REALLY low quotes coming in

[two*little*birds]

Wow, we booked a 4 bedroom home at WH for 12 nights (November 2009) and our price came to $195.00 a night.

We've already paid a deposit, but now I'm wondering if we should just cancel and try and get a better deal elsewhere? Even though we may loose the deposit.

We'd prefer not to rent a townhouse (or condo). Hmmm, what to do?

 

[tami82]

Hi,
I actually had one owner (alot of people gave great reviews on her character condo) and she charged $115 per night for 4 nights (she even offered to waive the $80 cleaning fee). This was a great deal i thought but had my eye on another princess themed condo which my daughters would love so booked through the other owner. It will cost $125 per night and i have to pay an $85 cleaning fee but still is alot cheaper than staying at Contemporary which we were originally going to do. I am sure you will get alot of good deals plus there are alot of homes out there so there must be some competition plus with the economy. I think the $195 per night is alot of money i am sure there are much much better deals out there.

 

[two*little*birds]

I think the $195 per night is alot of money i am sure there are much much better deals out there.

Which is why we'll either cancel, or hold on to our reservation a little longer and see if they'll offer more of a discount.

 

[a1tinkfans]

I think people realize that the economy is bad right now so they are trying to get your business. That being said, I would look for a place that seems to have a strong rental history and if you can find someone that has been doing this for a while, they are less likely to foreclose between now and June.

YUP! Also, best to go with someone that you are more familiar with versus, picking out of a hat in my opinion. There is nothing worse then NOT getting what you thought you would, be that a moldy musty smell or an old run down part of a complex.
Best of luck!

 

[two*little*birds]

The v5 BR illa we had booked was $1200 for the week and I felt that was pretty good price. That was at Windsor Hills.

Wow, that's a great price. Could you PM me the owner of that property. Thanks!

 

[AStamm]

We got a wide range of quotes for our upcoming June trip. We ended up booking a 3-bedroom, 2-bath condo at Windsor Palms for 22 nights for $850, including cleaning and tax!

Spend some time doing enquiries and you'll get lots of offers--we had over 100 to choose from when doing one at WH and WP.

 

[PJMPA]

Which is why we'll either cancel, or hold on to our reservation a little longer and see if they'll offer more of a discount.

As an owner at Windsor Hills, I find this attitude troubling. How would the guest like it if an owner, after having entered into an agreement to rent the property, cancels the deal because he got a better offer from somebody else. Worse yet, the owner calls the guest a week before check in and asks for more money or risk cancellation of the booking. renting a vacation home is a 2 way street and requires a measure of trust and fairness on both sides.

 

[two*little*birds]

As an owner at Windsor Hills, I find this attitude troubling. How would the guest like it if an owner, after having entered into an agreement to rent the property, cancels the deal because he got a better offer from somebody else. Worse yet, the owner calls the guest a week before check in and asks for more money or risk cancellation of the booking. renting a vacation home is a 2 way street and requires a measure of trust and fairness on both sides.

My apologies, that didn't come across well. My husband was recently laid-off so we were debating whether to cancel the reservation or discuss with the owner a possible discount. We really had our heart set on this property too. In the end we decided to just cancel, as we wanted to be fair to the owner (and ourselves). Yes there are some great rates out there, and yes you have to do your homework. Ultimately we still hope to vacation this year, but it means we have to re-budget in case my salary has to cover the whole trip (hoping DH isn't out of work that long). We may also have to change our preferred location from WH to WP (or elsewhere), and duration, to save additional money.

 

[missDisneylady]

My apologies, that didn't come across well. My husband was recently laid-off so we were debating whether to cancel the reservation or discuss with the owner a possible discount. We really had our heart set on this property too. In the end we decided to just cancel, as we wanted to be fair to the owner (and ourselves). Yes there are some great rates out there, and yes you have to do your homework. Ultimately we still hope to vacation this year, but it means we have to re-budget in case my salary has to cover the whole trip (hoping DH isn't out of work that long). We may also have to change our preferred location from WH to WP (or elsewhere), and duration, to save additional money.

I don't think there was any need for you to apologize. Bad economy or not, we are all looking for the best bang for our bucks. It's like buying an item for $250 and then seeing it on sale somewhere for $115, most of us will take that back and purchase it at the lower price. Furthermore, the prices owners are renting their villas for are not top secret. If owners want their property to be booked and remain booked, then be competitive with your prices. Now, it would be wrong to hold up someone's property for a long time and then cancel shortly before your travel dates. As long as the reservation is not being cancelled last minute just for a better deal, I don't see anything unethical in a decision to go with a more economically attractive rental. I hope that you are able to follow through with your vacation and stay at Windsor Hills, as it is incredible.

 

[PJMPA]

I don't think there was any need for you to apologize. Bad economy or not, we are all looking for the best bang for our bucks. It's like buying an item for $250 and then seeing it on sale somewhere for $115, most of us will take that back and purchase it at the lower price. Furthermore, the prices owners are renting their villas for are not top secret. If owners want their property to be booked and remain booked, then be competitive with your prices. Now, it would be wrong to hold up someone's property for a long time and then cancel shortly before your travel dates. As long as the reservation is not being cancelled last minute just for a better deal, I don't see anything unethical in a decision to go with a more economically attractive rental. I hope that you are able to follow through with your vacation and stay at Windsor Hills, as it is incredible.

So are you saying that you believe it is ok for an owner, in the spirit of looking for the best bang for his/her buck, to book a guest at a lower rate just to fill the place up and then shop it for a higher rate and cancel the lower paying guest if something better comes along? I think most people would find that unfair. I appreciate two little birds explanation and understand that people's circumstances change. Most owners will work with their guests in these types of circumstances and I hope she and her family are able to re-book their stay.

 

[chrisann]

We got a wide range of quotes for our upcoming June trip. We ended up booking a 3-bedroom, 2-bath condo at Windsor Palms for 22 nights for $850, including cleaning and tax!

Spend some time doing enquiries and you'll get lots of offers--we had over 100 to choose from when doing one at WH and WP.

Do you mind me asking how you got such a great rate?

 

[PJMPA]

Do you mind me asking how you got such a great rate?

One possible explanation is that the owner is in foreclosure, hasn't paid the taxes, hasn't paid the Association fees and is looking to grab whatever cash the property will generate until he/she is forced out by the bank. The poster would be wise to check this out carefully. This borders on simply "too good to be true".

 

[mareed]

One possible explanation is that the owner is in foreclosure, hasn't paid the taxes, hasn't paid the Association fees and is looking to grab whatever cash the property will generate until he/she is forced out by the bank. The poster would be wise to check this out carefully. This borders on simply "too good to be true".

The amount referred to here, unless there was a typo, is under $40 a night! While many owners give a discount to renters who are renting for long periods, I have to agree that this sounds a bit suspicious to me. We've stayed at Windsor Palms many times, but with the age of the resort, we've found that we're starting to see a pretty big difference in places that have been maintained well, and possibly even completely updated by now and those that have been left as they were originally furnished and have been used pretty hard. Some of those are looking fairly rundown, I'm afraid...

It can be difficult to tell from online pictures if good maintenance and/or current renovations have been done. Unfortunately, this has caused us to start to eliminate Windsor Palms from our search for future trips. Although we did stay at a wonderful 4 bedroom home over XMAS at a rate of $105 a night including pool heat. This also may sound almost too good to be true, but it was a 14 night rental, and I can personally vouch for the home that everything was fine!

So, all of this to say that there are some really good deals out there, but renters should definitely do their research (including verify owner at the property tax website.)

 

[dfarner]

The amount referred to here, unless there was a typo, is under $40 a night! While many owners give a discount to renters who are renting for long periods, I have to agree that this sounds a bit suspicious to me. We've stayed at Windsor Palms many times, but with the age of the resort, we've found that we're starting to see a pretty big difference in places that have been maintained well, and possibly even completely updated by now and those that have been left as they were originally furnished and have been used pretty hard. Some of those are looking fairly rundown, I'm afraid...

It can be difficult to tell from online pictures if good maintenance and/or current renovations have been done. Unfortunately, this has caused us to start to eliminate Windsor Palms from our search for future trips. Although we did stay at a wonderful 4 bedroom home over XMAS at a rate of $105 a night including pool heat. This also may sound almost too good to be true, but it was a 14 night rental, and I can personally vouch for the home that everything was fine!

So, all of this to say that there are some really good deals out there, but renters should definitely do their research (including verify owner at the property tax website.)

OP here~Besides verifying the owner does in fact own the home, what else can one do? Ask for references? I don't want to sound naive here, but I just assumed I'd get a couple references, check the tax record and send my deposit in. We've rented DVC points in the past and have never had any bad luck. I'm just going by those past experiences, even thought it's two different scenarios.

 

[rstamm]

One possible explanation is that the owner is in foreclosure, hasn't paid the taxes, hasn't paid the Association fees and is looking to grab whatever cash the property will generate until he/she is forced out by the bank. The poster would be wise to check this out carefully. This borders on simply "too good to be true".

We stayed at a townhouse at Windsor Palms Christmas week 2008 and paid $69 a night so we were expecting about $50 a night for a condo.

We had over 100 offers, most were for around $1300 for 3 weeks, a few were under $1000.

We paid their management company which had 100's to choose from, so I don't think there will be any problem.

I can stay on property for these weeks for $65 a night at a value resort with the buy 4 stay 3 deal, so why would people pay more then that for a condo offsite?

I think owners have to lower their prices since disney is cutting theirs buy 40%.

 

[mareed]

OP here~Besides verifying the owner does in fact own the home, what else can one do? Ask for references? I don't want to sound naive here, but I just assumed I'd get a couple references, check the tax record and send my deposit in. We've rented DVC points in the past and have never had any bad luck. I'm just going by those past experiences, even thought it's two different scenarios.

I've never asked for references. Just seems like it would be too easy to make that up and "refer" a friend or relative. I do ask about the management company and frequently I'm able to find the management company online and fine the home listed there too. I also want to know about the management company because there are a few with bad reputations. I ask quite a few details such as whether there's internet access, ceiling fans, hair dryers, etc. I guess I get a general good or bad "vibe" from the owner as to how they respond to my questions. If I get a bad feel, then I move on to another property. But, really checking the tax record reassures me a lot!

 

[AStamm]

Do you mind me asking how you got such a great rate?

Simply doing a general enquiry. As DH said in the post 2 above me, there are lots of great deals to be had right now. With so many condos/townhomes/homes to choose from, it's a buyers market when it comes to getting a great deal for your vacation.

As for the other posts about worrying about the place being beat, etc., we're not particulary worried about it. DH called the management company and spoke to them a few times. For less than $40 a night I'm not concerned that it doesn't have the latest and greatest--I don't need plasma TVs, luxury mattresses, etc. Just something relatively neat and clean with enough space to decompress after a long day at the parks.

 

[two*little*birds]

(including verify owner at the property tax website.)

How does one do this?

 

[mareed]

Simply doing a general enquiry. As DH said in the post 2 above me, there are lots of great deals to be had right now. With so many condos/townhomes/homes to choose from, it's a buyers market when it comes to getting a great deal for your vacation.

As for the other posts about worrying about the place being beat, etc., we're not particulary worried about it. DH called the management company and spoke to them a few times. For less than $40 a night I'm not concerned that it doesn't have the latest and greatest--I don't need plasma TVs, luxury mattresses, etc. Just something relatively neat and clean with enough space to decompress after a long day at the parks.

I understand your viewpoint about not being concerned about having the latest & greatest! For our $105 4 bedroom including pool heat over XMAS, I warned our group that the place might not be the nicest, and I was fully prepared to fix some things that bothered me (such as a new shower curtain liner) if necessary, but the place was just fine!

 

[mareed]

How does one do this?

The Osceola county (Windsor Hills, Windsor Palms and others in the Formosa Gardens area) can be done at http://ira.property-appraiser.org/. I usually start with the owner's name and the resort/neighborhood and can usually find the property unless the name is very common. This also lets you find the specific address in case the specific location in the resort makes a difference.