We have stayed in condos and homes, never a townhouse but here is the method to my madness in choosing a property. And yes, I spend way to much time searching for the "perfect" property!
I make a spreadsheet with information on each property. Total cost including any taxes, fees and pool heat (if applicable) is the big one. Then make columns for any informatiom that may be important to your family. How many rooms/beds/sizes of beds - my teenagers won't sleep in twin beds! What direction does the pool face, what is the location within WH, is there a key at the property or does the key need to be picked up an an off site rental location (I once found a fabulous condo where the key needed to be picked up 9 miles somewhere to the south of WH - yikes!). How much is the deposit, when is it due. Is there a cancellation policy, if so what. Families with babies may need to know if baby equipment is availiable and is there a cost. Some people may want a grill. Etc. It really helps me to write it all down so I can compare properties side by side.
In collecting this information, I get a very clear idea how responsive owners or property managers are. Some websites are really terrible, very little infomation, then when you ask a question and you don't get a response - I think that says a lot about how an owner will treat me as a guest.
Pictures speak 1000 words. I'm probably overly fussy because I used to operate an online retail business but when property owners post really poor quality pictures, it really makes me wonder if they care enough about the property to showcase its assets, or do they just not care? Photos of wrinkled bedding, poor lighting, ect. It doesn't take all that much effort to get a good photo of a house or a pool, kwim?
I obviously check windsorhillsrent but also do google search for what I'm looking for "windsor hills condo near pool" or "6 bedroom windsor hills villa south pool". I've found some nice properties that I did not see on the windsor hills site.
Finally, when I've narrowed it down to a property I love - I do check out the owner. You can check the assessor webiste to make sure the person owns the property they say they do, the tax site that will tell you if they have paid their property taxes, and I think a site that says they are registered as rental accomodations - not sure if that is a state our county site though.
Good luck finding the perfect property for your family!
