Top Five Reason’s Why Renting a Home is Better than Staying at a Hotel

5.Pets: As a rental agent and pet owner, I understand how hard it is to go on vacation and leave behind the four legged member of your family. In some cases, landlords will allow you to bring your pet with you.  Although, a pet security deposit and extra cleaning fee are usually required, you will be able to have all family members with you during your Martha’s Vineyard vacation!

4. Solitude : Enjoy a cup of coffee on your front porch, a backyard barbecue or just curling up with a book in the living room. Renting a vacation home allows you and your family the privacy that is needed to enjoy your vacation.  Staying in a home allows you to truly escape, relax and get away from it all….

3.Space-: A home that will fit your family and friends is another great perk of renting. Instead of limiting yourself to a hotel room your family will embrace the fact that they have rooms to relax in and your kids will have the ability to “escape” their siblings. When staying in a vacation home you are able to enjoy peace and freedom while having the ability to invite family and friends to help join you in creating countless Vineyard memories!

2.Home Away from Home: Cooking your own lobsters, enjoying an outdoor shower and even being able to do a load of laundry is something that you will have the freedom to do in your rental home. What better way to fully enjoy your Vineyard vacation than by having all the luxuries that you left at home right at your fingertips. Offering homes in all six towns and on Chappaquiddick you are able to choose what area of the island you want to call “home”.  Staying in one of our properties allows you to feel completely at home, which will just add to your whole Martha’s Vineyard experience.

1. Cost Effective The most obvious reason to rent one of our homes is that it is more cost effective than staying at one of the many fabulous hotels, inns or bed and breakfast’s located around the Island. By choosing a home that fits into your budget you are able to enjoy all the freedoms and comforts of staying in a home!

Martha’s Vineyard Vacation Rental: Breathtaking Chilmark Contemporary

What better way to enjoy your Martha’s Vineyard vacation than in this newly constructed Chilmark home!  Situated high up from the water this home offers breathtaking views of the North Shore. This retreat offers all the privacy and amenities necessary to relax and enjoy your summer getaway!

This gorgeous home offers six bedrooms and six bathrooms and has the ability to accommodate twelve. Five of the bedrooms are located in the main house, with the guesthouse offering the sixth bedroom for even more privacy.

Whether you are enjoying the views of the Atlantic from the outside stone patio, the spacious sitting room or the fashionable kitchen you will be reminded of the island’s beauty from every corner of this home!

If you have any questions about this vacation home or any other beautiful homes in our inventory please feel free to contact me!

Martha’s Vineyard Vacation Rental: Chappaquiddick Retreat

Enjoy ocean and Edgartown Harbor views from this 4 bedroom 3 bathroom Chappaquiddick contemporary. Offering many amenities including an outdoor shower and air conditioning this home is sure to please every member in your family.

The open living, dining, and kitchen area’s contribute to the warm and casual tone  of the home.  Located only a short distance from the Chappy ferry this is the perfect  location for first timers and seasoned visitors alike.

Chappaquiddick epitomizes the true meaning of a Martha’s Vineyard getaway. This property not only offers beautiful water views from the deck but also provides private beach access. So, if you are looking to really escape this summer, this Chappy rental may be exactly what you are looking for!

Please contact me if you are interested in this property or any other of our listings on Chappaquiddick.

Martha’s Vineyard Vacation Rental: Beautiful Cow Bay Contemporary

This gorgeous 5 bedroom 6 bathroom rental property has all the amenities necessary to enjoy your Martha’s Vineyard vacation.  The house has wonderful spaces for private enjoyment or even small gatherings.

This contemporary home offers a beautiful kitchen area with  a separate breakfast nook and sitting area.

The views of Nantucket Sound and the in ground swimming pool are just two additional features of this property. So whether you are taking in the views from the screened in porch or enjoying the lazy days of summer by the pool, this property is sure to be the highlight of your Martha’s Vineyard vacation.

Please contact me for more information regarding this property or other vacation rental properties located on Martha’s Vineyard!

Martha’s Vineyard Vacation Rental : Waterfront Katama Contemporary

What better way to enjoy your Martha’s Vineyard vacation then by waking up every morning to the sound of the surf from South Beach?  All of the comfort and relaxation of waterfront living can be found in this 4-bedroom contemporary. If you need a break from the sun and sand, the shops and restaurants of downtown Edgartown are only a short bike ride or drive away.

The open kitchen, living room, and dining area highlight the contemporary lines of the home. Entertaining is made easy with the full season sun room. Offering an array of amenities this home is sure to please everyone in your family. If you are able to pull yourself away from the beach, the home office and high speed Internet provides the perfect place to stay in touch with the mainland.

Multiple decks offer a place to sunbath or enjoy a dinner under the stars. The beautifully landscaped yard and gardens expand the outdoor living areas, while giving you privacy on your Vineyard retreat. This Katama rental is the perfect place to help you enjoy your stay on Martha’s Vineyard.

If you are a returning to the island or a first time visitor contact me to help you find your perfect vacation rental!

Edgartown Rental Pick of the Week 4-8-2009

A wonderful combination of history and modern living.  This property is known as the Emily Post house in the center Edgartown.  The house has been fully restored while maintaining it’s historic integrity.  There is lots of living space for a large group of people.  The front sitting room is reminiscent of the more formal sitting room while the living room offers more casual comfort.  There are three bedrooms in the main building portion of the house and then a fun secret cat walk that connects to two more bedrooms.  The playroom on the second floor of the main house provides another nook that will be hard to draw the children away from!

The spacious courtyard is the place to be in the summer.  Stunning gardens with Dahlias dating back to the 1920s and beautiful roses decorate the picket fences.  Nothing says Edgartown more that the lovely rose covered fences in summer.

The interior design and color scheme draw you in and give you the feeling of easy summer living while appreciating the history of the property and the town.

Vineyard Rental Pick of the Week 3-24-2009

Glorious Waterfront in Vineyard Haven.  Love this rental property with stunning views of the Lagoon to the Nantucket Sound.  This contemporary style house offers all the bells and whistles, even an endless pool in the lower level!

A short stroll down to the Lagoon offers endless entertainment for the toddler in your group, opens up the optiosn for catching your next meal and provides the best setting for a quiet sunset sail!

The four en suite bedrooms provide plenty of space for the multi-generational family and guests.

An upper level sitting room takes full advantage of the views and is the perfect place for the sunset refreshments with a wet bar in the hallway.  Spacious office on the second floor for those that need to get some work done while on their Vineyard vacation.

Martha’s Vineyard Rental Pick of the Week 3-18-09

What a great new rental listing in Oak Bluffs.  Not only is the owner a lovely person, she is a very talented professional interior decorator.

This is one of the best rental options in town with great proximity to the center of town, located in the center of the arts district and best of all you don’t NEED  to bring your car! (although parking is available)

The stunning interior is perfect if you are looking for a quiet romantic getaway or just need to feel like you are in the most ideal island atmosphere.  Just minutes to the beach, shops, restaurants, harbor and galleries!

Isn’t this the most appealing patio setting to enjoy the warm summer evenings?

Please feel free to contact me with any questions: annemayhew@gmail.com

Which Should You Book First? Your Vacation Home or Your Ferry Reservations?

It is a frequently asked question!  Most renters that make the Vineyard an annual vacation destination are now in the decision making process of when, where and how.  Because The Steamship Authority will be opening up vehicle ferry reservations for the summer months soon, many regulars are now trying to fit together the puzzle pieces.

Historically the primary turnover day for weekly rentals has been Saturday.  We now see almost half of our owners use Sunday as the turnover day.  This has occurred for a couple of reasons.  The steamship authority is no longer able to handle the volume of cars being brought back and forth on Saturdays alone and owners have also been having difficulty finding a cleaning crew that can turn over that number of rental houses in one day.

We also now see a few owners consider mid week turn over days for the same reasons.  Many of our tenants tend to like this as it gives them a full weekend on the island instead of having to pack and leave on one of the busy Saturday or Sundays.

When making your Martha’s Vineyard vacation plans you should try to book your rental home in advance of your ferry reservation so you know what days you will need to travel on.  If this is done far enough in advance you should not have a problem come travel time!  Many of our owners will try to be flexible on the turn over day as it gets closer to season if they can.  Many of their weeks will be boxed in with prior bookings.

It always pays to plan ahead for your Vineyard vacation!

How Does the Steamship Authority Work?

For those of you that have been to the island of Martha’s Vineyard, you know that the process of bringing a vehicle along on your Vineyard vacation can be very trying if you don’t know the process!  Our island population goes from around 15,000 year round residents to 100,000 August visitors.  You really do need to take a ferry to and from the island.  It is a 45 minute ferry ride from the Cape.

Once you have booked your Vineyard vacation rental, you will need to work on making arrangements for getting here.  The Steamship Authority does not take reservations for the summer season until sometime in January.  This year they open reservations online and via mail on January 20th.  Mark your calendars!  They will open the phone lines up on January 27, 2009.

Sometimes it feels like you have won the lottery when you get just the right times for your reservations for your August vacation.   The process can seem unbearable much of the time but following are some tips that might help:

• Go online to the Steamship Authority and sign up for your profile number and pin prior to making your reservation.
• Go online as soon as you can on January 20, be patient as you may get bumped off the site due to high volume.
• Book any time you can on the day of travel or as close to the day of travel and request to be wait listed for your preferred times.

You should know that the wait list system does seem to work out for most travelers that are reserving their tickets this far in advance.   The steamship has represented in the past that they do not completely book all of the boats so they will have some flexibility.  Things do shift around but you may not know for sure right up until travel time.  They do also have a day of sail number you can call to try to change your reservation while you are on the road.

I once had a customer call and book a house one Saturday in August, drive down and get right on the boat and arrive at my office to pay for their vacation home and pick up their key, all in the same day.  This is not the norm and I do not recommend you wait to see if this works but, please realize that some of the systems that may seem very flawed can work well in the end!

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