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Experience the Joy of a Vineyard Summer
Martha’s Vineyard offers something for everyone. For the active tourist there are a wide variety of sports to enjoy to include hiking, biking, swimming, sailing,fishing, windsurfing, para-sailing and water-skiing to name a few.
 For sunbathers there are some of the most beautiful beaches along the East Coast. Each has it’s own unique charm and adaptability to different age groups and swimming levels. Some rentals will also enable you to take advantage of the coveted private beaches that many towns have to include Lambert’s Cove Beach in West Tisbury, Quansoo and Lucy Vincent in Chilmark and Philbin Beach in Aquinnah to name a few.
 For epicureans’ there are Four Star restaurants offering some of the finest cuisine on the East Coast in elegantly understated settings or on the lighter side there are fabulous caterers offering take out for eating at one’s leisure under a Vineyard sky.
Leaving It All Behind - the Vineyard Experience
For kids of all ages there are a number of summer events that transports one back to the 60’s when country fairs, carousels, family sing a longs and simple parades brought smiles to our faces and gave us a sense of community.
It was a time when doors weren’t locked and where a child’s every movement did not have to be monitored. Where that solitary walk down a sun lit street to a summer friend’s house (to this day) can bring smiles to our faces as adults. This is what the Vineyard is all about. It’s about leaving behind all the high tech gadgets that have taken over both our and our children’s lives. To give them (and us) a chance to turn down the noise, slow down the pace and to feel nurtured and connected once again. Once you’ve decided that the Vineyard is where you’d like to Vacation, there are a variety of things you’ll need to know to ensure your family the perfect vacation.
Who Should You Rent From?
When selecting a home to rent on the Vineyard you have a couple of options. You may rent from owners directly via on-line booking sites; or, through a bricks and mortar real estate office on the island. Whichever options you choose you should be careful to be sure that you are dealing with a person or business that you feel comfortable with; and, are confident will produce the quality rental you are expecting. While the traditional route of dealing with a Real Estate office does inherently offer more safety nets due to the state laws they are bound by, many visitors are now booking private rentals directly from the owners. Both of these options are reviewed below:
 Booking Through A Realtor?
When renting through a licensed professional (ie Realtor) you are dealing with someone that is bound both legally and morally to treat customers fairly and ethically at all times. What comes with this responsibility is the need to stay up to date with the legal requirements of the rental business and to be sure that each rental meets the needs of both the tenant and the law. This responsibility begins upon inspecting the home, taking the listing, marketing it and dealing with inquiries, deposits, leases, check-ins etc. While this is not to say that you won’t find the majority of landlords to be fair and provide a perfectly nice rental, you do not have as much recourse when dealing with them as you do with a licensed professional.
Unlike with the sales inventories on island which are MLS, rentals are unique to each office. Therefore, if you don’t find the right home on one site it could take quite a bit of time to look through each site to find the one you want. Another option would be to work with one office and to see if they can find you a specific home that meets all of your needs. Most agencies do co-operate with each other on rentals that they do have; and, this will save you time in terms of your overall search. And, it is helpful to develop a relationship with one office not only for future rentals but also in the event that you wish to purchase a home at a later date.
 Booking Through The Homeowner?
Renting through an owner directly may save you some money since they do not have to pay a commission although they do have other expenses to include their on-line costs, long distance calls, etc. In addition, they may have priced their home based on their perception of it’s market value versus the reality of what it should be worth based on competing rental homes. And, you must keep in mind that you are relying on someone to represent a property who may have a bias about the property since it is one of their most valuable assets. As it is with sales, sometimes owner’s impression of their home may be a bit enhanced. Also, if there are considerations such as air traffic noise, area construction, early rising roosters, etc., they are not necessarily obliged to share these things with you as a licensed real estate agent would be.
 In addition to this, there are regulatory requirements of landlords regarding security deposits, home alarm systems and lead paint that they may/may not even know about. And, finally there is the reality that you will be sending large sums of money to complete strangers in good faith without any guarantees about the condition or amenities of the home. Now in most cases this works out just fine but it is somewhat of a risk.
Upon arriving at your rental you do not (in most cases) have an on-site contact that will be available to readily resolve any problems that might come up; or, in the extreme cases have the necessary contacts to move you to another home should the rental be uninhabitable for any reason. This is an important distinction between booking directly through an owner versus a licensed real estate office.
 Either option would probably work out just fine but you should be cautious and make informed decisions regarding your rental.
We hope you have found this information helpful and invite you to visit our site and e-mail us for the full rental guide we have created. It provides lots of valuable information and links that will assist you with your vacation plans.
View Featured Rental Listings if you would like to view some of the rentals our office represents.
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