10 Tips for Choosing a Rental Cottage for a Great Waterfront

By: Joyce Shannahan


You've been looking forward to your waterfront vacation for months. Now it's time to start planning and rent a vacation cottage for your use. Selecting the best cottage can be the difference between a great vacation and one where you feel like you are 'doing without'. Surprised? Many vacationers consider the cottage as just somewhere to stay since most of your time will be spent on the water, or enjoying local attractions. Don't make that mistake. There is no reason to settle for less when, with a little planning, you can find a great cottage that you'll enjoy as much as the other parts of your vacation. Remember, your vacation cottage is where you'll be sleeping, waking up, having many of your meals, and resting. If it rains or is unseasonably hot outside, you may end up stretched out reading a book to while away the day assuming there is a comfortable sofa. And when you meet new friends, you'll want someplace nice for entertaining. Shouldn't your vacation cottage be a pleasant get-away with the amenities that make vacations a real treat. Here are a few tips to for selecting the perfect waterfront vacation cottage rental:

1.The single most important factor is whether or not you can see actual recent photos of the interior and exterior of the vacation cottage rental. It's one thing to read a great description and some of them are quite complimentary (sometimes overly so) - but you need to see what you are getting. With the Internet, a website is the quickest most convenient way for you to get information on prospective cottage rentals. If there are no pictures, you'll know right away to keep looking. Brochures, books and guides are nice, but may have out-dated information.

2.List the amenities that are important to you, the ones without which you will feel incomplete. Next, jot down those that are nice to have, but not deal-breakers if not available. With these lists as a guide, you'll be able to quickly eliminate those cottages that won't meet your needs. Your list might include proximity to the water, the number of bedrooms and bathrooms, type kitchen (full versus fridge and microwave), outdoor amenities such as decks and BBQ grills, boats or other water toys, and other items important to you. On your secondary list, you might have things like a hammock for lazing about, or an herb garden for gourmet meals.

3.List the activities that you want to be able to enjoy while on vacation. This will help you in selecting a general location (city, state). You also need to consider how close you want your vacation cottage to be to these attractions. Some people feel that a great vacation is being able to walk or bicycle everywhere. Others don't mind a short drive, and still others think nothing of getting on a freeway to enjoy attractions. If you prefer a vacation without the hassles of traffic, parking problems, crowds and long lines, select a cottage such as Heartsworth Cottage, located in the quaint waterfront town of Onancock, Virginia. Visit http://www.onancockcottage.com to learn more.

4.Identify your first, second and third choice of dates for renting the cottage.With several dates, you'll save time when making arrangements. If you find a cottage that you really want and you have some flexibility in scheduling, having alternate dates ready allows you to book right then, saving yourself the time and hassle of having to re-check everyone's schedule and call back, and risking losing those dates in the interim.

5.Call the telephone numbers for the vacation cottages that seem to meet your needs and speak directly with either the owners or the person who is handling the property. Be prepared with a list of questions. This allows you to compare apples to apples, and keeps you from forgetting something important during the conversation. It also gives you a feel for the person who will be your contact should you rent the cottage and then encounter a problem. If you don't get a warm, friendly welcome to your inquiries, don't expect anything different when you call with a problem.

6.Ask what amenities are included.You may learn of something that's not on your list but is perfect for your plans. Other things to consider: Is there a welcome basket? Will the owner stock the refrigerator for you, before your arrival? Is a newspaper delivered? Can you make arrangements to receive mail? Are there plates, utensils, pots, pans and other essentials for eating and meal preparation or will you have to bring your own?

7.Inquire about restaurants, events and activities and other forms of local entertainment that are close by, perhaps within walking distance. Here's where your list of preferred activities comes in handy. You should be able to find links to local attractions, calendars and restaurants on the website of your vacation cottage rental.

8.Are the owners Local? Do they live nearby? Local owners are a wealth of information about the area and can give you tips on great out-of-the-way places that aren't in the guidebooks. They also care about your enjoyment and comfort while at their cottage. This can make a huge difference; especially should something need immediate attention in the cottage. There's nothing worse than calling the rental company about a stopped-up toilet and getting somebody's bored teenager who's manning the phones for the summer.

9.How long has the owner been renting vacation cottages? If the owner has worked with rental properties, they know what tenants expect and how to get things done. If this is a new venture, beware! The owner may be in it for fun and have no idea how to prepare the cottage so that you can have a great vacation.

10.And last, when you look at the pictures, can you see yourself having a great time there? If the pictures make you want to go right now, and the answers to the questions above meet your satisfaction, you've found yourself a cottage for a great waterfront vacation rental!

About the Author:Joyce Shannahan and husband Duke have been in real estate for many years. They are gourmet cooks, great hosts and know how to make guests feel welcome. Heartsworth Cottage, their waterfront vacation cottage rental in the waterfront town of Onancock, Virginia, is on the water with dock, tri-level deck, gas grill, and is filled with the comforts of home, including a bountiful welcome basket with wine.

Visit them at http://www.onancockcottage.com

By: Debbie Cooper

The property market in Spain can provide excellent investment returns and the opportunities are considerable. The purchase of investment property in Spain by foreigners is simple as it is regulated by relatively liberal laws, and mortgages can be obtained up to 60 %, sometimes up to 80% at low interest rates. Successful Spanish property speculation is no longer the privilege of wealthy invdividuals or businesses and over the past few years, buying 'Off plan' investment property Spain has seen some incredible returns for hundreds of foreigners. New developments in up-and-coming as well as established locations along the Costas which are primarily 'off-plan' investment opportunities are many. Property speculation requires careful judgement and knowledge of the property market to find the best new developement for your investment property in Spain. Whatever your reasons for buying investment property Spain there is a huge choice of new developments all along the coasts to suit every budget, but even experienced investors will still need practical and legal advice. You need to make sure you are buying the right type of property to suit your individual requirements, whether it be 'buy to sell' or for 'buy to let' rental purposes. The most rewarding opportunities are from buying 'off plan' before building work even begins. You are then able to reserve (normally 10% of the purchase price is put down at this time) the best plots or apartments, which can be sold on at any stage of the development for a profit. Most banks and developers offer a bank guarantee against non-completion of the project, which will protect any money put down as a deposit payment. Some developements make take 2 to 3 years to complete, which means that they are constantly increasing in value, so the longer you hold on to your Spanish investment property, the more profit you can make. Most buyers will pay more for a finished or nearly finished property than they would for an 'off plan' property. Developers normally fund their projects by offering Off-plan investments and buy-to-sell properties, from which they use the deposit payments to continue building. This saves them paying high interest rates to the bank as it reduces the amount they may have to borrow. These properties are normally competitively priced and if you sell the property before completion you will not have to pay any capital gains tax. As your property gets nearer to completion, its value rises and you are able to sell at a good profit. If you're planning to buy investment property for rental purposes, get local advice on the best locations, furnishings and property types for maximum rental income and therefore a better return for your money. One of the hottest tips in Spanish property at the moment is for golf property. Investing in golf property is not purely for the golfers. The majority of golf resorts offer many more facilities for the whole family than is normally found on new urbanisations throughout Spain. Often these resorts are built with hotels, health spa's, shops, gymnasiums, etc. - something for everyone. There are some fantastic 'off plan' properties on the new Polaris World Golf and Leisure resorts in the Costa Calida, in the region of Murcia. These resorts will offer a standard of living unrivalled by others are are perfect for 'buy to sell' investments, buy to let or permanent living. Another excellent investment proposal is rural or country property. Due to the forthcoming Americas Cup in Valencia in 2007, it is estimated that property in country areas in the Valencian region will make a fresh batch of Spanish property millionaires as other areas of Spain have done in the past for those who get the timing right. About the Author: I have worked in rentals and sales now for 6 years, and run Citrus Iberia Ltd, a British holiday rentals and sales business on the Costa Blanca.

By: C.C. Largest and Most Spacious White SharkCage Diving Vessel at Guadalupe The 1st String, is first in luxury and spacious traveling of the white shark diving liveaboards plying the water of Guadalupe Island offering comfort as only the 1st can. Quality orientated, the shark cages are custom built for the photographer and naturalist. They are designed to provide the best viewing angles over any previous cages used at Guadalupe to maximize your upclose encounters with the ocean's apex predator. The vessels: The Shark Diving liveaboard is designed for your comfort and safety. It is the newest and most luxurious shark diving vessel in the California shark diving fleet, offering our divers a more comfortable, safe and relaxing diving experience. At 93' in length and featuring a 25' beam, the vessel is extremely spacious. The low to the water, exceptionally wide beam offers divers a huge deck area and a much more stable ride platform. Features include: *Extremely large, modern air-conditioned galley with seating for 45 pasengers, *Fully equipped with TV and VCR, *Three large heads with hot showers, *Electronics, *Five radios, *Global positioning navigational system, *48 mile radar, *Color side scanning sonar and Fish Finder, *Video plotter, and Loran C. ·Power, *Twin Turbo-Charged NT855 Cummins Diesel engines, *Super large on deck bow and ...** Sleeping accommodations are provided for up to 54 passengers in private air-conditioned staterooms and bunk compartments. ·A spacious sun deck that will seat 60 passengers. The cost for 5 day White Shark trip in private stateroom is $2,550 per person; bunk quarters is $2,350 per person. TerraSea-SharkDivingAdventures is offering a $100 discount on 2006 reservations booked in 2005. For more information or reservations contact: TerraSea -SharkDivingAdventures (1-800-403-8488), http://www.sharkdivingadventures.com About the Author: None

Renting a villa is a brilliant alternative to staying in a hotel especially if there are a few of you. There are many plus-points to consider. ADVANTAGES * Cost. If there are four or more people then if you divide the total cost by the number of people you usually find you can make a massive saving compared to the cost of hotels. * Space. You have a home rather than a cramped room in which you are on top of each other. * Privacy. Most villas are sheltered from the neighbours. In any case it has to be better than having a thin wall separating you from the noise of other hotel guests. * Facilities. You are likely to have your own private pool, your own kitchen of course which you wouldn't have in a hotel room and many other features. * Kids. Staying in a villa is great when you have kids. As they tend to wake up early there is nothing worse than trying to keep them quiet when everyone else is trying to sleep - or having other people making noise when you are trying to get your own kids to sleep. POTENTIAL PROBLEMS A villa holiday is not without potential problems. It would be best to read all our tips on what to look out for before you rent a villa. This is an invaluable guide to preventing possible problems so you can have a fantastic holiday. Perhaps the biggest potential pitfall could be if you are booking with a private individual. At least if you are in a hotel you can complain and have something fixed and put right quickly. In a villa that might not be so easy. It's important to realise that you can either book direct with the owner which is often good value or you can book through a major company, this might (but not necessarily) cost you more but you will have local reps to look after you if there are any problems. The other major potential problem is not obvious. It's the people you are sharing with. Many people opt to share a villa with family and friends and while it does make good financial sense we have heard reports of people falling out and being too close for comfort. Most importantly have separate hire cars so you can do different things if you want to. Copyright Mark Eastwood. Feel free to use this article online and in your email newsletters as long as you leave it intact and do not alter it in anyway. The byline and biography must remain in the article. About the Author: Mark Eastwood lives on the Costa Blanca coast of Spain and is the publisher of http://www.CostaBlancaUncovered.com - The site for tourists visiting the Costa Blanca coast of Spain as well as residents and people considering moving to this popular area known as the 'California of Europe'.