Bucky

[Dreh_Nagi_HC_IM]

You own any properties serviced by VRBO, or have friends that do?

I just started using VRBO in the past six months, and so far, it's worked out rather well. Next time I hit the Emerald Coast, was thinking of staying over in 30A, as opposed to PCB.

 

[HerdBuckeye]

I don’t have any coastal rentals myself. Margins are too thin for investments down here. 90 percent of the coastal houses are frame construction so insurance is sky high and takes a huge piece of the pie. Unless that house is beach front or has direct access to a private beach it cuts the rental rate in half. So it’s pretty tough. I used to have 2 condos in shoreline towers in Destin but it was never a really fruitful investment. Sold them when the market turned in 2012. All the management companies cross list on VRBO. I think it’s a great resource and you can by pass management companies using it. The best rentals down here are owned by people from the north that have a niche renting out to people they know back home. You will rent less in the beginning but you are renting to good folk 99 percent of the time that won’t destroy the place or have the cops there all week. And retention rate is great that way. I have used vrbo renting up in st ignace and Mackinaw in the past. Those are always fun trips.

30A is quite if that’s what you want it’s the place. Mostly private or semi private beaches so even on the most crowded weeks the beaches are still not too crowded. Destin is great if you want a middle ground of Panama City and 30A crowds. Don’t go any farther west than Destin. The beaches start to get dirtier mainly due to June grass flowing out of the bays. During summer months the June grass can turn the water into pea soup.

 

[-CarlHungus-]

I use AirBnB quite a bit for travel. This may not be true for all, but I have found the prices and properties slightly higher than VRBO, but I've had better experiences with AirBnB.

It used to be no taxes were added to some of these properties for the renter, but if I'm recalling correctly the last couple of AirBnB rentals I've done did have hotel-like taxes thrown in which really ups the price.