Scamming Potential Renters Has Become Epidemic

Ok, but this world has now officially gotten crazy.

Just in the past week alone I've received 3 phone calls from potential renters that have told me about fraudulent transactions related to them trying to rent a home. Two didn't get taken, but one did and said their vacation for the year was gone because they sent money to an unscrupulous "landlord" for a home the "landlord" didn't even own!

Here's what someone had to do recently to verify that my property was in fact being legitimately rented by the owner of that property. And I believe the reason they did this additional investigation was because something sounded fishy from the beginning. REMEMBER THIS: If it sounds too good to be true, or if your gut is telling you something and you're not listening, then you could be the next victim... read on to find out how to combat this.

So it turns out my property was being advertised on a website I DID NOT pay to have it advertised on. Here is the website: www.world-rentals.com . And the prospective renters, after suspecting something, decided to investigate who the real owners of my property were.

First, they went to the local government property tax appraisers office online for my city and looked up the address to my home. They saw my wife and my name there, not the person claiming to be the owner. So they looked up my wife's name and got her phone number and called her. Imagine my surprise when she called me one day and said someone had called her interested in renting our home we have for rent on other sites, but "without" my wife's name anywhere to be found on those sites. I wondered why they called her phone number and not mine.

So I called them up and asked how I could help them. They said they saw my site advertised on www.world-rentals.com and were interested in renting it but said they person advertising it was the owner and wanted them to send him the deposit to book the home. I told them I had never heard of www.world-rentals.com and didn't know how my property got on there.

That's when they told me how they got my wife's number and traced backed to me who the real owner of the property was they were interested in renting.

While on the phone I asked them to wait so I could see for myself my property there. Sure enough, it was listed there, but for a price that was ridiculously low (too good to be true). And it was listed by a Miguel Sanchez with a phone number that had the correct area code, but was missing all the digits for a full phone number (2nd clue that should have alerted someone - what owner in their right mind would make this kind of mistake).

I told them this was a fraudulent listing, and of course they believed me because my name was on the property tax records. When I told them the correct price and whether they wanted to rent it they said they couldn't because it was out of their price range (after all, my home is a luxury rental that was being offered at Kia-like prices).

After I hung up I did some further investigation into the website where my property was fraudulently listed. I contacted the website and told them of the fraud someone was trying to perpetuate on their website and they need to remove this listing immediately. Guess what kind of response I got? Zero, zilch, nada. Now I'm not saying anything, but after a month of no response, I'd say this website was the actual perpetrator of these kinds of fraudulent transactions, what do you think?

If you scroll down to a previous post entitled "Beware of Vacation Rental Scams!" I wrote about some things you should do to help assure the home you rent is from the legitimate owner. I recommend following those steps to help assure you too don't get taken.

Gook Luck and have a great vacation!

Too Cold for Miami Beach!

Brrrrrrr!!!

So now I know what it's like in the rest of the country to suffer from cold winter conditions. Usually at this time of the year, we'll get a cold front come through that dips the temps down to the 50's maybe, then after a couple of days its back up to the mid 70's with lots of sunny skies.

Well, this cold snap we've had has been the worst on record (at least it feels like it to me). I'm talking consistent temps in the 30's now for the past week! What?!?

If we're going to have this much cold, the least it could do is snow, right? Well... there's no hills so what's the use...

Seriously, we're just not prepared for this kind of cold here... at least I'm not. I'm hoping in the next week that it warms up... I don't think I can take this much longer... ;-)

Searching For a Miami Beach Rental

There are several places you can search on the internet for miami beach vacation homes. One of the better ones is vrbo.com . Owned by HomeAway.com (another great place to find fantastic homes for rent), vrbo.com features an easy-to-use interface that makes finding your perfect vacation home a breeze. Check them out, you'll be glad you did.

When there, look up Property #201284: . If you book this property, tell them, "Miami Beach Vacation Home Blog sent me", and they'll hook you up with a 25% discount in the off-season.

Escaped!!!

Whew! That was a close one!

Tropical Storm Fay skirted right by us and didn't cause any major damage. Just a few power outages, a bit of wind and rain, and some downed trees.

We're back in business!

If you're looking for the Perfect Miami Beach Vacation Home, you have to visit this site:

http://www.miamibeachvacationrentalhouse.com

Spectacular, and fairly priced as well.

I saw them advertised on Homeaway.com and noticed they had a special going on. Mention "special rate" and they'll give you 25% off until Nov 30th.

Art Basel 2008 Miami Beach

Welcome

Art Basel Miami Beach takes place December 4 - 7, 2008.

Art Basel Miami Beach is the most important art show in the United States, a cultural and social highlight for the Americas. As the sister event of Switzerland's Art Basel, the most prestigious art show worldwide for the past 38 years, Art Basel Miami Beach combines an international selection of top galleries with an exciting program of special exhibitions, parties and crossover events featuring music, film, architecture and design. Exhibition sites are located in the city's beautiful Art Deco District, within walking distance of the beach and many hotels.

An exclusive selection of more than 220 leading art galleries from North America, Latin America, Europe, Asia and Africa will exhibit 20th and 21st century artworks by over 2,000 artists. The exhibiting galleries are among the world's most respected art dealers, offering exceptional pieces by both renowned artists and cutting-edge newcomers. Special exhibition sections feature young galleries, performance art, public art projects and video art. The show will be a vital source for art lovers, allowing them to both discover new developments in contemporary art and experience rare museum-calibre artworks.

Top-quality exhibitions in the museums of South Florida and special programs for art collectors and curators also help make the event a special time for encountering art. And every year, a greater number of art collectors, artists, dealers, curators, critics and art enthusiasts from around the world participate in Art Basel Miami Beach - the favorite winter meeting place for the international art world.

If you need a place to say, I highly recommend http://www.miamibeachvacationrentalhouse.com . But hurry, I hear their 2 homes are almost booked.

Miami Beach to Orlando Express

I just got back from a business trip to Orlando and I never left the Airport there!

No, I didn't get lost and couldn't find the exit, nor was I stuck in a maze that most airports could make you feel like you're in. I just stayed at the Orlando Airport Hyatt. Boy, what a beautiful place. And the food... out of this world!

I'll tell you, it was kind of neat being in the middle of all the action at massive Orlando airport. If you ever make a trip to Orlando, and want to be in the middle and heart of it all, I highly recommend checking out the Orlando Airport Hyatt Hotel. A Real Pleasant surprise.

If you're ever in Miami Beach, or are considering staying in a luxurious home with all the trappings, close to everything great Miami Beach and South Beach has to offer, the check out this home:
http://www.miamibeachvacationrentalhouse.com

Beware of Vacation Rental Scams!

Just got a call from a potential client with a sad story. She called me a couple of weeks ago wanting to rent my home (http://www.miamibeachvacationrental house.com ). She asked how close it was to South Beach as they wanted to be as close to South Beach as possible and also stay in a home.

I told her while I was close to South Beach (1.5 miles away), she said she wanted to be within walking distance of everything in South Beach and on the ocean. I told her a condo or hotel would probably be her best option as there are no homes right on the beach. She thanked me and said she would try and find something closer. I wished her luck.

Well... just got a call from her about an hour ago and she related me this story (pay attention as their are some tips for you to pay attention to if you want to rent safe and hassle-free).

She said the "owner" of the property she was interested in renting, at 1007 Ocean Drive (the main drag right on the ocean in Miami Beach where only hotels are located - no houses - 1st red flag) required here to Western Union her the deposit (2nd red flag). In case you don't know, there is very little traceability when using Western Union. They spoke on the telephone - International number (3rd red flag). She was required to send all documents by International fax (4th red flag).

It turns out she probably is never going to get her deposit back -- ever. She did some research and found out this same person is posing as the owner of other units for rent, and trying to collect deposit monies on them as well. She's contacted the police, but they have no jurisdiction in International matters.

Here's some "Lessons Learned" for those of you reading this:
1. Most owners of these vacation rental homes are local. Think about it, if someone is going to rent you their home, how are they going to give you the keys when you arrive if they are in another country?
2. It's ok to have an International owner you're trying to rent their house from, just ask them pertinent questions like: "I want to see the house before I commit. I will be in the area next week. Can I arrange to get a showing?" See how they answer. Use your instinct. If it "feels" wrong, it probably is, unless they can provide some kind of proof for the uncertainty you feel.
3. Don't send money by western Union. Use PayPal (free to sign up) or your Credit Card. If you have any issues, they can do a chargeback on the merchant and you can get your money back.
4. If it's an International owner, ask them if they use a local management company to manage their unit. Ask them for their phone number if they say yes. Get their website and check them out. Ask for contact information from other owners they are managing.
5. Do a search on the local county website to see who the owner of the property you're thinking of renting is. If it is the same, take it one more step and ask for the person you're speaking with on the phone to provide you with a copy of their drivers license.

Do the legwork so you don't get scammed.

Hope this helps!

Harry