Sites to check for rentals
Posted by Nancy C  on November 12, 2014, 11:31 am
24.246.185.97|
Why aren't folks looking for rentals checking the popular websites for availability in various price ranges? There is a calendar showing what is available for each one, or contact info to find out. www.lamanzanilla.info, visitlamanzanilla.com, susanarentals.com, santanarentals.com, juanirentas.com. Hope I didn't miss anyone.
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-----------------------------you missed one :-)
Posted by Nancy W on November 12, 2014, 11:38 am, in reply to "Sites to check for rentals"
La Manzanilla Homes (with Mayan)
www.lamanzanillahomes.com
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-----------------------------Re: Sites to check for rentals
Posted by Daniel H on November 12, 2014, 12:09 pm, in reply to "Sites to check for rentals"
187.148.135.148
Start Rant
For various reasons people are not keeping their calendars up to date, including forgetfullness laziness, don't care about others. They even trick people by not
updating the calendar (especially for popular dates) because people email
or call them looking for that rental and the rentaler then steer's them to a
rental that is available and make money (there is always a way to game a system)
It is very frustrating for those looking for a rental and very frustrating
for me as I have tried to encourage the rentals to keep their calendars updated
for many years so those seeking rentals find what they are looking for faster.
Rentalers playing games with those seeking rentals is one of the reasons there
is no guideline against those seeking rentals using the message board to find what
they are looking for. I just got an email from someone yesterday who posted looking
for a rental saying "Thank you! I received lots of responses."
The worst part about people looking for rentals on the message board is
once again some of those with rentals. Even though I (as Moderator)
have told them numerous times not to respond on the board but to email
the person seeking the rental directly, they still respond on the board
over and over and over which makes a lot of work for me. Truth be told they
don't give a damn if the message board becomes too commercial or if I have
corrected them numerous times they just want what they want and screw
everyone else. They just pretend like they didn't understand or forgot
or some other lame excuse, its really kind of sickening.
If you have a property manager who is in charge of your rental please check
on them to see if they are playing games with people.
Close Rant
TLDR
Some of those with rentals are jerks so renters get desperate for help.
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-----------------------------Re: Sites to check for rentals
Posted by Nancy C on November 12, 2014, 12:55 pm, in reply to "Re: Sites to check for rentals"
24.246.185.97|
Sorry, Daniel. I had no idea that was happening. Live and learn.
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-----------------------------Re: Sites to check for rentals
Posted by Daniel H on November 12, 2014, 1:21 pm, in reply to "Re: Sites to check for rentals"
187.148.135.148
Hi Nancy,
No need to apologize, it gave space for something that needed saying IMO.
Thank you.
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-----------------------------Re: Sites to check for rentals
Posted by Marble on November 12, 2014, 1:08 pm, in reply to "Re: Sites to check for rentals"
198.144.53.21
I love your RANT(S).....................................................................................................................................................................................................
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-----------------------------Re: Sites to check for rentals
Posted by Nancy W on November 12, 2014, 8:20 pm, in reply to "Re: Sites to check for rentals"
Just want to clarify - La Manzanilla Homes always updates their calendars as soon as there is a confirmed rental. Every rental listing has it's own calendar at the bottom of the page.
When I respond to questions about availability I view the exact same calendar as clients see on the website.
Just in case there was any doubt... 
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-----------------------------Re: Sites to check for rentals
Posted by Daniel H on November 12, 2014, 9:48 pm, in reply to "Re: Sites to check for rentals"
187.148.135.148
That is because you have integrity Nancy. Life would be so much simpler
if that were the norm. The next problem humanity would face would be how
to adjust to a life with less contrast / drama. All it takes is for those
with vision to light the way, it is entirely possible.
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-----------------------------Re: Sites to check for rentals
Posted by Roberto on November 13, 2014, 8:49 am, in reply to "Re: Sites to check for rentals"
189.164.204.28
No need for drama? Very true, so let's not create some .
You make it sound like there are a number of dishonest vacation rental owners who are dishonest. I doubt you have proof of that. It is true, however, that many of them don't keep their calendars up to date.
I understand that your website offers a free service to the renters, and you should be commended for that. Unfortunately, because you offer it as such, you cannot spend the time to police it.
Perhaps it is time to close that part of the site down, and force the vacation home owners to pay to use a site that is kept up to date and monitored for appropriate behaviours.
The message board can then be freed of ads looking for rentals.
Just a thought.
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-----------------------------Re: Sites to check for rentals
Posted by Daniel H on November 13, 2014, 11:17 am, in reply to "Re: Sites to check for rentals"
Edited by board administrator November 13, 2014, 2:06 pm
I will put the quick answers on top, then more below for those interested.
My response is dramatic, these issues are both current and old and
need to be addressed IMO.
Yes, there are some flat out dishonest renters (only a couple) and
I do have proof.
The message board is the best thing to happen to renters. I would like
to see it be the primary method of looking, as it gives ALL of those with
rentals a chance to respond, even those without advertising on the rental sites.
If it gets to be bothersome (it is far from it) then I would create a part of the
message board just for rental inquiry's.
-------------
More words
I built the first website for rentals in La Manzanilla www.lamanzanilla.info
in 2001 back when the rentals were
begging for business. It was part of a website with photos and information
on La Manzanilla. I considered it to be a community project with a bit of income
to pay for the many many hours I spent making it. The only income was $250 pesos
per year from the rentals, that is like 5 cents per day and has not changed
price since then.
Within a year or two I started getting emails from people looking to buy here.
I negotiated with the current realtors with little to no success, realized
I had my own way of doing business and started doing real estate.
VRBO (Vacation rentals by owner) came along and some of the rentals advertised
there even though the cost was more than 5 times what I was charging.
They used calendars so I added calendars for the rentals on the website.
I then (with a lot of work) discovered a calendar which I adapted to list all of the rentals
and their calendars sorted by location and cost all on one page. The idea
was to make it so someone looking for a rental could go to that page and
with very little effort find the rentals which were available with their
requirements and price range and contact the rental directly, which would
cut out the middle person and get them (and the rental) the best deal possible.
I don't really consider myself to be altruistic but this was an altruist
dream! Fair, direct...beautiful! But it relied on the cooperation of those in
charge of the rentals (rentalers) and individual rentals to work.
The way most of the rentalers and rentals work is if I send them a renter then
I get a percentage of the rental fee. There is actually quite a bit of money
to be made this way and it was the fundamental stumbling block to the master
calendar working, there was a reason not to keep the calendar updated, especially
on the most popular days as that got those seeking rentals to either
email or call them. If the rental they inquired about was not available then
the rentalers or rental could parlay that person into cash by recommending them
to another rental.
side note:
Personally I never wanted a commission for helping someone find a rental,
again, not because I am altruistic but because it was just a favor I was doing
for both the seeker and provider and I didn't have the time or interest
to keep track of what I was owed. I used to get a hundred or more emails per year
asking for assistance, I would just give them the information to contact one
of the rentalers or rentals, or forward the email to a rentaler and forget
about it.
back to the story
I really worked hard trying to get people to keep their calendars up as
without their cooperation the system failed. It didn't work for the reasons
noted above and it was that frustration which came out when Nancy's post
gave me the place to vent that old grievance.
Now there are several places to advertise rentals and I would imagine the
amount of money spent by the rentals to get renters is over $20,000 usd
per year. This is actually the choice of the rentals, every time a new place to
promote their rental comes out they go for it hoping to get renters.
It works for a while but then there are a lot of rentals on the "new" site
and they are right back in the boat of competing with the other rentals that
they were in before they grabbed at the short term solution. That is a
good chunk of money and could be put to good use if all the rentals agreed
to promote their rental in one cheap central location. That is a dream
which is very unlikely to happen, but with solidarity it could be a reality.
Renters looking for rentals on the message board is fairly new and accidental.
It has turned out to be the most fair method of putting renters and rentals
together and I for one am smiling about it. Finally a way to bypass the
rental game they were being directed to play.
Well, I am sure there are parts I am leaving out but that is enough for now.
onward
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