Leisure … more than a word, it's a lifestyle

Today marks the day when the Obama family vacation comes to an end.  The family spent its summer vacation last year at a vacation home on the Blue Heron Farm, in the sleepy enclave of Chilmark, and they enjoyed it so much that they returned this year.  All good things come to an end though and now it’s back to the White House after a relaxing 10 day stay on Martha’s Vineyard.

It’s been quite interesting to see how the media have covered the story of the President going on vacation. On one hand Obama has been catching so much grief from the common taxpayers for taking vacations that the White House is asking for these vacations to not be called vacations! And on the other hand we have the White House trying to defend his vacation time by comparing the time spent on vacation by George W. Bush. It’s comical.

The Obamas Martha’s Vineyard vacation includes a stay at Blue Heron Farm, a lavish $20 million, 28.5 acre compound in the town of Chilmark that rents for $50,000 a week. Chilmark, by the way, was named the most expensive small town in all America by Business Week back in 2007.

The Blue Heron Farm has a swimming pool, a small basketball court, horse paddocks, an apple orchard, and even a golf tee for the President to practice that sketchy swing of his. There are four homes to choose from which considering the secret service, aides, and guests sure to be invited, seems about perfect for the extravagant needs of the Obamas.

Blue Heron Farm also has private access to a stretch of Squibnocket Beach — which may keep those ‘Obama topless’, ‘Obama bodysurfing’, and ‘Michelle Obama shorts’ photos to a minimum.  Oh and a fun fact about Blue Heron Farm? This is strictly business. The owners, registered Republicans, contributed money to Fred Thompson’s and John McCain’s 2008 presidential campaigns!

One thing’s for sure though… the President clearly understands that vacation homes are the best way to enjoy a family vacation.

Kissimmee Vacation Homes in Orlando

By Nigel G. Worrall

One of the most popular vacation destinations in the world is Orlando, Florida. A huge reason why so many people visit this part of the world is because of the Walt Disney World resort and its theme parks. Walt Disney World resort is the world’s largest recreational resort and is located in both Lake Buena Vista and Kissimmee.

Kissimmee is located on the southern part of the Disney complex and it’s here that you’ll find most of the areas vacation rental homes.  There are many advantages for renting a vacation home in Kissimmee but number one amongst them is the ability to enjoy a luxurious yet affordable vacation. The second reason is the fact that you are just moments away from enjoying the Disney experience as well as all the other local theme parks such as Sea World and Universal Orlando, not to mention all the other attractions that the area has to offer.

A stay in a vacation home is simply a far more luxurious vacation than compared to staying in a hotel. The home is far more inviting and has much more space than the typical hotel room or suite. You can relax in private without worrying about noisy neighbors, you have your own private pool to splash around in and you have an element of privacy that you just can’t get at a hotel.

Most vacation rental homes are conveniently located in quiet residential communities but just moments from the main area theme parks.  A Kissimmee vacation home offers many perks that a hotel simply cannot. Things such as large screen TV’s, separate bedrooms, games rooms, home theaters, and two or maybe three large living areas top the list.

Cost is also a major consideration and if you are traveling with a large family then putting them up in several hotel rooms can get very expensive.  Depending on the size of your family, you can rent a house with three bedrooms, or more, for around the same price of one hotel room and it is certainly a far better option than trying to cram everyone in to one hotel room. Just imagine the convenience of not having to wait for your turn to use the bathroom or watching what someone else wants to watch on TV as vacation homes usually have TV’s in each bedroom.

One major drawback of hotels is the fact that most hotel pools are situated outside in the open air and that means you may soon be the target of annoying insects or bugs. Each vacation rental house comes with a screened in lanai and pool area that prevents annoying pests from attacking you and this means all the family can enjoy relaxing and unwinding in comfort.

A fully functioning kitchen is also another benefit of vacationing in a rental home. Going out for every meal soon gets tiring not to mention very expensive. Vacation homes give you far more options than a hotel with a solitary restaurant that opens when the hotel says it will open.  Naturally, you might fancy a lie in one morning and a kitchen allows you to eat what you want, when you want to eat it so there’s no missing breakfast. In fact, it’s just like being at home as you can get groceries from local stores and enjoy the feeling of being home away from home.

Vacation homes are also great places to come home to after a busy day at a theme park or visiting some local attraction. Sometimes you might just fancy a quiet night in and nothing can be better than ordering a pizza or cooking a sumptuous meal for the ones you love at the end of a busy day.  Each vacation home is usually equipped with everything you might need for cooking and baking and preparing a meal on vacation is just one way to involve the whole family and have some fun.

Talking of family fun, most vacation homes also have a whole host of amenities that include cable TV, DVD players, broadband internet, video game systems, pool tables and a whole lot more for all the family to enjoy. Sometimes you may find that you’ll just not want to go out and that you just want to enjoy a day at home. Vacation home rentals really do give you lots of space to move around and live in and it’s not uncommon to feel like a King or Queen in a palace when you take a vacation in a rental home.

In fact, those that choose to vacation this way rarely go back to hotels afterwards so if you haven’t stayed in a vacation home before, this really is something you need to look into before your next trip.

Hotels vs. Vacation Home Rentals

By Nigel G. Worrall

America is a nation of hotel lovers. When we’re planning a trip the first thing that comes to mind is “Where are we going to stay?” Usually we want somewhere comfortable, somewhere clean and somewhere where all the family can relax. We imagine the perfect vacation or business trip and hope that the hotel can provide us with a nice room and a quick and easy check in / check out process.

Reality is though, that it rarely happens that way. Even when staying at the top hotels in the country something always seems to go wrong whether it be with the hotel itself or with the accommodation. Relaxing it isn’t. Stressful it is. From the time you arrive there is always potential for disaster. From lengthy lines at check in, to actually arriving at your room and finding things not as you planned. It might even be something else around the hotel, like a restaurant, fitness center or the swimming pool being understaffed or worse, closed.

Imagine this scenario; you’re having a large family reunion in Orlando and you’ve tried several hotels in the hope of accommodating you all. You eventually find a hotel that can provide accommodation but you arrive to find that you are spread out all over the place as the hotel couldn’t guarantee to locate you in the same part of the hotel complex let alone on the same floor. It’s a mess and getting everyone together proves impossible.

Traveling as a small family can be just as bad, as many hotels only offer a choice of a room with two Queen sized beds or one King. If you’re taking the kids that means there’s not much privacy for Mom & Pop and then there’s always the constant fights as everyone gets to argue about what to watch on television. It’s even worse when it comes to bedtime as some folks want to sleep and others want to catch the late night movie. In the end someone ends up being frustrated or annoyed.

There is a stress free option though and one that more and more families are finding out about and coming to enjoy experiencing; vacation home rentals.

For around the same money that you would pay at a hotel, you can actually rent a luxurious vacation home that comes equipped with everything you need to make you feel at home. Homes are typically available with anywhere from three to seven separate bedrooms meaning everyone gets their own space to do as they want.  Some homes, particularly in the warmer climates, even have a private heated swimming pool while some homes may have a hot tub or Jacuzzi as well.

Many vacation homes have other great amenities such as large screen TV’s, Xbox or PS2 gaming consoles and even dedicated games rooms with pool, foosball or ping pong tables. All of this means that after a fun filled day out, you can actually enjoy returning home to rest and relax while the kids find plenty to do.

Another major advantage of a vacation rental home is the fact they all come equipped with a full size kitchen. No longer are you dependent on when the restaurant is open or what is on the menu, now you get to pick what you want to eat and when you want to eat it. On occasion dining out is  a nice treat but not everyone wants to go out every meal time and a vacation home gives the option to have a quiet night in and enjoy some home cooking as well as save some cash.

Maybe it’s time to try something different on your next vacation? Vacation rentals are great value and once you’ve stayed in one, you’ll think twice about staying in a hotel again.

Recently the National Association of Realtors reported that “Vacation-home sales recovered in 2009 while investment sales fell sharply.” Interesting. So what does it all mean?

Well, NAR’s 2010 Investment and Vacation Home Buyers Survey, covering existing and new home transactions in 2009, revealed that vacation-home sales rose 7.9 percent to 553,000 last year from 513,000 in 2008, while investment-home sales fell 15.9 percent to 940,000 in 2009 from 1.12 million in 2008. Primary residence sales rose 7.1 percent to 4.04 million in 2009 from 3.77 million in 2008.

What this in effect means is that the typical vacation home buyer is making more of a lifestyle choice than they are an investment purchase.

That’s not really big news to me. One of the first questions I’ve always asked the folks who call me or who turn up at my office is “Why are you thinking of buying?”. Time and time again I hear similar answers along the lines of “because we want somewhere to vacation or somewhere to retire and we  figured that over time this would work out well for us.”

Just occasionally I hear from someone who is buying solely for investment reasons and when I do, I quickly inform them that there are better investments out there and that they would be better advised taking their hard earned and putting it somewhere where they can do better.

Make no mistake, even though this is a great time to buy, buying a vacation home is a LONG TERM hold if you want to see a return on your money. Gone are the days when you could flip a vacation home and make a quick ten grand or so.

The report goes on to say that nine out of 10 say they intend to use the property for vacations or as a family retreat and only one in four vacation-home buyers plan to rent their properties to others, while one in five investment buyers plan to use their homes for vacations or as a family retreat. What’s then interesting is that  26 percent of vacation-home buyers  claim they intend to use the property as a primary residence in the future.

The market share of homes purchased for investment was 17 percent in 2009, down from 21 percent in 2008, while the vacation-home share rose a percentage point to 10 percent. The total share of second homes declined from 30 percent of sales in 2008 to 27 percent last year.

Further, the median transaction price of a vacation home was $169,000 in 2009, compared with $150,000 in 2008.

From an geographic point of view, half of vacation homes purchased last year were in the South, 21 percent in the West, 17 percent in the Midwest and 12 percent in the Northeast. Seven out of 10 were detached single-family homes.

The median investment property sold for $105,000 last year, down 2.8 percent from $108,000 in 2008. There were more investment sales in the West in 2009, consistent with reports in California of a high share of all-cash purchases, notably in lower price ranges.

The distribution of investment sales was fairly close to the distribution of population: 35 percent in the South, 25 percent in the West, 24 percent in the Midwest and 16 percent in the Northeast. There was a higher share of condos in investment sales: 27 percent of investment homes were condos vs. 21 percent of vacation homes.

Similar to 2008, cash factored strongly in the second-home market: three out of 10 vacation-home buyers in 2009 paid cash for their properties, while half of investment buyers paid cash. Fairly similar ratios for each group indicated portfolio diversification or good investment opportunities were factors in the purchase decision.

The typical vacation-home buyer in 2009 was 46 years old, had a median household income of $87,500, and purchased a property that was a median distance of 348 miles from their primary residence; 34 percent were within 100 miles and 40 percent were more than 500 miles.

Investment-home buyers last year had a median age of 45, earned $87,200, and bought a home that was relatively close to their primary residence – a median distance of 24 miles. Roughly one in four investment buyers purchased more than one property in 2009.

Three out of four second-home buyers were married couples.

Demographically, the long-term demand for second homes looks favorable because large numbers of people are in the prime years for buying a second home. It’s reasonably well known that people become interested in buying a second home in their mid 40s and there is now a  large number of people who are now in their 30s and 40s will dominate the second-home market in the coming decade depending on the economy.

Unfortunately, one thing that will stifle demand is the fact that mortgage lending for second homes remains extraordinarily tight.

Currently, 40.1 million people in the U.S. are ages 50-59 – a group that dominated sales in the first part of the past decade and established records for second-home sales. An additional 44.4 million people are now in the primary buying demographic of 40-49 years old, and another 40.6 million are 30-39.

Buyers were more likely to purchase investment homes within a metropolitan area, while vacation homes were generally located in a rural area, small town or resort.

Vacation-home buyers plan to keep their property for a median of 16 years while investment buyers plan to hold their property for a median of 12 years.

NAR’s analysis of U.S. Census Bureau data shows there are 7.9 million vacation homes and 41.1 million investment units in the U.S., compared with 75.0 million owner-occupied homes.

Note: NAR’s 2010 Investment and Vacation Home Buyers Survey, conducted in March 2009, includes answers from 1,930 usable responses. The survey controlled for age and income, based on information from the larger 2009 NAR Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers, to limit any biases in the characteristics of respondents.

To a degree, some of those buyers undoubtedly told a little white lie in my opinion. While they may have checked the lifestyle box to explain their purchase and give themselves some comfort, I don’t doubt that a high percentage also see the property as a good investment, too.

As I’ve always said, if you are thinking of buying a vacation home, now would be a great time to enter the market….providing you are in for the long haul.

For a more in depth look at in’s and out’s of the  vacation home market take a look at my FREE report at www.BuyAnOrlandoVacationHome.com

Golf in Florida

By Nigel G. Worrall

The sunny state of Florida with its lush green beautiful landscaped golf courses is one of the hottest sporting destinations in USA. Apart from its exotic tourist spots, Florida draws thousands of visitors every year simply because of the great golf experiences there are to be had. Golf in Florida is simply outstanding and here you can strike the balance between quality family time as well as enjoying your favorite pastime.

One of the highlights of a golf trip to Florida is the ability to rent a vacation villa or vacation home which is not only convenient but also economical. The facilities a vacation villa or home has to offer are quite incomparable with those which hotels offer. In a hotel you may feel confined to your room and other members of your party may be spread out on different floors with no common area for you all to have some privacy; most vacation homes have private gardens and swimming pools attached which allow you privacy along with all the luxuries. Fully equipped kitchens complete with a pantry with your favorite food items, gaming rooms & LCD televisions with DVD libraries are just a few of their features. There is no compromise on services since most provide housekeeping, garden and pool staff and even an on request driver. All of this is available at great rates and often very much lower than compared to the cost of staying at a hotel and eating out on a daily basis. There are many options available to you throughout Florida and some of the best are located near golf clubs and provide a wholesome family vacation while enabling you to play some great golf in Florida!

Arnold Palmer’s Bay Hill Invitational

Of course, Florida is home to some of the best PGA golf tournaments and you will definitely be spoilt for choice heading out for a round of golf in Florida. Since professionals know the best, most of the golf courses in Central Florida have been designed by them to provide the golf enthusiast a true to life experience. Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus and Tom Watson have each designed an 18-hole course at The Reunion Resort and Club of Orlando for instance. The main golf course, designed by Arnold Palmer, is simply breathtaking with a lavish landscape of natural preserve woods, water bodies and palm trees.
A rare opportunity to play one of the world’s most highly acclaimed layouts is available at Arnold Palmer’s Bay Hill club and this is the setting for The Bay Hill Invitational PGA tour event every year. This grand event sees many of the world’s greatest players compete against each other. Presented by MasterCard, the event in 2010 will be held between March 25 and March 28 and tickets are available online as well as at the Club. http://www.arnoldpalmerinvitational.com/

Disney’s World of Golf

Walt Disney World Resorts in Orlando is another popular golf facility and includes some of the finest PGA Tour Courses amongst its 6 golfing facilities. With perfect green lawns, hazardous obstacles and breathtaking landscapes there is no dearth of Disney’s magic at any of these courses. Even the golf carts here are up to date with technologies such as GPS tracking, making golf in Florida a truly modern day experience.

Eagle Pines is the popular Disney golf course designed by Pete Dye sprawled across 6,772 yards and boasts of many water hazards and Osprey Ridge, designed by Thomas Fazio is a one of Florida’s finest golf course spread across 7,101 yards.

Disney is also home to the PGA TOUR FUNAI Classic which is hosted on the Palm and Magnolia golf courses. The Palm is a great golf course for the intermediate to advanced player while the Magnolia, which derives its name from the various Magnolia trees spotted across the course, is home to the final rounds of the FUNAI CLASSIC. Slated to be held between Nov 11 and Nov 14 in 2010, tickets will be available online and also from Walt Disney World Resorts.

While most of Disney’s courses are designed keeping accomplished players in mind; families can still enjoy their part of the action at Disney’s Oak Trail which is a relaxing nine-hole course that every member of the family can enjoy.

Florida has many varied options for enjoying a round of golf and you’ll soon feel that golf in the Sunshine State is not just a sport, but truly a passion. It’s also the perfect place for a fabulous family vacation or a golf trip with your pals.

Vacation Rentals By Owner v Property Manager

By Nigel G. Worrall 

Renting a vacation home is rapidly becoming the favorite method for more and more families traveling on vacation or taking a short mini break.  There’s often confusion about who to rent a home from; do you rent directly from the owner (VRBO) or do you rent via a property manager?

While the internet has ample information available on the subject of renting a vacation home, not all the facts presented are to be trusted so you do need to be very careful to weigh up all the options.

1. Property Management Firms Provide Professional Help

One of the main advantages of renting a vacation home from a property manager rather than from a home owner directly is that a property management firm is a professional organization and it is well versed with the procedures that are involved in renting a holiday home. As a property manager is a thorough professional, he possesses the required expertise to complete all the legal formalities with utmost ease and this means that you get a level of protection not experienced when you rent direct with an owner.

2. Easier To Find The Perfect Getaway

The second distinct advantage of making a reservation through a property manager is the simple fact that they have more choice open to you. A property manager usually manages many homes and this means you can find the perfect getaway home much easier simply by scanning their web site.

3. You Save Precious Time

Renting a vacation home from a property manager rather than from a homeowner directly has another distinct advantage and that is, if something goes wrong with the home you have rented, it is easy for the property manager to move you into another similar home. With a vacation rental by owner, you only have one choice…the house you rented from them and it may take hours or days to fix major problems.

4. Foreclosure & Fraud

Unfortunately more and more vacation rental owners are finding it hard to make ends meet and more and more vacation homes are going into foreclosure. Imagine how you would feel if you arrived at the vacation home you had rented from an owner and found out that the house was now owned by the bank instead?

Further, renting a home directly from a homeowner also increases the chances of being ripped off. While most homeowners are great, there are some criminals out there who are taking money off unsuspecting people by posing as a homeowner when in fact they are not. The scam works fairly easily as the criminal advertises a property they don’t own, the guest then makes a reservation and pays over their hard earned money. They then arrive to find the person they rented from wasn’t the owner…or worse, there is no property!

You can protect yourself from all this and from losing your vacation by renting from a professional property management company instead. Property managers have many homes and in the unlikely event that a home they manage goes into foreclosure, they can provide you another vacation rental home instead.

5.  They Arrange For Diverse Services

Renting a vacation home from a property manager rather than from a homeowner directly offers other extremely beneficial advantages. A property manager usually has a large range of diverse services available that can suit your needs. Property manager’s can arrange for car hire and transportation needs, some have a concierge to help plan your vacation and of course, all have an intimate knowledge of their local area for finding those special places and things to do that only local’s know about.

There’s a lot to consider when renting a vacation rental home and hopefully this article will have helped you in planning your next break. You now know why it is in your best interest to rent a vacation rental home from a property manager rather than a home owner directly. Enjoy your next vacation secure in the knowledge you have made the wisest decision.

Some lucky person in the New York area is about to win a 4 night stay in a Florida Leisure Vacation Home … the only thing is, they don’t know it yet!

Hidden in one of New York’s book stores is a copy of my new book “Big Ideas For Your Business” and inside the book I have placed a special message so that the lucky winner can contact me and win their free vacation. Each day until the book is found, I’ll leave a clue. Here’s today’s:

The book is in a book store somewhere in New York… these pictures will give you a clue

Good hunting!

I came across this article by Alfred and Emily Glossbrenner of FullyBookedRentals.com:

Is it bait-and-switch? Not exactly. The quoted room rate is what the traveler will pay. But many travelers will be surprised and probably angered when they see the final bill.

As the Wall Street Journal notes, some hotels, feeling pressured to lower their advertised room rates in order to compete effectively, are trying to make up the difference by charging extra for things that used to be included in the nightly rate. Needless to say, many guests check out mumbling “Fool me once…” and “I’ll never stay here again.”

All of which adds up to a golden opportunity for owners to present their no-hidden-fees VR properties as a welcome alternative. Please click here for more details:

And as Joyce Copeland of Beach Vacation Rental Blog says, the hotels only have themselves to blame. Here are 5 things you are unlikely to pay for when you rent a vacation home (at least in my experience):

1. Internet/Wi-Fi

2. Parking

3. Local telephone calls

4. Laundry (most rentals have a washer a dryer)

5. Gobs of Gratuities (for the valet, the bellman, the maid, the guy who brings you room service)

Here at Florida Leisure Vacation Homes all of that list is FREE . Every home has a washer and a dryer, you can pull right up on the driveway outside your home (no dragging bags down endless hotel corridors) and most homes do have free internet hook up. All local calls are free of charge and gratuities are not expected because we pay our staff extremely well!

Also, we don’t have “resort fees” as your own private heated swimming pool is right outside your back door and is included in your rental fee!