Posted: 27 Aug 2010 12:00 AM PDT

The Vacation Company of Hilton Head and Lightning Bugz have joined forces for cleaner air and streets. The Lightning Bugz are comfortable, zero-emission vehicles that recharge from a 110v outlet, like a golf cart. Unlike golf carts, they are street legal, seat up to eight passengers, and have a steel crate on the back for groceries, beach supplies, or golf clubs. The Vacation Company plans to incorporate these low-speed vehicles (LSV's) into some of their oceanfront vacation rentals as well as for the property managers' use when summer traffic is congested along the beach roads. Going green never looked so fun.

(PRWEB) August 27, 2010 -- In an effort to help reduce traffic problems in the Forest Beach area of Hilton Head as well as their own carbon footprint, The Vacation Company, a Hilton Head rentals agency, proudly announces a joint effort with Lightning Bugz Low Speed Vehicles (LSV's) to enhance their guests' island vacation experience.

Lightning Bugz LSV's look like luxury golf carts, seat six adults comfortably, and are equipped with steel baskets secured on the back for carrying shopping, sports gear, luggage, picnic basket, beach umbrella, or anything else you could possibly need to haul with you while on vacation. The vehicles are electric, street legal, give off zero emissions, and noise, and are simply fun to ride in. In addition, they are easily maneuverable on the slim beach roads that tend to get further narrowed down when people parallel park their SUV's, minivans, and pick-up trucks as the day progresses and the public lot fills up.

And if the preceding list of pros doesn't sell you on the advantages of LSV's, how about being able to recharge by plugging into a 110V outlet just like a golf cart? The rental fee includes a fifty-foot extension cord with every car so you can juice up wherever you happen to find yourself low on battery power.

"Additionally," continues Mark Thorn, vice president of operations for Lightning Bugz, "you can't beat the convenience factor. These vehicles are safe and easy to use for anyone over the age of twenty-one."

Of course, one hopes the affiliation between Hilton Head Vacation Rentals and Lightning Bugz evolves into a bright, clean-air future, that will enhance everyone's Hilton Head Island experience.

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The Vacation Company
Carmen DeCecco
800-545-3303
E-mail Information
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In down economy, owning a vacation home may be more business than pleasure

Posted: 27 Aug 2010 09:00 PM PDT

Tina Lambert and her husband wanted an investment that would help them pay for their kids' college tuition someday. When he insisted on paying $49,000 for a condominium in Ocean City in 1997, she worried. But by the middle of this decade, when housing markets were in full boom, the condo's value had increased nearly fivefold. It worked out so well, they decided to buy another condo, this time for $160,000.

They rarely used either condo, but they were able to pay most of their expenses with weekly rentals of $1,500 or more on each during the summer.

Then the economic crisis hit. Renters became scarcer, so Lambert had to lower the rent. In 2007, the couple almost fully booked the condos for the summer. But last year, rental income -- which they had hoped would cover all of their expenses, or even bring in a profit -- covered only half of the annual mortgage costs.

On top of principal and interest, the properties carry other expenses: condo fees, insurance, utilities, repairs.

Finding renters has hardly been a day at the beach, either. Lambert said she has been slaving to book rentals, posting ads on Web sites such as Craigslist and Rentalo.com almost every day. A few years ago, she would have to field about 10 phone calls to get one booking, but now it takes even more effort. Sometimes she's on the phone so much that her children get annoyed, but she has to tell them to be quiet because she can't afford to hang up and lose potential renters. "It's a business we work hard at that provides very little -- if any -- pleasure at this time," Lambert said.

If you were hoping to pay off your mortgage with rental income, don't bank on it. To be sure, monthly rents have held relatively stable in many areas while the purchase price of vacation real estate has dropped. And mortgage rates are at record lows. So recent buyers may find that rental income covers a larger proportion of the ongoing costs than if they had bought the same property at 2005 or 2006 prices.

Marie Cahill, sales manager at Connor Jacobsen Realty in Bethany Beach, said that the average sales price for a single-family home in her area was $707,525, compared with $1.4 million at the market peak in 2006. Yet the average rental income for a single-family home has remained at $22,000 to $25,000 per year.

Rental income typically "would pay more of your costs now than it did five years ago, because prices have come down," Cahill said. "But it's such a gamble. And it's different every year." She said that cash the owners paid upfront for a home affects the monthly carrying costs. If they made a large down payment, the monthly mortgage would be lower, and rents would cover a larger portion of it.

Even so, rental income typically pulls in only a fraction of the costs of a vacation home, real estate agents and lenders say. And lenders are taking a hard line on using rental income to help a buyer qualify for a mortgage.

"If you're buying, you have to be prepared to qualify without counting on rent," said Jamie L. Wetzelberger, branch manager at SunTrust Mortgage in Ocean City. "That's the responsible thing to do, period."

Brett Wolf, president of Professional Mortgage Services, which provides home loans in Ocean City and Berlin, Md., said he hasn't financed a single investment property this year that counted weekly rent to help the borrower qualify.

"I haven't seen anyone come to buy property planning to pay it off with rental income," said Sherry Bezold, an agent with Century 21 New Horizon in Ocean City. She said that what a homeowner would make in a season would be enough only to cover things such as taxes, condo fees and expenses. "They wouldn't be able to use the income to cover their mortgages."

The amount of rent a homeowner can charge depends, of course, on the property and location.

"Traditionally, oceanfront has the biggest demand, but in the crazy times we've had, you just never know what to expect," said Lisa Cafferty, a broker at Coldwell Banker Seaside Realty in North Carolina's Outer Banks.

Eric Schwartz bought a house at Rehoboth Beach in August 2008 and planned to rent it out for more than 10 years. Rental income covers a little less than two-thirds of the mortgage. But that defrays some expenses -- and is in line with his expectations. "That's the price for a home," said Schwartz, who lives in Bucks County, Pa.

Because Schwartz has three children in his family, he wanted to make the place inviting to renters with families. So he put a foosball table in the dining room and equipped the house with four TVs.

The development also has family-friendly features such as pools and a tennis court. Soon after buying the place, Schwartz made a Web site that includes pictures as a way to get an edge over the competition on Craigslist.

Schwartz said he has rented out the house for every prime-season week that he made it available, this year and last.

Most people who buy vacation homes just want to use them for fun.

A survey of vacation-home buyers by the National Association of Realtors released in March shows that only about 25 percent of those who bought vacation homes last year planned to rent them out. When the survey was first done in 2002, only about 16 percent had plans to rent.

"Vacation-home buyers are looking for ways to generate a little income" in the tough economy, said Paul Bishop, vice president of research at NAR. "The second aspect is that there are more ways that vacation-home owners can market their properties."

According to the survey, 26 percent of vacation-home buyers planned to make the place their primary residence someday. Buyers' median age was 46, with a family income of $87,200.

Thirty-four percent bought a vacation home within 100 miles of their residence; 40 percent bought vacation homes more than 500 miles from home.

10 most secluded beaches in the U.S.

Posted: 27 Aug 2010 02:54 PM PDT

Seeking out sun, surf, and sand is an easy enough task, but is it possible to stir seclusion into the mix, too? Our editors say "shore!" We've dug deep into our arsenal of secret sands to present our top picks for secluded U.S. beaches, where quiet coasts invite in-the-know sunbathers to savor their relative solitude. Sure, some of these destinations are fairly remote (some even require off-the-path travel to offshore islets), but some of the most isolated shores are right under beachgoers' noses, in popular stateside spots like Florida, California, and Hawaii. You'll just have to plan a visit soon — while these semi-private sands remain undiscovered for the moment, the cat's officially out of the bag.

1. Bowman's Beach, Fla.
The secret's out about the beauty of Sanibel Island's linen-white sand beaches — situated about 25 miles southwest of Fort Myers, Fla. — so you won't be alone in searching for a stretch of a secluded U.S. beach to call your own. But that's just what you'll get when you leave your car and make the quarter-mile walk to Bowman's Beach, Sanibel's most peaceful place. The island is well-known as one of the best shelling spots in the country, but you'll find little competition here. There's minimal development and ditto on amenities — though Bowman's does have one perk not found on any other beach on Sanibel: barbecue grills.

2. Carova Beach, N.C.
This barrier beach covers the upper stretches of the Outer Banks, N.C., and is the most undeveloped of an already spartan beach chain. Part of what keeps the region mellow is the lack of paved roads, with Highway 12 stopping north of Corolla. Four-wheel drive is a must, as the only route to these secluded U.S. beaches is a ride on the sand or a primitive system of dirt roads connecting vacation homes in the wooded interior. Drive slowly to see the wild horses (some are descendants of shipwrecked Spanish mustangs) that roam the protected dunes.

3. Cumberland Island, Ga.
This protected National Seashore in Georgia (it's also designated a United Nations International Biosphere Reserve) has been an in-demand getaway and secluded U.S. beach since the late 19th century, when the Carnegies used it as a family retreat. In the 1970s, the civic-minded family fought to protect the powder-smooth sand from high-rise developments, making it possible for beachcombers to enjoy the wild horses, armadillos, and sea turtles that call the island home. These days, the National Park Service limits the number of day visitors and campers to just 300 per day, but if you stay at the luxurious Greyfield Inn — built in 1900 by the Carnegies, and the island's only hotel — you'll get unlimited access to a 1,000-foot-wide band of sand that stretches for miles.

4. Dry Tortugas, Fla.
Accessible only via boat, Florida's Dry Tortugas are a seven-island cluster in the Gulf of Mexico with excellent reef snorkeling, swimming, and bird and marine life spotting opportunities. The isolated national park will take some planning to get to — a couple of catamaran operators make the 5-hour round-trip journey from Key West, a worthwhile splurge that includes a tour of Fort Jefferson (an unfinished 1846 fortress that encompasses half a mile and has 50-foot walls), snorkeling gear, breakfast, and buffet lunch. To enjoy crowd-free time on one of the top secluded U.S. beaches, reserve one of the limited overnight camping spots; it requires packing all essentials, though, including drinking water.

5. Enderts Beach, Calif.
Living as long as 2,000 years and growing as high as 35 stories, the imposing old-growth redwoods that make up Northern California's Redwoods National Park tend to overshadow the region's sublimely secluded U.S. beaches and coastline, which are separated from the lush forest by wide swaths of sand and marsh. That doesn't bother the birds and occasional sunbathers at Enderts Beach, an idyllic stretch surrounded by wildflower-carpeted bluffs. The half-mile walk from the parking lot, about 500 feet above sea level, down to the driftwood-strewn beach is rewarded with bracing breezes and dramatic views of the Pacific and its denizens (migrating whales can be spotted in March and April), with nary a human in sight. Once you hit the sand, send the kids off on a ranger-guided tide pool walk or pitch a tent at the Nickel Creek campground and spend the night in this land of giants.

6. Kaihalulu, Hawaii
A hard-to-find location, dangerous surf, and a treacherous cliff-hugging path down to the shore make Kaihalulu, also known as Red Sand Beach, one of the top secluded U.S. beaches indeed — and off limits to all but the most adventurous. South of Maui's Hana Bay on the far side of Ka'uiki Hill, this reddish Hawaiian cove — the product of an eroded volcanic cinder cone — is surrounded by tall black cliffs and lined with green ironwood trees. While the strong Pacific currents are somewhat tamed, thanks to a rocky lava seawall that acts as a natural barrier against the surf, swimming is still risky as the jagged rock wall can be as dangerous as it is protective. All the same, the striking sight of the stretch of red-and-black sand set against the turquoise blue lagoon, and guarded by the black rock barrage, make the trip here worth it. Because of its seclusion, the beach is often clothing optional. Come early in the morning for the utmost isolation.

7. Orient Beach State Park, N.Y.
Long Island's (in New York) amazing beaches are no secret, but there are still a few places for those seeking secluded U.S. beaches to get away from the crowds and spread out their blankets in the sand. Delightfully desolate Orient Beach State Park, on the tip of the island's North Fork, has a 300-foot sandy stretch and plenty of amenities like a playground, picnic area, and barbecue grills. Head out for a family-friendly guided hike of the thick forest and marshes that border the beach and keep an eye out for the resident ospreys. Bike and kayak rentals are also available to help you explore on your own.

8. Point Bennett, Calif.
Pods of bottlenose dolphins vault through the air as your boat approaches San Miguel in the Channel Islands National Park, better known as North America's Galapagos. Point Bennett, at the westernmost tip, is one of the Channel Islands' most secluded U.S. beaches and as far from Southern California freeway culture as you can get. In addition to seasonally pupped pinnipeds (seals and sea lions), the islands are home to some 2,000 species of plants and animals, 145 of which are found nowhere else on the planet. Ferries run from Ventura, a quintessential California coastal town teeming with trendy eateries and lounges (don't miss the bustling roof deck and fresh California fare at the Watermark on Main), antique shops, and quirky bed-and-breakfasts around its revitalized Main Street; its scenic harbor is also the site of the Channel Islands' Visitor Center.

9. Roque Bluffs, Maine
Getting to Roque Bluffs is half the fun. From Route 1 in Machias, Maine, follow Roque Bluff Road for 6 miles, past lobster-trap-scattered blueberry barrens, dense stands of boreal fir trees, and finally through a thicket of fragrant beach roses, where you'll access one of the state's hidden gems (and one of the most secluded U.S. beaches). The park consists of a freshwater kettle pond and an ocean-facing pebble beach, both of which provide pristine but chilly swimming (thanks to the Labrador Current). Facilities include picnic tables, grills, changing rooms, and bathrooms, but the real draw is the solitude of the beach and the pure cobalt waters on Englishman's Bay.

10. Sandbridge Beach, Va.
Only 15 miles south of the busy Virginia Beach resort area, Sandbridge Beach seems a world away, offering a peaceful haven of golden Atlantic-fronted sands in an area dubbed the "Outer Banks of Virginia." Stretch out on 5 miles of secluded U.S. beaches, marked by pristine sand dunes and surf-worthy waves (surfing instruction can be arranged). Nearby, opt to rent a kayak for exploration of the adjacent Back Bay National Wildlife Refuge, which consists of beaches, woodlands, and marshlands occupying 9,000 acres, or cast a rod at the fisherman's paradise that is False Cape, a gorgeous, mile-wide barrier straddling Back Bay and the Atlantic Ocean.

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Vacation Rentals

Saturday, August 28, 2010

“The Vacation Company of Hilton Head Announces Affiliation with Lightning Buqz” plus 2 more

“The Vacation Company of Hilton Head Announces Affiliation with Lightning Buqz” plus 2 more

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