Hi, I'm new

[Carolyn]

Hi everyone,
I have been reading posts on this site for ages, it's really helpful.
We are going to Florida for our third trip in 2 weeks and 5 days!(I'm sooo excited). This time though we are looking into the possibility of buying a rental home. Any tips/information would be really gratefully accepted.
Thanks.
Carolyn

[Andy & Arlene]

Welcome Carolyn

The best tip I can give is ... You'll have to be quick. Homes are selling so quickly at the moment.

Apart from that, I suggest you have a good read through the forums where you will find a massive amount of information. One thing (and very important) to remember though is, with the price of houses the way they are at the moment, can you afford to subsidise it when there are no renters in and if you are taking out a mortgage, you will have to charge huge rentals to cover it (of course this depends on the size of mortgage you have).

Good luck. In today's market you will probably need it. [msnsmile2]

[Ray&Sarah]

Hi Carolyn,

Welcome, you have found the best place to answer all those questions you have. Do some searching on this site and some of your questions have already been answered many times before. As Arlene says make sure you know your figures before going ahead.

Don't beleive these TV shows that make the whole process of renting your villa sound like a walk in the park. Good luck, its hard work but can be rewarding.

[kaysvacationvilla]

Hi Carolyn,

Welcome to the forum. Take the time to read through the posts and will find lots of great information. Renting is hard work but, rewarding. I consider it my part time job.

I agree you must know what you can afford going in and make sure you have the reserve funds in the bank to cover your expenses for a few months.

Kay

[Rhosyn]

Hi Carolyn

The best advice I was given was from my father, If you can't afford to pay for the home for two years without anybody rending it Don't. Waited a few years and Here I am. You might not need it all but it saves a lot of worry.

[Tracy]

Hi Carolyn
Looks like we will be holidaying at the same time, we fly on the 21st May and can't wait. We completed on our home at christmas, this site was and still is an invaluable source of information. As already said, do some searches and you will find answers to most of your questions. Although we were warned about the amount of time we would spend marketing our home and responding to enquiries in a very competative market, I don't think we really appreciated just how much. It is very rewarding, but very expensive, and although we are doing well with bookings we are also having to use our own money to subsidise our home.

Good Luck with your search and enjoy your holiday

[mr flibble]

Hi:)
Welcome to the forum.
As the others have said this forum has a wealth of knowledge
use to save yourself a lot of leg work etc.[msnwink]
Ian

[SteveW]

Carolyn

Welcome. The only thing I would say is similar to Beryl and that is ensure you can afford the house (with no rentals) for the first year, research the areas, and have a spreadsheet compiled to work out your options as they arise. Its much easier to see instantly whether you can afford a,b or c. Finally keep a note pad with you at all times and jot down anything and everything, you'll be amazed what you come up with !

Best of luck and have a good holiday
Steve

[Scotborder]

Carolyn

Welcome to the forum. As already said above, this forum has lots of information to offer and also lots of expert that can answer your question about buying a rental home.

Good luck to you.

[benfilo]

hi carolyn welcome and good luck on the house hunt . Beryl's got me scared now so you can buy mine[msnsad] still, I am having it at last years price so p'raps all is not lost[msnsmile2]

benfilo

[Elaine62]

Hi everyone, I hope some of you can help clear up some queries I have. We want to stay in a villa as opposed to a hotel next time we visit but are unclear about some things. We like the look of he site at Terra Verde, can anyone confirm if it is known by any other name? we have seen some sites called Emerald Isle and Lake Berkeley that look similar but don't know if they are the same thing or not. Also we want to hire privately preferably from a UK person, do UK people have a site that they specifically use?

Thanks

Elaine

I would have thought they would have all been jumping up & down to reply to you Elaine! Anyway as a "newey" all I can say is Terra Verde is on Poinciana Boulevard on Maingate East 192 & Emerald Isle is on the west 192. I am about to complete on my purchase on Highland Reserve (West 192 on Highway 27) so clearly im biased that that is the nicest community to rent on! Seriously, if I was looking at renting I would look at a) distance from Disney, b) what amenities I personally would like & make a choice from there

[huckleberry house]

Hello Elaine and welcome to the forum. The sites you mention are all seperate developments ,Terra Verde is very new and as far as I know is still being built, Lake Berkeley and Emerald Island are a little more established and all three are very beautiful and well situated in their own right.
There are many beautiful sub-divisions within the 15 minute "travel time to Disney" corridor and I would advise you to have a good look around for a home that takes your fancy, you can always make an enquiry using either www.orlandovillas.com www.villasflorida.com or www.onlinefloridavillas.com and list your requirements in the comments box.Owners that had availability for your dates and facilities that matched your requirements would then be able to respond to you and you get to choose a home that suits you and your family for the dates you require.

Happy holidays,
Lesley :)

[jad]

Hi Elaine and welcome

Just to say that villa whether their owners whether they are US or UK are all worth considering. (I class myself as both as I am from UK and moved to US 2 years ago). Most are geared up to accept dollars and pounds and although I can see a comfort factor of a UK person renting from a UK owner, many of the US owners have the advantage of being closer to their villas so have a bit more hands on owner care.

I am sure you will have fun choosing a villa and if you have any questions during your search we are all here to help you!:)

jackie

[Hriaz]

Hi Carolyn

Like your self I am new to the Forum & We have just brought a Villa in Orlando. If I can be of any help . Please let me know.

I would love to hear from others on the forum as I am feeling very lonely & nervous of this new venture.

[benfilo]

Hi Hriaz
no need to feel lonely, plenty of peoplre here in the same boat good luck with the new home. oh yeah welcome too



benfilo

[tuzanne]

Hi Elaine

I think I already replied to you on another thread but I will say that Huckleberry is right. As a Terra Verde owner I am just curious as to why you mentioned my resort and who you heard about it from.

Sue

[Elaine62]

I trawled through a community type info page and had a look at what facilities were on offer. OUr daughter will be 13 when she goes and as she will be on her own we need somewhere with a hotel "feel". We usually go to the Wyndham on International Drive where she has always made some friends at the large pool area. We feel though that we all need a bit more space with her getting older which is why we are now looking at a villa. I've sent you a direct message to find out about yours, hope to hear from you soon.

Elaine

[pigletsplace2003]

Welcome Carolyn :D:D

[sandra777]

Hi Carolyn

Welcome to the forum.

This forum has lots of information which is invaluable so take the time to read the posts, you can never do too much research before buying. As others have said, prices have risen quickley, so make sure you can afford to keep the villa even if it takes a while to get a steady stream of bookings. It is great fun but not nearly as easy as the TV shows would have you believe. Basically you'll need to cover your mortgage plus an absolute minimum of $1,000 a month for utilities, taxes, management, pool and lawn care etc. etc. Also if you eventually decide to buy on a brand new development rather than the more established communities keep in mind that it may not be possible to rent while construction work continues on other homes all around you.

Best of luck

[50sumtng]

Hello. just seen this thread.
To clear up one point - Terra Verde is finished (has been for about 6 months). Landscape and lakes are maturing nicely. Won an award for design
It is the smaller, sister site to Emerald Isle (same builder / developer).
I have to decare my vested interest - I own there

[cathy40]

:DHello everyone,

I'm Cathy and very new to the Forum, although I have been advertising with OV for about 6 months now. Have been reading everyone's comments, which is very interesting & helpful.

Cathy

[Cruella DeVilla]

Welcome to the club:D

[domster]

have a good trip. must send us a report on your return..