I'm looking to head to the Orlando area at the end of January with the wife and another couple. I'm thinking of renting a vacation home or a condo. If anyone has any experience doing this some info (good websites, etc.) would be appreciated.

There seems to be plenty to choose from but I'd feel more comfortable if a fellow WRXer could give me a lead -- all of them look nice in the pictures.

thanks,
jmac

jmac,

Go to VRBO.com (Vacation Rental by Owner) and take a look. I've rented about a dozen time through this site, all over the country. You will get some varied responses from the homeowner, sometimes none at all. But, you can usually find a great property at a very reasonable price. Additionally, these prices are negotiable. I've had good luck establishing a price (rental, tax and usually a cleaning fee between $75-125, depending on size and length of stay), and then asking if they would further the discount if I paid only in cash. Make certain that the pictures on the website are the actual pictures of the home. I usually ask for additional pictures to be emailed to a personal account. Most homeowners have no problem with this, if they do...be skeptical. You can typically expect to pay about 50% of the total upfront and the balance upon arrival. As I stated earlier, I often send a "holding" check for the down payment, then pay the entire balance in cash upon arrival. Also, if they have a pool, make certain that it is heated. Without a heater, there's not a chance you'll be in that pool in January.

There are a ton of Orlando area properties on this site. Where are y'all looking to play while in FL?

We are planning a huge family trip in last March/April and came across this web site. They responded to all our questions very quickly (20min) and the rates are fantastic for what we are going to get, the ask for a small 250US booking fee and rest prior to arriving, pretty fair. FYI we are travelling from Toronto Canada.

Have a look: http://www.adamshomeownerservices.com/

Hope this helps, there are alot of decent courses in the area and Disney/Beach are pretty close!

I didn't book the trip so I cannot give you the name of the broker. A few years ago, my dad got a reservation online for a 4 bedroom house for a week. For $1,500, my parents, my sister/BIL, my wife/I, and my nephew all got got our own rooms, we had a flatscreen, pool, kitchen. We were very happy with the trip.

Orange County National was a lot of fun - BTW.

OCN is a great track. I would also check out Orange Lake Resort. There are 2 courses plus a 9 hole facility. Looks like great amenities and would be where I would stay if I didnt already live here.