Archives for May 2007

How much does Walt Disney World Cost?

Disney World is a great family vacation destination, but unlike renting a hotel room at the beach or simply going sightseeing in a city you’ve never been to before, you’re unlikely to encounter the major surcharge of a Disney vacation anywhere else: tickets.

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How can I get financing to buy my vacation rental home?

I am a newbie when it comes to vacation rentals. I have been reading
up on it and want to get going with it. This has been our dream for a
long while. My question begins with financing. We currently own a
home, and are building one to sell. So we have 2 large loans showing
on our credit. My local mortgage officer said that until the building
is complete and it sells, we probably won’t qualify for a second home
loan for a vacation rental. Then I asked about going for
an “investment loan” after finding a rental with a proven rental
history. He said mortgage company don’t consider vacation property
income because there is not a “lease”. This sounds a little fishy and
wanted to get some feedback from you all. How does anyone ever qualify
for an investment property loan and count the income to qualify? I
hope I am making sense.
Thanks so much.
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How can I avoid capital gains taxes when I sell my villa or short term vacation rental home?

You can sell your primary home every two years and pocket up to $500K in capital gains.
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Would it be a good idea to buy a Vacation Rental Home that sleeps 30 people?

From: blarson01 > We’re thinking about buying a VR that would sleep a large number of people (around 30) to use as a multi-generational getaway.
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How to pack for a Cruise

When packing for a cruise, think light. Some cruises limit the number of bags you can take on board and if they don’t, you may wish they had when you start unpacking in a state room. There are a few essentials though and don’t trust yourself to remember them; make a list of what you need, check the items off as you pack them and check them off again when you pack to come home.

Important things first: [Read more…]

How can I save money when I rent a car?

You’ve had this happen to you, I bet: you book your airline reservation and before you hang up, the airline employee asks politely, “May I connect you to a car rental company?”

Don’t do it!

Even if you intend to rent a vehicle from either agency, Just Say No” to your airline “helper” and dial the rental company’s toll-free number directly. (Come on, you can do it!)

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Universal Studios Orlando and other things to do near Walt Disney World

So you’ve been up and down Disney World: you’ve seen the Magic Kingdom, rode the monorail, gone on all the great rides, and the characters! Well, when you’ve had enough Mickey, Goofy, and all the gang, there’s plenty more for you and your gang to do in the Kissimmee/Orlando area other than Disney. [Read more…]

Are your Orlando Vacation Rental Homes available for parties?

“House parties are strictly prohibited, and are grounds for immediate eviction, and forfeiture of all deposits received. The Sheriffs department will be called to evict Tenants who exceed occupancy limits and violate noise ordinances.”

A few times each year we get calls from locals who want to rent our homes for a weekend.  We generally outright decline rentals from locals, or we enforce our 5 night minimum, which, of course, discourages partygoers from renting.  You may have noticed that our lease says, “5 adults maximum and 10 people maximum”  this is mostly to discourage parties and to limit the number of families in our homes.  In our Orlando Market, our target guests are families with young children.   They tend to be much gentler on our homes than the groups of eight or ten adults.