your opinions, please (more pool home stuff)

[weezy26nm]

We are from Canada and one thing we really appreciate it free long distance calling to anywhere in North America.

 

[sympatico]

We are from Canada and one thing we really appreciate it free long distance calling to anywhere in North America.

 

[Doogan]

I look for (and rarely find) something indicating the quality/newness of the mattresses. I want to know I'm not going to wake up with a back ache while I'm at Disney.

 

[thenewgirl]

Well, I found a house I liked a LOT. It's about 16-18 minutes away (so maybe a little too far for those who like to be really close). We didn't make an offer, though, because I got a little scared off looking at how much it will REALLY cost. I am up for renewal of National Boards certification (for teachers), and if I don't get renewed for some reason, I will lose a substantial supplement to my salary. SO, I decided to wait until I know about that in October or so....if I can stand to wait!

Thanks so much for all the info you all offered! That was really helpful!

 

[7165red]

1st. price and 2nd. and the most important thing to me is a pvt. pool and what I mean by that is a pool with a fence or shrubs around it. I have seen beautiful homes and when I look at the pool and see the next door neighbors pool, it's off the list.I do like wifi and cable TV.

 

[TrustedTraveler]

I am heading to the Disney area this weekend to look at homes to buy! I am very excited, needless to say. Once we pick one, we will be staying at the Florida home for several weeks out of the year and attempting to rent it out some while we are back home. So, before I go on my search, please tell me...

for those of you who look for a rental home instead of staying onsite, what is most important to you other than a fair price? What helps you decide which home you will rent? What types of things make you choose one home over another, and what special touches would you like to see?

TIA!

So tell us, what did you decide? Maybe we can rent from you and help you out a bit.

For years I wanted to own a vacation pool home but after really looking into it I came to realize it's a very risky business. I'm still wondering if I found 10 other families to form a corp. and buy it together, paying off the mortgage, if that wouldn't work out. Each of us should be able to either use it or rent it for 5 weeks each, so the house would be full and profitable.
There are some real bargains right now in some of the close and highly rated neighborhoods.
But then again renting a home seems to be working fine for the few weeks we get to go south.
I will say that the rental property I bought at home has been a great investment and a whole lot less work that short term rentals.

 

[thenewgirl]

So tell us, what did you decide? Maybe we can rent from you and help you out a bit.

For years I wanted to own a vacation pool home but after really looking into it I came to realize it's a very risky business. I'm still wondering if I found 10 other families to form a corp. and buy it together, paying off the mortgage, if that wouldn't work out. Each of us should be able to either use it or rent it for 5 weeks each, so the house would be full and profitable.
There are some real bargains right now in some of the close and highly rated neighborhoods.
But then again renting a home seems to be working fine for the few weeks we get to go south.
I will say that the rental property I bought at home has been a great investment and a whole lot less work that short term rentals.

Hi TrustedTraveler,
I updated (post #24) and my thoughts are the same as yours. I decided to wait for now, as it does feel like a risky idea. At the same time, I have days when I convince myself it is a good place to shift my investments. Having a hard time deciding and feeling at peace either way. The house I really liked sold two days ago, right after I prayed for a clear sign of which way to go . I guess I got my answer ....doesn't mean I like it!

 

[kidshop]

We are still going forward with trying this, but we have made 2 offers so far and no house! It seems the sellers are pricing way over appraisal, when it's not a short sale. I can only surmise they are counting on overseas and/or cash buyers, and we can't compete with that.

It is a tough business, but one we want to try. It's just like any small business venture, this one happens to come with a house!

 

[KDilly]

Well, I found a house I liked a LOT. It's about 16-18 minutes away (so maybe a little too far for those who like to be really close). We didn't make an offer, though, because I got a little scared off looking at how much it will REALLY cost. I am up for renewal of National Boards certification (for teachers), and if I don't get renewed for some reason, I will lose a substantial supplement to my salary. SO, I decided to wait until I know about that in October or so....if I can stand to wait!

Thanks so much for all the info you all offered! That was really helpful!

Thats a bit of a haul considering how beat you will be when you leave the parks lol just make sure the area has places to eat etc. you don't want to be in the swamp somewhere lol

-KD

 

[thenewgirl]

We are still going forward with trying this, but we have made 2 offers so far and no house! It seems the sellers are pricing way over appraisal, when it's not a short sale. I can only surmise they are counting on overseas and/or cash buyers, and we can't compete with that.

It is a tough business, but one we want to try. It's just like any small business venture, this one happens to come with a house!

Sorry to hear that, kidshop. I suspected that was the case while I was looking around. I hope you find the 'just right' place soon!

 

[thenewgirl]

Thats a bit of a haul considering how beat you will be when you leave the parks lol just make sure the area has places to eat etc. you don't want to be in the swamp somewhere lol

-KD

Yeah, I knew that drive would be an issue for some people, but we decided it didn't matter to us as much as certain house features. When we go to the parks, we don't go 'full force' (no insult to those who do!), so we rarely exhaust ourselves. We like a lot of downtime on vacation...which is why we always rent a private house when we go.

Doesn't matter now, anyway. I found out this morning that THE house sold two days ago.

 

[JennSaint]

Yeah, I knew that drive would be an issue for some people, but we decided it didn't matter to us as much as certain house features. When we go to the parks, we don't go 'full force' (no insult to those who do!), so we rarely exhaust ourselves. We like a lot of downtime on vacation...which is why we always rent a private house when we go.

Doesn't matter now, anyway. I found out this morning that THE house sold two days ago.

Sorry to hear the house sold. I don't think 15-20mins to Disney is that bad at all. It can take that long or longer waiting for buses and travel time to the onsite resorts. We stayed in a condo at Bahama Bay resort last year and didn't find the ride that bad. Having the 3 bedrooms were so worth it.
I think if you find a nice house with nice furnishings etc it is worth the drive.

 

[arigatou]

Although some of the places we rent are more beautiful than others decorative, I did not think what made ​​a good rent too, until we live in a completely terrible!

 

[earthfaries]

How exciting! We have lived in quite a few vacation pool home the past few years.

We choose an area that is very close to Disney ~ Kissimmee or the Davenport/Four Corners area.

The most important thing for me is to be in a nice and safe area. When picking our homes for rental we researched the zip codes (for crime reasons) and picked houses that were beautiful inside and out. Nice, newer homes, we wanted furnished and also it had to have a nice pool.

If you have any questions about a specific area near Disney OR a neighborhood feel free to PM me with them and I'd be glad to help if I can.

Good luck!

 

[HeyMickeyUSoFine]

This may not matter to many but, if I see upholstered furniture, I keep looking. Something about fabric (and PLEASE, not a floral pattern), and everyone laying around on it with their shoes on, like they're home, just creeps me out. With leather, it can be easily wiped down by the cleaners....or me.

Oh my gosh, I thought I was the only one. I detest fabric furniture and especially that "Golden Girls" floral print. lol. Anyway, I have to agree with most of the others. Distance to parks and restaurants, cleanliness, modern decor( I refuse to rent a place with the big tube tvs), south facing pool, and I actually also try to determine if the pool is overlooked. We stayed in Paradise Palms last summer which is a newer property and we absolutely loved it.....very nice place.