Connecting Rentals

Vacation in Bethel Maine!

2010-12-21T09:02:00.001-05:00

Bethel, Maine

Bethel, Maine is the quintessential New England town - the perfect combination of sophistication and history, all wrapped in a quaint, picturesque village that seems as untouched by the outside world as it was 200 years ago. Initially, Bethel was a farming community, but in 1851 a railroad was built that connected Portland, Maine and Montreal, Canada. Tourists began discovering the many treasures Bethel had to offer, and the travel industry had found a new destination. The surrounding area, filled with natural wonders, provides outdoor lovers an endless playground of opportunities. You can spend your days hiking, horseback riding, whitewater rafting, fly fishing, swimming, boating, cross-country skiing, and of course downhill skiing!

Begin your Bethel holiday by taking a stroll around the Village Common, a centrally located square surrounded by all manner of shops, restaurants, and historical buildings. The square is lined with 19th century homes that look like they stepped right out of a postcard. Stop in the Bethel Inn & Country Club for a meal and to play your favorite board game, readily available in the main sitting room. Shop for antiques and hand-made crafts. Visit the Dr. Moses Mason House, built in 1813, for a glimpse back in time. Now a museum, the home has been totally renovated, and is a wonderful example of Victorian architecture.

A great way to see the Bethel Maine area is by donning a pair of hiking boots and venturing out the front door. One of the best spots is Grafton Notch State Park, located along the Maine-New Hampshire border. The most famous footpath in the world, the Appalachian Trail, passes through the park on the way to its terminus in Mt. Katahdin. Throughout the park you will see waterfalls, caves, and incredible mountain vistas. One of the popular trails is the Grafton Loop, a 21-mile round tripper that can be tackled in sections, depending on your skill level.

More outdoor adventure can be found in the nearby White Mountain National Forest. Hiking enthusiasts love the forest for the trails catering to every skill level. One of the most popular trails takes in the scenic splendor atop Franconia Ridge. All told, there are over 1200 miles of trails that ramble through the forest. Fly fishing the many rivers, brooks, and ponds is also a popular pastime. In winter, snowshoeing and cross-country skiing are hot ticket items.

When the snows hit the mountains, Bethel's citizens make the most of the event. Sunday River Ski Resort, located about 6 miles from Bethel, has over 120 trails that connect eight different mountain peaks. 18 lifts serve 660 acres of skiable terrain that has runs for every taste and ability. Snowboarders have 4 different terrain parks, including a super pipe and a half pipe. The Sunday River Learn-To-Ski Program is designed to get even the most novice of skiers or boarders up and moving.

Also nearby is Mt. Abram Ski Area and Family Resort. If you are looking for an unpretentious, non-factory, skier and rider centric experience with ripping terrain then discover the Mt. Abram Resort, 5 miles south of Bethel, Maine Village. Mt. Abram offers a full range of amenities, and the "come as you are culture" has been providing memorable downhill experiences since 1960.

The mountain boasts 44 trails of all ability terrain, five lifts, jib park and Maine's first "Boundary to Boundary" ski policy which sky-rocketed the skiable and rideable area from 250 acres of trails to 550 acres of trails, glades, tree lines and powder stashes that humble some of the most experienced skiers and riders. The mountain's 1,150-foot vertical drop ranges from gentle novice slopes to double black diamonds and exciting tree runs with over half the trails here are ranked intermediate or up, and expert riders and skiers will find plenty of challenges.

Bethel is the perfect spot for enjoying a vacation in Maine. Make sure to visit the Sunday River Bridge, also known as "Artist's Bridge," one of the most photographed of all the covered bridges in Maine. The golfer in your group can tee it up at the Bethel Inn and Country Club, or the world class Sunday River Golf Club. Canoers and kayakers can enjoy their sport in the Androscoggin River. Try something new such as the growing sport of ice climbing, which is popular in the nearby Mahoosuc Mountains and New Hampshire's Mount Washington Valley. Bethel makes an ideal spot for a vacation filled with outdoor fun, so get out there and experience the fun of the mountains of Maine!

Find Vacation Rentals & Sunday River Rentals @ ConnectingRentals.com!

2010-12-13T15:05:00.018-05:00

We've just made it even easier to search the largest selection of rentals and Vacation Rentals in the Sunday River - Bethel Maine area. With improved menu navigation, site search, an easy as pie rental directory (below), and thousands of points of contact connecting you directly to Rental Agents who will help you find your ideal Vacation Rental, it's just another great reason to visit ConnectingRentals.com first when planning your next Sunday River ski vacation or trip to the Bethel Maine area!

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Vacation Rental Listings @ Connecting Rentals

2010-07-14T11:52:00.003-04:00

We have had quite a few requests in the past few months pertaining to Owner Managed Vacation Rental Listings on the Connecting Rentals of Bethel website. In other words, Owners who are currently managing their own Vacation Rentals have been inquiring as to how much it would cost monthly or annually to set up listings on the Connecting Rentals website, and have the inquiries directed to their contact information and email - much like the Vacation Rental Listing networks HomeAway, VRBO, VacationRentals.com, etc...

We are certainly flattered that we seem to be making such a strong presence in the Bethel - Sunday River area online Vacation Rental Marketplace, but after much discussion have concluded that at this time we need to keep the Connecting Rentals site exclusive only to those Owners whom we represent through the Agency.

Our decision is based primarily on two factors:

1.) Much of our repeat clientele is repeat clientele because we represent consistency and personalization in Professionally Managed rentals, and we feel that we should not dilute our foundation or standards.

2.) The Connecting Rentals of Bethel website gives the Owners that we represent a strong competitive advantage, and we feel that it really does need to remain an exclusive benefit.

For more information on becoming a part of the best Rental Property Management program offering Owners more exposure than any other Agency in the Bethel Maine - Sunday River area, please visit our Owner Information page.

Rental & Vacation Rental Marketplace Update

2010-06-11T10:52:00.009-04:00

Thank You Sunday River and Mount Abram Ski Resorts

First and foremost we would like to take a moment to extend our thanks to Mount Abram and Sunday River Ski Resorts for maintaining an amazing winter season. Despite the lack of natural snowfall, Mount Abram and Sunday River delivered conditions throughout the 2009 / 2010 ski season experienced first hand and reported to us by many as, "awesome", "incredible", and "great".

At times when we had numerous groups checking in on the weekends we would look at each other, look at the grass across the street from the office window here on the Parkway, and grimace. However, every time a group or family would depart or a seasonal tenant would stop in to say hello, I would ask, "So how were the conditions?" All season long we heard nothing but positive about Sunday River ski conditions, and being a Mount Abram rider I couldn't complain.

Thank You

What's New

One year ago to the day, we set out on a mission to re-develop the Connecting Rentals of Bethel website with a new look and added features. Most notable are the seasonal color schemes and themes that transcend the major rental categories and the clean look of the property description pages with nice photo galleries and color coordinated availability calendars. We added hundreds and hundreds of points of contact and rental inquiry forms throughout the site and also incorporated the two main social networks, Facebook and Twitter, for their powerful online marketing advantages.

www.connectingrentals.com

The Marketplace - Local

We are definitely happy to be able to report that despite being up against the economic conditions our rental market is thriving. We're seeing our numbers up across the board for short term reservations, seasonal rental interest in the 2010 - 2011 season is way up even from last years increase, we reached 100% occupancy for short term rentals for the 2009 - 2010 Christmas / February Vacation Weeks, and are fielding inquiries already for 2010 - 2011 winter season short term rentals of all types. We've also realized an increase in long term housing / rental needs for 3+ bedroom properties.

The Marketplace - National / International

Most notable in the National and International Vacation Rental Marketplace was HomeAway's acquisition of CyberRentals and GreatRentals. This makes HomeAway, who also operates VRBO (Vacation Rentals by Owner), A1 Vacations, Holiday Rentals, Owners Direct, and Vacationrentals.com (I think that's all of them!), the industry giant.

Anybody who is in the rental or vacation rental business knows that you need to have at least some listings on the HomeAway network, it's just standard. I know that we were excited when we found out that HomeAway, CyberRentals, VRBO, Great Rentals, etc..., etc... were all part of one package - that must convert to more inquiries and higher value, right?

On the contrary, we've found that the network must be experiencing some growing pains. They seem to have lost their connection with long-time clients, offering less flexibility in listing options at a much higher price. What we are experiencing is that the number of inquiries has not increased and in fact has dropped slightly despite adding more listings to the network.

The inquiries that we are fielding are "mass email" inquiries in which the potential renters can't remember which property id numbers correspond with which site, and have sent out so many random inquires that even we, being very familiar with the network dynamic and armed at our desk with listing id numbers and computers right in front of us, have a hard time back-tracking them to the original listing in which they submitted the inquiry!

Connecting Rentals to the Rescue!

What we have found is that the newly re-developed Connecting Rentals site is now delivering more relevant inquiries daily than all listings that we have on third party networks combined - and we have allot! We consider this to be an incredibly huge achievement given the enormity and reach of the international networks, and we're very proud to be able to deliver this type of traffic at the local level to the Owners that we represent on an in-house online marketing platform.

We've come a long way in the past year, and our Research Department has informed us that there is no doubt going to be more positive growth and development on the way:-). With some big projects just getting started and Connecting Rentals' 100+% commitment to maintaining it's place as the market standard we can assure you that we will continue to deliver Owners, Renters, Guests, and Tenants nothing but the best.

The Benefits Of Agency Managed Rentals

2009-10-06T13:25:00.000-04:00

The Many Benefits

Working with an established Rental Agency offers great benefits for both Owners and Guests of vacation rentals. Owners can take advantage of professionally managed services such as rental marketing, advertising, inquiry reception, and reservation booking that allow for greater probability of producing year-round rental income. Guests will find it easier to locate and book reservations by working with vacation rental specialists who are knowledgable about the area and focused on customer service. There will be greater consistency for both Owners and Guests when it comes to housekeeping & maintenance, and both parties can be reassured of a comfortable check-in / check-out process with Rental Agents available locally. Professionally managed rentals also offer the peace of mind of 24/7 on call service should any issues arise.

Owners, Consider This

Connecting Rentals has represented a great number of Owners who have gone the route of renting on their own. This is not a bad option - advertise your property on a vacation rental listing site, get a lock box with a key, and have someone in the area that can perform maintenance and clean. Easy enough, right? Maybe as an Owner everything is working relatively well, but ask yourself this: Is there a chance that I may have missed opportunities by not getting back to people fast enough? Have people been turned off because I seemed uneasy or un-knowledgeable about the reservation process? How many people are there out there that I am missing out on that have had bad experiences with someone else's RBO (Rental By Owner), and now choose to work exclusively with professionally managed rentals to avoid inconsistencies. Remember, if you are serious about maximizing your rental potential, it is always in Owners best interests to work together with an Agency. It is not to say that you cannot book reservations on your own as long as you keep your rental manager informed, but why close yourself off to such a large segment of the market?

Guests, Consider This

Perhaps you may feel that by working directly with an Owner renting on their own you may be able to save a few dollars. However, that is in most cases more a perception than a reality. Generally speaking, rentals offered by a Rental Agency may even cost less than an RBO. A good Agency can offer property Owners a higher volume of rentals which helps to offset any management fees and allows the Agency to price competitively. So not only do you get a fair price, but you also get valuable professional rental services including easier reservation booking and confirmation, consistent check-in and check-out procedures, and someone local on call during your stay in case of a lockout or emergency. You also have the added reassurance that an established business is handling collection & disbursement of securities and rent.

Whether you are a property Owner, Guest, Or Tenant, there are numerous reasons of why it makes sense to work together with a Rental Agency to assure a successful rental. Connecting Rentals encourages Owners and Guests to visit our website at http://www.connectingrentals.com/ to learn more about your rental possibilities in Bethel Maine and the surrounding Sunday River area.

Furnishing For Rental Success

2009-09-22T11:48:00.007-04:00

Why Furnishing Is So Critical

When Guests of your vacation rental book a reservation, often times they are focusing not only on price or location, but on photos of that property that they find somewhere within your listing. Because certain types of potential renters seek out an overall atmosphere that they are looking for (i.e. Mountain, Contemporary, Modern, Historic, Etc..), furnishings can be a make-or-break between whether they choose to rent your property, or go with another rental in the same price range that they perceive to be "better" because the Owner of that vacation home has created a unique atmosphere. So how can you ensure that your rental won't go overlooked in the growing vacation rental industry?

Consistency is the Key

When it comes down to it, most renters want a comfortable yet memorable vacation experience. You don't have to go all out and purchase top-of-the line furnishings to meet their wants or expectations. In fact, it is a good idea to purchase the least expensive furnishings that you can find that are tasteful and that complement your home's attributes. Try to be as consistent as possible when creating your vacation rental's atmosphere or overall feel. For example, if you own a log-cabin style mountain home, it would be in your best interests to stay consistent with the location and exterior attributes and furnish the interior with log beds, quilts, and woodsy colors to create a rustic atmosphere. Nowadays, you can find tasteful furnishings at most department stores or even second hand stores that are inexpensive but add greatly to your vacation rental's overall atmosphere.

If you are marketing your vacation rental as a luxury rental, however, you may need to go out and spend the extra cash up front to solidify your rental success and encourage repeat visits, referrals, and positive word of mouth. If you plan on charging rental rates that are on the high end of the rental spectrum, your Guests will most certainly expect the best. It's a good idea to go for high thread count linens, high end appliances, and the latest and greatest electronics and entertainment options.

Make it Comfortable And Remember The Kids

It is highly recommended that you sleep one night on every bed in your property. It may sound like a bit much, but as a rule of thumb if the beds in your vacation rental aren't comfortable enough for you to sleep on, they are most likely not acceptable for your Guests. Discomfort is most certainly not the way to encourage repeat visits!

It is also highly recommended that you create a kid-friendly environment. Remember that the majority of your rentals will be families, and it is likely that the family that is renting your home, or their Guests, will have a child or children. Try to steer clear of glass coffee and end tables with sharp corners and breakable decorative furnishings within a child's reach.

Examples From Owners Represented by Connecting Rentals of Bethel:

LakeHolm
Comfortable Lakefront Cottage
http://www.connectingrentals.com/rentals/lakeholm-bethel-maine-area-vacation-waterfront.html

Puzzle Mountain Lodge
Modern,Unique, Fun
http://www.connectingrentals.com/rentals/puzzle-mountain-lodge-sunday-river-maine-area-vacation-winter-ski.html

Lodore
Higher End Luxury
http://www.connectingrentals.com/rentals/ladore-the-peaks-sunday-river-maine-area-seasonal.html

Bingham House Seasonal Rental
Restored Historic (Luxury)
http://www.connectingrentals.com/rentals/bingham-house-bethel-maine-seasonal.html

Why Vacation Rentals are a Smart Choice

2009-09-16T16:01:00.003-04:00

What is a Vacation Rental?

Vacation rentals in the Sunday River and Bethel Maine area come in all sizes and types: townhouses, condos, large ski houses, lake houses, lodges, chalets, cabins, and more. Vacation rentals are privately owned, so you when you rent one you have the luxury of enjoying your own private amenities. A good vacation rental will provide amenities like towels, linens, cookware, and dishware so you can pack lightly and enjoy similar conveniences to that which you are familiar with in your own home. Many vacation rentals even come equipped with fireplaces, hot tubs, pool tables, foosball tables, hot tubs, and second living areas for added comfort and entertainment.

Vacation Rentals vs. Hotel Rooms

Why pay for a single hotel room when you can rent an entire vacation home? From affordable rentals to luxury estates (and everything in between) you can find a vacation rental that meets your needs. Staying in a vacation rental in the Sunday River or Bethel area allows you to choose the type of vacation you want. Would you like to be on the mountain right in the heart of the action during the ski season? Would you prefer to be situated in the Bethel village walking distance to area restaurants and still be on the convenient shuttle route? How about a more secluded or quiet location, possibly on the water, so you can squeeze in some quality family time when your not visitng the area's main attractions?

Vacation Rentals Save Money

When you stay in a vacation rental you get access to comfortable amenities you won’t find at a hotel. Take advantage of the fully equipped kitchen to cook meals at home, instead of spending your cash to eat out every day. If you visit the Sunday River or Bethel area frequently enough, you may even consider splitting the cost of a house rental with friends or another family for the entire summer or winter season. When considering the added amenities and the space per square footage, it becomes obvious that vacation rentals are you best bet!

2009 Bethel Rental Environment: Helpful Tips When Choosing Representation for yor Rental Property

2009-09-14T10:54:00.016-04:00

Intro & Background

I'll first start by introducing myself. My name is David Huard and I'm a rental manager in charge of marketing and business development for Connecting Rentals of Bethel, the leader of the alternative lodging market in Bethel, Maine and the surrounding Sunday River area. I have 4 years prior experience with Connecting Rentals, working with them from 2003 - 2007 and am incredibly pleased to be back in the area in 2009. I had moved to central Maine for a few years back in 2007 to be closer to family and during that time spent my days as a Contractor in the Warehousing and Transportation business. It was great to be closer to family but I spent many mornings standing in the warehouse in the Westbrook facility laying out daily route plans for my drivers wishing that I was still in the rental business. One day I decided to give Deb Martin (Connecting Rentals Inc. Owner) a call to say hello and check in on the rental market. We talked for a while, she filled me in on how good the company was still doing, and the conversation ended with an invitation to come back to Connecting Rentals at any time in the future. about 6 months later I got in touch with an affiliate of mine, Rodrigue Enterprise out of China, ME and worked out a deal for the transfer of my transportation contracts. About a month after that I handed over management of my properties in Winslow to Poirier Investment Capital Group out of Waterville and landed in Bethel during the first week of June, 2009.

Rodrigue Enterprise
General Contractors in Central Maine - Transportation, Light Construction, Carpentry
Large jobs in Southern, Coastal, & Western Maine considered
(207) 649-8341

Poirier Investment Capital Group
"Leading the Market in Quality, Innovation, and Customer Service"
(207) 873-7355 http://www.managingyourproperty.com/

Oh, how things have changed!

It only took me about a week of being back in the market full time to realize how much the rental environment had changed in the short two year time frame that I had been gone. I remember back in 2007 when Connecting Rentals was the only rental agent with a significant inventory of vacation rentals that handled rentals/rental management exclusively. Now its 2009 and all of a sudden everybody and their brother has opened up a rental division, if they haven't already - plans to, and wants to cash in on the rental business.

Yeah, so what's the problem?

Here is my take. Back in 2002, 2003, and 2004 when we were on the latter cusp of the Real Estate boom the Bethel area became saturated with Realtors. Suddenly, we get this major economic downturn from the mortgage crisis among other factors and in turn the Real Estate market plummets. All of a sudden Real Estate companies are grasping at straws and Realtors are "specializing" in vacation rentals. What a surprise! My problem with this sudden interest in the rental market is that the economy is historically cyclical and the Real Estate market will eventually turn around. It's not a matter of if, but when. So my question is this: Where will the loyalty of the Real Estate companies who have opened rental divisions, or that plan to, lie when things turn around. My thought is that they are going to do the smart thing and follow the money trail just like they did when the Real Estate market plummeted and they decided to focus on rentals. That's fine, but what does that mean for their rental inventory when the company focus shifts? If deep down I was a Realtor by Profession my natural tendency would be to focus more on the Real Estate market - it only makes since. Obviously the rentals that are in the company's rental inventory will be taken care of, but will they be priority for improving the company's bottom line, or will Sales take over? I'm not a Realtor, but I have made purchases so I'm very familiar with the process, and the Realtors that I have worked with seem to have their hands full with Sales alone.

Important to Remember

I don't want to discredit any Realtor, new rental company, or new rental division in the area. That is not the purpose of this post. It's just the perspective of someone who is 100% focused on rentals, does not plan to get into Real Estate Sales, and who will be here for a long time. What this overview is about is making sure that if you are investing in Real Estate in this area and your goal is to generate rental income, or if you already own a second home or vacation property, that you are working with a company or representative of that company that is 100% focused and loyal to the task at hand for the long haul. The reassuring thing about working with companies that handle Rental Management exclusively is that the only way for them to grow or improve their bottom line is by generating more rental inquiries, turning those inquiries over into quality rentals, and to provide the Guests or Tenants with the best customer service in the area to ensure retention. Generating rental income and providing exceptional rental management for investment properties and people's second homes is no joke. It's not a secondary position. It needs to be someone’s primary responsibility. My suggestion is that if you're shopping around for representation for your investment its time to start asking the harder questions: How high has your level of involvement been for the past five years in Bethel's alternative lodging market, specifically rentals? If you are new to the alternative lodging market, who is in charge of rentals and how can we be sure that you/they/that person is all-in for the long haul? Is the person in charge qualified and if so, how? Can you be specific? Can you forward me that person(s) resume? Can someone develop a proposal so that I know what I should expect?

Helpful Tips

If you are an investor who is interested in truly maximizing your rental potential and generating income from your investment property, you should strongly consider working with only those companies that handle Rental Management exclusively. This will help to weed out the potential for conflicts of interest or shifts in company focus from Rentals to Sales. From that point, my suggestion would be to evaluate the qualifications of the person or people who will be primarily responsible for representing your property and generating business. Requesting a resume, a proposal outlining the company's action plan, as well as a projection based on historical rental data is most certainly reasonable, and rental specific references are always a good idea.