Hoping the locals can help

We are coming to Orlando in October of this year and are renting a vacation home for the second time. I have been all over the internet looking for the right home. I have read through the forums here to get an idea who to stay away from too. During my search, I found a home in Indian Ridge that seems to be a great deal but there aren%26#39;t many photos available. The pool looks fabulous but there aren%26#39;t many photos of the home interior. So, I was wondering if any of you could advise me on this one. The address to the property is: 7711 Indian Ridge Trail North, Kissimmee, FL. And the only site I can find this property on is: cyberrentals.com/USA/鈥119222.htm

The owner will rent this to us for $750 including gas pool heat and taxes. Our trip is 7 nights.

That is by far the most reasonable offer I have found with our requirements. We need 3 bedrooms (for 3 adults no children) and a garage and spa. I realize that this community is not a new one and I have no problem with that as long as its not terribly run down or unsafe.

So, if any of you have opinions, know of this home or area, please advise me. I have not sent my deposit yet.

Thank you!

Hoping the locals can help

If you%26#39;re wondering if it is in a ';bad'; area then I think you will be okay. The subdivision is just off Old Lake Wilson road and maybe two miles south of Hwy 192. All along OLW rd is developing like crazy. And there are some ';upscale'; condos along it.

The description ';... two minutes from the south disney entrance ...'; take that with a large grain of salt. Ten minutes is more like it, and that is to the turn-off from Hwy 192.

Hoping the locals can help

Thanks for your help. I%26#39;m very glad that the area is a good one. The cost for this home is very reasonable and that combined with the lack of pictures makes me a little uncomfortable. You know what they say.... if it sounds too good to be true, it usually is! I%26#39;ve also read the lease agreement and it would seem that the owner wants all of the rental monies up front. The section on cancellation policy has been left blank as far as the amount forfeited goes.

Makes me wonder a bit.

If anyone else has anything more to offer, I%26#39;d sure appreciate any and all comments.

TravelinTena,

Why don%26#39;t you contact the owner/management company through the web page and ask for more recent pictures. I have tried this before and normally they are willing to provide more information. If they don%26#39;t then I would not feel really comfortable with that property. Vacation houses, for obvious reasons, are constantly subject to deterioration. If pictures are not available then, perhaps you could ask when this property was built and if there has been any recent refurbushing. Also, have you tried www.vrbo.com. Indian Ridge is not far from Magic Kingdom but 3-5 minutes is really an exageration. This is not a new subdivision but it is very popular among visitors.

PELUCH

I did ask for more pictures but he said he didn%26#39;t have any. There isn%26#39;t a management company... just the owner who lives in Massachusetts. Thats really all I know.

Oh, and yes, I have tried that site along with thousands more! Haha What can I say, I%26#39;m a planner :-)

Who takes care of the home if there isn%26#39;t a management company since the owner lives in Massachusetts? What if something goes wrong like the plumbing or electric or air cond or the place hasn%26#39;t been cleaned. The owner is in Massachusetts and there is no management company. Who do you call in Florida?

He says to call him if we need anything. Call right away.

I need to keep looking, don%26#39;t I? Sheesh, the more I write about this place, the more I know it%26#39;s got trouble written all over it.

TravelinTena,

Elfin44 is right. This is, perhaps, one of the most important aspects to consider. Even brand new houses present maintenance problems. Imagine a vacation home with all the wear and tear. Last thing you want during a vacation is trouble. From your posts I percieve that this homeowner has not been very responsive. He/she should understand your concern and, therefore, try to help you with your queries. Besides, he/she should have a genuine interest in renting out this property. His/her responses, according to your explanations are very discouraging and an alert for other potential clients. In brief, if I were you, i would start to look for another property asap even if the price is higher. Don%26#39;t get discourage, there are literally thousands of vacation villas and apartments in the Orlando/Kissimme area and I am sure you will get better attention/responses from their homeowners or management companies.

PELUCH

I entirely agree I did notice a date on one of the sites I found him saying the place was redecorated in 2004 -well a lot could have happened since then.Also it is a requirement of his rental licence that he has someone on call 24/7 to deal with problems so how is he going to do that from Mass?

All money up front this far put is unusual I would be wary.

I can recommend a home if you like and if the owner can%26#39;t help I am sure she can help you find somewhere else I can recommend her whole heartedly as I have stayed with her for years.

E Mail me on

m_martin@lycos.co.uk

if you would like her details .

I spoke to the owner of the property again yesterday and he said he ';kinda works by word of mouth'; and that he wasn%26#39;t interested in keeping my money if we had to cancel, as long as he could rent out the property again. He also said that the interior of his home is basic, nothing special, which is why he doesn%26#39;t have pictures online. He said ';you won%26#39;t spend any time indoors anyway'; and stressed how beautiful the pool was. I agree, the pool is gorgeous. However.... thats not enough.

So, I am scratching this property off my list and starting all over.

Thanks for all your help!