• This Presidential event truly underscores how “international” Orlando and Florida have become in terms of global travel. Industry analysts continue to point out that international visitors spend a very high per capita amount on their vacation relative to domestic visitors. For this travel blog for instance, international readers comprise roughly 40% of our audience. International visitation trends to Florida  are re-shaping the state’s economy.
• International tourism year over year growth continues to run north of 10% and resulting in a $23 billion budget surplus. Contrast this with the national economic growth of below 3% and a huge overall budget deficit.
• President Obama’s core reason for the trip was to announce expansion of the Trusted Traveler Program for Florida and the nation. We supported this program back in September, 2011 as the link to our blog post indicates.
• One of the kep elements of the President’s support of this initiative is to build visitor growth from such up and coming economic powers as China and Brazil. Again, almost 2 years ago we spotted these positive trends for Brazilian travel to the United States and its impact on Orlando.

Although President Obama did not spend the evening in Central Florida, he is a well known supporter of vacation home accommodations. When the Obama family visits his native Hawaii, the Aloha state, he typically stays in a vacation home rental. This was also true for a recent stay in Martha’s Vineyard. If holiday homes are good enough for the “first family”, they should be good enough for your family too.

If you or your family want to visit Central Florida and the area theme parks, holiday homes are the perfect choice. Large living spaces, washers and dryers, game rooms and private in-home pools are but a few of the available options. Central Florida is unique in the rental home world due to the wide variety of villas available. One can rent homes from 3 to 8 bedrooms in size as well as in any one of 80+ resort communities. Orlando, Florida is the epicenter of international tourism and for vacation home accommodations.

Consult our reviews for most Orlando vacation home rental resort communities including descriptive and visual details such as Google® directions maps, resort video clips and community photos.

As usual, the pre-tournament buzz will center around Tiger Woods. Mr. Woods won his first pro title in 2011 by winning the Chevron World Challenge in late December in California. In good times past, Tiger supercharged his ultimate Masters appearances by doing well at Bayhill. Local fans will hopefully be rewarded by Tiger’s appearance as well as a title run on Sunday.

For tickets to the Arnold Palmer Invitational 2012 at Bay Hill Resort, please click here.

Visiting Orlando during this great event on the PGA 2012 schedule should be part of your Spring vacation plans. If you do vacation in Central Florida during this time, why not stay in a spacious vacation home rental?

Some of the area’s short term rental communities located near golf courses include:

• Mystic Dunes Golf – Emerald Island, Windsor Hills and Windsor Palms are all located near this course in Kissimmee. This will be about 25 minutes from the Bay Hill course.
• Highlands Reserve Golf Club – Communities such as Hampton Lakes, Regal Palms and of course the Highlands reserve community in Davenport. These subdivisions are roughly 35 minutes away from the course.
• Shingle Creek Golf – Vista Cay and the Isles of Cay Commons are just a short drive from Shingle Creek in Orlando. These resorts are also in proximity to the Orange County Convention Center as we mention in our review.

Whether you are looking to be a spectator or a player, one of Central Florida’s vacation communities can be your home base in March. Luxury, privacy and comfort are but a few of the many amenities that vacation home rentals have to offer. Click on the many community reviews we have posted on the right hand side of our home page for more details.

Some of the PGA Orlando trade show highlights include:

• Demo Day – Wednesday, January 25th 2012
• Golf Lifestyles Showcase – Located on the first floor with the purpose of sourcing the latest styles in apparel and products
• Golf Business Solutions – Focusing on the commercial aspects of golf management including revenue maximization and operational effectiveness
• New Product Zones – Encompasses the official “Demo day” on Wednesday plus booth locations for new products and services
• Inventor’s Spotlight – Don’t miss the “talk of the show” and what’s slated to be the hot new thing. Over 20 new exhibitors displaying avant-garde products are a must-see!
• Booth Exhibitors – The industry’s best and biggest vendors always showcase their golf products at this Orlando show. This golf  show in Orlando includes over 50 exhibitors including Bridgestone Golf, Callaway, FootJoy, HUGO BOSS, Nike Golf, TaylorMade and Under Armour.

For more information and details on this PGA show, please click here.

Maximize your enjoyment of this year’s show by staying in a vacation home rental. The Central Florida vacation home market boasts accommodations of all rental home sizes plus a plethora of home types. Condos, townhomes, villas and detached single family vacation homes are all available locally.

The closest vacation homes to the Orlando Convention Center include Vista Cay and the Isles at Cay Commons. Both resort communities feature resort lifestyle recreational amenities and large condo units. For more specific details on these vacation resorts, click on the respective community review on our home page.

In addition to Vista Cay and the Isles at Cay Commons,  there are several other resort communities we review adjacent to golf courses. These golfing oriented communities we review include Highlands Reserve, Windsor Hills, Windsor Palms and Emerald Island.

• City of Kissimmee Fl – If you are staying in one of the Kissimmee vacation home communities for July 4th, Lakefront Park in Kissimmee is the site for fireworks and fun. Live music, crafts, bingo and food are all part of the day’s festivities. The free concert typically starts at 5:00 p.m. followed by fireworks in the park around 9:30 p.m. Check the City of Kissimmee events calendar for the latest updates.
• Town of Celebration Fl – The charming town of Celebration, Florida will be the site of this year’s Celebration Flashback 4th of July Independence Day extravaganza. In the past, the town has hosted some great musical groups in a relatively intimate entertainment venue on the town’s Main Street. Music typically starts at 5:00 p.m. with fireworks at 9:30 p.m.
• Disneyworld Fireworks Schedule – Magic Kingdom®, Epcot® and Hollywood Studios all have various events on the schedule. Magic Kingdom’s itinerary has a “Celebrate America” theme with fireworks at 9 p.m. and a patriotic parade at 10 p.m. Epcot has costume characters and a “Voices of Liberty” concert at the American Gardens Theatre. Not to be outdone, Hollywood Studios has a Rockin’ 4th of July party including a Rock N’ Roll fireworks show. Check Disney’s latest calendar events updates for latest news and performance times.
• SeaWorld Orlando Summer Nights at Sea World Orlando 4th of July – Traditionally the SeaWorld Park has had a special “Reflections” Show followed by fireworks at 9:45 p.m. The event is held at the park’s Bayside Stadium.
• Legoland® Florida Red, White and Boom! – Legoland California has a fantastic family picnic style event with a great fireworks show for park guests. Nothing has been posted to the Legoland Florida website, but we’ll keep you posted.

America’s Founding Fathers were looking for Freedom many many years ago, and they found it within the bountiful shores of the United States of America. If you and your family are looking for freedom within the gates of your very own Orlando vacation home rental, look no further than the many resort communities in Central Florida. Vacation homes offer space, privacy, independence and freedom for any family or group looking to spend a few days in Central Florida. Spend the July 4th holidays in one of the area’s great vacation home communities!

Orlando Disney and other area theme park ticket sales are ending the year in a very robust manner.

According to local media sources, 3 of 4 Disney parks had to stop guest entry to Animal Kingdom, Hollywood Studios and Magic Kingdom for about an hour and a half as we close the year.

Despite a gloomy economy, the end of December has never been stronger for tourism in Central Florida. Such robust demand has also  impacted local villas in Orlando for rent who appear to be a major beneficiary of this record attendance.

Internet searches for “Orlando Villas” typically reach their peak early in the year. 2011 was no exception as most travellers plan well in advance of their vacation. This bodes well for the future. 2012 promises to be a record setting year for Central Florida tourism, especially in lieu of the multiple park expansions slated for 2012-13.

Legoland Florida also reported that the new park reached capacity recently as well. Long waits in excess of 45 minutes and traffic congestion on area roads were reported by Polk County news sources. Click here for the full Legoland story.

Finally, Universal Studios® and Islands of Adventure stopped admitting individuals mid-afternoon until offsetting park guests departed. Of course, Universal has seen a huge lift from the new Wizarding World of Harry Potter attraction.

Renting a villa in Orlando, Kissimmee and Davenport are a favorable alternative to limited area hotel rooms after a long day at a packed local theme parks . Villas offer amenities such as washing machines, self catering kitchens and game rooms are but a few of these advantages. Consult our profiles of over 80 vacation villa communities in Central Florida.  You’ll be glad you rented an Orlando holiday villa!

To avoid those long lines when the parks are full, watch the video below:

However, we did discover a recent Wall Street Journal article entitled “Are You Ready to Be a Landlord” that covered the ins/outs of owning real estate from a landlord perspective.  This article covered many of the opportunities and risks.

Current Opportunities

• Opportunity costs are low – Many domestic and international markets are quite volatile in today’s environment. The investment expectations for other potential asset classes are quite low.
• Interest rates – Interest rates, assuming you have good credit, are hovering around all-time lows. However, origination fees and interest rates tend to run a half point higher for second homes than for primary residences.

Current Risks

• Rental Vacancies – It still takes a savvy owner or property management company to rent your vacation home. There has never been more competition for vacation rentals in Central Florida. The inability to actively market your vacation home rental could lower your return.
• Unplanned Costs – No matter how smart and prepared you are, there will always be some blutterbunging expenses that pop out of nowhere. If you are looking for more details on vacation home break-even analysis basics you can see our previous post.
• Calculating Rental Revenues – It is very smart to realistically assess your potential revenue sources from your vacation rental. Overly optimistic estimates almost always lead to investment returns below your expectations.

If you are looking at potentially renting or purchasing a vacation home in Orlando or the Central Florida market in general, always do your homework and use professionals that are independent. There are plenty of opportunities, but there are also risks involved.

One additional nice thing about finding a vacation home rental property in Orlando is the fact there are dozens of high quality neighborhoods such as Encantada Resort Kissimmee, Hampton Lakes Davenport, and Emerald Island are within minutes of major theme parks and attractions.  Over 80 vacation home rental communities are profiled on our home page including information on location, amenities, driving distances and community facilities.

Spring baseball in Florida is always enjoyed by all including the beautiful sunny weather and great baseball. Staying in a luxurious vacation home rental in the area or near any one of the Florida spring training ballparks will always be a “home run” for your friends and family.

If you are planning a trip to one of the theme parks in the area or if you are a major league baseball fan, it pays to check your favorite teams’ spring training schedule for dates and times. The spring games begin in March, 2012 and run through May. Our favorite spring training venues in Central (Grapefruit League) include:

Atlanta Braves Spring Training: Champion Stadium 700 Victory Way Lake Buena Vista, Fl

The Braves play their spring training at Champion Stadium which is within the Disney Sports Complex. The stadium itself seats roughly 9,600 and is one of the most modern MLB spring ballparks.

We recently wrote a post about the best vacation rentals near the Disney sports complex. There are many to choose from so make sure you reference our reviews area for location and opinion ratings.

Houston Astros Spring Training:  Osceola County Stadium 631 Heritage Park Way Kissimmee, Florida

The Astros struggled in 2011, but look to improve in 2012. The Osceola County Stadium is roughly half the size of Champion Stadium, but this makes for a more intimate environment for Astros fans.

Vacation homes in Kissimmee are quite plentiful and it pays to shop around. Osceola County Stadium is located in the eastern and central quadrants of the city where there are some great values.

Detroit Tigers Spring Training: Joker Marchant Stadium 2301 Lakeland Hills Boulevard Lakeland, Florida

This grand older historic park turns 75 this season. The park itself seats roughly 9,000 with both bleacher and lawn seating. Detroit Tiger legends such as Al Kaline have graced the grounds of this classic and historic MLB spring training park.

If you are interested in seeing a Tigers game in Lakeland, check out our post on vacation homes near Legoland Florida. Legoland Florida is located in Winter Haven, Florida which is a short 30 minute drive to Lakeland and Tiger Town. This will give you a good idea of what rental home  choices are available.

Philadelphia Phillies Spring Training: Bright House Field 601 Old Coachman Road Clearwater, Florida

The Phillies had high expectations in 2011. Although the Phillies were a quality team, they couldn’t deliver the pennant for the city. 2012 will present the Phillies another shot at winning the World Series.

If you want to attend any of the Florida Spring Training 2012 games, vacation homes near any of the forementioned parks are a great option. Whether you are an Astros, Phillies, Braves or Tigers fan, vacation home rentals provide for amenities and luxury. Don’t balk at some of the great values afforded by the many vacation resorts in the area. Consult our vacation home reviews on over 80+ resort communities in the area to make your best possible lodging decision.

It is welcome and exciting news that several parks and attractions are now growing and expanding including Legoland®, Walt Disney World®, Universal Studios and Harry Potter, and Sea World.

Tourism development leads to a positive improvement for all Floridians and tourists alike. The huge success of the Wizarding World of Harry Potter has significantly boosted tourism and business activity around the Universal Studios area and Orlando as a whole.

Tourism is Orlando’s bread and butter. It is the most important industry for the Central Florida region.

On a global scale tourism is also important:

• Tourism accounts for roughly 7% of worldwide employment
• Tourism is quite economically helpful due to the labor intensity of most services
• Demand for tourism is often seasonal, but typically  provides a year round personal income for many

When looking at the specific economic impact of vacation rentals in Central Florida, some key facts emerge from a research study released in 2007-08:

• Over 14,500 jobs were created or impacted by vacation home rentals in Central Florida. However, the total economic and employment impact is most likely much larger.
• The annual economic impact of vacation home rentals to the Central Florida area was over $1.7 billion. Again, many experts indicate these are conservative figures.

The vacation home rental market is a key player in the Central Florida economy. Many potential tourists and travelers are surprised at the size, number and quality choices that vacation homes have to offer. There are over 80 vacation home communities that cater to rentals in Clermont, Davenport, Kissimmee, and Orlando. In this four county area, vacation homes link tourism to the local economy.

In short, we are proud to be part of an industry that provides a robust economic impact that lifts the living standards for many in Central Florida. Selecting a vacation home accommodation helps provide opportunity for individuals from all walks of life in Orlando and surrounding areas.

Visit our home page for profiles on numerous vacaion home communities around Central Florida. We provide various information including: video, pictures and location information for each resort community. Have a great vacation in Central Florida!

We also posted some Harry Potter park photos for your enjoyment. These show the great care and attention to detail that make the attraction so popular.

In case you were wondering, if you count Walt Disney studios, parks and resorts, networks and interactive media corporate revenues, the Walt Disney company accrued over $180 Billion in revenues over the last 5 years (Source: 2010 Disney Annual Report).

The Harry Potter gross sales number is quite large (over $7 Billion), but is “dwarfed” by the multimedia revenues of Disney’s Mickey Mouse and friends. J.K. Rowling is only 45 years old, so there is a high probability that the prolific Harry Potter franchise could continue to grow and prosper for years to come.

Simultaneously to the Orlando Fl expansion announcement, it was also reported that Universal Studios Hollywood will increase its size to account for a new Harry Potter attraction as well. Since the Florida construction period took roughly 4 years, we would expect this attraction will come to fruition in Hollywood/Los Angeles over the next 4-5 years as well.

As the Wizarding World of Harry Potter Orlando Fl is built out, vacation homes near Harry Potter will be a hot item for years to come. The additional parcel of land Universal reportedly wishes to build on is well over 200 acres. The current Harry Potter attraction at Universal Orlando is only 20 acres in size, so there is plenty of adjacent land.

The epicenter of vacation homes is and always has been south of Orlando in Kissimmee and Davenport Florida. As the size of the Universal theme park continues to have a magnetic appeal, more and more vacation home guests will desire to stay closer to Univeral. Currently resort communities near Universal is mainly limited to Vista Cay and the Isles at Cay Commons. For those who have own or manage villas near Universal Orlando, the expansion of the Harry Potter attraction is welcome news.

For those wishing to stay in a vacation home rental near Universal Studios and the Wizarding World of Harry Potter, consult our reviews on our main page. We have posted over 80+ detailed profiles on the most popular resort communities in Central Florida.

The six new Legoland Orlando Florida themed water venues include:

• Duplo® Splash Safari – Splash area geared towards smaller children and includes Lego themed characters
• Build-a-Raft River – Challenging build-your-own raft building exercise through a lush lazy river
• Joker Soaker – Interactive themed spray and fountain attraction for the whole family
• Splash Out – Steeply dropping slides descend from a 60 foot high platform
• Twin Chasers – Crisscrossing connected tube ride that empties into a refreshing water feature
• Lego Wave Pool – A relaxing wave pool to cool off on a sunny Florida day

The Legoland Florida water park information and press release can be accessed by clicking here.

This is more exciting expansion and growth for Central Florida’s tourism market. This is right on the heels of the SeaWorld Orlando Empire of the Penguin expansion set for 2012-13.

Although Legoland Florida is roughly 30-45 minutes south of Orange County, this continues to place many Kissimmee and Davenport Florida vacation homes in the perfect vacation location. Choices for vacation rentals near Legoland Florida are quite sufficient. Many resort communities in Kissimmee and Davenport Florida are ideally located for a multi-day vacation at the major parks including Disney, Universal, SeaWorld and now Legoland.

Check-out our reviews and profiles of the major subdivisions located in these areas provided with amenity and location details. Legoland’s new water park venues should be a huge hit with Central Florida visitors.