When you see a beautiful Orlando vacation rental it is not out of the question to “fall in love” with the home as soon as you see it. This is fine because you should select a home that completely appeals to you. However, you need to understand the home will only be as good as the landlord that is providing the home. In other words, what if there are landlord-tenant related issues that arise after you have signed on to the rental agreement. Will there be a number of customer service issues that may arise and will they be resolved within your reasonable specifications? Clearly, if the landlord/tenant relationship is damaged then the ability to enjoy the actual vacation will be compromised. So, it becomes important to ascertain whether or not the rental agency you are entering the agreement with is a reliable agency.
There are a number of ways to check out the legitimacy and quality of the rental agency that you are considering doing business with. Probably the most basic way would be to check out the Better Business Bureau rating of the company. If it has a solid rating then it is probably a solid company – although it may be wise to check the resolved column which refers to the number of resolved complaints. You want to avoid trouble not resolve it.
You could also do a little further research by examining if the rental agency belongs to any management associations that are credible or see if the agency possesses any state issued certifications or licenses. Now, some may consider such actions to be overkill and that is their choice. However, there is nothing worse than a vacation that goes south so making sure everything is in order prior to signing an agreement is always a smarter option.
Filed under Blog by on Jan 15th, 2008.
If you were to ask people why they opt to rent a hotel room instead of an Orlando vacation rental there will be two responses that will be provided. The first is that they do not require the amount of space that a home will provide and that is understandable. The second reason that they will provide is the price and they do not feel that they should spend as much as is required for a rental home as opposed to a hotel. This argument is somewhat understandable, but the truth of the matter is that there is a number of cost saving measures associated with home rentals that most people are not aware of.
For starters, there are a number of additional overhead costs that hotel and motel chains associate into their prices. For example, advertising costs and taxes are always going to be passed on to the consumer and that means that these costs will find their way into the rental fee. Also, it is important to point out that any motel or hotel exclusive fee such as parking costs (some motels will charge to keep a car on their lot) will be eliminated if you opt to rent a home as opposed to a hotel or motel room. And what about those tips you leave in the dining room at the hotel? You can scratch those too!
Of course, homes can also bring a number of consolidation savings. In other words, when you and five friends rent a home you are doing something that no hotel would let you do. At minimum with a hotel you would need 3 rooms so a home would eradicate those costs.
As one can see there are a great number of cost saving benefits that most people do not think of when they rent a home as opposed to a hotel room, but once those benefits are pointed out the importance of a home is noted.
Filed under Blog by on Jan 1st, 2008.
Have you ever stopped into a convenience store on the way home? Of course you have! And you probably at one time or another looked at the cost of some very minor items and were shocked at the cost of what you purchased. Most surely you probably opted to avoid heading back and forth to the convenience store and preferred to eat supermarket bought (inexpensive) snacks in your own home. Considering that you won’t have this luxury when you go on vacation and that means that costs will be jacked up. Or will they? Well, not if you have a kitchen provided during your vacation.
When it comes to selecting an Orlando vacation rental the kitchen of the home remains a somewhat curious subject. The reason for this is that the notion that one will have access to a kitchen while on vacation is a huge plus but it is also often overlooked in the sense that people do not take the value of the kitchen as serious as it should be taken. After all, a kitchen can prove to be the source of tremendous savings.
It can NEVER be overstated that eating out in restaurants all the time when you are on vacation can run into significant amounts of money. No, this does not mean that you should outright skip eating out altogether but it does mean that you should reserve the option to not be forced to eat out all the time. Additionally, the aforementioned example of having to shell out a lot of money for smaller snacks should stoke a little fear in any individual who will be without the benefit of having a kitchen at one’s disposal.
So, it goes without saying that one should never downplay the value of a kitchen as it comes with a host of benefits that may be huge cost savers. Scratch that. It WILL be a huge cost saver!
Filed under Blog by on Dec 15th, 2007.
The Positives of an Orlando Vacation Package
If you are headed to Orlando, you are probably excited because of all the great activities to partake in as well as all the glorious sites to visit. So it go without saying that you either want to miss anything nor do you want to travel around in a haphazard manner. While there are a ton of great options for those looking to have fun in an Orlando vacation adventure, the vacation can fall apart rather quickly if it is not organized and, honestly, it is difficult for someone looking for fun in the Florida sun to plan an itinerary in a geographic area that they may have not previously visited. This is where a solid Orlando vacation package comes into play.
Consider the following Orlando vacation package: a seven day stay at a four star hotel, two days at Walt Disney World, one day at Universal Studios, one day ay MGM Studios, and one day at Sea World. Sounds like a great Orlando vacation package, right? Well, that is because it is! Better yet, it is an Orlando vacation package where the itinerary is laid out in explicit detail and it leaves the vacationer the option of enjoying himself without the added stress of having to plan out the vacation.
Also, when one opts to select an Orlando vacation package there is also the potential to save a great deal of money as vacation packages are almost always offered in conjunction with discounts. Now, who doesn’t like getting a discount? There is no reason to spend more money when you have to when you could spend the money that you save on souvenirs, dining and other more productive pursuits. Vacation packages are the way to go and selecting a solid Orlando vacation package will make a Florida vacation and easy time and a stress free one as well.
Filed under Blog by on Nov 28th, 2007.
It has been said “An Orlando rental home is only good as the company that facilitates the rental.” In other words, the quality of the Orlando rental home will be based upon the quality and integrity of the rental management firm that is offering the residence for rent. Granted, there really should not be any concerns regarding rental agencies as most of these companies are quite reliable. However, there are the occasional “bad apples.”
Consider the following scenario: you are looking for a solid Orlando rental home and you pay a rental service a $300 fee to use their private service for a month. What this service offers is a private, exclusive list of rentals that only subscribers to the rental service have access. Sounds like a good deal for those looking for a top notch Orlando rental home, right?
Well, during the first week, you visit three rental properties. They don’t catch your eye and this is not a big deal. After all, you have three more weeks on your one month agreement with the Orlando rental home service you signed up with. Then, you head to the location of the service and they are gone. Yes, GONE! They closed up shop and skipped town. Looks like you won’t get a refund either.
While this may seem like a ridiculous scenario, it is one that happens often. Unfortunately, there are a number of fly by night rental services out there and the best way to avoid then is to stick with rental services that have a proven track record for success over a period of years. So, if you are looking for a solid Orlando rental home service stick with companies that have solid reports from the better business bureau and have also been in business for many years. If need be, ask for references as seeing references certainly won’t hurt. While these steps may seem small they go a long way in separating the quality rental services from the bad ones.
Filed under Blog by on Nov 21st, 2007.
Yes, you have finally found that glorious Orlando, Florida home rental that you have been looking for. This is a truly fantastic Orlando, Florida home rental as it has everything that you have wanted. It is a spacious abode and it resides in one of the nicer sections of Orlando. The view from the windows is fantastic and overlooks a pretty blue lake. The rental even comes with a swimming pool. This just sounds absolutely great. What more could you possible ask for? Furniture!
Yes, furniture. While the Orlando, Florida home rental you have selected is absolutely stunning, the fact remains that it is unfurnished. No matter how fantastic a Orlando, Florida home rental may be, no one wants to spend their time in it sleeping on the floor. So, needless to say, something has to be done about furnishing the Orlando, Florida home rental you have signed on to.
Here is some advice: you may not want to purchase furniture. This includes both new and used furniture, particularly if your rental is meant to be a relatively short term one. The reason for this is that there is no reason to expend a great deal of money on purchasing and moving new or used furniture if you have no intention of taking the furniture with you when you leave. Instead, you may wish to explore options of furniture rentals.
There are a number of furniture rental stores that can provide an excellent selection of furnishings to fit any budget or taste. Additionally, when the renter moves the furniture can be returned to the rental agency with no hassles. In fact, the rental agency might even come by and pickit up! So, stick with rented furniture and make moving in and out of your Orlando, Florida home rental much easier.
Filed under Blog by on Nov 14th, 2007.
The Orlando area and central Florida in general have been long considered prime real estate markets. For those who have long since wanted to purchase a home, but have only rented opted to rent a Disney vacation home when they visit should consider exploring the possibility of signing a lease agreement stating “rent with the option to purchase.” In doing so, that Disney vacation may end up being for keeps as well as being an excellent equity that may increase in value many times over.
Renting with the option to purchase is exactly what it sounds like. Essentially, you will sign a lease that specifies a monthly rental price. Say the rental is $1,200.00 a month and you rent the home for 12 months. At the end of the year, you will have spent $14,400 on rent. At the end of the year, you may opt to purchase the home and if this is the case, the $14,400 that has been paid in rent will go towards the down payment of the Disney vacation home.
While it is nice to rent a Disney vacation home, there is nothing that can be acquired from such a rental. There are no tax breaks and there is no equity to gain. The renter is simply paying for the right to live in someone else’s property. Now, there is absolutely nothing inherently wrong with this, but if the option exists to use the rental payments towards a purchase then exploring such an option may be the smart move to make.
Even if you do not wish to live in your Disney vacation home all year round, if you own the home outright you, yourself, can rent it out during your “off months.” In doing so, the home can be a great source of supplemental income. Once again, the financial potential in a Disney vacation home is rather vast.
Filed under Blog by on Nov 7th, 2007.
The word vacation is somewhat open ended because the activities that a vacation can encompass can literally go on without any limitations. Unfortunately, most vacations are cut from the same mold and lack that certain energetic spark. This is not the case in a vacation Florida adventure trip.
There are a whole host of different vacations you can opt to explore, but very few vacation match the energy or the intensity of a vacation Florida adventure. Please not that the use of the word “adventure” in the phrase Florida adventure is not a word that is thrown around casually. After all, Florida is a very exciting and interesting place to visit and it provides tremendous opportunities for those looking to have ton of active fun in the sun. Well, there is another operative word that could use a little examination: active.
Sadly, many vacations are passive and involve little more than dining and sightseeing. Of course, there is nothing wrong with such a vacation if that is what a person is looking for. For a person who prefers a more “hands on” vacation, then such a passive vacation would prove to be little more than a dull time. Instead, such active vacationers should explore the options available in a vacation Florida adventure.
This brings about the critical question: what can one do on a vacation Florida adventure? Well, the answer is EVERYTHING! Florida offers a ton of great activities such as competitive beach volleyball, scuba diving, surfing, deep sea fishing, boogie boarding and pretty much anything else an active person could wish to take part in.
So, if “running and jumping” is your bag then Florida should definitely be the destination to visit. In addition to being one of the most beautiful states in the USA, it is also one of the most fun and it is the most fun because it is fully alive. What more could an adventure seeker ask for?
Filed under Blog by on Oct 31st, 2007.
You have to give the Disney people a great deal of credit for their overall creativity. The emphasis here is found in the word “overall.” That is, most often, when people think of Disney’s creativity they think of the wonderful animated films and characters. Granted, such characters are wonderful and memorable creations, but they are not the only wonderful and memorable creations of the Disney collective. In fact, Disney’s creativity expands into the realm of hotel and resort planning and their greatest achievement, in the eye of many, has been the Orlando resort known as the Polynesian.
For those not familiar with the Polynesian resort, it is sprawling hotel resort area that is an amazing replica of the distant lands of Polynesia. So, if you are looking for an Orlando resort with an exotic theme, then you may wish to give serious consideration to booking a stay at the Polynesian. If you like the locations and feel of Hawaii, Guam, Samoa and the South Pacific (or, perhaps, are merely a fan of the musical SOUTH PACIFIC!) you would greatly enjoy a stay at the Polynesian Orlando resort.
In addition to its, wonderful look the service and amenities are top notch and fall well within what you would expect from the nice people at Disney. Again, the Disney company is a true trailblazer in the realm of luxury resorts and the Polynesian Orlando resort is proof positive of that.
Also, the Polynesian Orlando resort is interconnected with other Disney resorts such as the Contemporary Hotel et al and if you stay at the Polynesian, you can also enjoy the entertainment and amenities offered at the other resorts as well. So, clearly, a stay at the Polynesian Orlando resort is one that is well worth the investment and is bound to be incredibly enjoyable.
Filed under Blog by on Oct 22nd, 2007.
When a person is looking for a long term stay in a Disney vacation resort they will need to select a place to stay. Of course, when someone thinks about potential Florida vacation homes and their proximity to Disney, people will automatically assume that the best vacation rentals will be found in the Orlando area. Now, while it is true that there are a great number of fantastic Florida vacation homes in the Orlando area to limit ones choices of Florida vacation homes to the city of Orlando can be somewhat wrongheaded. The reason for this is that a great number or quality and affordable Florida vacation homes can be found in wonderful little cities such as Kissimmee.
The city of Kissimmee is located only a scant 20+ minutes from the city of Orlando and all the joys and fun that Orlando has to offer without all the congestion that Orlando is known for. While Orlando is a great place to visit it can also have a few inherent problems with living there because the sheer volume of tourists and visitors can make the city somewhat crowded. For those who enjoy a little piece and quiet at the end of the day, the congestion of Orlando can undermine the joy that renting Florida vacation homes have to offer.
Kissimmee, on the other hand, is more populated by locals as opposed to tourists and because of this it is a decidedly less crowded place to be. This is a huge benefit to those who want a little peace and quiet as well as a safe environment to relax in. Also, Kissimmee has significantly more grocery and retail stores to accommodate a family as opposed to Orlando which caters more to “hit and run” short term tourists. Orlando is great, but in many ways Kissimmee is just a little better.
Filed under Blog by on Oct 19th, 2007.