Snowbird Lifestyle, Cuisine, Entertainment and Travel
The small bite hors d’oeuvres are beautifully presented, everything is more sparkly and has an element of being that much better. Beef tenderloin blue cheese bites Butternut squash crostini with arugula hummus Parmesan crisps with Prosciutto and orange marmalade preserves COOKING CLASS Four Festive Small …
The best place to start meeting people is in your own neighborhood, whether at the pool, community center or walking your dog How to Meet People in Your Snowbird Community Ideas for new and seasoned snowbirds Recently I was contacted by a reader who is …
When my twin sister first announced she was coming home to the Midwest from Hawaii, she invited me to go on a "mini vacation within a vacation." We have travelled together in the past and share a love of historical artsy places such as Laguna Beach and Pasadena in California as well as the historic home of beloved American children's book author, Laura Ingalls Wilder in Mansfield, Missouri. So it was no surprise when my twin said Saugatuck, Michigan was tops on her list.
Saugatuck, located adjacent to Lake Michigan is all of the things that I love about a vacation destination. It is artsy, walkable, nostalgic and a thriving water-centric community. It is romantic and charming with an assortment of downtown and waterfront boutiques, bed and breakfast inns, shops, gourmet restaurants and art galleries. Many of the stately grand Victorian homes have been converted to host guests and there's plenty of cottages, small hotels and rentals both on and off the water. At night, the trees glow from the twinkling white lights wrapped around the trunks, similar to another fantastic tourist destination, Naples on southern Florida's Gulf Coast.
Local businesses cater to tourists and are known for their appeal to pedestrian vacationers. You can park your vehicle and not move it again until time to go home. Although one place you can't always park is along the downtown streets because many of the right-hand lanes have been converted into beautiful outdoor seasonal dining spaces.
There are also numerous activities for the outdoor enthusiast with all kinds of water activities, boating, fishing, hiking, climbing massive sand dunes, golfing and of course, the majestic beach shoreline of Lake Michigan. If you love wineries and vineyards, the surrounding Fennville area is known for grape vineyards and fruit trees. There is no shortage of tasting rooms of all kinds: wine, cider and craft beer.
Once a lumber town, Saugatuck, also known by many previous names, was settled in 1830 by William Butler. By the late 1800's, city dwellers from Chicago came to escape the heat. The Art Institute of Chicago began offering summer school classes on the Ox-Bow lagoon, which was created when the river was rerouted in 1906. The Institute officially established the Ox-Bow Summer School of Painting in 1913. Saugatuck became known as a tourist destination and artist colony. Saugatuck and her adjoining sister community, Douglas, Michigan now primarily rely on tourism.
What you won't find is slick chain restaurants, national or regional hotels or retail stores, which is why Saugatuck-Douglas is so appealing to guests who come from Chicago and throughout the Midwest and beyond. It retains the timeless original architecture of establishments and residences in a beautiful, unspoiled natural setting. Massive old trees can be found throughout and hand-painted signs welcome guests to a community with just one stoplight. Summer is the most popular season for vacationers when visitors pack the beaches and twin towns, especially for the Independence Day holiday. My sister and I arrived in early October when the last heat of summer is fading, the air is crisper and the leaves are slowly turning.
Many of the area attractions operate on a reduced or weekend-only schedule in the shoulder and winter seasons, which is helpful to know when planning a trip. Outdoor dining and water activities may or may not be available based on weather conditions. Rental rates may be reduced and it is much less busy than peak season. Some establishments close entirely from January until March.
Below is an overview of Saugatuck which is intertwined with the history of the dunes, as well as highlights from my Autumn tour and details of what I consider two favorite local establishments: The Hotel Saugatuck and Coast 236 Restaurant and Bar.
Please let me know your own personal experiences in the Saugatuck area. Ms. Lantz, a longtime friend of my mother-in-law loves the area so much she wrote a privately published book entitled, "Saugatuck, A Love Story," an excellent 100 page chronicle of her lifetime of Saugatuck vacations dating back to 1969, the first time she stayed at the iconic Ship-N-Shore Hotel - Boatel on Water Street and fell in love with Butler burgers at the Butler, which is still operating on the riverfront.
In the past, I have wondered why there are no major port cities located on the Eastern Shores of Lake Michigan. Nor are there major structures, such as high or even low rises along the coast. Although Saugatuck is adjacent to Lake Michigan, it is physically impossible to stand on the streets of Saugatuck or Douglas and view Lake Michigan, even though it is only a short distance away.
Saugatuck (pronounced Saw-gu-tuck) was originally settled in 1830 and the Native American Algonquin name means "situated on a lake at the mouth of a river." In Saugatuck's case, it is the mouth of the Kalamazoo River. The river flows directly to Saugatuck-Douglas in a westerly direction where it eventually widens into Lake Kalamazoo and then empties into Southeastern shore of Lake Michigan, part of the largest fresh water system in the entire world, The Great Lakes.
To understand the layout of Saugatuck, you need a basic understanding of the area's geography and the impact of Eastern Lake Michigan's massive, living sand dunes. Some dunes reach heights in excess of 200 feet, including infamous Mount Baldhead, which towers 236 feet high and is situated in-between Lake Michigan and the town of Saugatuck. The twin towns of Saugatuck-Douglas share borders with a common waterway, yet both are physically separated from Lake Michigan by the substantial sand dunes and the Kalamazoo River.
The largest dunes date back 3,000 to 4,000 years during a period of high water. The dunes form because storm surges and prevailing Western winds continually blow sand onto the Eastern shoreline of Lake Michigan. Dry sand on the beach is picked up by the wind. Small rocks, driftwood, vegetation and other natural elements cause the sand to accumulate. The blowing sand forms successive layers on the leeward side, which causes the dunes to "move" inland. Because the dunes are living, always shifting and changing due to the wind, this makes them unstable. With time, even mature trees can be "swallowed up" by the large dunes. Growing concerns arose that the over-steeping and eroding leeward side of Mount Baldhead would encroach, causing the Kalamazoo River to fill up with sand. Mount Baldy was purposefully planted with vegetation in 1887 to use a natural means to stabilize the sand and implement erosion control. Wooden steps were constructed to the top of Mount Baldy in 1930 to block erosion from foot traffic. The dome sphere at the top of the dune was constructed in 1964 by the United States government as part of a DEW line radar station. Now, the dome functions as a landmark and tourists flock to Mount Baldy to climb the steep 236 foot incline for the magnificent view.
Originally a town named Singapore was established to the North of Saugatuck in 1836 near the mouth of the Kalamazoo River. Unlike Saugatuck, it was located directly on the shores of Lake Michigan hoping to rival other port cities such as Chicago and Milwaukee. At Singapore's height of prosperity, it had 23 structures and two sawmills and also had its own bank currency.
However, after the Great Chicago Fire in 1871 Singapore began deforesting the area, shipping lumber 90 miles southwest to help rebuild Chicago. Ultimately, with a lack of trees providing stability, Singapore was abandoned by the late 1800's due to being swallowed by the ever-changing dunes. Like a Shakespearean Tragedy, Singapore sacrificed her trees which ultimately sacrificed herself. Singapore remains one of Michigan's most famous ghost towns, long-ago buried under the sands. Local lore suggests one resident refused to leave his home despite the encroaching sand dunes. He entered and exited through a second floor window until eventually the roof was completely buried beneath the sand.
Until now, I never knew why large high rises, hotels or even any commercial establishments are not located on the Eastern shores of Lake Michigan. It's due to the living dunes.
![One of several sculptures in the Rose Garden [Butler and Mason]](https://midlifesnowbird.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/0_0680-LKS_Saugatuck_Oct2021-scaled.jpg "0_0680 LKS_Saugatuck_Oct2021")
![At night, the trees glow from the twinkling white lights wrapped around the trunks [Looking down Butler Street from Culver]](https://midlifesnowbird.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/0_0133-Coast236_Saugatuck_20211006-scaled.jpg "0_0133 Coast236_Saugatuck_20211006")
When I'm new to an area, I begin by solidly researching options of where to stay and then dive into the details of dining options as well as area attractions. I visited Saugatuck nine years prior with my husband, but we stayed in Grand Rapids and toured Saugatuck for just one day while also checking out other beach town areas: Grand Haven and South Haven along Eastern Michigan's coastline.
My sister previously stayed in a carriage house at Serendipity, a centrally located bed and breakfast three years prior for an Independence Day holiday and wanted to try something different. Something different is what was delivered.
With the help of online photos, we fell in love with and booked The Lakeshore Suite at The Hotel Saugatuck, a bed and breakfast on Lake Street just after you cross the bridge bordering Douglas and Kalamazoo Lake. The building, listed on the Michigan Register of historic places, dates to 1865 and is the only original structure still standing from the local lumbering era. It underwent multiple changes and functions until the beginning of the 1900's when it became a boarding house. In 1922, a Chicago vaudeville banjo musician opened it as the Twin Gables Inn and Restaurant and invited his musician friends to play at the hotel where guests dined and danced. The Twin Gables Inn also was known to be frequented by members of Al Capone's gang during Prohibition in the 1920's. There's even a rumored bullet hole in a wall as a result of some sort of altercation over a "sweetheart" who worked at the establishment. In 1936 the Blue Star Highway was constructed and the State of Michigan relocated the building to its present spot. Lake Street was extended to connect with the Blue Star Highway and the hotel was simply in the way.
In 2016, the hotel was fully renovated into luxurious suites and The Lakeshore Suite features two electric fireplaces, a jetted bathtub in the primary living space, private enclosed porch, mini fridge and freezer, microwave, King-sized bed and amazing desserts delivered to our door at dusk and a gourmet breakfast each morning. Our suite's wooden floors, which are found throughout the hotel's original main floor, are stained a gorgeous dark brown and they squeak and creak when you walk on them.
The hotel is for adults only as a luxurious boutique destination for couples or travelers seeking respite. No pets are permitted and I must say it's really not suitable for pets and kids. There's a time and a place for family vacations, but it won't be at The Hotel Saugatuck.
Small cabins line the South side of the property and there's a tranquil 'secret' garden on the opposite side below the Blue Star Highway. Guests can borrow the hotel's bikes for a ride downtown or over the bridge to Douglas.
The Lakeshore Suite's porch is exactly front and center of the ground floor of the hotel. Prior to our arrival I envisioned walking out from the porch to sit next to the lake and read a book, as I do when staying at Oakwood Inn on Lake Wawasee. However, that didn't
happen. First, there's no exterior porch door, which is not a big deal. The larger issue is there's no public benches on this section of the lake, which means the hotel's "secret garden" is the best outdoor spot for reading, but we filled our time with other activities.
On the way to the hotel, we stopped at Modales Winery and Vineyard in the Fennville area for a wine flight and locally produced creamy cheese and hearty summer sausage with crackers. Fennville, Michigan is known for it's vineyards and there are many options to choose from. My sister trusted me to plan our itinerary and I selected Modales because I wanted us to visit a working winery, not just a tasting room.
Ambiance was also important and Modales has a beautiful warm wood-centric interior space and tasting room as well as porch and patio options. The view from the patio and covered porch is of pastoral rolling hills featuring not only grape vines, but beyond are the peach and cherry tree orchards.
Modales also has a rich history. The 26 acre working vineyard was planted over the past 100 years by a family considered a pioneer of the area. The land is ideal for producing grapes due to it's glacial sandy soil, climate and passage of time. The original family's 100+ year old home remains at the front of the property. The friendly service, ambiance, quality wine / hard ciders, history and view are why I highly recommend Modales winery. Next door the Virtue Cider apple orchard welcomes visitors for tours, tastings and events.
After our wine tour, it was a short 11 mile drive through the hilly countryside to The Hotel Saugatuck. After unpacking, my twin and I walked half a mile through a lovely waterfront residential area. We encountered massive tall trees, displays of pumpkins, lovely sunflowers, black squirrels, a small street-side patch of baby pumpkins plus a very dramatic steep hill with many steps leading to a hilltop home overlooking Kalamazoo Lake. Saugatuck is often described as "quaint," which by definition means, "attractively unusual or old-fashioned." I couldn't agree more.
It was a lovely evening and just the right amount of Autumn air, yet warm enough to dine outdoors. I had researched restaurants online prior to our getaway and made a great choice with Coast 236.
Coast 236 on Culver Street offers cloth napkins and tables covered in white tablecloths whether you dine in the street, indoors or in the serene patio garden. We had a great view of the indoor dining area from our garden table as well as lush green patio foliage. After an amazing gourmet meal of Jerusalem thistles with aioli sauce; seared diver scallops with citrus gnocchi and fried capers and Prince Edward Island mussels with saffron and chili
sauce, we strolled around downtown and then back to our hotel where a delicious dessert was waiting for us.
Each room at The Hotel Saugatuck has a portable "tv" tray outside the hall door and each evening at dusk the staff brings a different dessert to your tray. The first night we enjoyed fantastic homemade Michigan blueberry pie with a lattice crust. It is obvious the crust is made the proper way with lard and it was memorably delicious. The kind of dessert that you just don't find unless at a bakery or specialty shop. The second night we enjoyed a crumble-style bar stuffed with carrots, a cream filling and topped with a fresh sprig of rosemary. I've never had anything like it, but it was rich and flavorful.
Every evening we completed our breakfast menus and placed them at the front desk. There's three different meal and juice options and we both chose breakfast pizza the first morning. It was flat bread topped with melted cheese, prosciutto ham, arugula, tomatoes, eggs and artfully styled balsamic vinegar.
The second morning I ordered something I've never done before. I chose a Pecan Apple breakfast salad. As they say, "when in Rome." Before my sister travelled home to the Midwest, I had suggested I make my favorite salad for her for breakfast. I asked, "Do you think it's weird to eat a salad for breakfast?" It was the only time I was going to be able to cook for her during our visit and I wanted her to
try my salad, it's that good. Except I did not actually make the salad for my sister. So when the option to have a breakfast salad presented itself at The Hotel Saugatuck, I gave it a try. I felt it was meant to be. Sliced fresh avocado, goat cheese, greens, apples, pecans, homemade strawberry vinaigrette and a scrambled egg. Will I do it again? No, but I am proud of myself for stepping outside the box and taking a chance.
We loved our time in Saugatuck-Douglas, it was a relaxing and much-needed mini vacation within my sister's vacation. We meandered around the town for two days, leisurely taking photos, shopping a little here and there and exploring.
The local drug store has a nice large selection of souveniers. Ironically, if you are there to actually shop for pharmaceutical items, go to the back of the store to find those products. Quaint, yes. Quirky, absolutely.
We ate seafood every day at local favorites such as Mermaid's, Phil's, Everyday People Cafe in Douglas and of course, Coast 236. There are eateries too numerous to list, but definitely something for everyone.
After checking out of our hotel, we drove around Lake Kalamazoo and up the heavily forested two-lane road over the dunes to Mount Baldhead Park, the only way to access Oval Beach by vehicle. The popular beach received it's name due to the original oval-shaped parking lot. We spent time along the water's edge and then climbed back up the dunes to the parking lot. The Oval Beach recreation area has public restrooms, barbecue grills, picnic tables, hiking trails and a ramp-accessible overlook with stunning views of Lake Michigan.
Next we headed back through the woods and over the dunes to the river side of Mount Baldhead Park. To get to this area of the park, it's only accessible via a very narrow dead-end road. There's a retaining wall on one side and a guard rail next to the river on the other. We visited the riverfront and historic pump house overlooking the Kalamazoo River, then my sister ascended the 300+ stairs leading to the top of Mount Baldy. She was rewarded with amazing views of Saugatuck and Lake Michigan.
We returned to Saugatuck for a street-side lunch of seared scallops at Phil's, which is located in an old theater, enjoying one last meal and trek around the charming streets. Even in the Autumn shoulder season, Saugatuck is enticing and enchanting. We look forward to returning again to an unspoiled "pure Michigan" place where time stands still for awhile.
Saugatuck-Douglas features something for almost everyone including solo travelers, families, couples and all age groups. It is known as an inclusive community as well as a social village. Some of the many area attractions include the places listed here. There's many more that are easily found online and through referrals.
Cook Park
Coghlin Park
Jones Park
Mount Baldhead Park
Oval Beach on Lake Michigan
Saugatuck Dunes State Park
Wick's Park
Boating charters
Dune ride tours
Fishing charters
Lake Michigan Shoreline Wine Trail
Saugatuck Chain Ferry "Diane" from Memorial to Labor Day weekend
Saugatuck Performing Arts Center
Star of Saugatuck Paddleboat
Wineries/vineyards, craft beer and cider tours
Dining options in season range from very casual to upscale. Ice cream shops, coffee houses, pubs, pizza places and much more can be found throughout the area. Downtown establishments are all locally owned and operated, there are no chain stores of any sort. Even the small food market and drug store are "old school." Specialty shops offer local products such as cheese and wine; yet others sell clothing, specialty goods, souveniers or globally sourced fair-trade products. Art galleries, live entertainment and much more are all within the community. The Saugatuck Center for the Arts offers many different types of classes, live performances, art and outdoor topiary gardens.
Although there are no national hotels in the downtown area of Saugatuck-Douglas, rental homes are available, as well as local hotels, motels, inns and bed and breakfasts. There's also cottages and private homes for rent.
![Dining in the street is popular in season [Coast 236 on Culver Street]](https://midlifesnowbird.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/0_0022-Coast236_Saugatuck_20211006-scaled.jpg "0_0022 Coast236_Saugatuck_20211006")
![Enticing entrances [Tuck's Christmas Store, Butler and Hoffman]](https://midlifesnowbird.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/0_0618-LKS_Saugatuck_Oct2021-scaled.jpg "0_0618 LKS_Saugatuck_Oct2021")
♦ Consider the time of year when planning your trip to Saugatuck-Douglas. Summer is the busiest peak season, especially during summer holidays such as Independence Day. Winter is the off season and the amenities and services may be closed or reduced in January, February and the first part of March.
♦ Saugatuck is a walkable community which means public street parking is not readily available, especially for busy weekends, festivals and the peak season. There are a few on-street parking spaces near the restaurants, shops and private parking if you are staying in the area. During busy times, be prepared to take a driving tour of the community if no parking is available. Or consider parking in a public lot several miles away and hire a private transportation service to drop you off.
♦ Oval Beach on Lake Michigan has public parking and restrooms, BBQ grills, a children's play area and hiking trails. Be aware there is a steep incline to go down to the water's edge and back. There is a ramp-accessible overlook and benches for those who do not wish to traverse the steep sand dunes. During peak season there is a parking fee. Dogs are not permitted on the beach. Beware of rip tides prior to swimming or entering the water.
♦ Bring a quality camera to capture the details, large and small.
♦ Allow enough time to look around, there's a lot to see. If you have only a few hours, head downtown and roam around from there.
♦ There are many architectural moods and styles within Saugatuck-Douglas. Don't assume that because you've seen one street or neighborhood that another will be the same, they are all unified yet quite different.
-- Unknown
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Social media groups that hone in on your specific interests are a powerful way to gain timely insight on the pulse of a community. By far the largest social media global giant is Facebook and within Facebook are special interest community groups such as "The Destin Life" which currently has more than 138,000 members, including me.
Group members post questions and other members post answers and opinions. Questions asked include:
--"Where is the best place to go for seafood?" (or burgers or steaks....)
--"What grocery stores will deliver to my rental?"
--"Where do locals go for breakfast?"
--"Are dogs allowed on the beach?" (or umbrellas, metal spade style shovels with handles or adult beverages...)
--"What are must-do activities in the area?" (include your age/s interests, skills, dates, number in the group, etc.)
--"Is the expansion of Highway 98 completed yet?"
I'm continually amazed that even though there are many answers repeating some of the same places over and over, people still continue to add their own opinions and even more recommendations. It's astounding at times. One member asked, "Hey everyone, do you guys prefer the Destin Commons or Silver Sands outlet mall?" and received 84 answers within a couple of days. That's a lot of feedback for comparing one local shopping center with another two and a half miles away.
Even though some of the questions and answers are redundant over time, I always learn many new things while scrolling through. As an example, I never knew about St Nicholas by the Sea, a historical charming Greek chapel that was built in 1959 by the man who founded Frangista Beach in the greater Destin area of Florida. It is now on my to-do list for next season when we return to the area.
Years ago, I discovered the one-of-a-kind upscale, unforgettable architectural enclave, Alys Beach Florida via Instagram.
If we ever decide to go glamping, there's a "Fancy Camp" complete with on site 16' bell shaped tents, heating/cooling units, exterior lighting and Queen-sized beds that I found in the area via social media.
This past season, thanks to social media, my friends and I visited The Hub, a happening place on 30A in Northwest Florida that features live entertainment, shops and dining. It also is home to country music super-star, Luke Bryan's Shore Thing cigar bar, where we enjoyed a memorable afternoon. There's many more establishments and restaurants in our snowbird community that my husband and I have yet to try, but plan to because of the repeated recommendations by social media group members.
No matter what you are looking for, whether housing, activities, dining, entertainment, recommendations, history, traffic, weather updates, vacation photos and much more, joining a special interest social media group is very enlightening about a community. If you aren't sure of what to expect and are researching a new community, it's a great way to get timely information. If you're already part of a snowbird community, you'll find new information or something as simple as an old historical photo from long ago.
-- Erik Qualman, American author and motivational speaker
Individual charcuterie boards are fun for small outdoor parties OUTDOOR SUMMER ENTERTAINING Tips to Host Your Guests 2021 Style The global pandemic brought an entirely new appreciation for the simple things in life. Time spent outdoors. Good food. Friendships. And the ability to host loved …
HOW TO FIND YOUR SOUTHERN SECOND HOME Where to Start, What to Know My husband and I recently purchased our first vacation rental property in Northwest Florida. This did not happen overnight, it was years in the making. Much thought and consideration went into research …
My husband and I set a long-time goal to buy a vacation rental property years ago and February of 2021 is when we made it happen! When the Covid pandemic hit the United States in early 2020, we realized we needed to delay our investment plans until the uncertainty of the rippling pandemic effects including the economic impact would become clearer.
Not only were we concerned about the viability of the vacation rental market, we worried about what would happen with our business and investment portfolio. During the extremely tumultuous year of unknowns, including the historic presidential election, we played our cards close and made a move when we felt the time was right, just after the 2020 holiday season.
Here's an overview of the basic steps that led to successfully purchasing our first vacation rental property in the Destin area of Northwest Florida. There's a lot of moving parts, at which any given time unexpected obstacles can derail the plans, so keep focused and don't let setbacks get you down. If you don't succeed on the first try, step back, re-evaluate and give it another shot in the future. For this post, I am referencing a true investment property, which is one that is largely rented to guests compared to a second home that is vacant for most of the time the owners aren't there.
Step One: Choose an appealing target area.
Step Two: Calculate expenses and rental income.
Step Three: Select and get pre-qualified with a lender to finance your property.
Step Four: Determine your target neighborhood, property, features, amenities and price range as well as what restrictions are deal breakers.
Step Five: Hire an experienced local real estate agent to help find your property, as well as do your own online shopping.
Step Six: Work with your realtor to negotiate an offer and accept the terms of sale.
Step Seven: Work with your lender to close the loan.
Step Eight: Plan your renovations, operations and marketing promotions.
Step Nine: Source, meet and hire your property manager, if you plan to utilize one, as well as any vendors such as a maintenance person.
Step Ten: Shop for and order the items needed to enhance the property with the caveat that it will not derail your loan closing or that you cannot return the items if the loan fails to close.
Step Eleven: Set up the insurance, HOA and utilities in your name.
Step One: Work with the property manager to begin or continue the process of marketing and promoting the property.
Step Two: Continue shopping, receiving (and returning) the items needed to renovate your property.
Step Three: Begin the renovation work, if applicable.
Step Four: Take photos where applicable to show the improvements.
Step Five: Set up your own web site, whether you do it yourself or contract with a third party.
Step Six: Announce the availibility of the new property online to your social media channels.
Step Seven: Invite local friends and business acquaintances to preview the property.
Step Eight: Set up a new bank account for the new business.
Step Nine: Set up your payments to auto-notify you and/or auto-pay your mortgage, utilities, insurance and HOA fees.
Step Ten: Manage and promote your vacation rental property.
--Before you even approach a lender or broker, you'll need to have 20% to 30% for the down payment (or more), six months' reserves of liquid assets, cash for pre-paids and closing costs. Plus you'll need to meet the lender's standards for the added debt compared with your existing assets, mortgage/s, revolving credit and loans. There's no point in going any further until finances are in place. As an example, to purchase a $500,000 investment property in Florida, you may need 30% down, which is $150,000 plus another 7-8% for points, fees, closing costs, pre-paids and so forth. That could mean another $25,000 to $28,000 outlay on a $350,000 mortgage ($500,000 minus $150,000 down payment). Buying an investment property is not cheap by any means.
--If you aren't prepared to outright buy a place, consider alternatives such as fractional ownership or less expensive property options that fit your budget and finances. Before we made our final decision, we looked at everything from the very least expensive park models in Central Florida, low and high rises in our southern community and a large condominium located in the same building where we rented for six seasons. We even considered a condo-tel studio unit in a golf cart community with a bay view. Ultimately, we purchased what we believe is the very best fit for us: a one bedroom unit with hall bunks, two full bathrooms, an amazing view of the resort's South pool and unobstructed views of the stunning Gulf of Mexico. Our unit is on the top floor, which means no noise from above and it's pet friendly to both owners and guests.
--Read the threads of specialty groups on social media. The questions that arise and subsequent conversations will tell you volumes of information. Look at the competition regarding decor, view, amenities, price, location. Sign up for daily notices from a third party web site such as realtor.com to let you know when properties in your target area go on the market.
--Enlist the advice of one or two close personal friends or family members to give unbiased insight. I thought I had found the perfect property and my sister pointed out that because of the stucco half-wall balcony, it would be impossible to see the gulf when sitting down in the main living area. So, we increased our budget and chose what turned out to be the perfect place for our criteria.
--For us, the two biggest deal breakers were:
1. Pet restrictions for owners, IE, no dogs at all or no dogs over a certain weight limit.
2. No view.
We bypassed many properties based on those criteria. We were OK with pet restrictions for guests, but ultimately, we bought a place that has the most lenient pet restrictions for owners and guests.
--Your lender may also have deal breakers. We found out our broker could not work with portfolio loans for
1. High rise properties
2. Condo-tels
3. Certain HOA restrictions
--When we made an offer on our vacation rental, we chose not to tell a soul except the two family members who had helped us research, our accountant and my husband's best friend. Why go through it all only to have the deal potentially fall apart and then have to walk-back everything? We waited until we had a closing date to tell our parents and close family and then waited until the loan closed to tell friends and make a general announcement.
Consider hiring the same property manager who the previous owners employed. We didn't even look at any other options because our first choice was the same firm who managed it for more than ten years. The fees and terms were fair with market rates, the vendors and client list are already in place and most of all, the familiarity with the property is worth a lot.
Once you close on the property, be prepared to move FAST. We thought we would have two weeks to paint, remove old furniture, install new pieces of furniture and wall art, deep clean, install a new faucet, chandelier, keyless entry, take new photos and so forth. Wrong. Because of circumstances beyond our control, we had just one week to get everything done and it was stressful. We had to make choices, sacrifice several of the projects and make alternate plans. As I was shutting the door to leave, the cleaning crew was right there waiting to get in to prepare for the next guest.
Be realistic about expenses, scheduling, booking guests and getting projects done. We set goals for all of these things and are ahead of some goals and way behind on others. For example, I ordered glass to be custom cut to cover all of the wood surfaces to protect them from spills. It was possible the order would be ready in time before we hosted our first guest, but the vendor had a large project ahead of ours that resulted in a delay. So we arranged for the property manager to receive the delivery three weeks after we hosted our first guest. All went well except one of the pieces was too large. I had measured incorrectly, so the glass had to be returned and redone. Now, because of schedules, the final piece of glass will be delivered more than seven weeks after the original target date.
Last but not least, remember that no one has more of a vested interest in your vacation rental property than you. Take time to learn the business and give your enterprise the proper attention it needs, whether in terms of investing in the furnishings or the marketing. If you take care of your property, your vendors and guests, it will have that much better chance of not just surviving, but exceeding your goals and ambitions.
To view the property we purchased, please visit maravilla2411.com for a photo tour, rates and availability. We hope to host you as our guest.
-- Warren Buffett, American investor, business tycoon, philanthropist, CEO of Berkshire Hathaway
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