So it is allergy season again and they are kicking my butt something awful! I tried to push through and wait it to pass but finally gave in last week and went to the doctors for my medicines… I really benefit from the prescription eye drops. So giddy was I as I headed home, excited that I may soon have a clear head and non-itchy eyes! I had the medicine on the counter and put it away cleaning up…

Yep! If anyone manages to find my medicine I sure would appreciate it!

In years past the Niceville Chamber of Commerce has put on the annual fireworks show on 4th of July. Niceville is a small town with a small budget ($30,000 which is A LOT of money but not for fireworks I am told!) Last year the Chamber did not have the budget for the fireworks so the show didn’t go on. There was a public outcry for the lack of the show, with people unjustly upset at the City of Niceville for not puttin’ on their ’show’.

So the kind people of the City formed a partnership with Waste Management in the attempt to raise $30,000 to put on a fireworks show. And they are getting funds… They are also collecting aluminum cans for cash - that is where Waste Management come in… Letters have been included in with our water bills, bill board time displays etc to gather attention and money to this ’cause.’

So today I walk into the school and am faced with the big green trash can from Waste Management. They have sponosred can collections in the local 3 elementary schools with a ‘gift certificate’ for the school that collects the most cans. There are big green cans stategically placed around the school, other bin receptacles also across the campus. It looks good…even down to the color copy flyer that came home from school today in the kids folders.

Now again, I think that it is great for us to recycle, we have been doing it at home for years. And it is great to see someone collecting at school…but why do these companies only want to help take the money out of the school…

Where was Waste Management when we wanted to collect for the school and keep the funds in the school?? It takes money to make money and when we are so tight with a budget who wants to spend money buying trash cans for collection points for cans when the trash recepticle cost more than the cans collected? Maybe we will be lucky and Waste Management will leave us the bins for us to continue the collections for the school once the competition is over??? One can only hope!

I also emailed the City Commissioner and asked how much it cost to include a letter in with the water bills as our school is a city concern…as yet I received no response…

When is enough, enough? SO i am feeling rather confused right now… I have been actively fund raising with the PTO and others in my children’s school for some time. We try hard to cover all the little extras and some of the essentials. We do try very hard to take care of the teachers… but when is enough, enough???

Today I saw two matters that really upset me, perhaps more than they should. The first is that the staff (and a few parents) have a Relay for Life team. This year they raised $5000! That is great but where is that team when we are trying to raise money for the school. And in fact their cause is often in competition with the school efforts. Now my comments are not to take away anything from their needs to raise money nor is it a judgement on the value of their cause…and it pulls at the heartstrings of everyone as everyone knows someone affected by cancer.

However….

Today there was a request for PTO to pay for teacher incentives for their ‘Fitness Club!’ i cant believe this is a real request!!! I for one an mot spending my time so that my efforts go to helping the teacher be motivated to keep herself fit! Do I think she should - absolutely. Should I pay for it - absolutely not! And there are a few teachers that would be better off spending their extra time focusing on their students than complaining how busy she is with all her additional ‘extra cirricula’ activities!

The school has always been a great place for ‘Pennies for Patients’, Canned Food Drives, coin collections etc. The students learn a lot about the communtiy and thinking of others…

I just wish the Relay for Life team showed up with as much gusto for all the other causes that the school actually list as priorities.

So with the property management company I would like to go for business cards. Of course there is so much buzz about Vistaprint. It has been around for a while and they have an agressive marketing strategy including free business cards for the cost of shipping, currently $7.50. I applied for the affiliate program so I could try it, test their system and make recommendations… Now it is wait and see how long it will take them to respond my application…

Most people looking to offer their property for vacation rental quickly realise that VRBO, Homeaway and VacaitionRentals.com are now all the same company. I guess they keep the website properties separate to keep the established traffic sources in place… after all the traffic is probably the main reason why the company bought the businesses…

Well it still seems worthwhile to promote my condo on VRBO.comas well as HomeAway so I will - I just wonder how many of HomeAway’s 85 million visitors are part of VRBO’s 80 million?

If you join now you can sign up for a 12-month listing at VRBO.com and get your 13th month free with code CJQ4 thru April 30th (new listings only)

So while I am readying my Panama City Beach condo for the coming summer rental season I thought I would try to place a few affiliate links on the page. Who knows? I may make a little “internet hosting money…” (sad isnt it that not so long ago the money would be refered to as ‘beer money!’) So I used the link to sign up and a friend who is going into the rental property management business also used the links to sign up for new accounts at HomeAway.com with code G307. (Expires April 30, 2010) ALthough this coupon code did not work for me??? It said it was already expired??? And of course the links did not track one click! Now impressions are tracking and the link is working so I know we are reaching the server…

So at this point I was really getting annoyed. Add to this the whole Mcafee virus (oops the unwanted files that inadvertently were installed…) I am now getting cranky and ready to toss this old computer!! Why cant it be as easy as they make it sound?

So 1 hour and 50 minutes on hold with Mcafee and no customer service rep but i did have lovely music with the quality of a scratchy, slightly off station radio! I got online to their tech support via chat online. ‘Tony John’ said he sent me a file via email and was looking for me to restart the computer and that would take care of the ‘unwanted files’. I am a little more skeptical and waited for the email to arrive before closing out the chat sesison. Thank goodness I did as the email i received was ERROR: According to our records, you have no registered McAfee products. The tech then took remote control of the computer and downloaded whatever to fix it and 30 mins later the computer issue was resolved. Note to self: NEVER let the tech off the hook until you are satisfied with the result…perhaps a restart in this situation would have made it difficult… but hang on to them while you can for as long as you can so that you dont have to get back in line!

So then I go back and look at the CJ report and the setting is only for a time period of ‘yesterday!’ Well…feeling a little chargrinned I set run a report for the current month and just like a magic… the stats come up that they have recorded all the clicks and impressions and even a commission! Amazing, just like it is supposed to work! I think it is just as easy as they make it sound…as with most computer issues, they are usually ‘user error!’

So I am deep into looking how to promote my 2 bedroom vacation property at Panama City Beach and have lots of decisions to mkae. HomeAway.com offers the following benefits:

You will receive a listing on three leading US sites: HomeAway, CyberRentals, and GreatRentals.com. These sites receive over 85 million visits a year combined.
A basic listing on 10 leading European sites: FeWo-Direkt (German), Holiday-Rentals (UK),HomeAway (Spain), HomeAway (Netherlands), HomeAway (Portugal), HomeAway.it ( Italy), HomeAway.dk ( Denmark), HomeAway.no (Norway). HomeAway.se (Sweden), HomeAway.fi (finland)
12 photo slots to showcase your property to travelers

Again, what is with the 85 million visitors? VRBO boasts 65 million (or 80 million depending on if you read the whole area) for their one site and now Homeaway states about the same figure for traffic over three sites…

And we all know it is the same parent company??? I guess it doesn’t matter how I get from here to there provided I rent the condo.

Second choice is HomeAway.com Save $25 on 12-month listings at HomeAway.com with code G307 if you get listed before April 30, 2010. So I lucked into that coupon…

I started a sign up and realised I needed way more info than I had! I actually had to look up the address, well if you have read any of my posts on geography you would know why! I know how to get there and that is usually enough. So last night I got a couple of pages into setting up the account listing to rent the condo but baulked at having to make up details to complete the account. I mean I want to rent it, but really, they wanted to know rental rates, amenities, seasonal rates, etc like it should cost more to sleep at some times of the year than others??? … just too many details for after midnight!

Today a lovely lady called me and offered me an incentive to complete my sign up - a book on promoting vacation rental properties… I don’t need something else to read…I need someone to complete all the answers for me! A photo or two would also be great! So evening number two and I have more information than i could care for but still not input into the account for listing! Maybe tomorrow…

So far I am impressed with their service…now VRBO…they are another story! Still have no response from them…

I consider the USA not the “lucky country” (that is Australia!) but the land of “choice”. There are so many companies offering to promote our 2 bedroom beach condo that i am not so sure where to start…perhaps i will try a couple of companies and see how they provide? They say “it takes money to make money!”

First choice is VRBO (Vacation Rental By Owner) because I have previously heard of them. Already I am concerned…one part of an ad says “Annual property listings for $279 at VRBO.com. Reach 80 million vacationers looking for your vacation home!” But further down it says “Annual property listings for $279 at VRBO.com. Reach 65 million vacationers looking for your vacation home!” I guess the missing 15 million went on vacation!!

So the epic journey to invest in a property on the beach has been such an amazing set of twists and turns! Will we buy? When will we buy? We initially signed a contract to purchase a beautiful 2 bedroom condo at Panama City Beach jsut a mile down the road from the new Pier Park. We had stars in our eyes and thought we had money in our pockets! Then we didn’t!

So we canceled our contract to purchase. Then we changed our minds again… who needs furniture anyway! So we have a fantastic time just enjoying the views, access to the beach amenities, indoor pool and tub in the winter…paradise! We planned to spend as much time enjoying our investment as possible - weekend stays for baseball tournaments, just a great family getaway! Who knew….

Flash forward 4 months and we are scrounging to get the condo ready for rental! We are moving from Florida to Texas! No more sleeping bags on the floor but new beautiful king size bed, lovely sleeper sofa, queen bed and bunks! Fresh paint, all new linens etc - wow - I loved being there before but now I never want to leave!! And all for others to enjoy…

So this is my journey into the vacation rental market! Dont want to do it, don’t want to leave and not sure about it all… Deep breath - Here goes!