Below are a list of the most frequently asked questions that we receive from our potential and new owners. To see the answer to the question, simply click on the question, and the page will scroll to the answer. Of course, if your specific question can't be found below, we'll be happy to answer it individually. To ask a different question by email, simply open and complete the owner enquiry form from the owner menu above, and we'll respond with an answer within one working day.

1. What assurances do you give that my property will be cared for?

VillaDirect prides itself on providing the very best care for our owners properties. Unlike most management companies, VillaDirect inspects every home that it takes on, and provides a regular service to ensure that your investment is protected. We also monitor all properties for problems and fix them as they occur. Part of our agreement requires that you, as an owner, give us permission to perform emergency and maintenance repairs to your property to keep it always in peak condition for our guests.

We're so confident of our service that we even provide our new owners with contact details from existing owners to take references.

2. What do VillaDirect charge for 'owner bookings'?

VillaDirect encourages its owner clients to market their property to the maximum. We actively help our owners with marketing advice to improve their ability to gain valuable, profitable bookings for their properties. All owner guests are treated to the same courteous, professional care as VillaDirect guests, and have access to our key collection, direction services, plus 24 hour emergency call out. For this service, we charge a 4% commission based on the VillaDirect advertised retail rate for your property.

In this current market, every owner should take care to protect their investment and gain the maximum return - by ensuring that the "mix" of owner and management company bookings is healthy.

3. How does VillaDirect help me transfer my management?

As property owners in the past, the principals of VillaDirect have experienced and recognized the difficulty in transferring management from an existing company. Transferring your utility accounts, together with other management issues is something that VillaDirect has lots of experience in providing to property owners.

We provide new owners to VillaDirect with a simple to follow, step-by-step guide, and easy to complete forms to help to smooth the transition, causing the least amount of fuss and problems to our owners.

4. How does VillaDirect grade my property?

As you will have seen from our web site, we market properties using a particular grading system based on Stars and Diamonds. This is initially scored and assessed following an inspection of the property by one of our staff during the take-over process. We score the property based on location, privacy, proximity to theme parks, quality of furnishings, maintenance records, overall look of the property and many other factors. In most cases, the VillaDirect assessment is accurate, and owners accept that it is purely a marketing device for the guests benefit.

On rare occasions, we cannot agree with our owners assessment of the quality of their property, in which case, we provide reasons why the property doesn't 'make the grade' and the steps necessary to enhance the property to move it up a grade or more. It's important to remember that, as a VillaDirect owner, you'll receive a better return for rentals than with any other management company in the area (see related question)

5. What return will VillaDirect get for my property?

VillaDirect is run by owners, for owners and their guests. Unlike almost every other management company in central Florida, we don't rent your home to tour operators with block bookings. That way, we can maintain the quality of your home (ever wondered how maintenance can be performed on a house that's booked for 3 months at a time?), and increase the return. Because we only deal with the public direct at retail pricing, we provide maximum return. That's why we don't provide guarantees (see related question).

Many management companies do a block booking 'deal' with a tour operator who books the whole of the peak season weeks from the management company at low rates. These tour operators then take the majority of the booking rental value as profit. After the management company has taken their 'slice' from the remainder - the owner receives less than 40% of the rental value!

VillaDirect believes that the rental return on investment should be higher for our owners, so we only sell retail, and only sell to guests or accredited/bonded travel agents (where there is a fixed maximum discount off retail rate). This means that you get the maximum return (typically between 70% - 80% of the retail rate).

Our guests like this also. They understand that the owner is getting a fair return, and is therefore more likely to maintain their property in peak condition.

6. Do VillaDirect give owners Guarantees?

No. We have had experience of so-called "guarantees" as property owners ourselves. If you want VillaDirect to guarantee 30 - 40 weeks of bookings like some other management companies in Kissimmee, we won't do it. These so called "guarantees" aren't worth the paper they're written on in most cases - if they are written! If an owner actually ever received 30 - 40 weeks of "guaranteed" bookings, then we will guarantee that the return on those weeks will be minimal, and probably worth less than the income that 20 weeks of bookings through VillaDirect would return.

Why? Well the guarantees that we've experienced and researched are based on block-booking the peak weeks of the year through a tour operator. Owners normally have to 'sign-away' their rights to visit their own property during those weeks, and will (more than likely) find that they have block booked the property to a tour operator for up to 3 months at a time.

If you are still seriously considering going to a management company that offers a "guarantee", please research exactly what their offer includes, the rates that they are returning, and the terms and conditions of their guarantee. VillaDirect has welcomed many owners that have come from such guaranteed relationships - and they have ALL felt like they have been unfairly treated and ill-advised in their previous management company.

7. How many weeks will VillaDirect book in my property?

VillaDirect targets to book 26 weeks in a property that is on its web site and in rent-able condition within its program in a full season. We provide our owners with help in marketing their own property, as well as our own promotion on the internet and in periodicals and new publications in the US, Europe and Asia.

Please remember that 26 weeks of bookings at the rates that VillaDirect return to owners is worth more than the returns for 30 - 40 weeks at most other management companies - even after our commissions, because VillaDirect allow owners to retain a higher percentage proportion of the retail rate.

8. How do I join VillaDirect?

Or give us a call on 1 (877) 259-9908 (free in the US), and ask for Lisa Kaplan, and have a chat with us about what we can do to increase the return you make on your investment.

Please note that VillaDirect only manages properties in certain locations. We do not provide services to all communities for logistic and marketing reasons. VillaDirect limits the number of homes that it will manage and market, and you may be required to join a waiting list to enter our program.

9. How much does your management cost?

Depending on the options for management that you choose, your property can be managed by VillaDirect from only $150 per month for the management fee, plus the cost of our monthly maintenance services. Typical costs range between $250 to $375 per month with all options included. Many companies will tell you their rates are lower, but VillaDirect show you all of the costs that they hide up-front. Please don't forget, your cost calculations will also need to include utility bills and license fees.

Full detials of our management charges and fees are provided to you as a part of our information pack that will be sent on completion of the Enquiry Form.

10. What do I get for this?

VillaDirect owners get the assurance that their property investment is being looked after by the most professional and caring property management company in central Florida. But we're sure you want to know what else we do - so please see the list below:

• Professional management care
• On-line availability
• On-line pricing
• Lawn care
• Pool maintenance
• FREECALL phone system
• Irrigation maintenance
• Air conditioning maintenance
• Cleaning
• Upgrades
• Arrival packs
• Utility payment
• Asset management
• Optional marketing package
• Professional signage
• Professional home packs
• Power washing
• Guest services
• 24x7 Guest services
• 24x7 Guest key-lobby collection
• License payment/renewal
• Monthly accounts
• Quarterly statements
• Annual statements

11. VillaDirect.com is always at the top of the search engines. How do you do that?

Because VillaDirect has focused on retail reservations business since its inception in 1998, the company has broad experience of marketing to retail guests.

VillaDirect spends more marketing $'s per booking than any other company in the central Orlando area to make sure that our site is always in the top 3 positions - and we do that ALL YEAR ROUND. Many of our competitors market to tour operators - and their "pockets" simply aren't deep enough to provide that depth of marketing...so you'll only see their listings for a few days each month - or a couple of months each year - where VillaDirect is there all the time.

12. Does VillaDirect provide an advertising-only option?

No. All of the properties shown on the VillaDirect.com web site are managed by the company, and the company provides maintenance and marketing services to all of the homes listed on its web site.

If you are looking to maximize the return on your investment - transfer your management to our program, and benefit from our presence on the internet and elsewhere.