Category: Vacation Homes

Knowing More About Orlando Vacation Homes

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All the stress of home and work are soon to come to an end. Vacation time is fast approaching and you have been actively seeking the perfect spot to get that well deserved rest and relaxation.

After narrowing down your search to Florida, and focusing in on Orlando, there are only a few more hiccups left to set straight before your dream vacation begins. Many people will choose a basic hotel to stay in, overlooking the abundance of opportunities to gain a much needed sense of privacy as well as cost effective accommodations.

Who really wants to deal with the hassles of hotel living, given the attention prone to overcharging the customer instead of satisfying them. With this in mind, what are the benefits of staying in Orlando vacation homes instead of the competing hotels? The list is endless, but let us try and focus in on the most important attributes you will likely be inclined to choose from.

Is it going to be expensive? Obvious question to start with given the current financial times and an easy one to answer. Overwhelmingly no compared to most hotels of the same caliber, vacation homes in Orlando are quite a deal really. Overall costs begin at the same price as the average hotel room will run you, and depending on if you are bringing children, try to keep in mind the additional rooms you would be paying for. Hotels rarely drop their rates a substantial amount for multiple rooms while vacation homes can be a quality solution to a oversized families problem.

Forgetting about the affordable base cost to start, most Orlando vacation homes include a full kitchen, which can help save a pretty penny over room service. Now I know what your thinking, I didnt come on vacation to cook and I fully agree. Most meals I assume you will be going out for, but cooking a few of the meals during your stay can save a good amount, which in turn could be spent on more entertaining ventures. In addition, the removal of a mini-bar from the equation must be an improvement over being hit with a huge charge for snacks and soda.

Other advantages range from every aspect of what your expect out of a vacation. The additional privacy of Orlando vacation homes can give an extra spark to an already romantic getaway. Not to mention the fact that you will not be bothered by hotel staff, nor have to deal with the other guests staying there. Amenities are abundant, including big screen televisions, game rooms and wireless internet access, depending on your choice homes.

If you are bringing along a pet, you will also have an easier time finding a vacation home that accepts them over a hotel that will. Like I said, the advantages are endless. Through my first hand experience, I would not only suggest checking them out, but demand it! I feel everyone owes it to themselves to get the most out of their vacation, and this is the best way I can personally add to it.

Top Six Tips For Making Your Vacation Home Profitable

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The vacation rental market is growing. More people are traveling nationally and internationally with each passing year. Hotels have this monotonous sort-of uninteresting feeling about them. Vacation rentals on the other hand have a personal touch to them and offer visitors more freedom than a hotel does. And, they are often cheaper. This could be a great business to get in. A recent report suggested that renting out vacation homes can be almost 90% more profitable than a regular home rental. However, it’s always about risk-reward, right? There are things you need to know to run your vacation home business right to avoid getting burned. The responses to the six questions listed below will provide some answers for those new to vacation home renting.

1.Rule Number 1 – Get the right insurance

Homeowner’s insurance for your vacation rental property is essential. There is no questioning that. But just like vehicle insurance or renter’s insurance, there really are quite a few options out there. Choosing the right one can save you a lot of headache in the long run. And money too. The balance between premium and benefit in insurance is always a hard one to find. Determining your insurance needs is best done by consulting a number of insurance agencies, but make sure to prepare a checklist of questions beforehand. Insuring a vacation home is much more involved than a regular home. You have a new vacationer every week. You must be prepared to handle lawsuits from irate vacationers. You really can’t make everyone happy however hard you try. Strong liability coverage will help you sleep well. Don’t just sign the insurance paper as if it’s a necessary evil. Understand what you are getting into. If disaster strikes, you should know what you can get away with and what you can’t.

2.Marketing: Do this right. You don’t really have a choice.

Any business, but especially a vacation home rental must advertise to be successful and remain competitive. Online advertising has proven to be a key way of reaching prospective renters. In other businesses, people still use yellow books and word of mouth heavily. In vacation homes, most people are not from the same area so they don’t usually have the yellow pages and also may not know anyone from that area to get a recommendation. So where do they go? Google, Yahoo, MSN or AOL. That’s who they search to find a nice vacation rental. That can be a good or a bad thing. To turn that into a favorable thing, market online. Consult with a good search engine marketing company. Get a website for your vacation rental if possible. Get your home listed on multiple sites. Use other techniques like radio/print/TV ads as well, but to a lesser extent perhaps. If done right, internet advertising can get you ten times better results than other techniques for a fraction of the price. You really need a good online marketing company though. There are too many out there that don’t know what they are doing. It will help if you know some basics about advertising on search engines or have a friend or family member who does that can negotiate with your online marketing company.

3.Rental Restrictions: Be smart about this and avoid headaches.

You can stipulate certain requirements that renters must meet to rent your property. However, be careful not to make these discriminatory restrictions based on race or other such factors. That can get you into a lawsuit faster than anything else and you are almost assured of a loss. You can however set age limits, animal/pet, or smoking restrictions, depending on the jurisdiction that your rental is at. However, to avoid running a foul of the law, check regulations governing certain types of rentals. You can also change these restrictions periodically. Research the norm in your area. Often times, copying what other renters do in the area can be a good start.

4.Security deposit: Handle them carefully.

For vacation rentals, it is often a good idea to get a portion of the pay upfront as a deposit. Non-refundable or non-refundable is a question that you are going to have to answer. I personally like to keep smaller non-refundable deposits that I can deduct from the total pay. Often people pay checks that bounce. With a visitor every week you don’t really have the time to go after people if there are problems. To avoid making a loss, always cask the security deposit check. That’s a good way to know whether your renter is likely to pay the full amount.

5.Be clear and upfront about refundable security deposits

Many people also keep a refundable security deposit. If you do, remember that are only allowed to keep back the cost of the damaged item plus any fees associated with replacing the item. You can’t just withhold the whole security deposit if damages don’t equal the deposit. Be clear and upfront about this and keep all bills and receipts to prove why a specific amount was withheld.

6.Keep it clean

If done right, you can actually make a profit from this. Offer multiple options to your renters. No cleaning, full cleaning, partial cleaning. Also let them pick the frequency. Then based on that, charge them a markup over what you pay to your cleaners. There you go, now you have a cleaning service that you offer for your vacation rental and make money from it.

Comparison Shopping for Vancouver Family vacation Homes as well as Lodgings

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Vancouver is a coastal city and the major seaport of British Columbia in Canada. This original city has it all from majestic mountains, to lush parks and panoramic beaches providing tourists with every outdoor activity you can possibly imagine.

Below you’ll find a list of activities and attractions, in addition to travel statistics on comparison shopping, vacation planning and themes, and some lodging selections.ns.

Vancouver offers a unique blend of big-city atmosphere and outdoor adventure. It’s the city where travelers can ski, sail and enjoy the vibrant night life that Vancouver has to offer. Majestic mountains, ocean and islands characterize Vancouver bringing tourists limitless recreation options. Read on to find out about the area’s biggest attractions.

Among the places to enjoy such outdoor activities as running, biking and rollerblading is Stanley Park. Nestled along the seawall, Stanley Park is one of the largest urban parks in the world and offers stunning ocean views. Vacationers who stay at a Vancouver lodging can also enjoy carriage rides, a rose garden and beautiful sunsets.

People staying at a Vancouver inn who want to learn about Vancouver’s past, should visit historic Gastown, the oldest part of the city. Cobblestone streets and brick buildings create a unique environment and invite tourists to dine in Gastown’s several restaurants and shop in charming specialty stores. Panoramic views of the North Shore mountains and Coastal Harbor are guaranteed.

A market research study produced by a very well known travel website discloses that 70 percent of the travelers trying to find lodging in Vancouver were interested in comparison shopping among Vancouver vacation rentals, bed and breakfasts, inns, and hotels.

Forty-six percent of the vacationers planning their stay in Vancouver were early organizers who started their vacation preparing 2 or more months in advance from the travel date, 21 percent of the inquiries were sent 1 to 2 months in advance, and 32 percent were from last minute travelers inquiring within the last 30 days prior to the arriving to their lodging in Vancouver.

Vancouvers most popular vacation theme (besides the Olympics) is romance with 32 percent of the inquiries requesting accommodations for two, 24 percent were from families with children, 19 percent from groups of more than 4 adults, and 21 percent of the inquiries were from people traveling alone.

With the current state of the economy, comparison shopping plays an important role in consumers decisions.

As an example, beneath there are 2 outstanding deals to evaluate:

Vancouver BC Vacation Apartment: Perfect hotel alternative! Fully furnished deluxe apartments located in different areas of Vancouver. You can choose between unique one bedroom (two bathrooms!) Vancouver condo on two levels, two bedroom, two bathroom 1100sq Vancouver condo, spacious three bedroom 1100sq Vancouver – Burnaby or executive 1200sq Penthouse suite overlooking Vancouver ! All our Vancouver vacation apartments are very well located , very well appointed with lown aundry, fast speed/wireless internet and underground secured parking. For more info, pictures and a useful form to deal with the owner directly, please log into property ID#8598 at rentalo.com.

Vancouver BC Hotel: English Bay, Stanley Park, Robson Street, Denman and Downtown are all close when you enjoy a first class stay in one of our six , exclusive ‘homes’ while in Vancouver for business or pleasure…short- or long-term. There are only two, grand suites per floor in this brick heritage building built in 1910 and refurbished completely in 1996. Ideal for the following type of guests who want everything except a cement tower:- Film or movie industry executives and talent;- Tourists or business travelers who want twice the value and space of a hotel–or bring the maid and key staff! For more info, pictures and a useful form to deal with the owner directly, please log into property ID#21741 at rentalo.com

Additionally, you should check:
– British Columbia lodgings
– Compare hotels and other lodgings
– Helpful Guide to Vancouver British Columbia Family vacation Condos & Hotels and Inns

We offerVancouver vacation rentals, other travel lodging inventory and comparison shopping tools.

Mexico Becomes First Choice For Many Second-home Buyers

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Home to many popular tourist destinations, such as Cancun, Acapulco, Puerto Vallarta and Baja California, Mexico is also fast becoming a popular destination for those looking to purchase a second home for vacation, retirement or investment.

As more and more families seek to balance their hectic, high-stress lifestyles, having a second home is gaining appeal as a way to get away from it all, reduce stress, participate in recreational activities and enjoy more quality time together, and all while making a good investment for the future.

Located north of Central America, Mexico is an exotic and affordable choice for second homes. At nearly three times the size of Texas, Mexico boasts over 5,500 miles of coastland. The country is graced with a temperate climate year round.

Because real estate in domestic locales such as Arizona and Florida has become so expensive, vacationers and retirees are seeking out more affordable locations. Mexico is an attractive alternative due to its tropical climate, lower cost of living and welcoming attitude towards foreigners.

Its affordable real estate allows U.S. investors to purchase a luxurious second home at prices 20% to 50% less than they would pay for a comparable property back home. And, as demand for these properties increases, owners can expect their investment in Mexico real estate to appreciate.

A variety of quality properties is available for foreign investors seeking second homes in Mexico. Developers are meeting the surge in demand by constructing resort-like, master-planned communities brimming with luxurious amenities such as golf courses, infinity pools, full-service spas, state-of-the-art fitness centers, fine-dining restaurants and exciting entertainment venues.
International buyers appreciate that Mexico offers an attractive infrastructure similar to that of the U.S. It boasts good main roads, Internet access, cable television, good cell phone reception, and availability of many American-style products and services. New and improved airports and frequent flights to and from major U.S. cities, make Mexico easily accessible.

Though Mexican law once prevented non-citizens from purchasing property within 31 miles of the coast, the government has introduced a system known as fideicomiso (fee-day-e-co-me-so), a title-holding trust that allows non-citizens to own property inside of the restricted zones. Therefore, many of the new vacation homes being developed and marketed to foreign investors are built near Mexicos beautiful beaches.

Financing for properties in Mexico has become easier to obtain as developers work in tandem with lending companies in Mexico to offer favorable loan packages to international buyers. In addition, U.S. lenders are starting to offer loans for properties in Mexico.

Mexico is clearly worthy of consideration for those looking to own a second home that will provide years of enjoyment and also offer the potential for appreciation and profit in the future.

Getting A Security Camera System With Iphone Viewing & Recording

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The past few years have seen an increased number of insecurity cases in homes. This has caused many individuals to embrace more sophisticated and customized home security systems. The most popular modern home security systems are equipped with capabilities that ease access to the cameras incredibly. This technological advancement goes beyond the conventional camera systems in that they have the ability to record events taking place around the home, a feature that greatly helps to protect their property from theft or other harm. In addition to these recording capabilities, most experts have adopted the new iphone security camera system that enables one to view all the filmed sequence through an iphone remotely.

Most iphone security camera system has two options for viewing the footage. To start with, a web-based application form of viewing technology is used, where the user can view of his or her compound through a web browser. A JPG image is usually loaded from the camera after which the page can be reloaded and the image updated at a moderate rate on the iphone. This remote viewing option allows four cameras to be viewed at a time and this feature has increasingly increased this systems popularity in the market.

The second option involves the use of a computer based DVR (digital video recorder). This is a more advanced form of technology that brings with it an array of features that surpass most other previously prominent features. These include basic controls of the cameras features such as zooming, panning or tilting in addition to live video streaming. Furthermore, all digital inputs and outputs can be controlled or manipulated by the user to run tasks like playing the video footage, direct sending of the premise/ propertys photos to ones iphone among other features. These tools are essential in assuring security as an individual can conveniently utilize them to discover any vandalism or a break-in attempt and raise the alarm.

Apart from the iphone accessibility and controllable features, there are a handful of other advantages associated with an iphone security camera system. These include the ability to install additional cameras easily without incurring high additional costs and easily configuring the system especially when using software for video capture and alerts. Finally, the system requires a low initial cost and no third-party monitoring charges are attached to it. Conclusively, all these features attributed to the iphone security camera system work together to help monitor the occurrences around ones home from indoors, the work place and even when away on vacation.