Vacation Home Rentals Blog

We hope that Florida vacation home you booked for July is still in the works, but a new poll suggests that folks have canceled at least one of their planned trips.

A survey by AP-Gfk claims that 42 percent of Americans will be going on summer vacation, compared with 49 percent who said in a 2005 AP-Ipsos poll that they would be taking one. And most notable: While 43 percent of 30-49-year-olds will be vacationing, only 39 percent of 65 and older Americans plan to do so.

Can’t say I’m surprised.

The entitlement generation is used to Starbucks, Louis Vuitton purses and high-end denim. Personally, those are luxuries I can live without, but a vacation? No way.

If your company is teetering on the edge of layoffs or you’re living paycheck to paycheck, I can understand why you’d want to bypass the holiday in a Maui vacation rental, but an abbreviated excursion, even an extended weekend, can do wonders. Just choose carefully and don’t be stupid. If a road trip to Colorado is more feasible than a splashy European adventure, more power to you. And don’t rule out the savings and space benefits of renting a vacation home.

What’s the truth, though, America? We want to hear from you. Are you sticking by or scrapping your summer vacation? Leave a comment here or follow us (and speak to us) on Twitter @checkincheckout.

California and Illinois aren’t the only states strapped for cash.

Florida lawmakers have decided to cut the budget for the state-subsidized tourism agency, Visit Florida, to $25 million, $10 million less than what it received last year, the Orlando Sentinel reported.

The optimist in me says the Sunshine State will endure the downturn even without the added support of the agency–especially if the airlines continue to discount airfares. I found an insanely cheap fare to Tampa on AirTran for around $138 roundtrip, but I went with Southwest (for $179 to boot) because it’s easier to travel with the kids on direct flights.

Given the competition for out-of-towners, hotels are doing everything possible to convert vacancies into occupancies, so Florida vacation home owners should be creative with their marketing and consider dangling last-minute deals and other incentives–including buy three, get the fourth-night-free promotions to free Disney tickets–to land bookings.

Travelers, if you’re looking for that resort experience but like the conveniences of your own kitchen, VacationHomeRentals.com has plenty of properties to suit your needs. (Destin vacation rentals come to mind.)

The diminished power of Visit Florida hopefully won’t deter tourists from visiting. Because when it comes to surf, sand and sun, the state is to vacations as McDonald’s is to french fries. It’s what it does best.

To the people of Rhode Island and the owners of all other properties in vacation home hot spots I may have missed, my sincerest regrets. Obviously I didn’t and don’t mean to leave you out. My virtual beach blanket will spread over your getaway soon, and if not, please remind me of why it’s worthy of a post.

I found this adorable Rhode Island vacation home while thinking of states that haven’t seen the love on Check-In, Check-Out.  Secluded in the quiet town of Narragansett, it rivals Hamptons vacation rentals in its coastal charm without the celebrity-studded parties (Although, you may run into Anne Archer–even though –who listed her two-story, luxury townhome for sale, according to Luxist.). Go there to golf, fish, photograph a lighthouse and spend quality time with your family.

And the best selling point of all–directly from the property owner: “The song of the ocean is incessant.”

That’s music to my ears.

If the home happens to be booked, checked out the owner’s other property at the bottom of the listing along with more Narragansett vacation homes here.

As summer vacation inches closer to rearing its highlighted, shade-wearing head, you’re in full-on homework mode.

Will it be a Cabo San Lucas vacation home or an Orlando vacation rental this year? A beach cottage or a lake house? As rough as it is out there, we’re still spoiled with choices.

And here’s one more: This week, BookingBuddy.com unveiled a section for vacation rentals, another sign that the segment is here to stay. I know, I know. One more darn site to click through.

But this one will actually save time, allowing consumers to stack up rental fees on various websites, including VacationHomeRentals.com. See how lucky you are? Besides an ad in the Yellow Pages–remember those?–and a Rand McNally map, bet your parents were lucky to have any resources for travel planning.

The fact that BookingBuddy.com, a site with 2.7 million unique visitors as of this March (according to compete.com), now lists vacation homes alongside cruises, vacation packages and hotels just goes to show travelers what a smart, competitive and now, mainstream, business model it is.

So if you’re in the market for R&R, consider a vacation home. On the flip side, if you own one, consider listing it here for broader exposure.

It’s a win-win.

As a parent, I’ve learned many things. Among them: 1) Bring a change of clothes. You never know when the bladder (or stomach) will fail. 2)Nothing makes a kid happier than Chuck E. Cheese. 3)When Chuck E. Cheese isn’t nearby, the promise of an amusement park works, too.

Count the Wisconsin Dells–the so-called water park capital of the universe–on the list of tot-approved distractions.

I’d never heard of the Dells until I moved to Chicago seven years ago, and since then, friends haven’t stopped raving about it. “I couldn’t get my son to leave the indoor water parks,” one pal said, while another couldn’t get over the fact that “it feels like you’re stepping back to the 50s” with its numerous lodge accommodations and deluge of families.

Combined with affordable Wisconsin Dells vacation rentals, the getaway should be more than on my radar. It should be this year’s summer vacation. The two-bedroom, one-bath cottage above is just $349-$699 a week, depending on the time of year.

The Dells counts more than 20 indoor and outdoor water parks in its repertoire, plus golf and ski options and the nearby Wollersheim Winery for mom and dad.

Hey, nobody said you have to play all day in the pool.

No, the photo isn’t Six Flags, but the property owner of this Lake George vacation home assures us it’s 30 minutes away from Six Flags Great Escape Lodge & Indoor Water Park. So you can go canoeing and hit the roller coasters–a win-win.

While Disney World and Disneyland are making it sweeter to visit this year, all the extras–airfare, car rentals, etc.–may not make either an affordable option for your family. Have you thought of Plan B?

Take a road trip to a nearby Six Flags theme park. With attractions in 11 states, there’s bound to be a Six Flags within driving distance. From California vacation homes to New Jersey vacation rentals, lodging is plentiful and a lot more comfortable than that 300-square-foot hotel room that’s been dubbed a “suite.”

If you can swing it, purchase a season pass to maximize those dollars for unlimited trips, free concerts and special events and private access days. Pack a cooler with food, too. My most bitter moment last summer was walking out of Six Flags Great America and noticing all the folks who’d been smart enough to eat in the parking lot. Four hamburgers, four fries and $50 later–for lunch, no less–that image stung.

Oh well. At least we had fun at the park.

Having spent the boozy part of my 20s in Florida, I know from experience that Tampa knows how to have a good time, and doesn’t give a damn what anyone else thinks. It’s a town that parades its strip clubs on the same street as the local Walmart, and dive bars are as plentiful as Starbucks.

But don’t judge a city by its lucite heels and beer belly.

There’s an upscale side to the area, too, and several options for Tampa vacation homes. From Mcmansions to condo rentals, executives and families don’t have to settle for Motel 6. The condo pictured above is in the masterplanned community of Harbor Island, a tony collection of townhomes and apartments just a bridge away from downtown Tampa and within walking distance of The Convention Center, Channelside and the St. Pete Times Forum.

On a purely frivolous note, there’s one more factoid about Tampa that may even have Perez Hilton buzzing: Someday soon, it will house the future digs of Derek Jeter, who is reportedly building a 30,000-plus-square-foot palace on Davis Island. (The home at 58 Bahama Cirle is still under construction by Jeter’s company, Kered Connors LLC, according to the St. Petersburg Times, just in case you’re dying to spy.)

He may even be around. Look for the baby blue Ferrari.

In the vacation home world, one group often gets lost in media coverage: Those who fly solo.

Whether you’re on business or getting ready to “backpack” around Europe, vacation apartments provide an economical alternative in these troubled times. All the little extras in a hotel room are great, but seriously, how much sense does it make it to spend $6.50 on a bottle of Evian just because it was left out for you? And those little soaps and shampoos are cute, too, but unless they’re high-end products, do they really get much use beyond your vacation?

Contemplate these points when you’re engaging in your suspicious single behavior, which could include any one of the following: A)Warming up last-night’s burritos for breakfast B)Waxing your facial hair C)Checking your Twitter, Gmail, LinkedIn and Facebook accounts obsessively–as many as five times within the hour.

1. Amsterdam vacation home
Any landlord who leaves flowers on the table AND Heineken in the fridge is someone who deserves respect. This is Amsterdam, after all, so what’s a vacation without a little booze? Just be careful when climbing up that ladder to go to bed. Don’t drink and climb.

2. San Francisco vacation home
When traveling solo, you begin to appreciate all those buddies who schlepped you all over town, putting miles on their odometers and never once asking for gas money. When without, count on the next best things: Buses and trains. This Castro apartment is close to Castro and Market streets near public transit, giving you easy access to other neighborhoods like Haight-Ashbury, Noe Valley, Cole Valley and downtown. While the kitchenette is definitely built for one, that shower looks big enough for a group. Don’t get any ideas.

3. Brooklyn vacation home
This Fort Greene apartment is your answer to anonymity, if that’s what you seek. The home–in a beautiful brownstone near the The Brooklyn Academy of Music–isn’t the sardine box you’d pay triple for on the Upper East Side. There’s an actual bedroom, full-sized stove, couch, patio and yard. The train is just one block away, leading to the sea of strangers that is Manhattan. See. It isn’t so bad to travel solo. You’re never really alone.

Made you look, didn’t I?

This Miami Beach vacation home has attitude, style and the accolades to boot. It won he Florida Builders Platinum Award for architecture in 2005, according to the property owner.

And more than that, it earned three New Yorkers’ stamps of approval for its proximity to clubs, restaurants and overall effortless SoBe appeal. “The minute you see the townhouse your jaw drops in amazement.” wrote one reviewer. “You just never want to leave.”

The tri-level townhome marries slick upgrades–European-style cabinets, travertine floors, granite counter tops and Kohler fixtures–with bachelor pad amenities, including a 42-inch plasma flat screen, Bose Wave Radio/CD player and DVD player. While the rest of your friends are dropping thousands for a room at the Delano, you’ll have your own hotel-like amenities such as a whole roof deck to yourself, outdoor kitchen, five-person jacuzzi and incredible views of Sofi, or the hot neighborhood called South of Fifth.

And what a neighborhood it is.

In walking distance, find restaurants that sizzle with “scene,” including Shoji Sushi, Prime One Twelve, for example, then finish (or start, depending on your tolerance) the night with the pretty people at Pearl. If you can’t get in, well you know there’s one exclusive address where you won’t be denied entry: Your very own Miami Beach vacation rental.

Take that, Sean Combs.

Vacation home owners, listen up: The mortgage relief plan unveiled this week may be able to help you, too.

The Washington Post reported that rules under the Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac program dubbed “Making Home Affordable” also apply to vacation homes and one-to-four unit rental properties. So if you’re finding it tough to keep up with the payments on your existing home and getaway–whether that’s a Florida vacation home or South Carolina vacation rental–it would a no-brainer to call your lender to see if you qualify.

Unfortunately, those who recently lost their jobs or whose existing loans exceed current Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac requirements ($417,000 in most states and $729,750 in more expensive states such as California or New York) may not be eligible, but for those who have not been late on their mortgage payments more than 30 days in the last year, the potential to refinance is there. With rates hovering between the high 4s and 5.25 percent, the time to dial in a lower payment is now.

So what’s stopping you? Ask your lender about loan modification requirements. It could be one bright light in this bad economy: A potential savings of hundreds a month.