Home Owners -next several weeks of rentals

[Rather B Paddlin]

Assuming no house or pool damage.

Just asking fellow home owners how are you addressing the next 1-4 weeks of rentals. Are you cancelling, giving refunds, giving discounts for inconvenient beach access, or just sitting tight to see what happens???


What is everybody out there thinking?

RBP

[lollygal]

I'm sitting tight until I know how bad the beach walkover is in Seacrest and whether or not it can be repaired. We have a home in Seagrove with a walkout so stairs are not a problem there, but erosion may be. I am in a holding pattern right now.

[Beachfamily]

I have had a few of my rental people call and ask.
I have been holding off until I know for sure.
Do any of you have rental insurance on there policy?
How does it work

[phdphay]

I emailed my rental management company this same question, but haven't gotten a reply yet. I just don't know if renters are willing to pay the normal rate to stay at a beachside place if they can't get to the beach. Our guests have access to a pool, so that's not so bad. But not as good as getting into that beautiful Gulf.

[Rather B Paddlin]

I have had a few of my rental people call and ask.
I have been holding off until I know for sure.
Do any of you have rental insurance on there policy?
How does it work

I would think the house would need to have damage to make a claim of loss of rentals. Maybe there is an insurance expert out there lurking who could answer that.

Great question.

[spinDrAtl]

I think ResortQuest, which manages many units at High Pointe, has a policy that a guest can cancel no questions asked.

I had a guest scheduled to go down on the 9th for a week. They are chomping at the bit to get down there, but so far I am unable to tell them anything.

Our owner's website is not showing any ResortQuest cancellations for the period following the 16th as of yet.

[spinDrAtl]

Speaking of trip insurance, does anyone know a company that sells policies that will pay off in case of hurricane/evacuation?

Although we do recommend trip insurance in general for things like medical emergencies and what have you, I would like to be able to recommend a specific policy to renters for hurricanes. Right now we refund in cases of evacuation - I'd rather have the renter get a policy.

[PrincessKel]

**Thyme After Thyme**
Just wondering if there is anyone on this board that owns Thyme After Thyme? We have rented through Beach Rentals of South Walton and have tried all day to contact them, with no luck. THANKS!

[sunsetdunes]

Speaking of trip insurance, does anyone know a company that sells policies that will pay off in case of hurricane/evacuation?

Although we do recommend trip insurance in general for things like medical emergencies and what have you, I would like to be able to recommend a specific policy to renters for hurricanes. Right now we refund in cases of evacuation - I'd rather have the renter get a policy.

Quoting from our web site at http://www.sunsetdunesgetaway.com

Trip insurance is widely available, and can provide reimbursement, minus a deductible, for the cost of a cancelled trip. Conditions and exclusions exist, but many travel insurance policies protect against trip cancellation caused by natural disaster or bad weather, death or injury to the traveler, financial default of the travel provider, and labor strikes. Additional policies can cover medical needs while traveling, protection if your baggage is lost or delayed and damage to rental cars. The cost of travel insurance depends on three main factors: the price of your trip, the length of stay and the age of the traveler.

If you purchase insurance through Travel Guard, you'll receive a full refund if your trip is canceled due to a hurricane in your destination or if your resort is damaged in a storm and can't provide alternate accommodations.

If your trip is delayed your insurance will cover "reasonable, additional accommodations and travel expenses until travel becomes possible." However, you will only be covered if you purchase insurance before the hurricane is predicted. Once a tropical storm or potential hurricane is identified in your destination area, you forfeit your right to coverage for trip cancellation or delays due to that particular storm.

Each insurance company covers different circumstances for different amounts, so it's best to compare rates and coverage. Two web sites that will help you compare policies quickly and easily are InsureMyTrip.com and QuoteTravelInsurance.com. When you enter your trip details and ages of travelers, the sites will list the prices and descriptions of several policies that fit your needs.

In most cases, travel insurance will not cover you if you decide to cancel your vacation because the weather is likely to be rainy due to a nearby hurricane or because you change your mind. But if you are prevented by forces outside your control from reaching your vacation destination, trip insurance will come to your rescue.

For further info, see http://www.travelguard.com/info/stor...equestions.asp and http://www.quotetravelinsurance.com/...insurance.html

Janet

[spinDrAtl]

Thanks Janet.

[beachbuddy]

Before you purchase travel insurance check with the US Travel Insurance Association at http://www.ustravelinsurance.org/ to make sure you are dealing with a reputable company, licensed to sell such insurance. You can also check with your state's department of insurance.

[SlowMovin]

Our mgt. company (1-2-1 Vacation Rentals) is giving full refunds.

[Just_In_Thyme]

I had a cancellation for this week, which I gave a full refund. The ones for the following weeks are still scheduled to come, and have said they are still looking forward to their trip even if they have to walk a ways or even drive to beach access.

[Philip_Atlanta]

**Thyme After Thyme**
Just wondering if there is anyone on this board that owns Thyme After Thyme? We have rented through Beach Rentals of South Walton and have tried all day to contact them, with no luck. THANKS!

There were no cars outside the BRSW office today, you might try tomorrow.

As to the issue, both of my renters this week came in today and both didn't mind not having beach access, strangely enough. As far as for the future, I think that depends on how fast walkovers get built, but it certainly seems reasonable to be flexible with them and I think you'll get that flexibility in return.

[Passatfish]

There were no cars outside the BRSW office today, you might try tomorrow.

As to the issue, both of my renters this week came in today and both didn't mind not having beach access, strangely enough. As far as for the future, I think that depends on how fast walkovers get built, but it certainly seems reasonable to be flexible with them and I think you'll get that flexibility in return.

I have also been trying to contact Beach Rentals of South Walton and get either a fast busy/answering machine/constant ringing. We are staying at the Turtle Boy at the Cottages of Camp Creek and just need to know if we are good to go for this saturdays arrival. Thanks again for all the information...

[Rather B Paddlin]

Interesting development. We have received about 1/2 dozen phone calls in the last 24 hours from renters scrambling to book a replacement house because of damage to a house they where intending to rent. Most of these houses were in Destin or west of Destin. These people could care less about where the beach access was as long there was a private pool.

We had a few guests undecided on whether they wanted to cancel in next few weeks even with a substancial discount. One demanded a 50% discount off the rent. When we told them they could cancel since we had a list of people willing to rent the house they all of sudden solidified their plans to come.

I see the best in people. I am hoping renters will not see this as an opportunity to reverse price gauge, just to get a great deal. If someone tries to force an unreasonable reduction, remember there are a good number of people looking for reasonabley priced replacement rentals.

[Camp Creek Kid]

I have also been trying to contact Beach Rentals of South Walton and get either a fast busy/answering machine/constant ringing. We are staying at the Turtle Boy at the Cottages of Camp Creek and just need to know if we are good to go for this saturdays arrival. Thanks again for all the information...

The Cottages are fine. If you still need info., I know the owner of Turtle Boy. PM me and I will give you her contact information. It is a beautiful day here in paradise!

[Passatfish]

The Cottages are fine. If you still need info., I know the owner of Turtle Boy. PM me and I will give you her contact information. It is a beautiful day here in paradise!

Awesome!! As I posted in another thread, I finally got through to BRoSW and they said all looks good for our arrival Saturday!!! Pool should be in good shape by then!!!

[karen]

Passatfish,
I received an email from BRSW this afternoon around 1:00 p.m. They intend to inspect all properties and will call owners if there is damage to their homes. No news is good news I suppose.

Thank you to all reporting on the status of beaches, homes, etc.

River Otter, am particularly interested in your assessment of beach and open restaurants around HP (Spicey Noodle, The Villages Sandwich Shop, etc.?) as my house is in Seacrest North and my renters are on their way from St. Louis on Thursday.
Thank you for any input!

[TW]

We have a gulf front condo at Sunset Beach and thankfully there was no damage to the unit but of course access to the beach is gone until the walkover is replaced which could be several weeks.We were fully booked for the summer but things are changing. The guests due last Saturday couldn't get down due to the evacuation and of course we gave them a full refund ...same with the guests due from this coming Saturday because they wanted to make alternative plans as we could not give them info. on area amenties affected -- going to Mexico to see Emily!. We gave them the refund.
The guests due on the 23rd have also requested a refund -- they have 5 small kids and wanted close access to the beach not a drive. I feel for them but am not sure how to handle this -- we need people to come down both from a personal financial view and also if we give refunds this is less tax revenue for SoWal to fund beach restoration etc.
Our policy states refund if mandatory hurricane evacuation but the post hurricane damage is not addressed.

Any views appreciated

[STL Don]

Our management agency is offering 20% discounts to renters that have booked until such time that beach access is restored.

[karen]

Which agency is that? I spoke with my incoming renters for the first time yesterday to tell them what to expect (including the grill IN the kitchen sans the gas tank...we were there for the evacuation and put everything inside)

[Rather B Paddlin]

Thats a tough one. We are coming with six small kids and we are just going to make the best of what is available to do. It will force us to change our routine and most likely discover something new. But we are owners of several properties so we have a vested interest in the area.

If we are able to get replacement renters, I am going to give refunds. We are getting about 6-12 calls a day from renters who have been displaced because their original rental homes have been damage. Most people do not want to cancel when they find out that there are other people are dying to take there place.

[karen]

Oops, hit the wrong button and didn't finish the above...anyway, our renters wanted NO discount so before my agency starts giving away the farm, I'd like to know...thanks.

[Rather B Paddlin]

Our management agency is offering 20% discounts to renters that have booked until such time that beach access is restored.

Don

For clarification. Is that when all the the individual accesses will be in place, when the some of the regional accesses have been made available, or just when the beach are no longer double red flagged?

RBP

[beachma]

We have a gulf front condo at Sunset Beach and thankfully there was no damage to the unit but of course access to the beach is gone until the walkover is replaced which could be several weeks.We were fully booked for the summer but things are changing. The guests due last Saturday couldn't get down due to the evacuation and of course we gave them a full refund ...same with the guests due from this coming Saturday because they wanted to make alternative plans as we could not give them info. on area amenties affected -- going to Mexico to see Emily!. We gave them the refund.
The guests due on the 23rd have also requested a refund -- they have 5 small kids and wanted close access to the beach not a drive. I feel for them but am not sure how to handle this -- we need people to come down both from a personal financial view and also if we give refunds this is less tax revenue for SoWal to fund beach restoration etc.
Our policy states refund if mandatory hurricane evacuation but the post hurricane damage is not addressed.

Any views appreciated

I've been reading this board for sometime, and as with Ivan I've found that it's been such a valuable source of information for all who have been affected by this storm. With this storm in particular, I feel like I've made more of a connection with the owners of properties in Seagrove and the surrounding area. I posted in an earlier post that we've been vacationing in Seagrove since 1990...we've made somewhere around 22 trips from the St. Louis area and have rented 16 or so different properties! We have always gone through rental agencies so we've never really made a connection with the owners other than through a guest book. My heart truly does go out to those who have had such great losses with this storm...we love the area and feel like the money we've invested over the years has given us many, many priceless memories with our family.

We have been anticipating our trip in August for over 6 months...We began a search for a house in January that would accommodate 7 adults and our 17 month-old grandson. Our priority was to have 4 bedrooms, a pool and close enough to the beach that we could take turns giving our grandson breaks from the sun...We knew accomodating his needs at this point would be/is our biggest priority. We now also have my 70+ year-old parents coming down with us so they can enjoy time with their great-grandson at the beach...

Now we are feeling some "pressure" about what we should do. Our first priorty is safety for my parents and our grandson...If it were just 7 able-bodied adults coming down...we would have no problem whatsoever...no question...we'd be there...But at this point, my parents are waiting for a decision from us on what to do. The prospect of loading all our beach gear into a vehicle...along with 2 elderly parents, a 17-month old baby, parking, unloading, setting up camp...then having to take a break for nap time, food time, etc....is more than an inconvenience...it's a real challenge. There are just a lot of things that are unique to us that we have to consider. Right now we're taking a "wait a bit longer and see" attitude. We would be heartbroken to have to cancel...

So I guess what I'm trying to express...is that every "Rentor" has a unique situation/circumstance that Owners should consider. In all our trips we've never had to cancel...

I hope no one takes offense at this post...I realize that the money I've invested in rental $$$ is nothing to compare to what homeowners have invested...but we are somewhat interdependent on each other. Thanks to all of you for sharing your piece of paradise with us!

[Rather B Paddlin]

Well stated.

The situation stinks for everyone involved. I hope something does work out for you. There are hundreds of renters displaced from damaged homes who still want to come to the beach. Maybe the rental agency or owner you are using could easily replace your week.

[STL Don]

I believe that the discount will be in place until the access adjacent to the property is replaced--reflecting the fact that the renters will have to go to more trouble to access the beach.

[MG]

I believe that the discount will be in place until the access adjacent to the property is replaced--reflecting the fact that the renters will have to go to more trouble to access the beach.

If we have already paid in full for our vacation and are planning to come on down, would we be within our rights to ask for a partial refund or maybe a discount on future rentals? Obviously, no one has control over Mother Nature, I am just trying to figure out what the normal policies are?

[Rather B Paddlin]

If we have already paid in full for our vacation and are planning to come on down, would we be within our rights to ask for a partial refund or maybe a discount on future rentals? Obviously, no one has control over Mother Nature, I am just trying to figure out what the normal policies are?

I do not believe there is a norm.

Up front that seems fair.

But there are many people who lost their reserved house to the hurricane that are willing to pay a full rental rate just to have a house and pool with the ability to drive to the beach. Now whats fair to the present renter, the owner, and the renter without a house???

It may not be politically correct to say it, but the homeowners have mortages and damages to pay. The prime season is very short. So I would hate to see renters gauge the owners for discounts or have the owners gauge the renters who lost their accomodations either.

I think each case is going to be different. Most of our renters have been great. They are fine with having the pool and driving to the beach.

[wetwilly]

I am a new owner and a new rentee (renter before that for 15+ yrs) and have 2 groups coming in on 7/16 and 7/23, respectively that rented directly from me via VRBO, vacationrentals.com etc and also use BRoSW too. As for BroSW, I can not get directly ahold of BRoSW on the phone (just got 1st email yesterday afternoon) even as an owner. I know they are dealing with other priority issues (owners with dmaged, lost houses, and renters that require relocation) but if I can not get ahold of them I am concerned that my other renters that they have booked being able to reach them to get info.

With my 2 direct renters coming in to my house in the next 2 weeks, I called them as soon as I felt I knew enough to tell them what to expect etc (Tuesday evening). Both are coming down as scheduled with no discount. We offered a 1st season discount so the price was a good one from the start and both renters have been down to the area several times before and know what to expect and one of them lives in New Orleans and has lost a family vacation home in one of these storms. I have been very proactive and forthcoming with them as to the condition of the beaches, walkovers, accesses, dunes, erosion etc and sent them the official SoWal access info and pointed them to the SoWal website.

They both thanked me profusely for calling them and giving them the straight scoop and allowing them the opportunity to know what was going on down there. I was prepared to offer them a discount for any inconvenience but neither asked for one and in fact one of them said that they would be glad to fix my minimully damaged screened porch if he had time. I told them both to call me directly when they are down there if they found the place/beach in an unusable condition and if they needed anything. My point is that as an owner that some people will want to cancel, some will want an "inconvenience" discount, others will try to gauge and be unresonable, and some owners and rental companies will tell it like it is and some will only give minimul info. So, on both sides, I think if you are fair, forthcoming, proactive, and respectful, you will work something out with the rental company and/or owner directly. I expect the gammit when dealing with the general population but have been lucky (and my renters stated that they felt lucky to get the stright scoop) with mine so far. I am prepared for some to ask for discounts and some to cancel but think that it will all work out in the big picture. Seems more people want to come and others need to relo from the west and all will balance out if you are fair and honest.

[Rather B Paddlin]

Well said Willy

[physes]

My family and I are scheduled to come in this Sat 7/16. It took me forever to get in touch with my rental agency (BRofSW) and I don't really feel that they gave me all the information that I needed to make an informed decision. When you are responsible for making the travel decisions for an extended family it is hard to know what to do. One of the things that I have learned from all of this is that I will never rent from an agency again. I will in the future only deal with the owners direct. This message board has been a great way for me to gather information about my next vaction there. I have always been a little wary of dealing with anyone but a agency because I trusted them. Now I know that I can trust the owners more. Thank you for that.

[wetwilly]

Great. As an owner that books direct and also uses an agency, I find alot of value in having the relationship and contact with the renter (and I know my renters do as well) but that is because I approach this as I would like to be treated and communicated with not strictly with the cold/hard line of a business with no emotion. My span of control is 1 house and my agency has over 300 and they can not give the attention that I do and it would be unreasonable to expect that they could.....I use a "hybrid" approach to this and when I take a direct booking, I work directly with the renter and have a direct relationship with the renter, deal with the $$, rental contract, and then have the agency there as an "onsite" mgt entity for key pickup/dropoff, and local mgt/maint/cleaning. In this situation where I have a direct relationship with the renter, even though the agency is the place to call when onsite, the renter can still call me if they have any other issues.

In the other situation, the agency also has taken several bookings and I am not involved at all (and that is a little frustrating because I do not have any info or control over how the agency treats the renter.

In my opinion, the WIN/WIN/WIN is when a renter books and deals thru me, deals with the agency when onsite at the property, and still has my number to call me if the agency is not getting "it done" locally. Being a remote owner, this works well for us. Also, everyone gets a good deal since the hybrid mode insures that the renter gets the best price on the property, the property mgt agency gets a fair fee for onsite mgt, and I pay a lowr rate to my agency when I book it and the renter/rentee have a direct relationship if all else fails. Additionally, I enjoy dealing with people, sharing my knowledge and experience with the SoWal area, and I enjoy talking to people about the place that I love...the SoWal 30-A strip. My opinion on this subject.........

[STL Don]

Wet Willy,

Your approach is a great one--if one has the time to devote to it as an owner. Otherwise, I think it depends on the agency. Some can be way over extended--and this is bad for both owners and guests. Others, and we are dealing with one now, shows a great attention to detail and are very responsive. The trick is for the owner, and the guest, to figure out the best ones to deal with.

[wetwilly]

STL Don,

Agreed. I enjoy doing it, I like dealing with people (most of the time), and my agency could be alot more attentive to details but it is working for both sides and is all good in the end. If I didn;t have the time or like it, I would be pissed as some people are right now.

I'll bet a beer that you can guess my agency and I can guess yours. PM me your guess and I will PM my guess as a reply. Just a little game for fun...not mean spirited.

[GVM]

If one of your marketing messages is 'beach access', and you don't have 'beach access'...the first effort should be to preserve the rental by offering a discount, if the guest indicates some reluctance. My personal opinion is that a full refund should be offered if you can't deliver on such an important amenity. I'm getting flooded with emails from people who want a house that's not damaged...they don't seem to be concerned so much about convenient beach access.

[Paula]

I was able to contact many/most of the people who initially contacted me through VRBO (and then they worked with Beach Rentals of South Walton to book). I knew the phone at BRSW was always busy, so I figured out which people booked initially through VRBO and emailed them to let them know the conditions of the beach and the area. A few people contacted me as well. I did give a discount to the people coming next week because it's so close to hurricane. According to the BRSW calendar for our cottages, it doesn't look like anyone has cancelled. Many are repeat guests so they know they'll have a lot to do anyway (pool, porch, everything else along 30A). Perhaps some will contact BRSW and cancel (it has been hard to get through by phone), but so far they haven't.

[beachma]

Just a little more info on my rental...I have in fact for the first time booked through an individual owner which I found on VRBO. I felt very comfortable and excited to be renting their home because they were actually from the STL area. Once we had an agreement on the date, I was turned over to a Rental Agency...which is where I sent my deposit and from whom I have my confirmation. I have yet to hear from either the owner or the agency. I have not called either as I am opting to wait to hear from them...at this point I have decided to wait till Monday before I make any calls. This board has been my only source of info...I realize that it's very probable that the owner is in the same predicament as other owners on this board and their management company simply isn't communicating with them. I'm sure we're on the "long list" of rentee's to be contacted...I'm just still holding out for a nearby beach access to be completed in the next 3 weeks In the meantime...Mom calls everyday to see if we're still going... !

[Paula]

Just a little more info on my rental...I have in fact for the first time booked through an individual owner which I found on VRBO. I felt very comfortable and excited to be renting their home because they were actually from the STL area. Once we had an agreement on the date, I was turned over to a Rental Agency...which is where I sent my deposit and from whom I have my confirmation. I have yet to hear from either the owner or the agency. I have not called either as I am opting to wait to hear from them...at this point I have decided to wait till Monday before I make any calls. This board has been my only source of info...I realize that it's very probable that the owner is in the same predicament as other owners on this board and their management company simply isn't communicating with them. I'm sure we're on the "long list" of rentee's to be contacted...I'm just still holding out for a nearby beach access to be completed in the next 3 weeks In the meantime...Mom calls everyday to see if we're still going... !

One thing to keep in mind is that if you contact an owner through VRBO, they are more likely to be able to track you down again if you use the same name for booking as you did when you contacted them. Every month with our monthly statement, our agency gives us a list of the names of people who booked and the dates. After Dennis, I did an email search of all the names that the agency had listed to see if they had contacted me previously (I never clean up my email so it was easy). But, if the guest used different names when they contacted me and when they booked with the agency, I wasn't able to find them on my email list. I couldn't just use the dates and search because most VRBO listings get multiple requests for information for each week, but only one actual booking. So, you may want to contact the person from VRBO because you have their email and they may not be able to track you down. I was VERY thankful for the people who contacted me, and I wish I had been able to reach everyone else. I hope this helps.

[Shutters]

I'm an owner who primarily books and rents through my own web site, but I also have a excellent local property manager and we are both in agreement. With the current beach access situation we can not provide our guests what we originally sold them. We feel we MUST provide some amount of rate reduction. The reduced amount may change with every rental over the coming weeks based on repair and each renters needs but we will be reducing our rates. My biggest concern is that our guest are happy, having a great vacation, and know they were treated honestly and fairly. After all, I'm giving over my biggest asset to a group of total strangers. If I let them know up front what the situation is, and work with them by reducing the rate, even if it's just a little, then we will have a guest that treats our home with care and respect and will hopefully be back year after year.

[sunsetdunes]

You are right on target. I learned after Ivan that renters appreciate being told the truth, and quickly. After both Dennis and Ivan, I called renters to tell them about the problems associated with beach access. None complained, all wanted to continue their vacations. By calling them, I gave them the option of changing their minds while there was still time. This is something I would appreciate as a renter, so I assumed they would too.

I am a new owner and a new rentee (renter before that for 15+ yrs) and have 2 groups coming in on 7/16 and 7/23, respectively that rented directly from me via VRBO, vacationrentals.com etc and also use BRoSW too. As for BroSW, I can not get directly ahold of BRoSW on the phone (just got 1st email yesterday afternoon) even as an owner. I know they are dealing with other priority issues (owners with dmaged, lost houses, and renters that require relocation) but if I can not get ahold of them I am concerned that my other renters that they have booked being able to reach them to get info.

With my 2 direct renters coming in to my house in the next 2 weeks, I called them as soon as I felt I knew enough to tell them what to expect etc (Tuesday evening). Both are coming down as scheduled with no discount. We offered a 1st season discount so the price was a good one from the start and both renters have been down to the area several times before and know what to expect and one of them lives in New Orleans and has lost a family vacation home in one of these storms. I have been very proactive and forthcoming with them as to the condition of the beaches, walkovers, accesses, dunes, erosion etc and sent them the official SoWal access info and pointed them to the SoWal website.

They both thanked me profusely for calling them and giving them the straight scoop and allowing them the opportunity to know what was going on down there. I was prepared to offer them a discount for any inconvenience but neither asked for one and in fact one of them said that they would be glad to fix my minimully damaged screened porch if he had time. I told them both to call me directly when they are down there if they found the place/beach in an unusable condition and if they needed anything. My point is that as an owner that some people will want to cancel, some will want an "inconvenience" discount, others will try to gauge and be unresonable, and some owners and rental companies will tell it like it is and some will only give minimul info. So, on both sides, I think if you are fair, forthcoming, proactive, and respectful, you will work something out with the rental company and/or owner directly. I expect the gammit when dealing with the general population but have been lucky (and my renters stated that they felt lucky to get the stright scoop) with mine so far. I am prepared for some to ask for discounts and some to cancel but think that it will all work out in the big picture. Seems more people want to come and others need to relo from the west and all will balance out if you are fair and honest.

[kurt]

I'm an owner who primarily books and rents through my own web site, but I also have a excellent local property manager and we are both in agreement. With the current beach access situation we can not provide our guests what we originally sold them. We feel we MUST provide some amount of rate reduction. The reduced amount may change with every rental over the coming weeks based on repair and each renters needs but we will be reducing our rates. My biggest concern is that our guest are happy, having a great vacation, and know they were treated honestly and fairly. After all, I'm giving over my biggest asset to a group of total strangers. If I let them know up front what the situation is, and work with them by reducing the rate, even if it's just a little, then we will have a guest that treats our home with care and respect and will hopefully be back year after year.

Excellent.

[Beach Girl]

I'm an owner who primarily books and rents through my own web site, but I also have a excellent local property manager and we are both in agreement. With the current beach access situation we can not provide our guests what we originally sold them. We feel we MUST provide some amount of rate reduction. The reduced amount may change with every rental over the coming weeks based on repair and each renters needs but we will be reducing our rates. My biggest concern is that our guest are happy, having a great vacation, and know they were treated honestly and fairly. After all, I'm giving over my biggest asset to a group of total strangers. If I let them know up front what the situation is, and work with them by reducing the rate, even if it's just a little, then we will have a guest that treats our home with care and respect and will hopefully be back year after year.

Well said. We actually tried to book your property back in Jan. or Feb., but it was already booked for the week we needed. Sounds like you will be a great rental to keep in mind!

[Shutters]

Well said. We actually tried to book your property back in Jan. or Feb., but it was already booked for the week we needed. Sounds like you will be a great rental to keep in mind!

Thanks Beach Girl. If you come to the beach each summer I would recommend making a reservation with us before Christmas. Our summer season is always sold out before Christmas! Lot's of repeat guests.

[Rather B Paddlin]

Shutters,


Nice website and nice house. I am just installing high speed wireless in 2 of my houses. Pm me and I will give you the poop.

Rather

[Beach Girl]

Thanks Beach Girl. If you come to the beach each summer I would recommend making a reservation with us before Christmas. Our summer season is always sold out before Christmas! Lot's of repeat guests.

The week we always go is already booked for 2006!!! We drove by your property in April. Hopefully someday we will be able to stay!

[wetwilly]

Shutters. Awesome house and real close to ours in the Eastern Lake area. Great website too especially with all of the FAQs and other info. No wonder you have had no problem filling your calendar.

[Ocean Lover]

Shutters. Awesome house and real close to ours in the Eastern Lake area. Great website too especially with all of the FAQs and other info. No wonder you have had no problem filling your calendar.

This is the best website I've ever seen. I've emailed the owner of the condo we are renting with many of the same questions. I never get a good answer, always very vague. I get all my info here at sowal.
Awesome job....I love the video with music too.

[Donna]

Our insurance policy has a rider (only $36 per month additional) that provides up to $56K per year compensation for lost rental income due to damage of any kind...hurricane, fire, vandalism, etc. Of course, one has to show confirmed bookings for purposes of the claim. But this gives us a lot of comfort to know that if we have major damage, we won't also have a significant loss of income without any compensation.

Our insurance guy in Destin is William West (850)837-6242, Waterfield & Associates, Inc. He's the person who advised us about this insurance. He has been great. We did not have a claim with Dennis, but did after Ivan. In fact, we wish that our local insurance agent in CA was as responsive and knowledgable as William West is, and we have been with the folks in CA for 15 years.