John - Jonny,

Well said and nice contribution to this blog. Good luck with you rental. I cannot argue "gambling" $50.00, but Hilton has far more exposure and will hopefully be successful.

On another note, the economy and our current administration are alarmingly concerning. If Obama wins (and he likely will) forget any decent rentals for the next 4 years and probably longer. We are headed for a serious depression, the likes Europe has never seen. It’s only a matter of time if we don’t get the debt under control. All who read and contribute to this blog, I plead for you to support Romney, less the way of life we have grown to love and cherish and our forefathers fought and died for will vanish in a blink of an eye.

Well, I have not been keeping up on this site as I used to, so I‘m late with these comments. First, I have attempted, over the past 30+ years, to rent my unit several times, twice through the “front office”. Each time, I was told the unit was fully rented a few weeks before the rental date, only to have an actual rental of 4 days and 5 days. Once, I rented through an independent travel company, with good results. Twice, I have rented through Carl’s website, successfully for the entire time period, and netted more than I would have via the “front office”.

Conversely, I have rented an extra unit for my family 6 times through Carl’s website, each time paying less than I would have via the front office, but more than what the owner would have netted from the front office.

That’s how the market works; both parties win.

I had some mixed feelings reading about the problems with www.casaybel.com
Please do not call it "Carl's" website, it was never meant to be that,but "the owners" web site.
Here is some background if you are interested.
When I retired in Ft Myers in 1983, I had 11 units, and was happy to hear Mariner would help me out if I could not use some of them.
My work between Cape Kennedy and Houston Space Center somehow started an accumolation due to the many trips for the Apollo launches with periods of delays. It was nice to take a week's break after a month of continous work oof and on, I found it better to receive cash up front when renting my self. After several times of "You are no 1 on our list" I never found out till I asked 3 weeks after the week where the payment was due, and was told it did not rent, no one showed up, or we only rented Saturday night.
I had been on the board at that time and suggested better communications could be established between owners in stead of the "SandScript" every 3 months with commercials for Thistle Lodge.
Ed McElroy and I started the "Casa Ybel Forum" with news and listings for owners to use. It created lots of work and expenses for Ed and I, and I asked the new Cyber Bussiness for a web site, I was asked "Any name in mind" , and said
www.Casaybel.com.
Sure, no one has asked for it, so take it.
At the next board meeting I offered the board the site for our general use to make it easier to communicate with owners and clear problems if any came up.
I was turned down by vote ! "Who has time for that"?
I stop here, I will not bring up all the comments I heard from owners regarding renting there units, and problems they also had.
My good thing, I was told, was this:

1:Never a question about what number they were in line to rent, it was open for all to se.
2:Money! Always up front, you are paid months ahead, no wishing for luck this time.
3:No one was left with a 1 or 2 days rent out of a full week.
4:No forced "sign up" with restrictions not to rent by others if a chance came up.
5:No insisting for sign up (forced) for repeat years.
6:Renters turn out to be fine people, no trashing has been reported, always paid up.
7:no stories now about "Renters did not show up"(You had no down payment?)

Peace, it's all for a fair and thankful ending, no losses from a week you just could not use that year, and did not rent.

Thanks CJA

Any takers for "carry on the site?" I am getting old!