FLORIDA REPORT: Here is what I just saw
Collin HaysBusiness Member
Property Manager · Gatlinburg, TN · Member since 2020 · 3k+ posts · 4k+ votesFLORIDA REPORT: Here is what I just saw
Most Popular Reply
Andrew SteffensBusiness Member
Tampa, FL · Member since 2022 · 4k+ posts · 3k+ votesHere is my tape chart for primarily Tampa area Feb 17-Apr 1. The traffic is god awful on the gulf coast. My wife wants to go to the beach so I calculated its easier for me to fly to Bahamas than to go the normal 1 hour for me to go to Clearwater Beach (now takes 3 unless I want to leave at 6am).
Vacation Rentals of Florida53 Reviews
10 Replies
- 7moAndrew SteffensBusiness MemberTampa, FL · Member since 2022 · 4k+ posts · 3k+ votes
Here is my tape chart for primarily Tampa area Feb 17-Apr 1. The traffic is god awful on the gulf coast. My wife wants to go to the beach so I calculated its easier for me to fly to Bahamas than to go the normal 1 hour for me to go to Clearwater Beach (now takes 3 unless I want to leave at 6am).
Vacation Rentals of Florida53 Reviews - Property Manager · Gatlinburg, TN · Member since 2020 · 3k+ posts · 4k+ votes7mo
Nice! You've got some long-term stays too!
- Rental Property Investor · New Braunfels, TX · Member since 2021 · 291 posts · 257 votes7moWe leave our camper in Port Aransas, Texas from March 1 to Aug 1 every year and go almost every week or weekend. This past weekend was the first time in 9 years of doing this that we could drive the entire beach on our golf cart and not get stuck in a crowd. All day and evening. It was bizarre.
Quote from @Collin Hays:
Took a little time to visit a few spots in Florida with my wife. I realize we are just going into spring break for many, but anyway...I was pretty amazed how light the crowds were. Car rentals were cheap, hotels were cheap, no waits at good restaurants, and I bought two grounds passes for the final round of the Arnold Palmer Invitational with ease, straight from the tournament, 10 minutes before we entered.
St. Augustine...stayed at the Beach House boutique hotel. Directly on the beach, large room, breakfast. $325 per night. Seems awfully cheap to me to be right on the ocean. We ate in Old Town and only had to wait one time for a table.
Orlando/Kissimmee...we stayed at very nice, quite new "vacation club" time share there. 1,100 square feet for me and my wife. Two very large bedrooms and baths, living, dining, kitchen, laundry room. We stayed here three nights and paid $465 TOTAL including the tax. I have no idea how they make the numbers work on that.
WDW...we were there on Saturday and the crowds were light. We ate at a sit-down restaurant in "Italy" without a reservation. The wait was about 10 minutes.
In summary, Florida seemed sluggish. With oil breaching $100 a barrel, the next few months could be a challenge.
Spring break is usually 3 weekends and the kids are so thick that we usually just don't go on the beach after 1pm because it's just a giant parking lot. Not this year. Still saw many many young people in handcuffs and getting their drinks poured out onto the beach by police though... - 7moMike GrudzienPro MemberLender · Eugene, OR · Member since 2019 · 2k+ posts · 1k+ votes
Nice reports!
- Member since 2022 · 529 posts · 413 votes7mo
Definitely not the case in SWFL. I’ve stopped going out it’s so busy. Difficult to get reservations and traffic is horrible. On three of my condos have been fully booked and already mostly booked for next season.
- 7moJohn UnderwoodPro MemberInvestor · Greer, SC · Member since 2014 · 13k+ posts · 17k+ votes
If the issue is the oil scare I don't think that will drag on for months.
I've been seeing bookings pickup for our Lake House and March is packed at out Pigeon forge Cabin.
- Rock Star Extraordinaire · Northeast, TN · Member since 2015 · 10k+ posts · 17k+ votes7mo
Quote from @Collin Hays:
Took a little time to visit a few spots in Florida with my wife. I realize we are just going into spring break for many, but anyway...I was pretty amazed how light the crowds were. Car rentals were cheap, hotels were cheap, no waits at good restaurants, and I bought two grounds passes for the final round of the Arnold Palmer Invitational with ease, straight from the tournament, 10 minutes before we entered.
St. Augustine...stayed at the Beach House boutique hotel. Directly on the beach, large room, breakfast. $325 per night. Seems awfully cheap to me to be right on the ocean. We ate in Old Town and only had to wait one time for a table.
Orlando/Kissimmee...we stayed at very nice, quite new "vacation club" time share there. 1,100 square feet for me and my wife. Two very large bedrooms and baths, living, dining, kitchen, laundry room. We stayed here three nights and paid $465 TOTAL including the tax. I have no idea how they make the numbers work on that.
WDW...we were there on Saturday and the crowds were light. We ate at a sit-down restaurant in "Italy" without a reservation. The wait was about 10 minutes.
In summary, Florida seemed sluggish. With oil breaching $100 a barrel, the next few months could be a challenge.
The answer is that we don't make it work right now (I'm in 4 Corners which is essentially Kissimmee). The amount of inventory and availability right now is outrageous and prices are in the toilet bowl. My caretakers take care of about 9 or 10 other properties right now besides mine, and tell me the other properties have had the same issues and the only ones that have kept more bookings are the ones that have dropped prices and minimum night stays to 2 days. They report their workload is a lot worse because those properties only seem to have weekend and short termers, so there's more turnover and issues to resolve.
I'm probably going to sell this spring. I can afford to keep my place even with no occupancy, but honestly I've just become worn out on the constant repairs and maintenance, especially for a property that doesn't make any money these days. I've actually contemplated over the last year just closing it down after we are done with it in the winter, but there are maintenance & tax issues that would then arise if I did so. So I'm probably just going to sell, and buy another place near my father's place in Davenport, that I can just close up after the winter. Or I might just rent, since there's so much cheap inventory.
Back when I bought it, I got something large to accommodate all our family and have plenty of room for guests, but just for me and my wife I don't need a house this big and I might skip the pool which is a maintenance pit when you're gone for months.
I've been advocating against Kissimmee for a couple of years and my opinion hasn't changed. Last year was the first time I was vacant on Thanksgiving. My inquiries for the summer have been in the toilet. Spring has been decent but summer is shaping up to be a bust.
Skyline Properties- Property Manager · Gatlinburg, TN · Member since 2020 · 3k+ posts · 4k+ votes7moWow. I am sorry to hear that. I guess in Kissimmee, it’s way more difficult to find a house that is significantly distinguished from others. You don’t have many that are waterfront, ocean views, Mountain views, etc.
Quote from @JD Martin:
Quote from @Collin Hays:
Took a little time to visit a few spots in Florida with my wife. I realize we are just going into spring break for many, but anyway...I was pretty amazed how light the crowds were. Car rentals were cheap, hotels were cheap, no waits at good restaurants, and I bought two grounds passes for the final round of the Arnold Palmer Invitational with ease, straight from the tournament, 10 minutes before we entered.
St. Augustine...stayed at the Beach House boutique hotel. Directly on the beach, large room, breakfast. $325 per night. Seems awfully cheap to me to be right on the ocean. We ate in Old Town and only had to wait one time for a table.
Orlando/Kissimmee...we stayed at very nice, quite new "vacation club" time share there. 1,100 square feet for me and my wife. Two very large bedrooms and baths, living, dining, kitchen, laundry room. We stayed here three nights and paid $465 TOTAL including the tax. I have no idea how they make the numbers work on that.
WDW...we were there on Saturday and the crowds were light. We ate at a sit-down restaurant in "Italy" without a reservation. The wait was about 10 minutes.
In summary, Florida seemed sluggish. With oil breaching $100 a barrel, the next few months could be a challenge.
The answer is that we don't make it work right now (I'm in 4 Corners which is essentially Kissimmee). The amount of inventory and availability right now is outrageous and prices are in the toilet bowl. My caretakers take care of about 9 or 10 other properties right now besides mine, and tell me the other properties have had the same issues and the only ones that have kept more bookings are the ones that have dropped prices and minimum night stays to 2 days. They report their workload is a lot worse because those properties only seem to have weekend and short termers, so there's more turnover and issues to resolve.
I'm probably going to sell this spring. I can afford to keep my place even with no occupancy, but honestly I've just become worn out on the constant repairs and maintenance, especially for a property that doesn't make any money these days. I've actually contemplated over the last year just closing it down after we are done with it in the winter, but there are maintenance & tax issues that would then arise if I did so. So I'm probably just going to sell, and buy another place near my father's place in Davenport, that I can just close up after the winter. Or I might just rent, since there's so much cheap inventory.
Back when I bought it, I got something large to accommodate all our family and have plenty of room for guests, but just for me and my wife I don't need a house this big and I might skip the pool which is a maintenance pit when you're gone for months.
I've been advocating against Kissimmee for a couple of years and my opinion hasn't changed. Last year was the first time I was vacant on Thanksgiving. My inquiries for the summer have been in the toilet. Spring has been decent but summer is shaping up to be a bust.
I guess houses there are simply commodities? - Rock Star Extraordinaire · Northeast, TN · Member since 2015 · 10k+ posts · 17k+ votes7mo
Quote from @Collin Hays:
Wow. I am sorry to hear that. I guess in Kissimmee, it’s way more difficult to find a house that is significantly distinguished from others. You don’t have many that are waterfront, ocean views, Mountain views, etc.Quote from @JD Martin:
Quote from @Collin Hays:
Took a little time to visit a few spots in Florida with my wife. I realize we are just going into spring break for many, but anyway...I was pretty amazed how light the crowds were. Car rentals were cheap, hotels were cheap, no waits at good restaurants, and I bought two grounds passes for the final round of the Arnold Palmer Invitational with ease, straight from the tournament, 10 minutes before we entered.
St. Augustine...stayed at the Beach House boutique hotel. Directly on the beach, large room, breakfast. $325 per night. Seems awfully cheap to me to be right on the ocean. We ate in Old Town and only had to wait one time for a table.
Orlando/Kissimmee...we stayed at very nice, quite new "vacation club" time share there. 1,100 square feet for me and my wife. Two very large bedrooms and baths, living, dining, kitchen, laundry room. We stayed here three nights and paid $465 TOTAL including the tax. I have no idea how they make the numbers work on that.
WDW...we were there on Saturday and the crowds were light. We ate at a sit-down restaurant in "Italy" without a reservation. The wait was about 10 minutes.
In summary, Florida seemed sluggish. With oil breaching $100 a barrel, the next few months could be a challenge.
The answer is that we don't make it work right now (I'm in 4 Corners which is essentially Kissimmee). The amount of inventory and availability right now is outrageous and prices are in the toilet bowl. My caretakers take care of about 9 or 10 other properties right now besides mine, and tell me the other properties have had the same issues and the only ones that have kept more bookings are the ones that have dropped prices and minimum night stays to 2 days. They report their workload is a lot worse because those properties only seem to have weekend and short termers, so there's more turnover and issues to resolve.
I'm probably going to sell this spring. I can afford to keep my place even with no occupancy, but honestly I've just become worn out on the constant repairs and maintenance, especially for a property that doesn't make any money these days. I've actually contemplated over the last year just closing it down after we are done with it in the winter, but there are maintenance & tax issues that would then arise if I did so. So I'm probably just going to sell, and buy another place near my father's place in Davenport, that I can just close up after the winter. Or I might just rent, since there's so much cheap inventory.
Back when I bought it, I got something large to accommodate all our family and have plenty of room for guests, but just for me and my wife I don't need a house this big and I might skip the pool which is a maintenance pit when you're gone for months.
I've been advocating against Kissimmee for a couple of years and my opinion hasn't changed. Last year was the first time I was vacant on Thanksgiving. My inquiries for the summer have been in the toilet. Spring has been decent but summer is shaping up to be a bust.
I guess houses there are simply commodities?That's pretty much true. I'm on a lake, with an open fenced backyard, so I have that going for me as a set-apart, but the nature of this area is that most people are drop-and go, meaning they leave in the morning for parks & attractions and don't come back until later, so for that contingent a clean safe place to sleep is often all they are looking for. The area is set up to attract people looking for cheap facilities. The economy has also made things a lot worse. We used to attract about 35-40% international visitors, about half of those from Canada and the other half divided between the Middle East & Northern Europe countries (UK, France, Netherlands). In the last 1.5 years those visitors have completely disappeared, and there's not enough Americans traveling there to make up the difference relative to the inventory levels.
When you couple all of that with the fact that a 4 day park visit setup for a family is going to run about 2 grand for a family of 4, plus your airfare, rental car, souvenirs and such, it's just become a very unaffordable vacation for a lot of people. Up here (I think you know but I live right up here near Gatlinburg) the Smokies has always been a cheap, affordable vacation with a lot of opportunity for saving money. Lodging is more expensive but everything else costs way less, and most people drive to the Smokies so there's no airfare cost.
Even at the higher real estate costs if I was just starting out, and wanted to do a STR, I would for sure do GSPF before I'd do Kissimmee.
Skyline Properties - Property Manager · Gatlinburg, TN · Member since 2020 · 3k+ posts · 4k+ votes7moLast week near WDW, we stayed in a very nice vacation club place (booked it on Expedia) for next to nothing. 1100 square feet for the two of us. I know yours is a house, but it does demonstrate the pricing pressure you are under.
Quote from @JD Martin:
Quote from @Collin Hays:
Wow. I am sorry to hear that. I guess in Kissimmee, it’s way more difficult to find a house that is significantly distinguished from others. You don’t have many that are waterfront, ocean views, Mountain views, etc.Quote from @JD Martin:
Quote from @Collin Hays:
Took a little time to visit a few spots in Florida with my wife. I realize we are just going into spring break for many, but anyway...I was pretty amazed how light the crowds were. Car rentals were cheap, hotels were cheap, no waits at good restaurants, and I bought two grounds passes for the final round of the Arnold Palmer Invitational with ease, straight from the tournament, 10 minutes before we entered.
St. Augustine...stayed at the Beach House boutique hotel. Directly on the beach, large room, breakfast. $325 per night. Seems awfully cheap to me to be right on the ocean. We ate in Old Town and only had to wait one time for a table.
Orlando/Kissimmee...we stayed at very nice, quite new "vacation club" time share there. 1,100 square feet for me and my wife. Two very large bedrooms and baths, living, dining, kitchen, laundry room. We stayed here three nights and paid $465 TOTAL including the tax. I have no idea how they make the numbers work on that.
WDW...we were there on Saturday and the crowds were light. We ate at a sit-down restaurant in "Italy" without a reservation. The wait was about 10 minutes.
In summary, Florida seemed sluggish. With oil breaching $100 a barrel, the next few months could be a challenge.
The answer is that we don't make it work right now (I'm in 4 Corners which is essentially Kissimmee). The amount of inventory and availability right now is outrageous and prices are in the toilet bowl. My caretakers take care of about 9 or 10 other properties right now besides mine, and tell me the other properties have had the same issues and the only ones that have kept more bookings are the ones that have dropped prices and minimum night stays to 2 days. They report their workload is a lot worse because those properties only seem to have weekend and short termers, so there's more turnover and issues to resolve.
I'm probably going to sell this spring. I can afford to keep my place even with no occupancy, but honestly I've just become worn out on the constant repairs and maintenance, especially for a property that doesn't make any money these days. I've actually contemplated over the last year just closing it down after we are done with it in the winter, but there are maintenance & tax issues that would then arise if I did so. So I'm probably just going to sell, and buy another place near my father's place in Davenport, that I can just close up after the winter. Or I might just rent, since there's so much cheap inventory.
Back when I bought it, I got something large to accommodate all our family and have plenty of room for guests, but just for me and my wife I don't need a house this big and I might skip the pool which is a maintenance pit when you're gone for months.
I've been advocating against Kissimmee for a couple of years and my opinion hasn't changed. Last year was the first time I was vacant on Thanksgiving. My inquiries for the summer have been in the toilet. Spring has been decent but summer is shaping up to be a bust.
I guess houses there are simply commodities?That's pretty much true. I'm on a lake, with an open fenced backyard, so I have that going for me as a set-apart, but the nature of this area is that most people are drop-and go, meaning they leave in the morning for parks & attractions and don't come back until later, so for that contingent a clean safe place to sleep is often all they are looking for. The area is set up to attract people looking for cheap facilities. The economy has also made things a lot worse. We used to attract about 35-40% international visitors, about half of those from Canada and the other half divided between the Middle East & Northern Europe countries (UK, France, Netherlands). In the last 1.5 years those visitors have completely disappeared, and there's not enough Americans traveling there to make up the difference relative to the inventory levels.
When you couple all of that with the fact that a 4 day park visit setup for a family is going to run about 2 grand for a family of 4, plus your airfare, rental car, souvenirs and such, it's just become a very unaffordable vacation for a lot of people. Up here (I think you know but I live right up here near Gatlinburg) the Smokies has always been a cheap, affordable vacation with a lot of opportunity for saving money. Lodging is more expensive but everything else costs way less, and most people drive to the Smokies so there's no airfare cost.
Even at the higher real estate costs if I was just starting out, and wanted to do a STR, I would for sure do GSPF before I'd do Kissimmee.
And you are right, WDW was right at $500 for two of us for one day.
Join the conversationCreate a free account to reply, vote on answers and follow this thread.