You Can't Be Too Careful!

Take a look at my previous post. I put out an offer for anyone that is considering renting in Miami Beach to contact me BEFORE you rent. Whether you are renting one of my homes, or even someone else's home that I do not manage.

Well, I just got a call from someone that did NOT contact me. And they learned the hard way that you MUST be careful when renting a vacation home.

Here are some details of what happened and how you can learn from this persons mistake:

1. They inquired about a rental from Craigslist.
2. While not all Craigslist ads are fraudulent (we advertise there as well), you do have to be very careful when choosing to rent from a Craigslist ad as this is pretty much the ONLY place where fraudulent posters post their ads
3. The person that called me sent a payment via Western Union. NEVER MAKE A PAYMENT THROUGH WESTERN UNION. If the owner/manager does not have an alternate way of accepting payments you should strongly suspect that this listing is fraudulent.
4. Talk to the owner/manager. If they sound foreign you should suspect this listing.
5. Do a search on the Miami Dade Property Appraisers website for the owner name of the property you are considering renting. You should ask the property manager for the owners name and it should match what you find here: http://gisweb.miamidade.gov/PropertySearch/ . Also ask for the owners name and contact information from the property manager. Tell them you must verify this information prior to you sending any deposit money. If they hesitate you should too.
6. Make sure you trust what your instinct is saying to you. Don't disregard it.
7. Ask the property manager if they have this property listed somewhere else or are they only listing it on Craigslist. Most, if not all, property managers/owners that have vacation rentals always have listings elsewhere. Either homeaway.com, VRBO.com, FLIPKEY.com, etc. At the same time ask them how long this home has been used as a vacation rental. If they are just starting out then maybe they haven't had time to list on other sites. But if they say longer than 9 months and they are not on one of these websites, you should question the legitimacy of this rental.

These are just some of the things you should do to make sure you are getting a legitimate rental.

Again, do not hesitate to contact me if you need help either for any of my rentals or someone else's rental. I have helped many in the past without hesitation.

Good luck!

Use Me As a Vacation Rental Resource

Have you or are you considering renting a vacation home or condo in Miami Beach?

If so, whether you are renting mine or someone else's, contact me before you sign on the dotted line. I'll be able to help you determine if the condo or home you are renting is legitimate or not, if the price is fair, if it really is in Miami Beach, and a number of other things I can help you with to make sure the rental you are getting is the best one for your and your family/friends.

Why am I doing this? Because I'm hoping that by providing this service that you will consider my properties and my clients properties for sometime in the future when you decide to come back to Miami Beach again. By "giving first", being helpful (you can't be too careful when renting a home or condo, sight unseen, from a person you've never met before), and helping you make a great home or condo selection, I'm hoping to be repaid sometime in the future by your patronage, or, by simply referring a family member or friend to me looking to rent a home or condo in Miami Beach.

So either email me here: miamibeachvacationhome@gmail.com
Or call me here: 786-548-2673

Get in touch with me at your convenience. I look forward to hearing from you.

Properties Available in Miami Beach

So everyone always asks, "Do you have other properties available in Miami Beach?"

And of course the answer is.... YES.

Here is the list of properties we currently rent (and even more are available that are "pocket" listings - please ask separately about those).

http://www.homeaway.com/vacation-rental/p185870
http://www.homeaway.com/vacation-rental/p286748
http://www.homeaway.com/vacation-rental/p3009430
http://www.homeaway.com/vacation-rental/p9990768
http://www.homeaway.com/vacation-rental/p372196
http://www.homeaway.com/vacation-rental/p398340
http://www.homeaway.com/vacation-rental/p3000250
http://www.homeaway.com/vacation-rental/p3530416

This is just a sampling of the properties we have.

We also have other 1 and 2 bedroom condo's located all over the Miami Beach area, from South Beach all the way to Canyon Ranch, the premier destination spot in all of Miami Beach.

Let me now what you're looking for... I'm sure to be able to provide it for you.