We’ve talked about renting to college students before, but what about renting to vacationers?

According to the National Association of Realtors, last year there were about 3.34 million sales for second homes (not a family or person’s primary place of residence). 12.2% of those were bought for vacation home purposes. (If that is the % of people who want to buy a vacation home for their personal use, they are very apt to rent when not using it. There could also be a good portion of those who bought sorely for the purpose of renting it out.)

You could buy a dwelling in Miami to rent to beach goers, or what about a cabin near a lake? Hunting or camping is always a draw. Not everyone wants to stay in a motel, and you also have to think of the long term vacationers or those who are there for other reasons like business. If someone has to be in an unfamiliar place for lets say a month: while they finish an important project, staying in a one room motel would definitely grow old fast. Also, think of the money they can save on food: instead of going fast food, they can cook and eat more healthily if that is what they prefer. What about those tough times when renters aren’t as plentiful?: lower your rates or make a package deal. People always like to think they are getting a bargain!

If you are worried about how to get the word out on your rental home, you have many options: ads in the paper, tour brochures, on line spots, and yes a realtor’s office. Many realtors for a small fee will help put out the word of mouth for you, or you can always ask the realtor who helped you buy the home. They know as well as you, that it never hurts to get a good recommendation; if you help them there’s a good likelihood that they will help you.