Posted by admin | Posted in vacation rentals | Posted on 27-04-2010
Tags: luxury, rent, rental, vacation
As a current property manager, real estate broker/investor and developer I am always fascinated at how cities or communities develop both in form and function over time. Vacation areas are of particular interest to me, as they tend to attract such a wide variety of vacationers with a wide variety of interests and expectations and tend to grow in spurts-and often in unexpected directions as demand based on interests (such as shopping, certain restaurants, etc.) can increase or decrease within a relatively short period of time.
Ruidoso, NM is a classic example of this, as it is home to several thousand vacation rentals, hotel/motel rooms and RV and camping spots. The Village of Ruidoso has been a haven for Texans as soon as they realized that temperatures in Ruidoso, NM don’t get over the mid 80s in the summer. Because of the great weather and the small town atmosphere, the first wave of steady tourism began about one hundred years ago to the Upper Canyon area of Ruidoso. This area became a hot spot for tourism as its proximity to town and the river as well as easily accessible streets appealed to more and more tourists. The Upper Canyon area is now home to several hundred if not thousand vacation rentals and lodges and remains a popular destination area. However, in the past ten years or so, more and more tourists have been requesting to have lodging in Ruidoso that is more secluded and surrounded more by pine trees than by neighbors. This has spawned the neighboring area of Alto, NM to begin to be developed.
Alto, NM is best known for its ski area, Ski Apache, which is the closest ski area (guaranteed to be open) during the winter from Texas.
As a vacationer, the information about a vacation rental can be somewhat limited, especially in a “small” village like Ruidoso or Alto–and this is probably why many vacationers tend to book a room in a hotel or motel instead. If your idea of a vacation in the mountains doesn’t involve a hotel or motel, a vacation rental is a great alternative, you just need to know a handful of questions to ask to make sure that you get the right vacation rental for what you are wanting.
Here are some questions to ask/points to consider if you are looking for lodging in Ruidoso:
1. What is your cancellation policy?
2. How many guests is your advertised room rate for?
3. Who do we call if we need assistance-and do they stop answering their phone at a certain time?
4. Where do we go to pick up and return the key?
5. What time is check in/out?
6. Is there a fee for pets?
7. How far is this rental from restaurants/gas stations/grocery store?
8. How accessible is this vacation rental during the winter? Is 4 wheel drive or chains needed?
9. Are their neighbors around or is the property secluded?
…And last but not least, if you can’t easily tell from the vacation rental owner or manager’s website as to whether or not the property suits your needs, ask for more pictures. Everyone’s idea of the perfect vacation drastically differs from one person to the next. Try to avoid assuming anything about the vacation rental that you are considering and instead ask questions or ask for more photos. After all, this is your vacation and you want to enjoy it 100%!
Dana Gelsomino is a self proclaimed real estate junkie, as well as an owner of a property management company, owner of a real estate company, real estate investor and budding real estate developer. She is passionate about all facets of real estate and is always available to answer and questions or comments a potential investor may have with regards to vacation rentals.
Property Network Ltd on Kona Coast, Kailua-Kona, Hawaii
