Initially, you have to get more information about Ohio. Actually, Ohio, a Midwestern city in the United States of America, It is a part of the Great Lakes region. There are many tourist attractions and destinations in Ohio but here, our interest lies in Ohio Fishing Vacations. These are popular tourist fishing destinations:
Ohio fishing offers anglers a wide range in the of fish species in the area. There are small-mouth bass, panfish, walleye, crappie, and stripers. Trout, on the other hand is much harder to find. Large lakes, reservoirs, ponds and streams all offer keen anglers sport fishing. Below are some of the many Ohio Fishing Vacations and popular fishing spots.
Buckeye Lake in the central region is one of the many popular Ohio Fishing Vacations spot. It is made up of 3,600 acres of water meant for prime fishing, and about 32 miles of shoreline. It is roughly 120 miles south of Cincinnati and Cleveland. Boat rentals are available over here and there are four public boat launches located amongst the lake. Anglers can expect to have Channel Catfishes, Largemouth Basses, Yellow Perches, Bullheads, Bluegills and many other fishes biting.
Beaver Creek State Park, which is located at the base of Appalachians near Columbus, is a destination that offers breathtaking scenery with crystal-clear water to boot. Rock Bass and Smallmouth Bass are among the 63 species of fishes anglers can hope to catch over here.
For those who fancy the ice fishing, must put into their consideration that Bay on Lake Erie is a favorite haunt of anglers hoping to catch some Walleyes. These fishes are said to be most active in the few hours before dawn and dusk. For this reason, anglers prefer to be out early and fish most of the day to get the best out of their fishing trip. Hut rentals, which are equipped with propane stoves, are quickly snapped up during these periods. One factor to bear in mind concerning the season fishing in Ohio is the requirement of a fishing license. This said license could be bought in "Put-in-Bay" downtown at Wharfside. It will cost non-residents $24.00 annually while one-day licenses are priced at $7.00. This is correct at the time of publishing this article.
The next on Ohio Fishing Vacations destination would be Piedmont Lake. The lake, approximately 2,270 acres, contains many species of fishes including Muskellunge and Bass. There are all sorts of facilities here including boat sales, service & rentals, motel, lunch counter, docking, supplies and so on.
The Rundown on Vacation Rental Photography
Put yourself in the shoes of your potential guests. Would the photos of your property make YOU want to rent it? When a guest opens your property listing page, you have 30 seconds or less to grab their attention. The more images you have, the more interested a renter becomes, and the more likely they will inquire about your second home.
Photos to Include in Every Vacation Rental Property Listing
* The View from your vacation home
* The Living Room
* An Exterior Shot
* The Kitchen
* The Master Bedroom
* A Guest or 2nd Bedroom
Staging Photos of Your Vacation Home
* Your rooms will appear more comfortable with nicely arranged, coordinating pillows on the couches or chenille throws draped over the back of a chair. Fluffing cushions and smoothing blankets will help give the furniture a more polished appearance.
* You can make property photos colorful and interesting by adding fresh flowers, a bottle of wine, or an area rug to the scene. Angling furniture so that it fits the picture, not the room, is a trick of professional photographers.
* Your home will be more appealing if it season-appropriate. If you're getting a home ready for winter renters, use images to really set the stage for cold-weather travels. You can light a fire in fireplace, add downy comforters to the beds, or, if there is a hot tub, take the picture of it when it's turned on as steam rises off the water.
* You can make rooms look intimate by adding candles or using low wattage bulbs.
How to Turn a Good Property Photo into a Great One
* Light your fireplace, if you have one.
* Stand up on a chair so that you are looking down at the room instead of straight at it.
* Angle rugs to give the illusion of added length to the room.
* Open all of the blinds in the room, including the blinds on the door.
* Aim lower, so that the ceiling fan is not in the picture.
* Remove all unnecessary clutter from the shelves, tables, and other furniture.
When Framing a Shot, Ask Yourself:
* Are the rugs straight?
* Are there unruly cords from electronics or lamps?
* Are the wall hangings straight?
* Is there trash in the waste basket?
* Did your dog or cat sneak into the shot?
* Are the bedspreads smooth and the pillows fluffed?
* Are there unnecessary items on the counters or bookshelves?
* Is your reflection in the frame?
* Are there ceiling fans or lights in the top of the frame?
How to Write Great Photo Captions for Your Vacation Property Listing
* Many vacation rental portal websites like HomeAway.com allow you to write around 10 words per caption. You're paying for the space, so make it work for you.
* Each caption should describe in detail the contents of the photo. Let renters know the size of the bed, the number of guests your dining room table seats, or which mountain range your cabin rental overlooks.
* If you include specific area keywords (like your city name, nearby beaches, property type) in addition to specific property information like features and amenities, your property listing is more likely to show up in search engines like Google and Yahoo.
* Proofread your photo captions for spelling, grammar, consistent capitalization, and punctuation.
Property photos of a vacation home can really make the difference for potential renters deciding where to stay on their trip. Even a few small changes to your pictures can help show your home in its best light. All it takes is a little staging, careful framing, and good captions.
Photos to Include in Every Vacation Rental Property Listing
* The View from your vacation home
* The Living Room
* An Exterior Shot
* The Kitchen
* The Master Bedroom
* A Guest or 2nd Bedroom
Staging Photos of Your Vacation Home
* Your rooms will appear more comfortable with nicely arranged, coordinating pillows on the couches or chenille throws draped over the back of a chair. Fluffing cushions and smoothing blankets will help give the furniture a more polished appearance.
* You can make property photos colorful and interesting by adding fresh flowers, a bottle of wine, or an area rug to the scene. Angling furniture so that it fits the picture, not the room, is a trick of professional photographers.
* Your home will be more appealing if it season-appropriate. If you're getting a home ready for winter renters, use images to really set the stage for cold-weather travels. You can light a fire in fireplace, add downy comforters to the beds, or, if there is a hot tub, take the picture of it when it's turned on as steam rises off the water.
* You can make rooms look intimate by adding candles or using low wattage bulbs.
How to Turn a Good Property Photo into a Great One
* Light your fireplace, if you have one.
* Stand up on a chair so that you are looking down at the room instead of straight at it.
* Angle rugs to give the illusion of added length to the room.
* Open all of the blinds in the room, including the blinds on the door.
* Aim lower, so that the ceiling fan is not in the picture.
* Remove all unnecessary clutter from the shelves, tables, and other furniture.
When Framing a Shot, Ask Yourself:
* Are the rugs straight?
* Are there unruly cords from electronics or lamps?
* Are the wall hangings straight?
* Is there trash in the waste basket?
* Did your dog or cat sneak into the shot?
* Are the bedspreads smooth and the pillows fluffed?
* Are there unnecessary items on the counters or bookshelves?
* Is your reflection in the frame?
* Are there ceiling fans or lights in the top of the frame?
How to Write Great Photo Captions for Your Vacation Property Listing
* Many vacation rental portal websites like HomeAway.com allow you to write around 10 words per caption. You're paying for the space, so make it work for you.
* Each caption should describe in detail the contents of the photo. Let renters know the size of the bed, the number of guests your dining room table seats, or which mountain range your cabin rental overlooks.
* If you include specific area keywords (like your city name, nearby beaches, property type) in addition to specific property information like features and amenities, your property listing is more likely to show up in search engines like Google and Yahoo.
* Proofread your photo captions for spelling, grammar, consistent capitalization, and punctuation.
Property photos of a vacation home can really make the difference for potential renters deciding where to stay on their trip. Even a few small changes to your pictures can help show your home in its best light. All it takes is a little staging, careful framing, and good captions.
Free Google Site to Advertise Your Vacation Rentals
Well, the news just keeps getting better for those of you who took the plunge and bought yourselves a second property. You can now advertise your home for vacation rentals absolutely free on a professional web site. And it's a web site that probably everyone knows how to access!
If you want to find out more about this, then sign up for a free Google.com account and agree to the terms and conditions of the service offered by Google Base.
Google Base offers the same service as the now-famous Craigslist, but they aspire to more professional looking web pages. With already over 180,000 listings on the site, this will be an outlet for your business rentals that is not to be missed.
The majority of these listings are from such popular online vacation rental web sites as Vacapedia.com, VROB.com and others. With this Google site still in its testing period, you are now encouraged to take advantage of this free service.
On Google Base, you can describe your vacation rental property in detail, as well as its amenities and any surrounding attractions. Google Base allows you to list your property by number of rooms, availability, location, type of property and other search words.
For no extra charge, you can attach up to 20 megabytes of files to further boost your listing and a variety of formats are offered. For images, you can use jpg, png, gif, tif and bmp files. For text and publishing you can use pdf, Microsoft Word, Power Point. Excel, Word Perfect documents, html, plain text and others.
This Google service is not only available to vacation rental property owners; it is actually for anyone to sell any property that is for sale or rent. It also offers many other items for sale or rent- and all free to the advertiser.
As Google is the Internet's number one search engine, and more than 56% of all Internet searches using the term 'real estate' access the Google web sites, the exposure on this site will be considerable.
With so much space allowed for exposure of your vacation home, you will attract many types of traveler, from the person looking for a homey vacation rental that is 'home from home' to the last minute business couple.
If you want to find out more about this, then sign up for a free Google.com account and agree to the terms and conditions of the service offered by Google Base.
Google Base offers the same service as the now-famous Craigslist, but they aspire to more professional looking web pages. With already over 180,000 listings on the site, this will be an outlet for your business rentals that is not to be missed.
The majority of these listings are from such popular online vacation rental web sites as Vacapedia.com, VROB.com and others. With this Google site still in its testing period, you are now encouraged to take advantage of this free service.
On Google Base, you can describe your vacation rental property in detail, as well as its amenities and any surrounding attractions. Google Base allows you to list your property by number of rooms, availability, location, type of property and other search words.
For no extra charge, you can attach up to 20 megabytes of files to further boost your listing and a variety of formats are offered. For images, you can use jpg, png, gif, tif and bmp files. For text and publishing you can use pdf, Microsoft Word, Power Point. Excel, Word Perfect documents, html, plain text and others.
This Google service is not only available to vacation rental property owners; it is actually for anyone to sell any property that is for sale or rent. It also offers many other items for sale or rent- and all free to the advertiser.
As Google is the Internet's number one search engine, and more than 56% of all Internet searches using the term 'real estate' access the Google web sites, the exposure on this site will be considerable.
With so much space allowed for exposure of your vacation home, you will attract many types of traveler, from the person looking for a homey vacation rental that is 'home from home' to the last minute business couple.
Easy Vacation Food - Quick and Easy Food Ideas While You're on Vacation
Vacations can be the highlight of the year for many people. Who doesn't like to get away from work, responsibilities, etc... And just relax for a while? However, economics may be holding some people back from indulging in a retreat.
You expect to pay for attraction, board, gas, and food. There isn't much you can do about the price of attraction's and gas. However, food is a very expensive part of the vacation, and is changeable.
On average, a family spends at least five dollar's (per person) just to eat a single fast food meal. This can not only destroy a vacation budget, but it also is very unhealthy. Ever wonder why people come back from vacations with a five pound weight gain? - Junk food!
So, here are things for an easy vacation food alternative; that is cheap, but still healthy.
Look for a hotel, condo, cabin, etc... With a kitchenette.
On average, you will pay about $10.00 more for a kitchenette. However, you can eliminate the cost of food. If there are four vacation members, that is a minimum of $60.00 a day that you are eliminating.
If there is a kitchenette in the room, you can cook pretty much anything. This allows you to have a healthy and cheap meal. If you don't want to struggle with a cooler on the trip, just look for a local grocery store, once you get to your destination.
Many hotel rooms have mini fridges and microwave's in the room now. Typically, these rooms do not cost more than any other room. When booking the hotel, just ask if there is a microwave and fridge. The fridge can hold milk for breakfast cereal. Grits and oatmeal also make for an easy vacation food. Lunch meat and soup can be a lunch meal. This still save's you the expense of two meals. Make a frugal third meal choice and it save's tons of money.When booking a hotel ask if they provide a complimentary breakfast.
Some of these breakfasts are full breakfast bars, but some are finger food like donut and bagel. This will at least save you the cost of breakfast.
Do an online search for restaurants in the area.
An online hotel booking site, city data cite, etc... Will provide a restaurant guide. Some restaurants will have a kid's eat free menu, offer two for one deal's, have a hotel discount, etc... Of course, this will not eliminate the cost of meals, but it can be an option for easy cheap vacation food.
Vacation hot spots will often have vacation packages.
A vacation package is tricky. Some do lower the cost of attractions, food, and lodging, by combining them. However, do careful research. Some of these package's can actually be higher when bundled. Bring snacks with you for the drive and to carry to attractions.
Snacks like peanut butter crackers, granola bars, rice cakes, etc... Travel well and are substantially filling. Also, bring your own bottled water and soda's.
Whether you want to eliminate the cost of food, lower the cost of food, or just find easy vacation food....these idea's are sure to help you out. Sometimes, the few hundred dollars saved in food, could be the difference in affording a vacation, or staying home.
You expect to pay for attraction, board, gas, and food. There isn't much you can do about the price of attraction's and gas. However, food is a very expensive part of the vacation, and is changeable.
On average, a family spends at least five dollar's (per person) just to eat a single fast food meal. This can not only destroy a vacation budget, but it also is very unhealthy. Ever wonder why people come back from vacations with a five pound weight gain? - Junk food!
So, here are things for an easy vacation food alternative; that is cheap, but still healthy.
Look for a hotel, condo, cabin, etc... With a kitchenette.
On average, you will pay about $10.00 more for a kitchenette. However, you can eliminate the cost of food. If there are four vacation members, that is a minimum of $60.00 a day that you are eliminating.
If there is a kitchenette in the room, you can cook pretty much anything. This allows you to have a healthy and cheap meal. If you don't want to struggle with a cooler on the trip, just look for a local grocery store, once you get to your destination.
Many hotel rooms have mini fridges and microwave's in the room now. Typically, these rooms do not cost more than any other room. When booking the hotel, just ask if there is a microwave and fridge. The fridge can hold milk for breakfast cereal. Grits and oatmeal also make for an easy vacation food. Lunch meat and soup can be a lunch meal. This still save's you the expense of two meals. Make a frugal third meal choice and it save's tons of money.When booking a hotel ask if they provide a complimentary breakfast.
Some of these breakfasts are full breakfast bars, but some are finger food like donut and bagel. This will at least save you the cost of breakfast.
Do an online search for restaurants in the area.
An online hotel booking site, city data cite, etc... Will provide a restaurant guide. Some restaurants will have a kid's eat free menu, offer two for one deal's, have a hotel discount, etc... Of course, this will not eliminate the cost of meals, but it can be an option for easy cheap vacation food.
Vacation hot spots will often have vacation packages.
A vacation package is tricky. Some do lower the cost of attractions, food, and lodging, by combining them. However, do careful research. Some of these package's can actually be higher when bundled. Bring snacks with you for the drive and to carry to attractions.
Snacks like peanut butter crackers, granola bars, rice cakes, etc... Travel well and are substantially filling. Also, bring your own bottled water and soda's.
Whether you want to eliminate the cost of food, lower the cost of food, or just find easy vacation food....these idea's are sure to help you out. Sometimes, the few hundred dollars saved in food, could be the difference in affording a vacation, or staying home.
Is Your Second Home Rentable As a Vacation Rental?
If you own a second home or vacation property and are considering renting it out on a short-term basis, there are many factors to consider before setting forth.
Geographic Market. The geographic region that your second home is located in will determine your property's rentability as a vacation rental. Do a little bit of research in your area: Are there other vacation rentals in your town or city on the largest vacation rental listing sites (easily found on the search engines)? If not, try to determine why. Perhaps, you're just ahead of the curve in your area. Or perhaps, there's another underlying reason for the lack of vacation rentals (i.e. municipal restrictions).
Location of Home within Market. Location is the number one reason that some vacation rentals thrive and others do not. The most sought after homes are located within a short distance to area attractions (beach, ski mountain, Disney World, etc.). If you are located in a residential area with many permanent residents, your home might not be ideal for travelers looking for a vacation experience; however, it may be perfect for corporate travelers or snowbirds.
Accessibility. Another factor that will impact your home's rentability is its accessibility to an international airport and to public transportation. Homes located in remote destinations can still be successful rentals, but may take more effort to rent. If your home is off the beaten path, you may need to get creative with your marketing, furnishing, and amenities.
The Condition of Your Home. Travelers expect vacation homes to be as nice as or nicer than their primary residence. If your home features appliances and furnishings from 1955 and you're not going for the retro look, you might have some work to do before your property is ready to rent.
Local Laws and Regulations. Before renting your vacation home, research the short-term rental rules and restrictions in your state, county, city, or complex. You don't want to plan to rent weekly only to find out that your HOA prohibits rentals of less than 30 days.
Your Expectations. Before you start renting, you need to set goals for the number of weeks you'd like to rent and the amount of revenue you'd like to accrue. It's important to be realistic when setting your goals and to have done your research to make sure that you're not setting yourself up for failure. For example, if you own a cottage in Minnesota off of Lake Superior, you're not likely to be rented 52 weeks per year. However, if you own a condo in an urban market like Chicago, you're much more likely to be able to rent year-round.
Time and Effort. The amount of time that you dedicate to calling potential renters, tweaking your vacation rental listings, and responding to current guests with directly affect your success as a vacation rental owner. If you don't have the time or desire to put in a little bit of work, you may want to consider hiring a property management company to handle the day-to-day efforts.
Personal Use. The rental weeks that fetch the highest rates in your market are likely the same weeks your family might want to stay in your own vacation home. As a vacation rental owner, you'll have to weigh the reward versus the income lost by using your vacation home yourself during the peak weeks.
While some second homes may not make ideal vacation rentals, with realistic expectations and perhaps a little sprucing up, most second homes have promising vacation rental potential.
Geographic Market. The geographic region that your second home is located in will determine your property's rentability as a vacation rental. Do a little bit of research in your area: Are there other vacation rentals in your town or city on the largest vacation rental listing sites (easily found on the search engines)? If not, try to determine why. Perhaps, you're just ahead of the curve in your area. Or perhaps, there's another underlying reason for the lack of vacation rentals (i.e. municipal restrictions).
Location of Home within Market. Location is the number one reason that some vacation rentals thrive and others do not. The most sought after homes are located within a short distance to area attractions (beach, ski mountain, Disney World, etc.). If you are located in a residential area with many permanent residents, your home might not be ideal for travelers looking for a vacation experience; however, it may be perfect for corporate travelers or snowbirds.
Accessibility. Another factor that will impact your home's rentability is its accessibility to an international airport and to public transportation. Homes located in remote destinations can still be successful rentals, but may take more effort to rent. If your home is off the beaten path, you may need to get creative with your marketing, furnishing, and amenities.
The Condition of Your Home. Travelers expect vacation homes to be as nice as or nicer than their primary residence. If your home features appliances and furnishings from 1955 and you're not going for the retro look, you might have some work to do before your property is ready to rent.
Local Laws and Regulations. Before renting your vacation home, research the short-term rental rules and restrictions in your state, county, city, or complex. You don't want to plan to rent weekly only to find out that your HOA prohibits rentals of less than 30 days.
Your Expectations. Before you start renting, you need to set goals for the number of weeks you'd like to rent and the amount of revenue you'd like to accrue. It's important to be realistic when setting your goals and to have done your research to make sure that you're not setting yourself up for failure. For example, if you own a cottage in Minnesota off of Lake Superior, you're not likely to be rented 52 weeks per year. However, if you own a condo in an urban market like Chicago, you're much more likely to be able to rent year-round.
Time and Effort. The amount of time that you dedicate to calling potential renters, tweaking your vacation rental listings, and responding to current guests with directly affect your success as a vacation rental owner. If you don't have the time or desire to put in a little bit of work, you may want to consider hiring a property management company to handle the day-to-day efforts.
Personal Use. The rental weeks that fetch the highest rates in your market are likely the same weeks your family might want to stay in your own vacation home. As a vacation rental owner, you'll have to weigh the reward versus the income lost by using your vacation home yourself during the peak weeks.
While some second homes may not make ideal vacation rentals, with realistic expectations and perhaps a little sprucing up, most second homes have promising vacation rental potential.
5 Ways to Make Your Vacation Rental Even More Affordable
Renting a home is a great, affordable option for a vacation, especially if you have a large family, or are traveling with a big group of friends. Just check online and you will see that you can rent a beautiful apartment or townhouse in the nicest parts of Manhattan for a week for $500/person (or less). Try finding a hotel room for that price! And staying in someone's home means you have the added advantage of more space (living room, kitchen, sometimes a garden, balcony or patio), something you pay dearly for at hotels in major cities. Below are some ideas to make your vacation even more affordable.
1. Travel off season. I understand that you don't want to be on a beach during a hurricane or snowstorm, but even going a little bit off peak times can save you quite a bit of money. On the French Riviera for example, you can find prices in October almost half of what they were in August. The weather is still great, and as an added benefit, the crowds are gone, and the locals are less stressed. Prices in restaurants and shops also tend to drop once the tourist season is over.
2. Travel to places where your currency is strong. A few years ago, the US dollar went a long way in Sweden. Not anymore: it's worth almost half today of what it was in 2002. Do your research and compare exchange rates. Some very attractive vacation areas where the dollar still is strong (in October 2008) are Argentina, South Africa, Vietnam, and everybody's eco-favorite, Costa Rica.
3. Look for last minute deals. If you are flexible with your time and can travel on short notice, last minute vacation rentals can be a great deal. I just did a quick Internet search and found an oceanfront mansion in the Florida Keys for $1,000 less/week than the normal rate.
4. Rent directly from the owner when possible. Since management companies charge owners to rent their properties (and the owner has to recoup that cost, which most often results in higher rental rates) you can get a cheaper rate by renting directly from the owner. I think it's nice to get a chance to talk to the person who actually owns the house, too.
5. Look for places where the inventory exceeds the demand. The building boom in the past few years combined with a slowing real estate market and economy has resulted in a lot of inventory, and the chance to negotiate a lower rate. Most owners would rather rent their vacation home out for a little bit less than not at all. In the US, Florida is the clear leader when it comes to the highest number of vacation homes, followed by California and New York.
1. Travel off season. I understand that you don't want to be on a beach during a hurricane or snowstorm, but even going a little bit off peak times can save you quite a bit of money. On the French Riviera for example, you can find prices in October almost half of what they were in August. The weather is still great, and as an added benefit, the crowds are gone, and the locals are less stressed. Prices in restaurants and shops also tend to drop once the tourist season is over.
2. Travel to places where your currency is strong. A few years ago, the US dollar went a long way in Sweden. Not anymore: it's worth almost half today of what it was in 2002. Do your research and compare exchange rates. Some very attractive vacation areas where the dollar still is strong (in October 2008) are Argentina, South Africa, Vietnam, and everybody's eco-favorite, Costa Rica.
3. Look for last minute deals. If you are flexible with your time and can travel on short notice, last minute vacation rentals can be a great deal. I just did a quick Internet search and found an oceanfront mansion in the Florida Keys for $1,000 less/week than the normal rate.
4. Rent directly from the owner when possible. Since management companies charge owners to rent their properties (and the owner has to recoup that cost, which most often results in higher rental rates) you can get a cheaper rate by renting directly from the owner. I think it's nice to get a chance to talk to the person who actually owns the house, too.
5. Look for places where the inventory exceeds the demand. The building boom in the past few years combined with a slowing real estate market and economy has resulted in a lot of inventory, and the chance to negotiate a lower rate. Most owners would rather rent their vacation home out for a little bit less than not at all. In the US, Florida is the clear leader when it comes to the highest number of vacation homes, followed by California and New York.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)