Tuesday, January 10, 2012

VRBO (travel tips!)

Most recent vrbo in southern arizona


do you know about it??  if not, you are missing out!  unless we are traveling in the motorhome, we rely on vrbo (vacation rentals by owner) for an awesome complete home (with view!) in whatever area we are visiting.  there are other vacation rental sites as well like homeaway and vacationrentals.com, but vrbo has by far the most extensive network and greatest selection.




 our first vacation rental was about 5 years ago in washington right on the straight of juan de fuca.  we loved having the privacy of an individual home and really enjoyed all the little amenities that it offered.  plus it can be much less expensive than staying at a nice hotel! since then we (or me by myself) have stayed at lots of other homes in different areas.



the homes are posted by owners, although some have managers that handle everything for them.  you can contact them by email or phone to ask questions.  since each one is individual, there is a wide range of different prices, policies, etc.  they all post pictures – some are pretty sketchy and some are so extensive you can visualize every room before you see it!  some owners are very accommodating and responsive…. others not so much, so there is some risk involved.

Taos, New Mexico

Julian, San Diego county

Palomar Mountain















Nederland, Colorado

here are a couple of tips for finding your dream home (even if only temporarily!):

do your homework (it's fun!)  look at the other available homes in the area, compare prices and amenities before making a decision ( i usually end up spending tons of time on this, but have been so happy with my choices in the end!)

read the reviews – but realize that each one is just one person’s opinion!

decide what factors are non-negotiable for you.  for us, it’s usually pet-friendly, VIEW and privacy.  we are not picky about the rest if we have those!

if you can travel off-season or mid-week, you can usually save $$.

sometimes owners are negotiable with their price.  in some cases, i have worked out deals in return for taking additional pics and/or writing up a positive review of the place.  we have also been successful at times with having the owners waive the cleaning fee by leaving the place just as we found it.

This one on Lake Michigan was really run down on the outside

But who cares??
 if you want to try it and have questions, let me know (my email is in the "about")

 now that we are thinking of venturing beyond the confines of the usa, we have discovered a whole new WORLD of vrbo out there!!  We'll see where it leads us.....

Meditation hut at the Taos rental

8 comments:

  1. i used that site last year for a stay in Santa Barbara...it was a great experience! i will never use craigslist again for vacation rentals...3 out of 5 places turned out to be scams!

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  2. VRBO is a great way to go I agree. You have found some treasures. I will personally take the Taos property! Sounds like you are going to have some adventures up ahead. Can't wait to hear about it. hugs, Donna

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  3. Excellent Post Patty! It's Been So Long Since My Husband And I've Been Able To Enjoy A Vacation. But Now VRBO Seems The Most Sensible Way To Go. Will Definitely Look Into This Great Option. LOVED The Photos BTW. P.S. I'm Feelin' Better With Each Passing Day. God Is Good! Love & Sunshine, Terri

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  4. Patty-Thank you SO SO SO much for posting this info...you are siomply not going to believe this but I was going to ask you about this exact thing!!! But hey...we have alawys been on a similar wave length. I agree with the Lake Michigan home...with a view like that...who cares??? And that meditation hut in Taos...OMG!!! I am going to write thsi info. down.
    Wow!! We have the exact same color in our studios?? Do you maen we both have yellow or do you mean we both have Sunbeam by Glidden??? Wild!! xxx

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  5. Oooh! I love that place in Taos! (And if I remember correctly, it was pet-friendly?!) I am going to check this out. Maybe puppy and me can go there this year after all! (Or wait, that's kind of a drive. Maybe I shouldn't be so hasty in deciding. ;)

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  6. Love that meditation hut!! Such a wonderful collection and way of 'remembering' where you've been. Love this!

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  7. Hey its a very pretty place, I want to go there soon... Thanks

    Hotel Reservations

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I would love to hear from you!!