Whether you're selling a vacation rental home to buy a bigger property, a property in a different location, to do a 1031 exchange, or simply to unload your second home altogether, consider selling your home as a vacation rental business rather than just any old vacation home.

Prove that it's a profitable business. Selling your vacation home as vacation rental business could be very attractive to prospective buyers. Ask your real estate agent to quote your last year or two's rental revenue history. Many buyers seek vacation homes that they can rent out for part of the year to defray expenses. Buyers may even pay more for a property with proven rental income. For the serious buyers, you can easily show the buyer your entire past rental records proving your rental history.

HomeAway Listing Critique: Calla Lily Villa (Crescent Lakes, FL)    This Orlando area listing uses its photos and descriptions to its advantage.

Listings 101 Checklist for Building a HomeAway Listing    Critique your own listing using our Listings 101 criteria.

HomeAway Listing Critique: TurtleCon (Kiawah Island, SC)    This listing faces the challenge of advertising a multi-unit home.

HomeAway Listing Critique: Park Ave Condo (Park City, UT)    With brighter photos and a stronger headline, this listing should be able to stand out in the crowded Park City marketplace.

HomeAway Listing Critique: Swaying Pines Chalet (Gatlinburg, TN)    This cabin rental listing gets an A+ for completeness.

HomeAway Listing Critique: Blue Pearl Suites Apartment (Playa Del Carmen, Mexico)    This listing sells the appeal of Playa del Carmen, but forgets to sell itself.

HomeAway Listing Critique: Luxury Tuscan Retreat (Las Vegas, NV)    This listing should focus on one market.

VRBO Listing Critique: Sea Sun Rentals (Fairfield Sunrise, AZ)    With some help from this owner's personal website, this VRBO listing could be especially great.

HomeAway Listing Critique: Gated Golfing Condo (Orlando, FL)    In a competitive market like Orlando, it's important that your ad pop! This listing is solid with good pictures.

Example Assessment Using Listings 101 Critique Criteria    Example of how to improve your vacation rental listing using the criteria spelled out in the Listings 101 Guidelines.

Listings 101 Checklist for Building VRBO.com Listings    Criteria used in assessing VRBO.com vacation rental listings for Listings 101.

How to Build the Perfect VRBO Listing    Use this checklist to determine your listing's areas for improvement.

Buying an Investment Property in Provincetown, Massachusetts (Transcript)    Christine talks with realtor Rick Tourgee about the vacation rental market in Provincetown.

Foreclosures and Short Sales in the Destin, FL Vacation Rental Market (Transcript)    Real Estate Agent, Shannyn Stevenson, is back to discuss the Destin, FL market, along with foreclosures and short sales.

One-on-One with New Hampshire Rental Owner, Robin Clapp (Transcript)    Christine talks with vacation rental owner Robin Clapp.

Buying an Investment Property in Muskoka, Ontario (Transcript)    Real Estate Agent, John Jarvis, discusses the vacation home market in Muskoka.

Buying a Vacation Property with Friends or Family: Part 1 (Transcript)    Christine talks with attorney and co-ownership expert, Andy Sirkin.

How to Choose a Vacation Rental Property Manager (Transcript)    Christine talks with Orlando property manager, Steve Trover about how to find a good property manager.

Buying an Investment Property in Martha's Vineyard (Transcript)    Christine chats with Martha's Vineyard buyer's agent, Fred Roven about the vacation home market in the area.

Buying an Investment Property in Naples, FL Part 1 (Transcript)    Christine and real estate agent, Lynn Wilber, discuss the vacation home market in Naples, FL.

One-on-One with Richland Chambers Lake, TX Vacation Rental Owner, Michelle Helterbran (Transcript)    Christine interviews lakehouse owner, Michelle Helterbran, who had the first vacation rental on Richland Chambers Lake, TX.

Buying an Investment Property in Park City, Utah (Transcript)    Christine interviews Park City realtor, Dennis Hanlon about the Park City vacation home market.

Different Types of Vacation Rentals (Transcript)    Different kinds of vacation rental properties, the number one mistake that vacation rental owners make, and how to get financing.

Building an International Airport in Panama City, Part 1    Christine talks to Jerry Ray about the progress and benefits of an international airport for vacation rental owners in Panama City.

Buying an Investment Property in Naples, FL Part 2 (Transcript)    Second part of Christine's talk with Naples real estate agent, Lynn Wilber.

Go International-- The Merits of Advertising Your Vacation Rental Worldwide (Transcript)    Christine speaks with the HomeAway UK about renting vacation properties worldwide.

Managing Vacation Rental Properties as a Co-op (Transcript)    Christine interviews Bev Babich of Colorado, who is part of a Vacation Rental Property Co-op

Building an International Airport in Panama City, Part 2    Christine continues her discussion with Jerry Ray about the benefits of building an international airport in Panama City, FL.

The Resort and Second Home Market (Transcript)

Buying an Investment Property in Destin, Florida: Part 2 (Transcript)    In the second part of Christine's interview with Destin realtor, Shannyn Stevenson, Stevenson discusses why more and more Destin vacation rental owners are renting by owner instead of using a property manager, why Destin isn't the typical home market, and why those interested in Destin should buy now.

One-on-One with Washington State Vacation Rental Owner Bob Kelly (Transcript)    Christine talks with vacation rental owner, Bob Kelly, about why he chose renting by owner in Pacific Beach, WA.

One-on-One with Canmore, AB Vacation Rental Owner Richard Colwell Part 2 (Transcript)    Christine continues her discussion on the challenges of renting and maintaining a vacation property from abroad.

One-on-One with Canmore, AB Vacation Rental Owner Richard Colwell Part 1 (Transcript)    Christine discusses the challenges of owning and renting a vacation home in Canada while living in the UK.

Selling a Vacation Home, Part 1 (Transcript)    Christine talks with Washington owner, Ed Reese, about his experience owning vacation properties.

Selling a Vacation Home, Part 2 (Transcript)    Christine talks with Washington owner, Ed Reese, about his process for selling a vacation home.

Buying a Vacation Property with Friends or Family: Part 2 (Transcript)    Second part of Christine's interview with co-ownership expert and attorney, Andy Sirkin.

Buying an Investment Property in Stowe, VT (Transcript)    Christine chats with Stowe real estate agent, Ken Libby about the current market conditions.

Buying an Investment Property in Kissimmee, FL (Transcript)    Christine discusses the Kissimmee and Orlando markets with vacation home real estate broker, Raymond Butterfield.

Owner Community FAQs    Answers to commonly asked questions about the Owner Community, the Owner Community newsletter, and the How to Rent Vacation Properties by Owner podcast.

Vacation Rental Terms Glossary    Definitions for terms that come up often when researching or talking about vacation rental homes.

Running a Vacation Rental Business FAQs    Commonly asked questions about renting by owner including screening, insurance, and more. New FAQs added 7/29/08.

How to Start a Vacation Rental Business    Questions to ask yourself when making the decision to start renting your vacation home and running a vacation rental business.

How to Increase Your Vacation Rental's Curb Appeal    How to make your property's first impression a good one.

How to Spot a Vacation Rental Scam    Sadly, there are many scammers out there preying on vacation rental homeowners. Don't be a victim!

How to Write Your Ads for the Search Engines, too!    When writing your advertisements, use search engine optimization (SEO) to attract more renters.

How to Market Your Vacation Home to Couples    Target groups of couples traveling together with the right language and amenities.

How to Write a Compelling Property Description    The property description is a 100 word summary that should paint a clear picture of your vacation rental property.

Examples of a Well-Written Vacation Rental Property Description for HomeAway    Learn how to better organize the information in your property description for potential renters.

10 Things We've Learned from Vacation Rental Owners    Our owners have a wealth of information. Here a just a few of the things we learned this fall.

The Fair Housing Act and Vacation Rentals    Does the Fair House Act apply to vacation rentals? And if so, how should vacation rental owners treat potential renters according to the act?

Post-Peak Season Maintenance Plan for Vacation Rentals    After 12 weeks of continuous use, your property probably deserves a little TLC.

Decreasing the Heating and Cooling Costs at Your Second Home    Make sure that you're not losing unnecessary cold air, heat, and money at your condo or cabin.

Negotiating Sales Contracts for Vacation Homes    There can be so much more to negotiating a sales contract than simply the price. Read this before buying a vacation rental property.

Buying Another Vacation Rental Home    It's contagious! Your property is renting so well you that you want to buy another. Here are a few tips to consider.

Vacation Rental Market Q&A: Destin, Florida    An interview with Destin, FL realtor, Shannyn Stevenson about how to buy property in the Destin vacation rental market.

Ten Ways to Sell Your Vacation Home Faster    Tips for selling your vacation rental home in the cooling housing market.

Vacation Rental Market Q&A: Telluride, Colorado    Answers about the Telluride vacation home market from realtor, John Janus.

Vacation Rental Market Q&A: Whistler, British Columbia    Answers about the Whistler vacation home market from real estate agent, Ursula Morel.

How to Sell Your Vacation Rental Home While You Have Renters    How to balance selling your vacation home and accomodating your renters.

Questions to Ask a Potential Real Estate Agent    How to find your perfect match.

Vacation Rental Market Q&A: Park City, Utah    A Q&A with Park City realtor, Dennis Hanlon, about the current buying conditions in the Park City area.

How to Build the Perfect VacationRentals.com Listing    Follow these pointers for developing a stand-out ad on VacationRentals.com.

About the Author: Christine Karpinski    A short biography of bestselling author and Owner Community director, Christine Karpinski.

Christine's Blog: Observations about Vacation Homes and Owners (10/1/2008)    Christine shares some valuable insight on her recent conversations with owners and vacation rental stays.

The 2nd Edition of Christine Karpinski's Book, How to Rent Vacation Properties by Owner    Christine talks about the new 2nd edition of How to Rent Vacation Properties by Owner, which includes over 150 pages of new material and is now available on her website.

Christine Karpinski in the Media    A record of bestselling author Christine Karpinski's print, tv, and radio appearances.

4 Reasons to Upload 12 Photos on HomeAway    4 reasons for making sure that you have 12 photos up on your HomeAway Network listing.

How to Take and Select Great Photos for Your Listing    Improve the quality of your vacation rental listing photos for better results.

How to Build the Perfect HomeAway Listing    Here's a guide for how to build a remarkable listing from the top to the bottom of the page.

How to Create a Gourmet Kitchen at Your Vacation Rental    Learn how to make your kitchen a destination in itself.

Tips for Furnishing Your Vacation Rental Home    Guide to choosing new furnishings for your vacation rental home.

How to Create a Gourmet Kitchen at Your Vacation Rental    Learn how to make your kitchen a destination in itself.

Buying & Selling   Break-even point for vacation rental homes, types of insurance, benefits to owning second homes, and vacation rental market profiles.