Hi everyone!

Way to go Pittsburgh Steelers!  Wait, who am I kidding? I really don't care about football. And it seems a fair amount of other women don't either - all the inquiries I received between kick-off and the end of the game were from women. 

In our newsletter that went out on Saturday, I wrote about how I've been pretty flooded with inquiries despite the current economy.  However, we got some feedback from owners who were not having the same experiences that I wrote about. 

While I have personally gotten a fair number of inquiries, I realize that not everyone has. My suspicion is because all the properties I own are located in markets where the vast majority of my renters drive rather than fly.

My properties, and many others within 3‑6 hours of a major city, tend to be holding strong (maybe not as strong as past years, but considering what's going on in the economy, they may be doing ok.) It seems renters who would have normally taken a vacation and flown somewhere are going to pack up the kids, the dog, and everything in the car, and drive 3-6 hours.

We are, however, seeing a shift in the reservations.  The inquiries are not too far-in-advance.  We're seeing a lot more last-minute reservation requests, and bookings.

For those of you in fly-to markets, you may be having a tougher time because you are dependent on the air fares. The good news is the air fares are coming down, and renters are starting to look and book.

Bottom line: we have to step up our game because it could be a rocky road for some of us.

Happy Renting!

Christine

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Are you in a drive or fly market?  How do your inquiries for 2009 compare to other years? Drive Markets "Slightly less but still holding on pretty well. My cabins are pet friendly AND wheelchair accessible, so that helps. I update my sites weekly at least." -Connie, Smoky Mountains, TN (HomeAway #169338, VRBO #145938)

How to Convert Vacation Rental Inquiries into Bookings Whether a renter books your property or someone else's falls largely in your hands.   How to Handle Inquiries from Bargain Hunters Thanks in part to increasing gas prices and food costs, many of you may be getting more inquiries from bargain hunters than in past years.   Seal More Bookings with Your Vacation Rental Inquiry Responses Learn when to say yes, when to say no, and when to just pick up the phone!   How to Book Last-Minute Rentals at Your Vacation Property Tactics you can use to increase last-minute bookings of your vacation rental property.

© Copyright 2009 Christine Karpinski