop about them.

Every city is its own distinct haven, a hometown for all to enjoy its hillside houses, charming downtowns, nature walks and breathtaking views of mountains, lakes and surf.

Monterey, a town rooted in the sardine canning industry, ran away with a ranking thanks to its rich marine history and award-winning aquarium. Cannery Row serves as a shopping, dining, lodging and nightlife hub for all who seek to be near the marine sanctuary and perhaps catch a glimpse of the sea lions at play.

What do you think? Are there any glaring omissions from the list? Let’s discuss on Twitter @checkincheckout.

So it isn’t exactly family vacation season, but you’re a parent, you think months, even a year, in advance. When three school schedules are involved–not to mention the money it will take to squirrel away for bathing suits, amusement park admission and random stuffed animals–you’re smart to plan now.

The question is: Where should you go?

Whether it’s winter or spring break, here’s our handy guide to the best family vacation spots in the U.S. (in no particular order)

1. San Diego vacation rentals
San Diego is the proud home to a zoo that consistently receives high marks for its educational exhibits, including the world-famous pandas, and Balboa Park, the largest urban park in the U.S. with a collection of 15 museums. With gratis IMAX movies and all the trains, cars, planes and dinosaurs to keep little ones occupied, the words “I’m bored,” won’t be a concern during this vacation.

2. Orlando vacation homes
America’s families have been visiting Mickey Mouse and Shamu for decades, but come spring 2010, a new kid will cast a spell on Orlando: The Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal Orlando Resort. The theme park cares about details, enlisting the help of the films’ production designer and art director to spin the fantasy of “reel life,” from Hogwart’s castle to Dragon Challenge, a pair of roller coasters that mimic the effects of the Triwizard Tournament.

3. Chicago vacation rentals
The former city of the First Family may add Olympics summer headquarters to its resume (The official announcement is expected this Friday, Oct. 2), but you’d be crazy not to plan your first visit before 2016. The Windy City stands tall with its picturesque skyline, global palette, landscaped streets (surprisingly tidy for a big city) and family-friendly attractions like the Lincoln Park Zoo, Navy Pier and Millennium Park. Before you leave, don’t miss out on the 96th floor view from the Signature Lounge in the John Hancock Building, the Bean (or its technical name, Cloud Gate) and awesome digital faces on Crown Fountain. Your kids will most certainly geek out.

4. Destin vacation condos
Florida’s Emerald Coast is rich in vacation condos–many of them brand new–and some of the most breathtaking sand you’ll ever sink your pedicured feet into. The tykes will spend hours in the lagoon-style pools, splash pads and waterfalls. When it’s time to crash, they’ll retire to their bunk or trundle beds while you chill out on the balcony with a glass of wine. When mom and dad are happy, everyone’s happy.

5. Yellowstone Country vacation rentals
Maybe it’s been awhile since you were struck with childlike wonderment. The country’s first national park will make you feel like a cowboy, bringing tourists up close with its rugged terrain and geysers.  Register your 5- to 12-year olds in the Junior Ranger program, an interactive trip that rewards explorers by schooling them on principles of ecology, geology and wildlife. And while you’re at it, don’t forget to stop and watch the buffalo roam and the deer and antelope play.

When someone else is paying, do you go for the steak dinner or the salad?

The latter? Me, too, but the greedy part of me wants the rib-eye, the appetizer and the Baked Alaska.

However, in this age of cutting pork, a very lucky crop of executives still get to travel on business,  have their meal and entertainment expenses reimbursed and stay in temporary housing. Those fortunate few may even have the luxury of working remotely or hosting company off-sites in fancy gated communities where outdoor kitchens, pools with grottoes and mountain views are standard ways of team building.

With the real estate fallout and the state in dire need of economic stimulation, California vacatation rentals pose excellent opportunities for corporate America to house their leaders, whether for long-term projects or short-term situations while candidates get settled in their communities.

Per the owner’s description of the Pasadena vacation rental above, “See the coast and Catalina Island on a clear day, downtown Pasadena views and purple mountain majesty every evening.”

That hardly sounds like work at all.

Relax. This is a what if, and Dana Point vacation rentals would be affected if the city adopts a 10 percent bed tax to rental fees, according to The Orange County Register.

Hotels and motels already charge the tax, but for renters, would that make a difference? The optimist in me says that travelers will still find more value in a vacation property, which have all the amenities of home, making folks feel less like tourists and more like locals. And sure, while it is true that hotels provide daily housekeeping services, having to clean up after yourself is a minor inconvenience when what you’re getting are a full kitchen (to save money on eating out), washer/dryer, barbecue grill and bragging rights to a house that you would otherwise never be able to purchase yourself.

The Dana Point Planning Commission was set to discuss land-use standard for vacation rentals on Thursday, with recommendations to be made at a future meeting.

What say you, California vacation home regulars? Would a 10 percent hike make or break your plans? Hit me on Twitter @checkincheckout.

Those top 5 lists are popping up all over Facebook, so here’s one for the masses that isn’t lame and only involves revealing my own–cough, sometimes questionable–musical tastes. (Hate Kelly Clarkson? Well I’m both proud and a little ashamed to say that I bought her very first CD, thank you very much.)

Even if our iPod playlists differ, we can all agree that summers need a soundtrack–especially if you’re fortunate enough to be heading to a Hamptons vacation rental or Florida vacation home to do nothing but tan, make slushy margaritas and crack open lobsters.

It’s always nicer when music comes with.

So here are five tunes that would most definitely join me on vacation. They make me think of places I’ve been or want to be.

1. Sleepwalk (Santo & Johnny)
2. California Girls (David Lee Roth)
3. Girl from Ipanema (Antonio Carlos Jobim)
4. Summertime (Sublime)
5. Kokomo (Beach Boys)

What’s your playlist? Hit me on Twitter @ checkincheckout.

You’ve done Disney at least 10 times, and it’s not the season for snowboarding. Your teens–or tweens–are a hard-to-impress bunch and used to a certain level of stimulation. Remember: This is the generation growing up with the words iPod Touch and Wii in its lexicon.

This year, wow them with a vacation to Tinseltown.

After all, what’s cooler than Hollywood?

From Studio City rentals like the one pictured to Santa Monica beach houses, California vacation rentals strut with style. While in La La Land, you could try to …

Attend a TV show taping
Walk along Robertson Boulevard to stalk celebrities
Have your picture taken by your fave it-girl’s star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame
Taste fro-yo from Pinkberry
Tour studios
Hike up to the Hollywood sign

And most important: Pick up cool back-to-school tees at Ed Hardy

The kids will be the envy of all of their friends and get to say they went to L.A. instead of Concord, Vt. No offense to Vermont of course.

A year and 218 posts ago, I promised to spill vacationhomerental.com’s secrets on the best travel deals, from Florida vacation homes to Hawaii vacation rentals and everywhere in between–and beyond.

We’ve been to Oregon, the Philippines, Thailand and Maine. We’ve talked log cabins in Wisconsin, ski chalets in Colorado, thatched cottages in Ireland and ooh-la-la flats in Paris. Every single property–even the budget ones–has stirred wanderlust in me, and perhaps in you, too.

And while it’s been a trying year in so many ways for the nation, the urge to dive off a cliff in Greece and play flag football on a lawn in New England hasn’t waned. To want to be on vacation is only human.

I know, I know: If I only had the money. If I only had the time.

Well hopefully the blog has helped you make it happen with last-minute deals and value-priced condos and estates. I look forward to surfacing more.

Loyal readers and newbies to the site, is there anything you’d like to see more on Check In, Check Out? Hit me on Twitter @ checkincheckout. And thanks for celebrating today with us.

Let’s go find another pearly white beach to twinkle our toes in.