Vacation rental vs "long-term" rentals (house, high school)

[mdand3boys]

On the advice of a few people here on the forum, I started looking at vacation rentals instead of "long-term" rentals.

I am very pleasantly surprised to find that we can easily find a nice, completely furnished home for less money than we could have found a "normal" rental. We were looking for $900-$1200 per month rentals.

A vacation rental will typically include:

All furniture, dishwasher, kitchen utensils, washer and dryer, water, electric, grill, satellite or cable TV, broadband internet, etc.

If we rented a normal rental house, we would have to provide all of these items ourselves (plus the time involved with setting them all up) and we have found that our real cost could actually exceed this by several hundred per month!

Additionally, due to the tight economy, we are actually receiving offers from the homeowners to discount their properties by several $100+ per month if we do a longer term rental than their advertised prices on vrbo and homeaway !

Since we are looking at renting for several months and maybe more as a start, it appears that many home owners are very interested, especially since we are willing to pay for weekly cleanings, etc.

[hotzcatz]

There aren't that many tourists left out there, so even if they discount the rental unit, getting a portion of the rent is much better than getting none.

Weekly/monthly rentals are good, especially if they are fully furnished. Saves set up time and expenses, lets you get the feel for an area without being stuck in it for a long term lease. Seems like a really good thing!

Which area are you going to start in? Do you have one picked out yet?

[mdand3boys]

Our first choice is within the Waiakea school boundaries.One boy will be in 6th and the other a freshman in high school. Unless someone has other info to the contrary, it seems like it may be the best choice for them.

We are looking for 2-3 bedrooms and 2+ baths, plus cable/satellite and broadband internet.
We also desire for the house to be on at least 1 acre so as not to be so close to neighbors. We also do not want to rent a duplex, etc. We are looking for single family homes only.

[bluespirit]

Where did you find these places? Did you just use vrbo and craigslist?

[KonaKat]

To find a vacation rental that might work like this, in addition to various online resources, also call property management companies who handle vacation rentals in the area you need. Oftentimes, even in "normal years" they could be offered at more of a "long term rate" during the slow summer season.

[mdand3boys]

Originally Posted by KonaKat

To find a vacation rental that might work like this, in addition to various online resources, also call property management companies who handle vacation rentals in the area you need. Oftentimes, even in "normal years" they could be offered at more of a "long term rate" during the slow summer season.

Thanks.
I am still amazed at how many property owners are willing to drop their rental rates just because I talked to them. I have made a spreadsheet for comparison purposes and I included asking price vs actual. Some owners are dropping $200+ per week off of their prices. I like this! We hope to make our decision this week and pay the deposits, etc. I also like it that VRBO offers a $5000 guarantee against scams, etc.

ps - If any of you are property owners - UPDATE your VRBO calendar to reflect availability so people don't waste their time or yours. Just a hint.

[KoaKine]

This also was my plan to rent long term I haven't talked to anyone yet as the job my wife is interviewing hasn't taken place yet but this makes me very optimistic . I just need to look into long term storage.