Potential platform for hosting rental operations

[bnoble]

One topic that often comes up is how can resorts better provide value to their owners---and one way that is often mentioned is by renting non-performing intervals. If some deadbeat owner won't pay up, you rent their time out and use the proceeds to help defray the lost revenue from those fees.

The trick is that it's hard to run a rental business. A lot of folks here are involved with (or members of) their resort's board of directors, but none of us have a huge amount of time on our hands. I saw a story that mentioned the following service: Vacation Storebuilder - eCommerce Websites for Vacation Rental This is a "software-as-a-service" company; they host a collection of tools "in the cloud" that you can use to build your own rental portal. Individual owners who own a good chunk of inventory might find this site useful as well.

I have no idea what the pricing is like; there are no numbers quoted, but the marketing material mentions "pay for performance" which at least sounds promising. But, if you have an independently-managed resort that need to monetize foreclosed or in-default intervals, this could be a way to help make that happen.

Full disclosure: I have no relationship with the site. But it looked interesting enough to share.

 

[ronparise]

Thanks for the heads up...I dont have time to investigate today, but I will.

By the way..I just bought into a resort that has a lot of un-productive inventory, and where the mf as a result is relatively high, I would have probably passed on this opportunity, except that have just instituted a rental program.

They will be renting the resort controlled weeks and they have invited owners to join their rental pool....What I particularly like is that even if your unit dosent rent, if you are in the pool, you share in the rental proceeds from that week

They have also brought in an experienced timeshare salesman to try to sell their inventory

And they are looking at some vacant land adjacent to the resort with an eye to building 10 more units for the salesman to sell. Obviously this has to be a long range plan, to be done only if they can move what they already own


As I said, I would normally have passed on this place but when when I learned that the board was taking agressive action (thinking outside of the box) to get un-productive inventory productive again, I took a chance. Im hoping that they will be able to cap maintence fee increases, and perhaps bring them down. and maybe increase the value of what I own.

Well.... thats a long story to simply say...Im in favor of resorts establishing rental (and sale) programs to generate income.

 

[TUGBrian]

I have always offered any resort or HOA, free advertising for their units on TUG.

no fee at all...ever! My only requirement woudl be a mention of TUG in their newsletter to owners etc.

so if your resort has the need to rent, and they are currently doing it on their own site, or on a wall at the resort. pass along my offer =)