When we relocated to Indiana eighteen months ago, we left our home in Northern Michigan unsold. Our plight was similar to dozens of others in our area. The dwindling manufacturing economy began forcing families out of Michigan long before the rest of the nation even began to ponder the word “recession”.
We visit our home as often as we can, as frequently as twice a month. We have been able to spend festive holiday weekends and long, drowsy summer weeks at our northern home. In fact, we now enjoy our home and 20 acres perhaps more than we would if we lived there. But as we began to lay plans for the coming summer, weekends at our home up north promised to stretch far apart. So, we were forced to come up with a new plan.
In the past, we have taken advantage of local vacation rentals for our vacation accommodations. This has allowed us to minimize the costs of vacation and enjoy a relaxed, flexible trip. We cook our own meals rather than constantly eating at restaurants. We can easily store mountains of luggage rather than tripping constantly over duffel bags and surfboards in diminutive hotel rooms. We know the advantages of vacation rentals. We enjoy our home, located in the middle of Michigan’s tourist region. Why wouldn’t others?
We registered for an account on Vacation Rentals by Owner. Then we checked with our accountant to clarify any tax laws and ramifications. After determining rates, we drafted a renter’s contract using the resources available at the VRBO site. Our lawyer finalized the contract. We had a group brainstorming session and filled out the details and information for our vacation rental on the VRBO forms. Then we uploaded the allotted 5 pictures of the home to our VRBO account.
Meanwhile, we set up a separate website for our home using WordPress. A personal website, linked to our VRBO page, allows us to provide visitors with many additional pictures and a great deal of information about both the home and the area.
So now we wait. Hopefully, we’ll hear from prospective renters soon! If you’d like to check out our website, visit our listing at VRBO or the home page of The House at Cherry Grove.
Meanwhile, share your experiences in the comments. Have you ever utilized vacation rentals? What adjustments has the economy forced you to make?