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January 30, 2009

Home Away – The World’s Leading Vacation Rental Marketplace

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There are a lot of real estate sites online, so what separates Home Away from the myriad of sites already available? To start, Home Away is a niche provider of vacation rental listings rather than covering the real estate market as a whole. That said, the truly impressive feature Home Away provides is its review system.

Many people who have rented a vacation home in the past may find that the rental does not always come as advertised, and in some cases, there’s flat out false advertising. It’s normally best to get a vacation rental through a direct referral but this isn’t always possible. Home Away’s powerful review system appears to be generally unbiased and highly-effective at finding the best properties.

Travelers can choose from vacation homes found throughout the world – even those in obscure locations. A rental property does not necessarily have to be in the middle of a tourist spot in order to be listed. People who live in these locales can actually list their own homes to bring in some extra income so Home Away is a win for everyone.

Practical Uses:

  • Find a housing arrangement to avoid costly hotels while traveling overseas
  • Locate the perfect bungalow along the coast for your island vacation
  • Steer clear of the traditional tourist spots by renting a house off the beaten path
  • Market your home or vacation property to earn some additional income

Insider Tips:

  • Check out the “Travel Deals” section, but keep in mind these deals can be fairly expensive, as these are for luxury properties
  • Use Home Away’s extensive tips about setting market rates for your home
  • Carefully read the terms and conditions for renting a home in case you get stuck with a lemon

What we liked:

  • Free to peruse vacation rentals
  • Comprehensive listings, even in remote locations
  • The community is vibrant with a lot of participation
  • For home listers: one fee puts your listing on a network of sites
  • Many pictures are included, giving a good sense of each property

What we didn’t like:

  • The vacation rentals are mostly of the high-end variety, with few low-cost bargains
  • The site is not well-designed, with some dead or misplaced links

Alternatives:

Company Info:

  • Launched: 2006
  • Privately Held
  • Headquarters: Austin, TX
  • Founded by: Carl Shepherd and Brian Sharples
  • Web site: http://www.homeaway.com

Costs:

  • Free to browse and reserve
  • List your property for $329/year

Comments

  1. hi,

    Home away is one of the different sites available online for offering NOLA rentals and vacation packages. It is one of the leading spot site offering amazing vacation ideas and places.

    Abraham

  2. Thanks to share nice and very useful tips.

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