mrsgo

Hello! It seems that generally it is a bit easier to rent a condo in the Winter months for 1 or 2 months on the West coast of Florida, opposed to the East coast. But, for 2016, we are finding that the severe cold East coast weather has given the Florida condo owners real security. They are in the driver's seat with regard to price and the amount of time they want one renter to commit to....3-4 months. We are looking for a beach, opportunity to play tennis, close access to reasonably priced public golf, FUN area - restaurants etc.... and a CLEAN, newer condo ( two bedrooms, 2 baths) on either coast for next Feb. and March. HARD TO FIND! 2016 RENTALS SEEM ALL BOOKED UP ALREADY! Anyone have any ideas? Which towns?
THANK YOU VERY MUCH!!!
Suzy

MollyinFL

Have you tried Sanibel or Captiva? It's quiet, great restaurants, tennis, golf, bicycling, etc.

Or the panhandle, Destin, Navarre, St George Island.

starrs

The villages along 30a.
www.30a.com

Ackislander

Funny thing, my wife just said somewhat the same thing, though perhaps more calmly.

We are sitting in a rented house on Marco Island at the moment, enjoying the A/C after a 90 degree day, and she says many similar houses are already rented for this time next year. It is the busiest two weeks of the season because of school breaks, but the locals are still catching their breath from carrying bags of money to the bank. It is the busiest season in 25 years in this part of Florida. Certainly all flights were overbooked, and we had to fly Richmond-LaGuardia-Ft Myers, and there was a two hour line for rentals cars on Saturday, when weekly rentals turn over. We booked the house in August, our flight in November, long before the horrible northern winter. It's a trend and a bubble.

What could change the situation? Bad weather in Florida is most likely. Hurricanes hurt prices even though the hurricane season is over long before winter rentals begin. A long, rainy fall and winter season with flight delays and cancellations will do it.

Although you want a lot, there is no substitute for being warm. Warm means south. Love ya folks, but the Panhandle in February? Why not Jones Beach or Coney Island? The Villages anytime? That's Ohio with sinkholes.

Warm doesn't necessarily mean Florida, though. We are thinking about Puerto Rico, Southern California, the Mayan Riviera for next year. Costa Rica is appealing except that I don't do iguanas. If people go to these places, the demand in FL will fall.

Mostly, be patient. They may not get what they are asking, and the closer they get to winter, the better your offer may look. It's like renting your house for the Olympics. It looks like a sure thing but seldom is.

starrs

"The Villages anytime? That's Ohio with sinkholes."

What?!
Seaside? Rosemary Beach? Watercolor? Alys Beach?
"Ohio with sinkholes"?
I need to buy real estate in Ohio.

starrs

New Jersey -
http://www.accuweather.com/en/us/jer...weather/329548
Ohio -
http://www.accuweather.com/en/us/cle...weather/350127
Marco Island -
http://www.accuweather.com/en/us/mar...weather/342733
30a -
http://www.accuweather.com/en/us/des...eather/2231011

Totally agree that Marco Island will be warmer than Seaside.

But as MollyinFl suggests, the panhandle will be a heck of a lot warmer than NJ. Or Ohio.

Still want to know more about those Ohio sinkholes.

schmerl

starrs,
I'm pretty sure Ackislander thought you were referring to "The Villages" which is a well known over 55 community in Central Florida. I know that's what I thought at first.

sum

Just came back from a month in Captiva. Our first time there, I found a house through VRBO, and it worked out quite well. I agree that this nasty winter has driven prices north and people south. I looked at VRBO again when our rental price went up, and there were still houses available. We decided to stick with what we had, but places do exist.

Good luck.

Ackislander

Thanks, sum, for clarifying. I was indeed talking about The Villages in central Florida. I hadn't heard the 30a new towns called the villages before, and my sister owned a place in one of them.

I was perhaps hyperbolic (!) but I was in the Panhandle this very week last year. It was pleasantly cool for walking around but too cool to sit outside in the evening, much less swim.

The Panhandle would be fine for the golf and tennis part of the OP's request but not for the beach.

Why am I such a nut about this?

When you are in Boston, 50 looks good. When it's 50 and windy, as it was when I spent a spring break in the Panhandle many, many years ago, it is just cold.

During the four winters I lived in Tampa we had regular frosts and an occasional freeze. It's fine if you live there all the time because it will warm up, but it is not nice if you get a week or two of it and that's your vacation. So I advise people to go south, as far south as they can.

We owned a condo in Naples for some years, and winter was always pleasant, even on those January days when the year-rounders pulled out their coats., e.g. 60 degrees. But even there and here in Marco, Gulf water temperatures are about the same as Cape Cod in August.

For many of us, getaways like this are a stretch. I don't want to see people spend a lot of money where they may be disappointed.

So, for beach and boating:
January -- the Keys, Marco Island, Miami, the Carribbean
February -- Ft Myers south
March -- Sarasota south, Clearwater south mid month
April -- Panhandle, Amelia Island, New Orleans
May -- Charleston, Savannah
June -- September -- Outer Banks, Jersey Shore
July-August -- Cape and Islands, Maine but rarely warm enough for swimming
September-December (the above in reverse)

starrs

"but it is not nice if you get a week or two of it and that's your vacation."

The OP is looking for a 1 or 2 MONTH rental.

She was asking for suggestions -
"2016 RENTALS SEEM ALL BOOKED UP ALREADY! Anyone have any ideas? Which towns? "

MollyinFl suggested some in south Florida and then -
"Or the panhandle, Destin, Navarre, St George Island."

I suggested the village of 30a and added the link www.30a.com.


Just my opinion, but there's nothing at all wrong with saying that south Florida will be warmer than the panhandle. I do take offense with the snarky comments. The only person mentioning swimming has been Ack. Not the OP.

"...but I was in the Panhandle this very week last year. It was pleasantly cool for walking around but too cool to sit outside in the evening, much less swim."

I was staying in one of the villages of 30a last January for the songwriters festival. We bundled up in coats for a couple of days and there were warm days the other days. I watched friends post pictures from this January and the weather was glorious. I just checked the temps for that week and Destin was 5 degrees cooler than Marco Island.

No one is saying that the panhandle will be as warm as Marco Island. No one is saying Marco Island will be as warm as the Keys. No one is saying the Keys will be as warm as St. Lucia. I think everyone will say if you want a guarantee that most days will be the warmest possible, go as south as possible. I'd pick St. Croix or St. Lucia.

But the OP is looking for FL rentals for 1 or 2 months in the continental US and didn't mention a word about expecting to swim. There's nothing wrong with suggesting "the panhandle, Destin, Navarre, St George Island" or "The villages along 30a" - ESPECIALLY since the OP is complaining about the prices and lack of availability for 2016 in the more southern towns. In fact, it's exactly what the OP was asking for:
"We are looking for a beach, opportunity to play tennis, close access to reasonably priced public golf, FUN area - restaurants etc.... and a CLEAN, newer condo ( two bedrooms, 2 baths) on either coast for next Feb. and March. HARD TO FIND! 2016 RENTALS SEEM ALL BOOKED UP ALREADY! Anyone have any ideas? Which towns?
THANK YOU VERY MUCH!!!"