With the rising acceptance of the vacation home rental model and popularity of rental websites like VRBO.com and HomeAway.com, renting out your Costa Rica vacation home has become a viable way to use your vacation property as an income producing property.

The vacation home rental model is very simple. For a modest annual fee you create a listing page showcasing your Costa Rican vacation home and popular attractions of the surrounding area that then gets posted to well known vacation home rental listing sites.

Travelers interested in renting your vacation home contact you by email or phone to discuss availability and rental and payment terms.

The listing sites offer a variety of helpful resources to create an attractive listing and manage the logistics of bookings. Your last order of business is to manage the preparation of your vacation home for your renters and ensure that their stay at your home is enjoyable and as advertised.

Again, the listing sites provide ample guidance and support on how you can successfully manage and meet your renters’ expectations.

“Having a Costa Rican vacation home that will appreciate in value over time and…Pay for itself along the way is an even better investment.”Cassidy Scheer, Sierpe del Pacifico.

The market for this vacation rental model is growing and becoming more lucrative for several reasons. In most cases renting out a vacation home offers significantly more value for the money than a hotel or resort.

Most vacation rentals are self catering, thus they don’t incur and pass on to renters any of the costs related to hiring employees or offering various “guest services”. They also offer more space and many don’t charge high “extra person” fees, thus making them very desirable and affordable for families.

At Sierpe del Pacifico, the use of kayaks, mountain bikes, gardens, and hiking trails are also included within the rental fee and offer extra “adventure value” in the minds of our guests. Renting a vacation home also gives vacationers much more privacy and independence than a hotel.

Furthermore, traveler reviewing and ratings systems that are featured prominently on the listing pages ensure that vacation rentals are enjoyable and “as advertised”, thus instilling stronger consumer confidence in the vacation rental model. Additionally, many of the major listing sites have recently engaged in national advertising campaigns, thus increasing awareness of the vacation home rental option.

For the 2011/12 dry season we have already achieved 85% occupancy from Dec. 15th through the end of February. This is especially notable since we require a minimum 3 night booking and inevitably have 1 or 2 day gaps between bookings that will never be rented.

With numerous inquiries coming in for March and April dates, we expect to achieve at least a 75% occupancy rate through the remainder of the dry season.

With the high season weekly rental rates ranging from $700-$1,000 we expect to gross a total of $12,480 during the dry season. Adding this amount to last year’s wet season gross of $5,700- a result of 25% occupancy rates and rental fees of $600-$700 a week we get annual projected gross revenues of $18,540 for 2011/12.

The listing price on this 2 bedroom, 2 bath valley view home with an ocean access boat slip on the Sierpe River is $139,990. With other SDP lots starting at $36,000 in price, and construction costs that include furnishing and solar system installation starting at $60 a sq. ft., it is possible to own a vacation home that should garner $600-$800 a week in rental fees for under $90,000.

“Having a Costa Rican vacation home that will appreciate in value over time is a proven investment. Having a Costa Rican vacation home that will appreciate in value over time and pay for itself along the way is an even better investment.”

A more significant impact is the accumulation of numerous positive reviews on the rental experience from past renters. The rising popularity and increased accessibility of the Osa Peninsula contributes as well.

Despite a global economic slowdown that is resulting in less money being spent on tourism in Costa Rica, there are still plenty of tourists looking for a unique, exciting, “eco-oriented”, and value rich vacation in Costa Rica. This is unlikely to change regardless of uncertain economic climates.

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Sierpe Homes, Farms and Land For Sale.

If you have ever dreamed of living in a place that’s as close to a tropical paradise as you can find … Please contact our Recommended Costa Rica Realtors Daveed Hollander, John Wieland and James Drews in the Southern Pacific area, by using the simple form below:

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Andrew Makarik

to@welovecostarica.com

Andrew Makarik is the main editor of WeLoveCostaRica, a fan of this sunny country. He is also a loving husband and a has a lovely daughter. By being a devoted family man and the biggest Costa Rica fan, he wants to make more people feel at home there. WeLoveCostaRica unites people and helps them find new home or a new travel destination. This website is a friendly community where everyone can find not only information, but also new friends and travel pals. Andrew is also passionate about IT and programming, so he himself maintains a friendly atmosphere in this cozy environment of WeLoveCostaRica.com.