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OBR Owner Services Team – Looking forward to the new decade!

obr owner services team

Another new year and we look forward to working with you, our Homeowners, as the upcoming rental season is quickly upon us. There are many Owners in the process of some major updates and others who are painting and adding new flooring to keep their home in top-notch shape for their Guests.

As the window begins to close on the time remaining before the spring Guests arrive, there are also lots of smaller projects that can be done to brighten up your home and give it a new look. New bedding, new throw pillows, new lamps, and a few new pieces of larger artwork can make a huge impact, both on the website as Guests are making their buying decision as to where they will spend their vacation dollars and as a great first impression when they walk in your door. For many homes, larger flat-screen TV’s have made a huge difference. Replacing a queen bed with a king or a double with a queen can mean picking up additional reservations. It’s not too late! Please ask how we can help.

Introducing our OBR Owner Services Team…

obr owner services team
Owner Services Team – from left to right
Linda Blackwell, Sherri Gerepka, Vicki Langhel, Roxanne Staylor

Linda Blackwell continues to be our Property Manager for homes served by our Waves Office. She moved to Hatteras Island 15 years ago and has been a valued member of the OBR Family since 2008.

Sherri Gerepka is our new Luxury Homes Manager and is responsible for all our Platinum and Elite homes. Sherri began her career at OBR as the Property Manager in our Hatteras Office and has gotten to know many of you during her time there. Sherri’s home base in her new role will be the Avon Office.

Vicki Langhel is a new addition to our Team and is our Property Manager for homes served by our Hatteras Office. Vicki has been in Property Management for 13 years, over 8 years with OBR. If you have not already done so, please stop in to say hello and get acquainted with Vicki. We’re excited to have Vicki as part of our Owner Services Team!

I am the Owner Services Manager and Sr. Property Manager for our Avon Homes. I have been with OBR for many years, first joining the OBR Family in 2000. There have been many changes over the years, but one thing has stayed constant…our dedication to our Homeowners. Our Team is here to serve you, whether you have been here for decades or you just recently entered the world of vacation rentals. OBR Owner Services Team represents 40 years of experience with OBR. Your success is our success. Please stop in our respective offices on your next visit. We love to rekindle old friendships and meet our new Homeowners so we can put a face with a name the next time we hear from you. Looking forward to a great 2020…we can make it happen together!

– Roxanne Staylor

“Life is much easier for everyone when you have people around you who genuinely get it, want it, and have the capacity to do it.”
– Gino Wickman
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Pros & Cons To Making Your Vacation Home Pet Friendly

Pet Friendly, What are the Pro’s & Cons?

A survey conducted by the American Pet Products Association found that 68% of all US households have at least one pet. Pets are part of the family, too! It’s stressful – and expensive – to leave Fido at home with a sitter or in a kennel. Instead, bringing their beloved pet along on vacation for is the perfect solution! But what does that mean for you, the Homeowner?

The Pro’s of a pet-friendly home

While the percentage of families with pets has risen over the years, finding a pet-friendly vacation rental home can still be a challenge for visitors who want to bring their four-legged friends to the beach.

Choosing to market your home as pet friendly will always give your vacation rental home a competitive advantage.

Allowing pets in your vacation rental home will attract a larger pool of renters and, in turn, increase your rental potential, particularly in the shoulder and off seasons. During those times, young couples, empty nesters, and retirees are more likely to travel than families with children who are restricted by school calendars. These Guests like to bring their fur babies along.

Things To Consider

Now don’t get me wrong – There are legitimate concerns when considering whether to be pet-friendly or not.

What kinds of pets should I allow, and how many?

Let’s be clear; by pet-friendly, we primarily mean dogs. You can specify that with your Property Manager. Maybe you wouldn’t mind a cat, a bird, or an occasional pot belly pig, but for most vacation rental Homeowners, when they open their homes to pets, they mean dogs. The number of pets is up to you as well. Usually, the preferred number is one, maybe two. You certainly don’t want a pack. As a vacationing animal lover, no offense, Fido, but I would not want to spend my vacation with more than two dogs.

You can even be specific as to the size you of pet you allow. Insist that your Property Manager ask a lot of specific questions when booking your Guests regarding the pets they are bringing. Just don’t go too crazy with rules or you could turn off potential renters.

What extra expenses will I incur?

You will have extra expenses for cleaning, maintenance, pest control, etc., but those could be easily recouped with one or two additional bookings. The risk of damage to your property is slightly higher, but we have found that most people who travel with their pets are confident in their pets’ behavior. (If they weren’t, do you think they would want to take them on vacation?) In fact, pets are often less trouble and cause less damage or cleaning than most adults and certainly less than most children. If only we could kennel our children for a week? (Just kidding!)

Will being pet friendly turn away potential bookings from people with allergies?

According to the Humane Society of the United States, about 15% of the population is allergic to dogs or cats. Even so, some may still be willing to rent your home. However, this is very important: If you as an Owner bring pets to your vacation rental home, it’s strongly recommended that you list your home as pet-friendly so as not to cause any potential conflicts with visitors who are allergic to pets. If you advertise your home as a non-pet home but bring your pets when you visit, you subject yourself to possibly losing rentals if Guests complain about dander, allergies, etc. and need to be moved to another home.

In the end, whether to allow pets or not in your vacation rental home is a personal decision. Consider your home’s location, your property management company’s policies and procedures for pets, their resources for cleaning and maintenance, and, most importantly, your comfort level with pets in your home. Here on Hatteras Island, making your home pet-friendly will help you maximize your owner income and improve your Guests’ treasured vacation experience by allowing them to include the four-legged friend they love so much!

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