Photos are the window to your property and are usually the deciding factor in a vacationer choosing to rent your home. I want to take this opportunity to encourage to you take a look at your photos on iGOvacation. Are they blurry? Do they reflect the updates that you have made to the property? Is there good lighting? Be sure to include a photo of the view, living room, kitchen, master bath, master bedroom, pool, and exterior.

Keep in mind, that at iGOvacation we do offer Virtual Tours for our Platinum Members. Property owners that have Virtual Tours on iGOvacation do quite well. Virtual Tours are one of the items most frequently downloaded on our site. Part of the Virtual Tour package is the complimentary photos (12) that are taken of your property and uploaded to iGOvacation.

We work with a third-party, nationwide, to provide Virtual Tours to our customers. All you have to do is give us access. We do work with property management companies to get access as well. The photographers are professionals and do an excellent job. Any of the customers who have worked with them have raved about their final product.

If you have made changes to your property, update your photos. Renters like to see exactly what they will be renting! It is easy on iGOvacation to manage your photos. Simply log in to MY ACCOUNT and update your property listing. If, at any time, you have questions - just let us know. We'd be glad to help!

iGOvacation is Vacation Rentals by Owner!

We have spoken with many of you through email and phone over the last few months regarding your iGOvacation.com experience. I know that everyday you are receiving inquiries and click throughs to your web sites because we track that information. However, we cannot know exactly how many bookings you are receiving from those click throughs and emails. We know you are getting good, solid bookings because we have spoken to many of you recently.

We would love for you to write to us using our CONTACT US tab on iGOvacation to let us know about your successes on our site. Other owners appreciate your feedback. We would like to add them to our testimonials page for others to see. We will only use your first name!

It doesn't have to be anything long, just a couple of sentences. We want to know how your vacation rentals are doing on iGOvacation.

For those of you who have been asking, YES, the rentors.org calendar is coming and so is a map of the entire world for the interntional destinations! It is already in the works. We are growing quickly and look forward to hearing from you!

iGOvacation is Vacation Rentals by Owner!

In the article, Rising Hotel Rates Keeping Tourists At Bay, published Crain's New York Business, (October 3, 2006) there is a discussion regarding the rising hotel rates in New York and their impact on travelers. As it turns out, the rising hotel rates are keeping visitors out of the city. In many cases, it is shortening the vacationers visit. If you are a owner of a luxury vacation rental, this may be a great opportunity for you to increase your rental occupancy.

The author, Lisa Fickenscher, reports that "For the first seven months of this year, hotel occupancy fell 1.2% to 83.8%, compared with the same period in 2005. At the same time, the price for a room has soared. The average cost of a hotel room in the city rose 11% to $241. This fall, the average room rate is approaching $300."

Fickenscher goes on to report that, "Much of the price resistance is occurring at budget and middle-market properties. Hotels that appeal to price-conscious travelers -- those that charge anywhere between $125 and $175 a night -- have had the biggest room rate increase. Rates at such properties rose 15.5% during the first seven months of this year."

Owners of luxury vacation rentals in the New York and major metropolitan cities should take advantage of this opportunity to capture additional vacationers! We know that this trend is not just isolated to New York. Hotel rates are rising all over the United States and it is impacting the vacationers length of stay. Take advantage of this opportunity. Be sure that your vacation home rental information, photos, rates and availability calendar are up to date.

iGOvacation is your source for worldwide vacation rentals by owner.