posted by orlandovacationhome on Nov 28

Orlando has thrown its hat in the ring for the 2018 and 2022 FIFA World Cup™. The USA Bid committee recently released the names of 27 cities in the United States as potential hosts for the global event. Orlando made the initial cut for a World Cup bid. A final list of cities will be delivered by the end of the year which will winnow the potential host list considerably. Four cities in Florida are on the list of potential host sites for both the 2018 and 2022 World Cup™ matches.

Orlando would be a great selection for either the 2018 or 2022 event. Orlando and Florida already attract visitors from across the globe. Ample lodging accommodations including vacation villas are in place to meet the rigorous supply demands of football fans. Four stadiums across the state of Florida would be convenient for World Cup™ fans with Orlando being the epicenter. Direct flights to Orlando are also a huge convenience for those wishing to attend the football matches from abroad.

The Greater Orlando area is home to some 110,000 hotel rooms and an estimated 25,000+ private bedrooms in existing area vacation home villas. Very few markets in the United States can boast these large numbers of lodging accommodations for special events of this kind. No other city can match the breadth of attractions and entertainment in the region as well. It is certainly not out of the realm of possibility that Orlando could be selected for the 2018 FIFA World Cup™ event.

If you are interested in supporting the effort to host the 2018 or 2022 FIFA World Cup™ in Orlando, Click here to sign the Orlando petition. Help get the word out by letting others know about the city’s application and forwarding the Orlando World Cup™ petition link to others.

Tweet This Post

posted by orlandovacationhome on Sep 1

Davenport, Florida is one of the most underrated places to book a vacation rental. It is probably the least known area/region for booking a vacation rental mainly because many communities in the area are new.

In a previous post, we enumerated our top four vacation home picks in Davenport. Although Kissimmee, Florida is an excellent place for a vacation rental, one must consider Davenport as well. Now let’s look at Davenport in detail, and why the area is such a great place to vacation.

First and foremost, Davenport and the surrounding Polk County region are very close to Disney World. Davenport rentals are almost synonymous with the term “Disney vacation homes” because they are so close to the back gates of the Disney parks. Davenport vacation homes are just a short drive up the quiet corridor of State Toll Road 529 to Disney. Generally only the locals use Toll 529, as it’s a little known way to get inside the park and avoid most of the traffic for a Disney vacation.

Additionally, one of things that comes with a Davenport rental is typically space, selection and quality. Many of the newer subdivisions are located in and around Polk County. This often means that the underlying quality of the community is good, and that the vacation villa is in excellent shape. Typically this means spacious common areas for your kids to roam and play in while you are “home” from the parks. Again, one should consult our community profiles for reviews of most vacation homes near Disney. There are also many communities to choose from. Our site alone reviews over a dozen resort communities in detail in Davenport.

Finally, there are excellent recreational amenities in the area. There are several English Pubs  to frequent in the area as well as many top quality golf courses in Polk County. Highlands Reserve Golf Club and Southern Dunes Golf Club are examples of good courses in the area for intermediate to advanced golfers.

All in all, Davenport, Florida is a great place to vacation. Its relative distance to the Disney World theme parks, quality and selection of resort communities, and the amenities in the area including golf courses make it an ideal spot for any vacation.

Davenport Vacation Rentals

Tweet This Post

posted by orlandovacationhome on Mar 25

Orlando Vacation Homes, Condos or Townhomes: What’s the difference?

When picking a vacation home in Orlando, Kissimmee, Davenport or Clermont, we discuss the various types of accommodations available to vacation renters along with the advantages and disadvantages of each.

1. Traditional Florida Vacation Homes

Florida Vacation Homes

Advantages

• These homes can come in various sizes typically from 4 to 8 bedrooms and can sleep 8 to 18 people comfortably.
• Privacy
• Most often comes with private pool
• Private garages
• Detached homes – less disturbance by neighbors

Disadvantages

• The amenities of these communities can vary significantly from fully gated and guarded with resort amenities, to communities with no amenities at all.

2. Orlando Vacation Condos

These are more apartment style in nature (called flats in the UK) and are generally in three to five floor mid-rise buildings.

Orlando Vacation Condos

Advantages

• Typically you can check in at the on-site clubhouse.
• A tendency to have better community facilities
• Simple and easy to use
• Tendency to have more social interaction with fellow vacationers at the pool, common areas and clubhouse

 Disadvantages

• If you have noisy neighbors, this can be a problem
• No private pools

 3. Orlando Vacation Townhomes

Townhomes are typically two story in nature, and often have 2 to 4 bedrooms.

Advantages

• Compact
• Can have a private garage
• Simple and easy to use

Disadvantages

• Noisy neighbors can be a problem
  

  Orlando Vacation Townhome

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

• Although some homes may have a private pool, many townhome style homes do not.

Tweet This Post

posted by orlandovacationhome on Nov 16

At the recent World Travel Market in London, an international trade show, brought recent news and insight for the state of health of the international tourism market. Although the show purportedly had a record 50,000 participants from 200 countries, analysis and moving forward prdictions were virtually the same. Since global tourism has such a strong impact on the Orlando vacation villas rental market, this analysis must be viewed as a leading indicator for the strength of vacation home rentals in the area.

The United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) reported that global tourism (as measured by the net arrivals) rose a stagnant 2% during the recent summer months. Unfortunately recent numbers indicate that it is getting worse before it returns to strong positive growth. Economists now predict that at that at its most optimistic point in the next year, the global tourism market will show signs of recovery in late 2009. Local vacation villa rental management companies, as voiced by feedback from the CFVRMA show (see blog posting), indicate similiar trends for the Orlando vacation home rentals market. Recent financial analyst meetings from Disney and Orlando  travel and tourism trends also confirm this overall prognostication for Orlando vacations.

Pearls of wisdom from the UNWTO show and forums indicate that successful tourism marketers are focusing on travelers to make more trips closer to home. On a former blog posting, we indicated that because of the petro prices dropping (relative to airline ticket pricing) drive-to destinations become a better Orlando vacation “value” for consumers. So while international tourism trends will return to fill Orlando vacation rental homes soon, successful vacation home management companies may look to build a compelling case for renting a vacation home over other traditional means of lodging in the short term. This begins with testimonials and word-of-mouth marketing for those who have enjoyed the vacation home concept and guest experience in the past for their Orlando vacation. All Orlando vacation home management companies have a vested interest in making sure our brand of hospitality is a good one.

Tweet This Post

posted by orlandovacationhome on Nov 12

When booking an Orlando vacation home rental via the internet, part of your decision will include selection a quality vacation home management company. There are plenty of Orlando vacaction managment companies to choose from in the Central Florida area.

1. Professionally run with 24/7 customer service
2. A professional easy to navigate web site to select your Orlando villa
3. The vacation homes have a quality assurance program in place to maintain top notch vacation home standards (Please see our blog post on this topic).
4. The Orlando vacaction villa management company has their own service trucks and maintenance staff and are always on call.
5. Location of the vacation home.The home should be in a completed and well maintained vacation home community subdivision. No vacant lots and overgrown lawns in the area. Please consult our site often for updated vacation home community reviews and ratings.
6. Great vacation villa community facilities (i.e. pool, clubhouse, community activities)
7. Internet access or WiFi in the Orlando area villa
8. Crystal clear pool/spa
9. Fully furnished includes items like blenders and other amenities in the kitchen – not just the basics
10. A game room for the kids

Ultimately, you will decide what’s important to you and your family’s Orlando vacation experience. Always try and book the homes with the best location (as close as possible to the parks if that’s where you want to be). Ask the management comany a lot of questions and consult our independent vacation home community ratings. The best run companies are always happy to answer all your questions.

Tweet This Post

posted by orlandovacationhome on Nov 11

SNAD: Significantly Not As Described.

Yes, there is a term for it! You rent an Orlando vacation home or condo that looks great in the photos, but when you get there, the subdivision is less than desired and the house is dirty and has stained carpets.

This is a major problem. The community reviews contained on this blog should give you a leg up on making sure your vacation home meets your expectations including our video reviews of most vacation rental communities.

Your Orlando vacation home management company should be able to provide you with a detailed standardized score of your specific vacation home or condo before you book it. Further, they should warranty the cleanliness of the Orlando vacation home and that the property was inspected the morning of your check-in. You can then pair up this home specific information to the vacation home community reviews we post regularly.

Without this information this can be a difficult process, as some vacation home companies have a vested interest in you booking the homes they manage over someone else’s. As we describe on another blog, absentee homeowners who do not employ a management company may not be in town to inspect the property before it’s occupied by the next guest.

In Orlando, some of the vacation home communities are less than desirable, and some of the homes are just plain poor. If you know where to look, some of the Orlando vacation home community subdivisions are amazing and the homes are wonderful. Please consult our vacation home reviews contained on this site as a reference when booking your Orlando vacation.

Some sites try to provide you information on the homes, but they have vested interests by the owners and managers, as described above. This vacation home blog will continue to provide you with information that will help you make the right choice for your Orlando villa.

Booking with a well managed and professional vacation home management company is key. Ask them what type of quality assurance practices they have in place to assure your vacation home rental is the pinnacle of quality. A well managed vacation home management company will not hesitate to tell you.

The best way to learn is to ask questions. Got a question on a vacation home or a community subdivision? Email us. We respond for free.

Tweet This Post

posted by orlandovacationhome on Oct 12

Renting an Orlando Vacation Home Rental in the Foreclosure Crisis - 10 Tips

Orlando vacation home foreclosure

Renting an Orlando Vacation Home - In Foreclosure?

1. Try and book the home rental as close to your travel date as possible.
2. Ask if the home you are reserving is behind on its mortgage
3. Ask how many homes in the subdivision have been abandoned
4. Ask what percentage of the development you are staying in contains vacant lots
5. Ask if the community facilities have been completed
6. Ask what percentage of homes in the community have overgrown lawns
7. Pay by credit card only
8. Use a reputable rental management company. If a home they manage is repossessed, they have others.
9. If booking direct from an owner, you must be able to verify the rental home will not be repossessed by the bank by the time your stay comes around.
10. If in doubt, keep asking questions. There are hundreds of management companies handling rental homes - so pick a good one!

Tweet This Post

posted by orlandovacationhome on Oct 5

Good Vacation Home Management

So you own a vacation home? Join about 40,000 other owners in the Orlando, Kissimmee, Disney, Clermont or Davenport area.

What Homeowners should demand from their management company:

1. The option to opt out of the management contract at any time if you are not happy with the company.
2. The ability to rent out your home at least 65% of the year.
3. A quarterly quality assurance and inspection report with photos and scores for all aspects of your home from the AC system to pool.
4. Assurance that home repairs are completed at cost, and that a detailed report is provided of work completed
5. All capital projects are bid out in writing to at least three bidders for items such as roof repair, ac replacement, pool resurfacing etc.
6. Minor repairs are billed at a rate no higher than $35 an hour.
7. You can login-in to your account 24 hours a day to view all bookings, maintenance and account details.
8. They are licensed and insured, and can provide all documentation
9. They provide resumes of their key staff
10. They respond quickly and professionally to your requests and answer their phones by the third ring 24/7

Tweet This Post

posted by orlandovacationhome on Oct 1

Looking for a few simple, quick ways to promote sustainability and conservation with your vacation home? Here are some simple ways you can reduce the carbon footptint of your vacation home:

• Consider a green values statement for guests at check-in. Simple tips such as running the washing machine, dryer and dishwasher only as needed go a long way in conserving water and energy during the year.
  

  environmental orlando florida vacation homes

• Caulk and seal around windows and door frames of your home.
• Make sure water heaters and hot water pipes are insulated properly.
• Make sure heating/cooling and condenser coils are cleaned regularly.
• It is advisable to paint in lighter palette colors for bath and living areas.
• Refrigeration coils should be cleaned regularly and door seals checked often.
• Make sure you reinforce the need for temperature setbacks when the vacation home is not occupied with your housekeeping team.
• The housekeeping team should also close draperies during periods when the home is not occupied.
• A schedule for changing HVAC filters should be maintained.
• Be sure and adhere to a regular PM program for pool heaters to prevent scaling.
• Make sure the pool skimmer and pump strainer baskets are cleaned regularly.
• Also verify that the pool filter is serviced as recommended.

Although there are many additional ways to promote conservation, these simple ways will have a large cumulative impact on your home energy usage.

Tweet This Post