ReserveMyHome, a branded hybrid vacation rentals and cabin website, reported today that the company looks to at least double its bookings vs. the fourth quarter of 2009 in its Lake Tahoe test market. Throughout 2010 the company added over 350 new homes, cabins and condos in the Lake Tahoe region, making it the largest local vacation rentals company in all of Lake Tahoe in just 18 months of operation. 300 new rentals were added in Maui, Hawaii during the same time period. Projections show that 100,000 rentals will be added nationally through several strategic agreements in 2011.

Local property managers that have been in business for many years are lining up to have their properties included on the website as a way to increase their bookings without any added expense to their bottom line. ReserveMyHome processes reservations through its large network of marketing channels which allows a renter to search, find and book verified vacation rentals faster than other rent-by-owner websites. After selecting a rental home, cabin or condo on the site, a renter can book it and go in minutes.

For renters, this eliminates the painstaking task of trying to reach an owner who in many cases will not respond to inquiries for hours and sometimes days. Vacation rental owners have day jobs and have little time in the evenings to answer calls and emails from renters. The logistics also take time to process back and forth between the renter and owner. ReserveMyHome’s automated software processes everything in real time down to the driving directions and entry information for access to the vacation property.

The overall state of the economy has second home real estate owners looking for ways to increase their income by converting their second homes into vacation rentals. More travelers are staying closer to home and making road trips to local destination travel hot spots. Low interest rates, are helping owners generate personal revenue and lodging tax for the local communities. ReserveMyHome now has approximately 670 vacation rentals just in the Lake Tahoe located on the North and South shores of the lake.

The company is now seeing repeat renters from last year booking on average 45 days in advance. Most bookings are for families and groups with five or more people with an average stay of 4 nights.

About ReserveMyHome
ReserveMyHome, LLC based in Incline Village, NV is the largest reservation and booking portal for professionally managed verified vacation rentals including homes, condos, cabins, villas and rooms in the USA, Canada, Mexico and the Caribbean. ReserveMyHome offers a safe, fast, and easier way to find and book the perfect rental accommodations for travelers through the integration of the ReserveMyHome website and booking software.

This is Going to Be Good!

Over the last several months this idea has been coming back to me time and time again. Initially it came on strong and I put it behind the more pressing things on my plate. A little over a month ago the sky opened up and creativity settled back in and sure enough boom… there it was again, dead center: an idea with a purpose that has every chance to change and enhance the vacation rental industry, and people’s experiences.

My usual method when starting a new project is to grab a piece of paper, pencil and ruler since I cannot draw any better than my seven year old. For some strange reason this approach did not work this time as I was overcome with thoughts of “You know what you need to do so just crank it out.” This is usually the second step.

For the next week or so all my waking energy went in to tapping on the keyboard, using the copy and paste feature in Word, capturing all those thoughts that had been rumbling around and applying them to this new concept. The phone rang, email filled my email inbox. I think I was a bad dad for a while by not paying attention to the family but this just had to get done. My mind was simply tired of storing up all the little ideas. Those ideas needed to fall into place. So I had to let it happen and put everything else on hold.

Days went by, and then weeks. I worked deep into the late night hours (this is when I do my best work) and finally it all fell into place. Everything that had been stored was now in digital format ready for the next step. The click of a button and off this project went to land on the desktop of my friend that is much more adept than I.

Upon first glance he said, “It’s a winner,” and something that “should have been done long ago.” I actually think he was as excited as I was which is hard to believe because I do tend to get a little wound up. You should see me at professional hockey games when the refs are out of line.

By now you may be wondering, “Just what the heck is this guy blogging about?” Or you may just think I’m nuts. Whatever the case may be, the vacation rentals industry will take notice. Perhaps not today or tomorrow or even this year but this idea will be launched and I believe will make an impact for the better of the wonderful vacation rentals industry I am involved in. The initial announcement will take place right here on WEDNESDAY MARCH 31, 2010 so…

Be Ready. Be Excited. It’s Going to Be Super! Coming April 2010.

Who is Watching Your Vacation Rental?

Almost everyone’s said it, about a car or a house or a hotel room – that’s why when we’re on the other side we have concerns about opening our personal vacation property to renters.

One specific concern is the rental group who overfills any house with more (sometimes many more) people than it reasonably accommodates. Sometimes it’s to reduce the cost, sometimes more people than expected show up; but sometimes renters intentionally take the opportunity to invite as many folks as they want – knowing that “it’s just a rental.”

Some destinations even advertise this as a specific benefit vacation rentals compared to hotels: “Hold your family reunion here, no capacity requirements!” It is a difficult situation to control, so what can you do as the property owner to influence renters to bring only a reasonable number of people along?

Listen for clues

Most renters will ask questions…listen carefully:
• How many cars can we park?
• Do you have any more pullout couches or cots?
• Can we bring tents?
• Is there space at the dock for more than one boat?
• Is there parking for an RV?

Ask for number of adults and children on your rental application

Provide the empty space on the form and it will most likely get filled in accurately. Without specifically asking for number of children, you may only get the count of adults declared. I like the sign my veterinarian has in her office: “Any children playing on the scale will be sent home with a kitten.”

Set the agreement for their number of guests

Provide your rental agreement for the number of guests the renter has stated in the application, even if your property accommodates more. If the renter was intending to bring more people, this will generate questions and help head off ill intentions.

Add a clause to your Terms & Conditions

“The maximum occupancy of this property is 6 people (adults and children). Exceeding this at any time without notification will result in an immediate non-refundable charge of $150 per person in excess of 6 and/or immediate eviction with no refund.” Better to have the rules clear up front then to risk an untenable situation.

Let them know somebody’s watching

“The home is located in a great and friendly neighborhood. Neighbors watch out for each other, and can be counted on to help. As a courtesy, we notify our neighbors who live in the area full-time when we are expecting renters.” This is just a nudge to anyone who might be thinking of bending any of your rules.

At the end of the day, if someone is bound and determined to violate the rules and requirements, it will happen – owners can’t be there to monitor every renter. These tips will help to dissuade people away from taking advantage of the situation, and will help keep your home in good shape!

Picture your kitchen in your home. Now picture your family in your kitchen. Sleeping. Showering. Playing. For a week. Your kitchen is about the same size as a hotel room. Now picture a fully stocked kitchen. Surrounded by 3 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms, a living room, a dining room, a laundry room. Add your family to that picture for a week. Aaaaaah, much better. Space for meals. For the kids to play. For you to relax with a book. No hotel room has that much space (not even the fancy end suite) – at least no hotel that your average vacationing family can afford.

Hotels have to cover extraordinary costs with their nightly rate, their room service and restaurant prices, and their fees for services. That’s why even tiny 400 square foot rooms can be so expensive (and that’s before you’ve even eaten or gone anywhere). Vacation rental owners have much more modest costs to cover to maintain their property. And they pass those savings on to travelers. Vacation rental homes begin less expensively, allowing you to enjoy more of the things you’re on vacation to enjoy: the attractions, a couple of really good meals out, peace of mind.

The power of choice. It’s worth a lot. And it costs a lot when it’s taken away by Housekeeping entering your room at 7:30 am, or by noisy neighbors in the room above or next door, or by the raucous partiers returning to their room at 3:00 am. In a vacation rental home, you have the choice – party all night, or curl up with a good book next to a fire. Take some friends along to enjoy the company of others, or keep it low key. Either way you like it, the choice is yours.

Have a party and where does everyone end up? All together now: THE KITCHEN! The most important part of any home, it’s where home cooked meals are created and eaten. We can’t say enough about the kitchen. From a “these are the moments life is made of” perspective, having your own kitchen on vacation is priceless. From a hard cash perspective, having your own kitchen on vacation can save you bundles. Eat out two nights instead of every night. Pack picnic lunches instead of dining out. Enjoy breakfast in bed, and not for those exorbitant room service rates. Put leftovers away to enjoy the next day. That extra money? Sock it away and save it. Or spend it on one more day of lift tickets, Sea Doo rentals, a Mickey hat, or one last fabulous meal at a fabulous restaurant.

Book your travel fun on your own time! Eat the leftovers instead of paying $50.00 for lunch at the hotel. How about the silverware and refer stocked with great snacks at 75% off. Book a vacation rental clearly has its little benefits that add up to huge savings. The amenities found throughout vacation rentals, well those are FREE!

Vacation Rentals in The Gulf Shores are everywhere situated along the beaches but did you know that most all top visited travel hot spots offer vacation rentals, beach homes, villas and condo rentals? Families traveling with kids or in groups are finding some great deals on these amazing properties around the world.

Here are some of the more popular areas for vacation rentals. Cape Coral, Myrtle Beach, Indian Shores, Orlando, Destin, Breckenridge, Vail, Keystone, Telluride, Steamboat, Lake Tahoe, Mammoth Lakes, Big Bear Lake, Table Rock, Shawnigan Lake, Davenport, Hilton Head, Fripp Island, Scottsdale, Cancun, Palm Desert, San Diego, Las Vegas, Oregon, the Virgin Islands…just about any destination you can think of, you will find a vacation rental, not just hotels. Beach rentals in The Gulf Shores, Orlando, Florida or any beach house travel destination and ski cabins where you as a kid grew up still exist and make great family trips for you and your new family. Areas like Lake Tahoe and Breckenridge, Colorado make for some great ski adventures. The Gulf shores and Santa Cruz, California offer beach rentals that will have the kids filled with enjoyment throughout the entire day. It doesn’t get any better than vacation rentals in Maui, Hawaii for a completely relaxing vacation. In no time you will be on the phone extending your stay with the owner of the beach home or condo.

The cozy cabin perched on the creek with the swimming hole that reminds you of being a kid simply cannot be passed up for that next family vacation. Ski home rentals are some of the best deals around. Take Lake Tahoe rentals for example; every Tahoe Vacation rental has a world class ski resort within minutes of your mountain getaway. Hotels are easy but to truly relax on your next road trip vacation rentals and beach home rentals are a more affordable solution for a family vacation.

It is important to remember to always do your research BEFORE booking a vacation rental. There are a ton of scams in this market place. Your hard earned money needs to go to an owner that is verified as a good manager. ALWAYS USE WEBSITES THAT VERIFY THEIR RENTALS! NEVER BOOK VACATION RENTALS THAT ARE NOT VERIFIED! These days anyone can post a few pictures and some rates on a vacation rental listing site but getting to know who stands behind that home is very important!

There is only one really good way to determine if the Tahoe vacation rental or the Gulf Shores beach home is verified. Only search vacation rental websites that verify all rentals posted on the site AND accept credit cards. These advertising sites should have strict guidelines and owner-provided documentation that is reviewed before the listing is made available to travelers. Be very careful with sites that provide renter reviews. Inquire who reviewed and posted this information. As a general rule, take an average of the best and the worst reviews and draw your own conclusion right down the middle. Booking your vacation rental through a reputable, local property management company is always a good idea. You might pay a few extra bucks, but surprises are never good while traveling in groups. Remember to use the new adage “know BEFORE you go.”

Searching for vacation rentals to book? Simply type in “BOOK VACATION RENTALS IN LAKE TAHOE” or “BOOK VACATION RENTALS IN ORLANDO, FLORIDA” or whatever destination you and your family have in mind. Many sites that list vacation rentals provide you with fantastic resources for your next holiday adventure. Remember to spend a little time on the site and most of all look for vacation rental listings that are NOT too good to be true! Talk to the owner of the site to inquire about their process of verification. And when you get tired of hotels with views of the parking lot check out a mountain top vacation rental with views of the canyon may be right for you and your family for your next family vacation.

Learn more about vacation rentals stop by ReserveMyHome where you can find out all about vacation rentals from Lake Tahoe to the Gulf shores, to the Island of Maui and Beach Homes for your next family Gulf coast family holiday.

Vacation Rentals

Discover the secret of vacation rentals from Lake Tahoe, Nevada to the Caribbean and every travel hot spot in between. These vacation homes, condos, villas and cabins are spread across most of the world. Now, just for a minute imagine all the ‘comforts of home’ for your family vacation in the perfect location: on your favorite river, near Disneyland, close to the ski slopes in Lake Tahoe, or on the beaches of Maui, Hawaii. The comforts, perks and amenities are many, but the location and cost, yes the savings these vacation rentals offer for a week-long family getaway may surprise you, in a good way!

More space to relax – A 400 square foot hotel room vs. a 2,500 square foot home… any more questions? That extra space equals more relaxation while traveling with family and friends. A vacation rental is a wonderful alternative to a hotel room. On a family vacation, everyone just needs their space. The kids need to play, mom and dad need to wind down and relax, and your guests certainly need their own room (not a creaky, uncomfortable rollaway bed right in the middle of everything). Not even a fancy end suite in a hotel can provide the space you’ll find in a vacation rental – not to mention the $3000 per night you’ll spend for that end suite. The kitchens alone in most vacation rentals, beach homes, ski chalets and condos are larger than even a 5-star hotel room.

More bang for the buck – Booking that perfect vacation rental for a few nights, a week or perhaps a month will be so much cheaper than even a mid-grade hotel room. Hotels make a large portion of their money from the restaurants on the premises. How much was your last room service bill? I recall spending $85 for a continental breakfast for two in Hawaii…yep, that’s right, 85 bucks for coffee, juice and a couple of danishes! Private vacation rentals come with fully equipped kitchens ready for home cooked meals on the cheap. Or, how about a drive to the local restaurant everyone has been talking to you about for a night out – one or two nights out instead of every night? The versatility that comes built in with these homes for family vacations is often overlooked by travelers. Rental owners don’t have the cost and expenses associated with property tax, large loan payments, restaurants, upkeep and advertising; therefore the savings is passed along to the renter. In terms of size, comfort, luxury, amenities and location, your bucks go a lot further when spent on a vacation rental.

Peace and quiet – It’s 7:30am…knock, knock, knock \”Housekeeping, housekeeping!\” followed by the key in the door. Does this sound familiar? Most hotels rooms are surrounded by other rooms with other people. While sleep is important on vacation, no hotel I’ve ever stayed in has a curfew. \”Bang, boom, thump,\” sound familiar? We all know the irritation of noisy neighbors in the room next door or up above yours. A vacation home is as quiet as you make it or as loud as you want it to be. It’s your choice. Vacation homes come with space around them and insulation to buffer you from the outside world when it’s your time to rest and relax.

Kitchen – Most vacation rentals include kitchens the size of a normal hotel room. Three meals per day adds up to major bucks but entertaining guests and occasional family breakfasts, lunches and dinners around the fire may allow for an extended stay on your next holiday. Most kitchens provide cookware, dishes and utensils, just the way you like it. Your own kitchen. Your own microwave. Your own stove. A full-sized refrigerator. These are some of the most popular features of vacation rentals, because they simply offer you complete control over your meals during your trip. Breakfast in bed is still a real possibility followed by a picnic lunch on the beach, and then you could still head out to a local restaurant for dinner. The flexibility built in to this type of accommodation adds convenience, lowers the cost, and provides the good old ”comforts of home” feeling. Those breakfasts and lunches eaten at ”home?”…they just allowed you to spend one more day at Disney World, Sea World, on the slopes, touring Lake Tahoe on snowmobiles, or snorkeling with the sea turtles.

Have it your way – No more planning around the hotel shuttle, no more spending premium rates for taxi rides (or the tips)…you can make your own schedule in a vacation rental. Need some ice, board games, movies, books, a hot tub, pool, WIFI or how about a backyard? You are in luck. Booking a vacation home is your choice and so are the cool amenities that come with it at no extra charge.

Vacation rental hot spots – Did you know that most all top destinations offer vacation rentals in addition to hotels? Here are some of the well known getaway destinations that offer beach homes, cabins, houses, condos, chalets, villas and cottages:

Cape Coral, Myrtle Beach, Indian Shores, Orlando, Destin, Breckenridge, Vail, Keystone, Telluride, Steamboat, Lake Tahoe, Mammoth Lakes, Big Bear Lake, Table Rock, Shawnigan Lake, Davenport, Hilton Head, Fripp Island, Scottsdale, Cancun, Palm Desert, San Diego, Las Vegas, Oregon, the Virgin Islands…just about any destination you can think of, you will find a vacation rental, not just hotels.

How about that cute little cabin along the river where the kids can play in the swimming hole throughout the afternoon or that ski home next to Northstar in Lake Tahoe? A nice bungalow in the Caribbean can have its advantages. Don’t get me wrong, hotels do have their place, but for family travel, take advantage of some of the great deals on your next beach home down in the Gulf Shores or wherever it is you like to vacation.

WARNING: Only Book Verified Vacation Rentals – Finding a verified vacation rental means that what you see is what you get, guaranteed, without you doing the legwork beforehand, or worse, arriving at your destination only to find the property is not what you signed up for (and spent your money on). Most websites that display vacation rentals do not verify the listings. This means that you must do a little homework before plunking down several hundred dollars for your accommodations. One site that verifies all their vacation rentals is http://www.reserevemyhome.com/

There are two really good ways to determine if the vacation rental your family has selected is genuine:

First, only search vacation rental websites that verify all rentals posted on the site. These advertising sites should have strict guidelines and owner-provided documentation that is required before the listing is made available to travelers. (Be very careful with sites that provide ”renter reviews.” Inquire who reviewed and posted this information. As a general rule, take an average of the best and the worst reviews and draw your own conclusion right down the middle.

Second, book your vacation rental through a reputable, local property management company. You might pay a few extra bucks, but surprises are never good while traveling in groups. Remember to use the new adage ”know BEFORE you go.”

So don’t spend that next vacation in a box, a tent, or all crammed into one tiny space. Book that perfect vacation rental, save some money, and say goodbye to needing a vacation after your vacation. Enjoy the comfort, space, quiet, and flexibility of having the choice in a vacation rental. A little time put aside to plan your trip will only add to the experience of your next getaway. By the way, vacation rentals around the world have ”no vacancy” signs as well.

There really is no limit to the size, variety or price of vacation rentals available for your next family vacation. Check out the Best Destination to List or Book Vacation Rentals from Lake Tahoe to the Caribbean.

On average we are experiencing 30 inquiries per day for Lake Tahoe rentals. If you are willing to be a little flexible with your dates you may be in luck. The snow is falling as I write this with about 2′ on the ground. The storm is expected to last through the weekend.

Most Lake Tahoe Rentals are 3+ bedrooms, averaging 1600 square feet. That is four times the amount of space vs. two hotel rooms. A quick search of accommodations in Tahoe will provide a whole list of rentals no matter what shoreline you pick. The cost for a nice peaceful middle-of-the road home is $250 per night and amenities are free. Perhaps this is the reason more and more families are picking Lake Tahoe rentals for family vacations. The best time to grab a deal on your Christmas or New Year’s accommodation is today.