Can anyone tell me if there are any companies broker vacation houses or condos? I know there's loads of sites that list houses that are rented out by owners, but if I'm going to rent a house, I want to know that there's some third party that has looked at the property so I'm not paying for the Taj Majal and actually getting a lean-to. I also want to have someone to get a hold of if something goes wrong. I realize that there's a cost to all this, but peace of mind is worth something.

What part of the state are you inquiring about?

Most likely the Gulf Coast. Looking for some smaller towns, decent beaches and seafood within an hour of an airport. I've heard good things about Bonita Springs. NOT looking for South Beach or Orlando. Local restaurants a plus, t-shirt shops a minus. I'd like a house for my wife and I for a long weekend in Feb. A pool or jacuzzi with a high privacy fence would be nice.

Gulf coast covers a lot of area...one whole side of the state. I know several companies that handle the panhandle; Destin, Perdido, Gulf Shores, Santa Rosa, Seaside.

Virtually every real estate company in Florida handles both rentals and sales.

I don't know about weekend rentals, but all you can do is call.

Go south of Fort Myers for reliable warmth.

Once you know where, you can look for a company.

You can try Meyer Real Estate for panhandle properties. www.myerre.com. We have used them for almost all of our rentals. The properties that we have rented have been exceptional. They are also very friendly to deal with.

I had the same thought as Ackislander; I don't know about a weekend rental.

Lots of gulf coast towns would meet your requirements, any particular airport you're wanting to fly in/out of?

I'm going to put this as simply as possible, sorry if it offends. No one, but no one on the GulfCoast of Florida with a NICE rental property is going to have it sitting vacant and willing to rent it for a single weekend in February -- the busiest month of the year here. Even if you were looking for a one week or two week rental, it would be extremely slim pickings at this point -- unless you're talking about Feb. of 2009. Even then, the best vacation properties are already rented for February of 2009.

And while most good real estate agencies do indeed handle rentals (for a price to the owner -- often 25 to 30% if they are also meeting and doing the "maintenance") -- I've really never heard of any of them getting involved in a long weekend rental.

I honestly think your best bet is to see if someone with VRBO has had a cancellation and is willing to rent for just a weekend, and then take your chances.

I've used VBRO several times in other areas and had great luck. I live near Anna Maria on the Gulf Coast and they passed a local ordinance several years ago that forbids homeowners from renting for less than a week. I understand that several beach communities have done the same thing because they were having so much trouble with people renting them for weekend parties.

How many people are you needing to accomodate? I've stayed at a condo in Destin (actually Miramar Beach) that was nice, clean, quiet and convenient to dining, shopping etc.

Agree with NeoPatrick!

People with a nice house will be looking at 2-3 month rentals by snowbirds, not a weekend rental which could preclude a much longer, and much more profitable long-term winter rental. A good one will often be reserved one year in advance. However, I wish you good luck in your quest.

Absolutely true about weekend rentals unless you want to go to the panhandle where it it's the off season. You may well find someone willing to rent for a weekend in Feb there, but you take your chances on the weather. It could be 70 in the daytime or it could be 55. The average high for Destin in Feb is 62.