EXECUTIVE,4 BRM HOME IN QUIET UPSCALE PALM HARBOR FLORIDA

Our vacation was far from what we expected due to misleading information and rude owners. The house was advertised as “executive”. It is true that it was spaciously built and laid-out. However, the pictures of nice interior belie need for updates and repairs. Fake leather furniture and plastic plants, chipped dinnerware hardly convey the promised executive flair. The chair in the living room has a poorly glued rip. A number of appliances are dated (microwave, oven and the intercom system are from a previous era), and the master bedroom furniture immediately makes you think of your grandma’s bedroom.

The house was not cleaned very well, there were cobwebs in corners, and a 2-inch cockroach. Jacuzzi in master bathroom did not drain. The blinds in the master bedroom did not open. Worst of all, the heated pool was cold! The weather was in the 70s, but the heatpump was incapable of heating up the pool, even when running non-stop. When we called the owner about these issues he rudely said “Why don’t you find another spot?”

The pool pump is really loud and is located on the outside wall of two of the four bedrooms. Thus, for as long as the pool is heated, there is very loud noise in two bedrooms.

After daily calls and e-mails throughout our vacation we agreed that the owners would refund a portion of our rental. Little did we know how hard it would be to get that money, along with the security deposit, back!

Two months have gone by, with frequent calls and e-mails on our end. The proverbial “check is in the mail” story quickly became tiring: the owners claimed they sent us the payment and didn’t want to do anything with the fact that we didn’t receive it! At no point did they apologize for breaking the contract we signed; instead, they turned hostile and disrespectful. The male owner rudely stated it’s not his problem; the female owner kept losing our info (we e-mailed her our address 4 times, and our bank account number 3 times), and turned from sweet before the rental to outright hostile afterwards: for two months she claimed to have some sort of issues with her bank (they live in Canada) announcing “no money will be transferred until I hear from my bank. End of discussion!”

I don’t recommend renting this house. The rudeness of the owners is astonishing, they are clearly too busy to maintain the second house well. The glowing reviews must have been written by their friends. We lost sleep on many nights and regret choosing this property for our vacation.

This home is absolutely lovely and very well cared for. The pictures don't do it justice.

The owners are kind and thoughtful. They provided us with plenty of information about local beaches and attractions. There was even a pass for entry to the nearby state park. There were two bottles of wine and fresh flowers on the counter when we arrived! The cupboards and refrigerator contained all of the essentials so we did not have to run out to the store immediately. We could not have felt more welcomed. (Or, as my daughter said - this place rocks).

The biggest problem we had was getting the children to come out of that gorgeous pool long enough to eat and sleep.

This home is perfect for a family or extended family. It is located in a lovely neighborhood. Although it is fairly close to other homes, you wouldn't know it from the back yard and pool. The thick vegetation makes the area absolutely private.

I would definitely recommend this vacation home to family and friends.

We had the opportunity to visit Florida the end of October last year. We felt very much at home and so enjoyed all the amenities that this house has to offer. We took full advantage of both the indoor and outdoor cooking facilities and loved being able to have our meals outdoors by the pool. As stated in the description of this vacation rental, everything is within a short drive from the property, grocery stores, malls and even movie theaters. We spent much time at the numerous wonderful beaches near by as well as enjoyed time lounging in the pool. The neighborhood is very friendly and quiet and we took advantage of the wonderful evening walks through the development as well as walking through the park filled with nature across the street. At the end of our weeks stay we didn't want to go home and we are looking forward to our next visit. Highly recommend this vacation rental! :)