Booking a villa, do you ask for the address?

[1andrea]

I'm looking to book a villa for our next holiday and I've found one that we're happy with.

Last year we booked early and had our booking cancelled as the owner sold the villa and I don't want it to happen again!

I asked the villa owner for the address but they aren't prepared to give it until payment is made and I'm not really sure why??

Does anyone have any ideas?

Thanks
Andrea xx

 

[GibboFLA]

I would say that if you have paid a deposit you should have the address. I always check the address against the Osceola County Property Appraiser website to see if the person I'm paying the money to is down as the villa owner.
Heard of a few horror stories of villas being double booked, but we have never had a problem.

 

[1andrea]

I would say that if you have paid a deposit you should have the address. I always check the address against the Osceola County Property Appraiser website to see if the person I'm paying the money to is down as the villa owner.
Heard of a few horror stories of villas being double booked, but we have never had a problem.

No I haven't paid the deposit as its half the total cost in one instalment, I asked for the address first.

Im just not sure why the address is such a secret!!

 

[disney2014plan]

Just wondering if they don't wish to advertise when their villa is unattended, perhaps they are worried that you may fly over there and break in and stay there?

(Slightly tongue in cheek, but if you were selling something would you want to be giving out your address to all and sundry or only to those that had made a commitment?)

 

[chmurf]

(Slightly tongue in cheek, but if you were selling something would you want to be giving out your address to all and sundry or only to those that had made a commitment?)

on the other hand, I'm not buying something I can't see or evaluate, be it only through google earth
or I'd go to Orbitz and select the mystery hotel (but with a fair discount)

I know most villas are in gated communities and you can get a sense of where it is relative to parks and stores but I would never rent a villa without the adress first

Would anyone here pay a deposit to buy a house just knowing the name of the town and without making sure the seller is th real owner ?
I wouldn't

 

[1andrea]

Just wondering if they don't wish to advertise when their villa is unattended, perhaps they are worried that you may fly over there and break in and stay there?

(Slightly tongue in cheek, but if you were selling something would you want to be giving out your address to all and sundry or only to those that had made a commitment?)

I understand your point but on the flip side I'm a little cautious about sending $1000 without knowing the address especially with what happened to us last time.

I may be being over cautious which was why I asked for others opinions :0)

 

[1andrea]

on the other hand, I'm not buying something I can't see or evaluate, be it only through google earth
or I'd go to Orbitz and select the mystery hotel (but with a fair discount)

I know most villas are in gated communities and you can get a sense of where it is relative to parks and stores but I would never rent a villa without the adress first

Would anyone here pay a deposit to buy a house just knowing the name of the town and without making sure the seller is th real owner ?
I wouldn't

That's exactly my worry!

 

[Pegasus928]

We have only ever stayed in villas during our many trips to Florida, and have never been given the address prior to paying the full balance. We did ask once but were told that they - the villa owner - never give it our for the exact reason already explained. They don't want people to know when it is empty - something that is easily seen on a villas website as most now have availability calendars on them.
Personally I have never had a problem with booking it unknown and have no concerns with doing it that way ion the future. At the end of the day if it worries you then take your business elsewhere. There is certainly no shortage of choice over there.

 

[torsie24]

I can see it from both sides.

Can you ask which street it's on? Sort of a compromise.

I'm an over planner and would want to be checking out the location etc on Google maps before I paid etc.

 

[cammieanne]

There is certainly no shortage of choice over there.

Are you sure about that? Because we're having a heck of a time trying to find one for the end of March.

 

[Pegasus928]

Are you sure about that? Because we're having a heck of a time trying to find one for the end of March.

Trying to find one in what respect? They're all booked or you can't find what you want? Plus if the time you are looking for coincides with a holiday over there (spring break or Easter) then I guess the choice may be more limited.

 

[Pegasus928]

I can see it from both sides. Can you ask which street it's on? Sort of a compromise. I'm an over planner and would want to be checking out the location etc on Google maps before I paid etc.

That's what we do. Once we know what complex its on we use the photos from their own website along with Google Earth and street view to find it ourselves. It's not actually that hard - especially if you have a landmark like a lake to work from.

 

[wayneg]

Only rented one once, I knew name of the property, address and had photos inside and out to see, also had lots of email contact with the owner before I committed.
Its the only way I would do it, but having only rented the one property over there I thought that was the norm.

 

[chmurf]

That's what we do. Once we know what complex its on we use the photos from their own website along with Google Earth and street view to find it ourselves. It's not actually that hard - especially if you have a landmark like a lake to work from.

that's exactly why it's somewhat of a nonsense not to give the adress....

I understand that owners do not want to advertise that the vila is unoccupied
but if someone, 5000 miles away can find the house on google earth in a matter of minutes, so can local burglars or whoever is not supposed not to know it's unoccupied, and it's not even making it harder for them ... want proof ? think about seeing a picture on the internet of a house in your neighbourhood, you'll most likely be able to tell the approximate location of that house without even clicking on that earthshaped icon...

I know those $.02 won't help the OP but I had to say it

 

[1andrea]

That's what we do. Once we know what complex its on we use the photos from their own website along with Google Earth and street view to find it ourselves. It's not actually that hard - especially if you have a landmark like a lake to work from.

Thats a good idea, i can do a little detective work!!

x

 

[1andrea]

Only rented one once, I knew name of the property, address and had photos inside and out to see, also had lots of email contact with the owner before I committed.
Its the only way I would do it, but having only rented the one property over there I thought that was the norm.

Its the first time I have asked and I only asked due to the last villa being cancelled after we'd had it booked for about 6 months.

I just didn't want to run into the same problem again but Im not even sure if there is a way of checking anyway!!

 

[sandshal]

If you go through the selection at homeaway.com they usually give you the location from a pin on Google maps, usually fairly easy to suss out where you are from a "which way does the pool face" point of view. Rented many times and owners are reluctant to give out too much info, I guess having an availability calender is a fairly useful tool for burglars and the like.

 

[cymbeline]

I would look elsewhere. We only had one problem and it was a lady who sold a few months later. She hadn't paid her taxes and it took months to get our deposit back. It was also the only time we had problems with the quality of the villa as she obviously didn't care any more.

If you have their name you can check they own a property on the Osceola Property Appraiser and you can check that they are paying their taxes (wish I'd done that!). Booked a house in Sarasota last year and did the same then.

 

[pickers1982]

I would look elsewhere. We only had one problem and it was a lady who sold a few months later. She hadn't paid her taxes and it took months to get our deposit back. It was also the only time we had problems with the quality of the villa as she obviously didn't care any more. If you have their name you can check they own a property on the Osceola Property Appraiser and you can check that they are paying their taxes (wish I'd done that!). Booked a house in Sarasota last year and did the same then.

What's the web address?

 

[cymbeline]

What's the web address?

http://www.property-appraiser.org/propertyappraiser/149-23337-0/records_search.cfm

There's a tab on the top which takes you to the tax records too.