WHY?     

Ever heard a small child who asks WHY?  We all did that when we were young.    Still, even as adults we would sometimes love to know the WHY behind things, especially when we do not understand.    Sometimes we are just curious!

Well to be helpful,  here are some answers for those of you who have just this question!  Why? 

WHY...?

        Why are the houses so different in price, some rent for $70 a night, all the way up to several hundred a night?
                     Each house is one of a kind, and we try to price them based on the size, the amenities they offer,
                     their age and condition, beach access, furnishings etc.  Read complete descriptions on each house page
                     that will give you a good snapshot of the house and the amenities.   We have also posted
                     a page called COMPARE HOUSES that will give you more information, as well as descriptions of the
                     approximate size, age, condition, beach access (if any), views, etc of each house to help with your research

Why can't I give you a credit card over the phone for my reservation deposit?    

            Credit card companies do not guarantee a credit card to us unless we have had the card in hand
            and have a signature on file.  We wish we could take phone-in cards, but if we did we would not
            have a guaranteed card!
 

Why do hotels take cards over the phone then?

            Hotels typically have something like 200 identical rooms, and seldom do they fill up, so they actually have
            very little to worry about when taking a reservation.  They are basically taking your reservation for
            their own information, to tell themselves in advance
            how much staff to have on hand on a given day. 

            Everyone has had the experience that you have made a
            "reservation" at a hotel with your card, just to find when you arrive that they have overbooked and you
            do not have a room.  Your reservation was not an actual reservation but a count on how many rooms
            they can expect to be full, and therefore how much to staff.   Since they are rarely full, your room is likely to be fine.
 

            BUT in the vacation rental business this is completely different!   Each house is owned by an individual
            person, and they have only one.   They also have about 12 weeks of good rentals.  So they want you to make
            a commitment to the house, just as you want the house to really be held for your arrival!   Still, if you have
            to cancel and can give us a lot of notice, we may be able to re-book your house, and then we can refund
            your deposit.   We truly suggest that you wait until your dates and your plans are firm before you make a
            reservation, that way neither you or the owner of the house will suffer if something changes your plans.  There
            are also companies who sell vacation rental insurance, and they may be able to pay for your loss if you
            change your plans and cannot get your plane and your home deposits back.

 

Why do you require a security deposit?   I will be very careful of the house!

            The best way to answer this is to say that although you will certainly be very careful, not everyone is.  So

            it is necessary to have a security deposit to pay for any damage that might be done to the home, this is to
            reimburse the owner for her or his loss.  We can say that it is seldom that we have to charge anything to a
            deposit, since most of our guests are very careful and sincere.  Very seldom do accidents happen.

         Why are the houses all so different in their furnishings, amenities?
                   Vacation rentals are homes, owned by individuals!   Each house is owned by a family who may live in the
                    house part of the year and then vacation rent it out during the summer to help with their mortgage, or it may
                    be a second home that they use a few weeks a year but rent it out when they are not using it themselves.         r
                    Either way the house will be furnished with what the owner of the house has, and what they like.
                    What this means to you, is that you will have a very individual vacation home!   It is not a 400 sf motel room
                    with standard supply furnishings, it is a home that has been decorated by someone, and each will be different.
                    Some of our customers stay in a different home every vacation, they love to see the diversity of each home. 
                    Others find one they like the best and that will be the home they choose for each vacation, they know just
                    what it has and it works the best for them.  This is truly a different and unique way to vacation!

       Why is there a separate cleaning fee?   Why not just have it included in the price?  Motels do not charge a cleaning fee?
                   Again, there is a huge difference between cleaning a 400 sf motel room with two beds, one bathroom, a desk,
                   a bit of carpet - and cleaning a full two to three story, 2500 sf or larger home with full kitchen, multiple baths,
                   multiple bedrooms (and laundry), multiple levels with stairs, lots of glass, furniture, decks, BBQ grill, hot
                   tub and more!  You need to appreciate the work your housekeepers do!

                   We do not include the fee (as the motel does) because it is a fee that is paid for the cleaning itself, so
                   it is kept separate.  We also give the guest a choice of two kinds, one is the discounted cleaning fee which
                   will save money for people who would just as soon put the sheets in the washer and start it, load the
                   dishwasher and start it, wipe up any spills, and take out the trash.  Actually most people do this as a matter
                   of course, so we give a discount on the cleaning fee for this as it gives the housekeepers a huge hand, and
                   it saves her about 45 minutes of work, since the sheets will be ready for the dryer when she arrives and she
                   can start load two.  Without this, there would be another 45 minutes of laundry for her to do!  So we give
                   a substantial discount when the guest takes care of these few things before they leave.

     Why do you have an extensive Policy Page?   
                    We handle the homes that are owned by individuals, and their beach house is a huge investment to their family.
                    We take it very seriously, and we consider that one of our main jobs is to protect their home as best we can.
                    So this means rules, and that we have to enforce the rules.  So we list these items for the guest to read and
                    understand in advance, and really we hope that the people who will rent the home from us will be the family
                    that would treat the home as their own.   But we have put everything out so that you can decide if you want
                    to rent this home, and take reasonable care of it while you are here, which most people do!   As a result we
                    have very few problems, and very few misunderstandings!   And very, very seldom do we have to even think
                    about that policy page!  So just have fun!

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