We are, after all, being asked to shed our shoes and wait for hours in airport terminals. That anticipated trip to Jamaica suddenly holds the allure of a rack of lawn tools. Reports are circulating that the U.S. tourism industry is plummeting in most exotic locales from Mexico to Europe. Taking a break, near home, in this beautiful state, is just the ticket for many would-be tropical snowbirds.

(OMED: This beautiful winter scene of Cannon Beach was taken by a photographer unknown to us.  It is our hope that someone will recognize the shot so we can arrange to present more of his work in Oregon Magazine in the future.)
 
 
 

      Of course, there's that money thing to ponder. With a decided downturn in financial comfort visiting most everyone, the wait and see climate doesn't suggest a lot of loose-dollar vacations on the horizon for most folks.
        Again, we turn our eyes to closer locales. But the idea of inhabiting a $165 per-night hotel room with an ocean glimpse and a crowded lobby doesn't seem much of a reward for foregoing the expense of airfare and boat drinks. How about one of those family houses that rent by the weekend, or week?
        Why not go for a big yard, a quiet walk to the beach, a kitchen for preparing feasts and lots of rooms to spread out in. Maybe some bicycles in the garage, a barbecue on the deck and cupboards with stuff to use. 

        Here on the North Oregon Coast, vacation rentals have popped up like mushrooms in an old growth glade. Rustic communities from Gearhart to Neskowin are now buzzing with new faces, unfamiliar vehicles, houses lit like Shea Stadium into the wee hours and the sounds that complement such activity. 
        The same reasons that are changing travel plans are changing coastal retreat homeowners behavior. Not long ago a person could afford to have that nest egg of a beach house, patiently waiting for quarterly visits from its absentee owners. 
        These days, the taxes and the same worries as the belt-tightening vacationer suffers, have created a sort of supply-and-demand cottage industry. Absentee owners need to retrieve some money from the houses they cannot yet afford to live in and travelers need a closer bargain..

        Before declaring this a perfect match, know this -- the neighbors and other residents of whatever sleepy community you inhabit for your two weeks may well  hold you in the same esteem as the Manson clan. Residents are not as keen on the whole concept as once upon a time. Usually, there's history in place. They have their reasons.
        Maybe it was the 14 carloads of college students that arrived at midnight last month. It used to only occur in the summer. Now, it can happen anytime. Naturally, with only four bedrooms available, tents had to go up. Music shared with all humanity within a quarter-mile was ongoing for days. 
        "People act differently when they come here," said Cape Meares resident Jerry Thompson. "The coast seems to represent a party for some reason." To the quiet folks that simply live and work in the communities, vacation renters don't exactly blend, unless they're the exception to the rule.

        In an early-to-bed community the prospect of an all-night reunion of Moe's Tavern employees on one side of him, and a strange group of exhibitionist-deck dwellers, who haven't gotten dressed for two days on the other side, somewhat diminishes the quality of life that drew full-time residents and retirees to the coast in the first place.
        Let's face it. It seems less likely that your immediate neighbors would be setting off six or seven thousand dollars worth of garden-variety, irritating,  fireworks on a non-holiday Tuesday night should you live in the heart of a metro area.  Just what it is that makes the coast a magnet for noisy and sodden behavior remains a sociological enigma. Just know that someone before you has laid a shaky foundation. You're less than likely to be greeted by any beaming Welcome Wagon representatives when you pull in.

        "There was a group last month that showed up with four big dogs and chained them in the back yard of the vacation rental while they went to the beach and built and all night fire," said a man named Thompson. "Those dogs bayed all night and well into the morning." Apparently the revelers slept all day and the whole cycle began again about the time Thompson and his wife were retiring the next evening. Eventually, someone, no one is saying who, let the dogs out.

        To coasters, good renters are the ones who are invisible. They respect the community, keep things to a dull roar at night and,simply act as they would in their own homes. They leave the place clean and show simple respect for others. There are lots of residents and owners looking for just such short-term visitors.
        Owners of vacation rentals employ several methods to attract just the right clientele. Most, however, have failed to do that at one time or another. It seems no one is exempt from the vacation/meltdown syndrome if they stay in the business long enough. Stories abound.

        Patricia owns MissSeas in Cannon Beach. It is a lovely one-unit, by-the-day, or week dwelling perched above Pullici's Restaurant, where Patricia is the proprietor. The place is an eight-iron from the surf, in a great walking location for local businesses and Haystack Rock and for the most part, has historically been rented by the right people. 
        For the most part.

        "Last year, I had a family stay in the rental," recalled Patricia. "They had other family at another place nearby, also renting for the weekend. Sort of a reunion I guess. When they left and I went to clean the place, there was all this new furniture and these towels that belonged somewhere else. Many of my things were gone. I had no idea where the stuff was from until later in the summer, when I heard another person talking about having all this unrecognizable furniture and other things in their rental. Turns out, the two groups had mixed and matched, packing furniture wherever they went the week they were here. We were able to sort it out eventually and each of us got our things back.
        "I had an unattended two-year old rip the arm off the toilet float above the restaurant and flood the rental and eventually, the dining area," recalled Patricia. "When those people left, because it was flooded, they went down the street and the same child did the exact same thing to that establishment. You just never know what you're in for."

        Indeed you don't. Because of  too many of these incidents, Cannon Beach toyed with the idea of a moratorium on vacation rentals, other than hotels and motels, but after a lengthy  process of city council/ homeowner debates, settled for a room tax on all vacation rentals to pacify the city budget. 
        So now, having  been advised of the untidy scenarios possible, when renting someone's residence, and having sworn an oath to the effect of "That would never be me." Here's how to find some lovely residences on the North Oregon Coast, or anywhere in the state,  to call home for a few days. 

        One place where they're doing it right, for all concerned, is Manzanita. 

Part two: Vacation rentals

        Patricia Williams operates Ribbon Investment Firm, a real estate sales and management company in Manzanita. Williams left Portland 20 years ago and came to the coast with the idea of working as a sales associate with another company. Over the course of those 20 years, she has been a pioneer of sorts in the transition toward vacation rentals in her area.
        In 1986, vacation rentals were primarily available on a month-to-month basis, although there were a few of the duplex variety that would rent on a nightly contract. Today, Williams manages 60-70 vacation rentals in her area and another 120 vacation rentals are in play with other management companies in the immediate area of Manzanita. It's become big business on the coast.

        The area a vacation-renter chooses to seek out on the Oregon Coast will vary dramatically from one place to another. Whether or not a township is incorporated has much to do with how the business is run. In smaller, unincorporated areas, the owners are pretty much able to rent on their own terms. Such is the case with Thompson's neighbors in Cape Meares.
        Whether the owners are investors, simply buying and then renting houses by the weekend all year, or mortgage holders, that want to use their homes for segments of the year themselves, working through an agency like Ribbon Investment Firm seems the best way to go for all concerned. They have dotted the "I's" and crossed the "T's." Usually, having a relationship in place with the city it represents, allows an agency to eliminate a lot of the problems that can occur for both owners and  renters in the process of exchanging keys to someone's kingdom. What follows are the key elements of finding and securing a good vacation rental on the Oregon Coast.

How to find your rental - Most vacation homes these days are listed through agencies. They advertise in various ways, but the Internet is a good place to start. For example, on the North Coast, home pages exist that collaborate and link to other sites that will expand the search. Among the better ones is Ribbon Investments

Also, travel section inserts and travel magazine ads are useful. Calling the local Chamber of Commerce can get you started in a certain area. Local realtors can steer you with a phone call.  Word of mouth remains the best method of connecting with a good rental. Repeat business is the foundation of the industry.

What to expect - Start nine months to one year in advance to book a place. Manzanita, by city charter, allows rental of 19.5 percent of the houses in their market. Once that number has been met, there can be no more.  There is lots of repeat business from year-to-year. Figure an average of $135 a night, a rate based on the standard two-bedroom home model. The price will slide upward the closer you are to the beach. Pets are about a 50-50 yes or no, depending on the owner and the agency. If  your first choice doesn't allow pets, chances are another will. 

More on prices - Ribbon Investment Firm provides the City of Manzanita with a 7 percent room tax. Housekeeping and maintenance associates of the firm receive 30 percent of the price of the room and an additional 7 percent goes to garbage pickup. Contracts are written from February to February which means that reservations are verified and contracts signed in January.
There are wide variations of available rentals with specific attributes. For example a home that sleeps 4-10 on the ocean front with a view, may be $225 a night. A house that  is one mile from the front, allows pets and sleeps six, goes for $130 a night.  A cottage five blocks from the ocean that sleeps six can be found for $75 a night plus taxes. Most of the places require an average of a $100  damage deposit by separate check. 

Legal aspects (breakage etc.)  - Again, this varies from agency to private owner. Most agencies will recommend  that the homes are furnished simply, without high-end valuables, and not penalize for "normal wear and tear." However, if you start a fire, drop a television set, or break all the dishes, chances are your liability will be addressed in the rental contract. This area of concern is one good reason to allow an agency to handle the business as, for example, in Manzanita, part of the agreement is that the renters must register their vehicles at the city hall and thus, authorities are aware of your presence should things get out of hand. Ideally, the renters are met by the agency, when they pick up the keys and information, and if things don't look right, contracts are denied. 

Owners - A good idea is to leave a survey for your renters to fill out. Questions such as "Was there anything that disappointed you in your stay," and "How did you learn about our rental," can be helpful in determining how to keep the business active. 

Be aware, in some incorporated areas with agreements with the city, permits to rent die with sale of transfer of the dwelling. Often, a new owner must re-apply and then face new building upgrade codes to be allowed to continue on as a vacation house renter. By all indications, unless you live nearby and can regulate, clean and keep an eye on things, an agency appears to be the way to go. Turning it over to a responsible and well-staffed group of people will save a lot of headaches and wear and tear on your dwelling.

Vacation rentals are available by the month, by the week or by the day. The entire Oregon Coast is accessible by using the contacts listed above. Plan early, take time to look through listings provided by agencies before committing, you may save some money. Or, if you know a satisfied person that has had a good experience at a certain dwelling, chances are yours will be similar.

(C) 2001 Michael O'Brien