- ORLANDO VACATION HOME

How to Write a Compelling Description for Your Orlando Vacation Rental

Orlando is a popular tourist destination, which is why buying a second home to use as a vacation rental can be a lucrative investment. Many people advertise their homes in websites like FlipKey, HomeAway and VRBO. That makes it important for you to create a compelling description so your short-term rental property stands out from the competition. 

Here are a few top tips to follow so you have the best chance of renting your home consistently. 

Put your guest first 

When you sit down to write the description, put yourself in your guest’s shoes. What would they want to know most about your property?  Your goal is to provide key information about your home and give the reader a sense of what it’s like to live there. Focus on the features that would…

How to Prepare Your Orlando FL Vacation Home for a Hurricane

Orlando is blessed with a temperate year-round climate that includes warm, sunny weather. However, much like the rest of the world, we can’t hide from Mother Nature. We do have an established hurricane season from June 1 to November 30th. 

Because Orlando is located right in the heart of Florida, storms are not as common, nor as severe as those that hit coastal cities. And since the hurricane forecasting ability has improved greatly due to advances in technology, we can be proactive instead of reactive if a storm is predicted.

If you own a second home in Orlando, it’s wise to seek a property management firm that takes preventative measures before a storm hits, and necessary actions after the storm to help protect your home.

When the state…

Why UK Investors Should Buy a Vacation Home in Davenport

British investors who want to buy homes in Florida typically favor Orlando because visitors come here from around the globe to enjoy world-class theme parks, sports, music and convention venues.  Tourist appeal, as well as recent builder constraint and job growth, even prompted Forbes magazine to rate Orlando the nation’s 3rd best city to buy housing in 2017.

Most UK investors purchase properties in areas like Kissimmee and Celebration, since these communities are so close to Disney World. But some savvy buyers have discovered that they can find better deals on homes in nearby Davenport.   

This charming community offers British buyers just what they’re looking for: fun in the sun, and rental returns at a great price in a location that’s not too far…

Featured Listing: Hollywood, Rock and Roll Themed Vacation Home

One way to entice short-term rental guests to your Orlando vacation home is to design rooms around a particular theme, such as Mickey Mouse or Harry Potter. Themed vacation homes help you stand out in a competitive vacation rental market.

If you’d like to buy a home to rent out to holiday visitors but don’t have the time or inclination to design theme-based rooms, you could purchase a home that has already done the work for you.  One Kissimmee home that Team Donovan currently has listed for purchase fits that bill perfectly.

This seven bedroom, four-and-a half bath home on Palm Harbour Drive features a Rock & Roll/Hollywood theme, with pictures, giant sculptures and more located throughout the home. For starters, the home features a unique Elvis…

How to Price Your Orlando Home to Sell this Summer

Summer is a popular time of year to sell homes because families like to move while their children are out of school. Because demand is high, you can typically get a higher price for your Orlando home than you would at other times of the year. But coming up with the right price that both you – the seller, and your buyer can agree on – that’s the challenge, isn’t it?

If you list your home for too high a price, it could languish on the market for weeks and still not get any nibbles. If you price it too low, you could spark a bidding war, which would bring you the money you need. But a more likely scenario is that you end up leaving money on the table.

No matter how much you think your home is worth, the buyer is the one who will ultimately decide the…

4 Ways You Can Put Your Home Loan in Jeopardy

So you’ve decided to buy a second home in Orlando. Congratulations! If you plan to finance your holiday home purchase, you should be careful about what you do between the time your loan is approved, and you actually close on the purchase. 

Lenders have been known to rescind a loan offer shortly before the scheduled closing if the buyer makes one of the following missteps: 

1. Making a big purchase – Buying property is a big enough transaction. Don’t spoil the chances of your loan going through by purchasing any other items such as a new car or furniture for that vacation home. A big purchase (especially one you plan to finance!) can change a buyer’s debt-to-income ratio. That ratio is what the lender used to approve the home loan. Save those…

Why a Vacation Home is Better than Staying in a Hotel

If you plan to spend frequent holidays in Central Florida with your family, you should consider investing in a second home, rather than stay in a hotel. Vacation homes in Orlando offer many of the same amenities you’ll find in a hotel, as well as some other big advantages. Here are a few reasons why it doesn’t pay to stay in a hotel, year after year. 

Not enough space – Fitting a large family into one hotel room is no easy feat. There’s the problem of where everyone will sleep. Siblings will probably have to share a bed, which is often a recipe for disaster even among children that normally get along well together. Plus, you’ll have to take turns sharing the bathroom, which can be another huge hassle. You can always rent another hotel room, but that…

How to Screen Guests for Your Vacation Rental Property

Many people from Canada and the U.K. enjoy their Orlando vacations so much they buy a home here to rent out to holiday travelers when they’re away. Short-term rentals are a popular way for you to generate some additional income, and provide a return on your investment. 

Renting your home doesn’t come without risk. There is always the possibility that a guest may damage and/or steal your belongings. Guests may also disturb the other neighbors by making too much noise, blocking driveways, etc. 

The best insurance policy against this type of loss is to properly screen your rental guests. 

Guest Screening by Vacation Websites 

Many vacation websites, like Airbnb, HomeAway or VRBO do some screening before they allow users to access their rental…

5 Mistakes Vacation Rental Owners Make and How to Avoid Them

Buying a home in Orlando to use as a vacation rental is a smart idea, especially if you eventually plan to retire here or use the property as a second home.  Vacation rentals can generate income for you, especially if you buy a property in a desirable area, such as near Disney World. 

However, if you’ve never rented out a real estate property before, you could wind up making some costly mistakes. Here are a few of the more common pitfalls to avoid so your vacation home can be a profitable investment for you. 

1. Setting Unrealistic Rental Rates – Since the Orlando area is competitive when it comes to vacation rentals, it’s important to know your numbers. That means researching rates of competing rentals in the area and determining the occupancy…

How to Prepare Your Orlando Vacation Rental for Guests

Central Florida has a lot to offer for those searching for an area to spend their retirement years. Fabulous weather, numerous lakes for fishing, boating and water skiing, a multitude of restaurants boasting nearly every international cuisine, championship level golf courses, and world-class entertainment, highlighted by the two theme park giants – Walt Disney World and UniversalOrlando.

People who decide they want to retire in the Orlando area often purchase a home several years before they plan to occupy it. Rather than leave the property empty, it makes good sense to generate income from the home by renting it out to holiday travelers. 

Before you let any guests occupy your home, you’ll need to decorate and furnish the property (unless you buy a…