Vacation Home Rentals Blog

To clarify, that’s the city of Steamboat Springs, whose city council is revisiting the regulation of vacation home rentals and property managers.

Known as “Ski Town USA,” Steamboat Springs has become a hotbed for second-home purchases thanks to its reliable snow drifts and luxe, roomy accommodations. On VacationHomeRentals.com, Steamboat Springs vacation rentals are stunners, where hot tubs with mountain views, private saunas and Viking appliances introduce skiers to the good life.

However, some vacation home owners argue that the regulations place undue burden on those who have been following the rules, The Steamboat Pilot & Today reported. Points of contention: fees associated with adhering to a city compliance, parking rules and an agreement that calls for private homeowners to sign off when their roads are used to access vacation home properties. City officials, meanwhile, claims that the rules are effective.

The debate prompts officials to review the ordinance and submit suggestions on next steps by the end of the year.

Have any vacation home owners–in Colorado or elsewhere–encountered similar issues? Talk to me on Twitter @checkincheckout or leave your comment here.

With Christmas less than two months away, you’d better believe that the retail blasts will be on, whether that’s your inbox, television or weekly circulars. But presents aside, what do the holidays mean to you?

For moi, it’s the lights, the tree, bundling up and stuffing my face, but I’m open to creating new traditions with my own family. Would that include travel? Maybe.

In my quest for a non-traditional idea for the holidays, I found the Alaska vacation rental above, quite possibly the most affordable vacation home I’ve stumbled across in 276 posts or so. The log cabin rents for just $375 a week until May 15, 2010. The adorable cottage sits on Cottonwood Lake, where rainbow trout are yours for the catching (or releasing, if you’re merely into the sport). It’s pretty cold now (28 degrees, teens at night), which is why the deal is so good, but for you tropical climate dwellers, a winter in Alaska may just be the novelty you need.

Everyone in Florida has seen a pink flamingo, but what about the Aurora Borealis, which dances across the sky in spearmint, indigo and fuchsia swirls? Or what about a real reindeer? (Nature geeks, I know they’re called caribou in the U.S.)

Ask Santa for a Patagonia coat for Christmas, and head up North. Now that’s going rogue.

This year, it’s pretty much a given that Black Friday and Cyber Monday shoppers will be able to score incredible sales on electronics, clothing and toys. The folks who wake up at 3 a.m. to stand in line at Best Buy are an aggressive bunch, and during this downturn, retailers are more than willing to dangle the deals.

Some of us, though, are happy enough with turkey and kickin’ back with our family. But what if you’re single and don’t necessarily want to go home this year? (Sorry moms, but as much as we’d love your homemade apple tart, we can’t return for every holiday.) Here’s a solution: Round up three solo friends and rent a Tennessee vacation rental.

The property above will be discounted from Nov. 25 to 29 to $585, the price of three nights for four. At almost 1,000 square feet, the Sewanee vacation home is still bigger than lots of city apartments if space prevents you singletons from gathering. Plus, how many places have a strawberry patch, private ponds and canoe on-site?

Of course, there’s the issue of whom cooks what, but that’s the fun of a community kitchen. You all get to taste (and test) together, and the pressure is at a minimum.

So what if you’re a Thanksgiving orphan. Think of it this way: If the stuffing is too soggy, your friends probably wouldn’t take as much offense as Aunt Cindy.

It’s almost time to start making your list and checking it twice, and maybe start nixing the frivolous purchases of the past. (Does every relative require a Hallmark limited edition ormanent? Come on now.)

Besides, experience gifts are all the rage. Haven’t you heard? Presents that will have the recipient asking, “Why did I never do this before?” Like smelling a Colorado Aspen for the first time, and maybe even cutting down his first Christmas tree.

Or heck, why not skip the iPod stocking stuffers and go on vacation together? Let me count the reasons for spending the yule in a Colorado cabin rental.

1. Because cabins mean fireplaces, roasting marshmallows, wearing obnoxious snowmen and reindeer sweaters, and perhaps catching a glimpse of reindeer in real life.

2. Because you’ll likely be skiing, too. You’ll need to after the green bean casserole, sage sausage stuffing and fudge log cakes.

3. Because if you’re going to be stuck with your relatives–all 20 of them–it may as well be in an eight-bedroom house complete with a pool table, hot tub, bar and multiple flatscreens. Just think of all the joy you’ll have when battling over who gets the last Wii control.

4. Because it will most likely be a White Christmas. (Stranger things have happened, but I’d wager my third born that there will be snow somewhere in Colorado in December.)

5. Does a Christmas tree get any more beautiful when lit inside a log cabin?

My best friend’s husband has a dream: To own 40 acres on a rustic Montana ranch–complete with a John Deere, a babbling brook to skip rocks over and plenty of sticks for their sons to fence with.

Their current scenario forces them to live in a purgatory of sorts: Not the city, not the rural sprawl they so desire, but a Virginia subdivision complete with prefab, one-style-fits-all homes where the home owners association levies fees for discolored siding.

So to move away from the nosy neighbors is a respectable dream.

Big Sky Country, Mt., home to a ski resort of the same name, delivers some of the most fantastic scenery in the West, a peaceful area blessed with summits, trails, falls and log cabins with roomy porches. Big Sky vacation rentals inspire travelers to throw on a pair of Chap and a gallon hat and herd them doggies down the pasture.  OK, so maybe that’s an exaggeration, but beneath the wild blue yonder and at the foot of Lone Mountain, you’ll feel like anything is possible.

While 22-degree weather (the actual temperature today) is more winter than fall, if you’re game, the chilly weather is worth it for the endless picture taking opportunities. Tamarack and aspen trees pop in golds and yellows. Moose roam.

The scenes are enough to make you want your own, real life John Deere.

New England and fall go together like a fuzzy sweater and a cup of warm apple cider. And for this picturesque season rich in auburn, golds and browns, wouldn’t it a blast to pack up the SUV for a long weekend in a Maine vacation rental?

Bing Travel named the state as one of its 14 Best Destinations for Fall 2009, and it’s easy to see why. The forests are thick, the towns are as quaint as an Irish accent, what with their antique shops, lakes and wood cabins. And along with its insanely affordable vacation homes, Maine is so serious about its autumn tourism that it tracks color changes on a website called MaineFoliage.com.

Most of the state is in “low mode” right now, meaning that the leaves haven’t hit their gorgeous peak yet.

But don’t wait forever. Before you know it, it’ll be time to pick out a Christmas tree.

While the $8,000 tax credit won’t apply to those of you looking to snag vacation homes (unless of course, this is your first purchase and you intend to use it as your primary residence), the glut of properties available means that there’s still lots of time to close on that cabin of your dreams.

This Tribune Media Services article points to the Midwest–Northern Wisconsin vacation homes in particular–as boasting a hearty supply for potential buyers. Homes aren’t moving fast enough, but if that area interests you, your reserves are strong and you have at least a 25 percent down payment, you can score everything from lake houses to done-up chalets, the story said.

If your vacation style calls for fishing, picnicking and campfires in the remote woods, then there’s no better state than Wisconsin, a year-round escape that prides itself on its lodge lifestyle. Many homes sit on acres of land, sport docks and are fitted inside with pine beams and fireplaces.

It’s time to hear from you. Has your Wisconsin vacation home rental been a sound investment? And to house hunters: What are you looking for in a family getaway? Talk to me on Twitter @checkincheckout.

Just as you would be remiss in not trying a bowl of clam chowder in Boston, a plate of sloppy, hunky barbecue is an obligatory meal during your trip to a Texas vacation rental.

I have it on good local authority that some of the best is at Salt Lick BBQ in Austin, thanks to indoor smokers that tenderize brisket to moist, fall-off-the-bone lusciousness. It’s the kind of TLC that you’re better off leaving to someone else while you stay out of the kitchen.

If you prefer to make your own ‘cue, there’s a gas grill at this Austin vacation home, whose solo photo on the listing makes it all that more intriguing. “The feel is very much a place that Frida and Diego would feel right at home!” and  “a one of a kind place that does its best to ‘Keep Austin Weird’” are vague hints, but there’s nothing to really else to depict what’s in store inside this funky shack.

And yet, something’s telling me that meat grilled or smoked here would taste better than anything at Chili’s.

What do you think? Good enough for a visit?

With two weeks left of summer, is it too early to be pushing for fall bookings?

Of course not.

While no one wants to be reminded that the season of sandcastles is slipping away, it’s the savvy marketer who understands the necessity to pounce weeks ahead. Case in point: The owner of the Vermont vacation home above knows his/her customer–a nature buff–and is offering 15 percent off for a weekly rental between Aug. 30 and Oct. 15.

The five-bedroom home sprawls on 50 acres and connects to the Kingdom Trails network in the Northeastern part of the state. Visitors can bike, hike and watch for the random deer or moose. (Yes, moose.) And if the words fall foliage excite you like a cup of warm cider, you’ll most certainly have to make the most of your camera to capture Mother Nature in all her amber, gold and brown splendor.

Winter rates jump to $1,800 a week from Dec. 15 to April 15–so it does in fact pay to be the early bird.

Just don’t market Christmas in July. Now that’s a real turn-off.

Dear owner of the Connecticut vacation home who wrote The Wall Street Journal to get advice on how to market her property for sale,

List your cabin on vacationhomerentals.com.

It’s an option that will allow you to ride out the stormy housing conditions and build equity in your home–with other peoples’ money. Why sell when you don’t have to? If you do receive a offer, it’s a safe bet you won’t get asking price. (Sorry, but you can’t take it personally given the state of the union.)

The site currently boasts just three Stonington vacation rentals, which would be a boon to your home if the price is right, the photos sparkle and you distinguish why your home is better than the rest. The vacation rental pictured, for example, trumpets its nearness to two private beaches and a ball park, huge selling points for families.

I also second the pointers from the WSJ columnist: Enhance your green areas by planting shrubs and trimming them to adequately showcase the lake, blitz the social media sites and offer incentives to entice renters in the forms of canoes or a free night’s stay.

Most important, if your property isn’t moving on the MLS, it’s time to get it on vacationhomerentals.com.