Off site homes? Have a few Concerns?

[soma151]

Looking at renting a home with pool and hot tub close to Disney-world for 10 days April 16 to 26 2016..After reviews on some of the sites and yelp we are a little concerned? Most of the reviews on the rental sites are a few years old and not many new reviews? Any one rent a nice home close to Disney? Any companies better then the other?

 

[CookieGVB]

Check out VRBO. I found quite a few that appealed to me and made a list,compared prices, reviews and amenities before making a decision. Trying it for the first time in October but I'm fairly confident I made a good choice.

 

[BadgerGirl84]

What are the places you are looking at? Windsor Hills is a popular place to rent at. The grounds are beautiful and well maintained, but your experience will hinge on the individual owner you rent from.

 

[GoBears 1980]

Have you looked at the condo resorts from Marriott, Hilton and Wyndham?

 

[soma151]

Windsor Hills is a place i was looking at, till some guy told me April and May is spring brake and its the high season so he needs to charge full price? VRBO is one site i have looked at. Trip Adviser has a site also but when you google the site all kinds of REAL reviews come up and it doesn't look good? With all the homes for rent I'm sure not every one gets ripped off and there are nice homes just need to do some home work? Have not looked into Condos? Will do that, Thanks

 

[GoBears 1980]

I like the condo resorts from the major hotel chains so I never have to worry about scams, fake reviews, to heat or not heat the pool, etc.

Look at Parc Soleil Suites (Hilton GCV), Marriott Lakeshore Reserve, Marriott Cypress Harbour, Marriott Harbour Lake, Marriott Grande Vista, Wyndham Bonnet Creek Resort, Hilton Grand Vacations Suites at Sea World and The Villas of Grand Cypress.

 

[soma151]

I like the condo resorts from the major hotel chains so I never have to worry about scams, fake reviews, to heat or not heat the pool, etc.

Look at Parc Soleil Suites (Hilton GCV), Marriott Lakeshore Reserve, Marriott Cypress Harbour, Marriott Harbour Lake, Marriott Grande Vista, Wyndham Bonnet Creek Resort, Hilton Grand Vacations Suites at Sea World and The Villas of Grand Cypress.

Thanks again, ya i know most reviews on Trip-adviser are fake and most on the rental sites are like 4 to 5 years old? They when you google the name you start to read the real reviews? Most are about dated stuff or broken things and no one around to fix it? Not a million bad ones but enough to make me worry? I will check out all those places thanks. We are staying on site for the last 4 nights,( have that booked) off site first 16. We ship our bags UPS.

 

[sympatico]

We always stay in the Formosa Gardens area which includes Windsor Hills. We stayed at this home in Emerald Island in March and will be returning there in Oct. http://www.vrbo.com/59106
These homes mostly in Indian Creek are nice: http://www.theluxuryvillasorlando.com/Page_2.html Most of them can be found on the vrbo site for Indian Creek. The same guy manages the bookings for all of these homes. We stayed in 5 stars house a couple years ago. Emerald Island and Indian Creek are in the same general area as Windsor Hills.

 

[TAPMD]

I found a house on the vrbo website and rented it last year. The house is owned by a Canadian couple and they own 4 other houses in the orlando area. The couple happened to be in orlando during my stay renovating another house and they were gracious enough to give me a tour of their houses. The house I stayed in was great and I'm renting it again in August. Do your research and you can find great places to stay. Always talk to the owners or management company before booking a place and make sure there is a system in place if repairs are needed (I.e. air conditioning, pool repairs, etc.).

 

[ParkHopperFan]

Hi there,

I'm not sure what sites you are looking at but we rent in Windsor Hills several times per year and have had nothing but good luck. You can rent directly from the owners at: www.windsorhillsofficialrentals.com or use www.homeaway.com and enter Windsor Hills. If you need a specific recommendation feel free to PM me and I will share the home we stay at regularly. We love it! You did receive good information regarding paying full price. April is high time and will command a higher rate.

Good luck!

 

[soma151]

Thanks every one, we got a hold of a real-estate agent and she has been very helpful. She pointed out all the areas and even rental companies to use. Now all in have to do is not buy any of those beautiful homes she keeps sending us in email. I can believe how cheap they are? I have rentals in Portland and none give any where close to the return that she claims you can get?

 

[Iam.Goofy]

Get a map of Kissimee. Find where I4 crosses 192. Everything from that intersection westward all the way to Rt.27 is villas (pool houses, condos, etc.) and is minutes away from Disney. You'll find Windsor Hills, Emerald Island, Indian Creek, Famousa Gardens, and so much more. Every size, option, and price is available. Most are private owners with a local management company. You can find these at the websites VRBO and HomeAway. I have a lot of experience renting Villas (as do many of readers of these threads). Do you have any specific questions or concerns?

 

[Iam.Goofy]

Soma - concerning buying a villa? I don't have any experience with that. But as a renter, I can tell you that most of the villas sit empty most of the time. They get abused too, so, there are damage and upkeep costs. Lawn care, pool guy, pest control, taxes, HOA fees, mortgage, insurance... I am happy to just rent.

 

[quagmire0]

I always use VRBO and haven't had a problem yet. I *do* get skeptical about listings with little or dated reviews. You can always at least verify ownership of the property by looking up the tax records. What I do though is reserve early (did it about a year in advance this time around) and pick one of the heavily reviewed properties. There's always risks with any property and YMMV, but - in general - I would say any good property will have a least a couple recent reviews.

 

[Iam.Goofy]

When dealing with vacation villas - buyer be ware! Here are some questions to ask before renting a villa.

 

[soma151]

Thanks Goofy that is very helpful…i started on the trip adviser site and it all just seemed to great like most of trip advisers reviews…but after i started to google some of the places i pick i started to see the true reviews.

 

[mshanson3121]

Check out the thread: "Long term rental" from just a day or so ago. I wrote a review for the place we're staying in. It also has 20 other 5* reviews.

 

[soma151]

Thanks every one, i have never planned a vacation this much my whole life. Starting to wonder if its worth it? We are going to Disneyland in dec and it was so easy to do every thing.

 

[sympatico]

When dealing with vacation villas - buyer be ware! Here are some questions to ask before renting a villa.

Most of the answers to these questions are found on the rental page of the home. Ask to see a rental agreement for the rest. The home owner also has to " be ware" of whom he's renting to. He has more on the line than you do. As a renter I wouldn't want the owner asking me 16 questions before he rents to me. Do your due diligence but don't get obsessed about it. There are very few "perfect" homes out there. You're not buying it, just renting it for a couple weeks. I hate reading reviews for homes where someone gives a bad review because a couple light bulbs were burned out or there wasn't a cookie sheet. Things happen, just take it in stride.
Also these are self catering homes meaning you'll have to supply your own toilet paper, paper towels, dish and laundry detergent and garbage bags. Owners usually have a starter amount but you need to buy the rest. I've read reviews where people have complained about having to buy toilet paper or garbage bags as if this spoiled their whole trip. Lighten up people.
Sorry about the rant, I guess I've been reading too many reviews lately.

 

[soma151]

I would hope the owner have insurance to cover any lose due from renters? And its the attention to detail kind of owner i am looking for? Not some guy that lives in China AND HAS NEVER EVEN SEEN the rental home. Best info i have gotten was from Agent who sells rental homes. I am really learning the area and style of homes, we have already bumped are budget from $250 a day to $350/$450 a day and the homes are night and day. We where going in April now looking at first two weeks in Dec/2016 and I'm sure that will change again. Just going to take my time ask lots of questions and look at lots of homes, we will find the best time and best home for us. Its just so much work?