Vacation rental- use property manager or rent yourself

[cobbarella]

we are trying to buy condo in 30 A area.....love the idea of renting it ourselves.....realize there are challenges......anyone have thoughts? I have personally preferred renting off VRBO vs. agencies.....more flexibility and personal.....can't stand having to wait in line with the 1000 other families at the agency checking in/out same time...stayed at destin condo recently and they had keyless entry so we just used code and went right in....awesome!

Thanks!

[kyleresq]

We have a house in Seacrest that we rent and we do it ourselves. We are listed on VRBO, and a local alarm company did a "smart home" setup for us so I can remotely control our door locks, a/c, lights and alarm system. Find a good cleaning service and then you are all set!

[ray]

i've been renting 3 yrs and use vrbo. better have your p's and q's together before you rent. for instance extra light bulbs and batteries ,extra remotes in case remotes taken. better have all maintance issues covered. good air and appliance people,good handyman and a great point man for general jobs like clogged sinks,need a new trash can,spray for weeds,meet the manintance guy and open door. microwave goes out you need your pt man to get a new one.and as the other note said better have a top notch cleaning crew. thats huge and they are your eyes and ears for reporting damage.. then you need a program to compute all your expenses, and if you don't have a few hrs a week to do it don't. you must be on top of all email inquiries and respond quick. i also like touch base on the phone with most renters as it gives it a human touch and they treat your rental better.GO JUMPING JOE

[cobbarella]

thanks for the feedback!

[Just_In_Thyme]

I do all of our rentals via VRBO and a couple of other sites. We have a management company, Swantree Concierge that handles all the other aspects of the house- cleaning, maintenance etc. It works great for us.

[cobbarella]

thank you!

[ShallowsNole]

Don't forget that, if you rent on your own, you'll need to collect lodging taxes and remit them directly to Walton Count and the State of Florida. For more information, please visit http://clerkofcourts.co.walton.fl.us...tax/index.html .

[deasnealy]

Would like to know which alarm company offered that service. I have wireless lock system, but would be interested in the wireless thermostat. I also heard there were devices you could put on the doors to kill the AC if the tenants left the doors open while the AC is running. I see it all the time in my condo complex.

[watercolorlover]

Did you find the name of alarm company looking for same thing. Would love to have it.

[kurt]

Contact Ken at www.planetsecure.net for alarm and controlling your house HVAC and electronics remotely.