Farmhouse

Guest: Dyl (Orange County)
Date of Stay: 01/21/12 Review Submitted: 01/25/12

David was extremely attentive and even allowed us to have an early check-in (schedule permitting). The Farmhouse was clean, cozy and well decorated. I strongly recommend. Nevermind the 'airport' behind the place. I heard maybe one single engine plane the whole time we were there. My pup had a great time playing in the backyard!

Recommended for:Romantic getaway, sightseeing, pet owners, girls getaway, families with young children, families with teenagers.

GREAT WINTER WEEKEND!

Guest: Nicole E (Orange County, CA)
Date of Stay: 01/06/12 Review Submitted: 01/09/12

Went up this past weekend with dogs and had a great time!!! The farmhouse is so cute & has so much character. The floors had not been cleaned by the maid so I contacted David (who by the way is the nicest!) and he came out personally and cleaned the floors to perfection! I would recommend this cozy property to family & friends, and can't wait to go back myself!

Recommended for:Romantic getaway, tourists without a car, sightseeing, pet owners, adventure seekers, girls getaway, families with young children, families with teenagers.

Perfect!!!!

Guest: Dinorah (Tijuana Mexico)
Date of Stay: 12/15/11 Review Submitted: 12/19/11

It was simply perfect!!! We had the most wonderful time, David is very nice and helpful, the cabin is great very cozy. It has everything you need to cook a nice meal, and the bedrooms are very nicely decorated. We absolutely are going back as soon as we can... This was the perfect holiday getaway... Thank you David

Recommended for:Romantic getaway, pet owners, girls getaway, families with young children.

Cute Cabin, great value

Guest: sweetdaddy (Palos Verdes)
Date of Stay: 10/28/11 Review Submitted: 11/07/11

Its very cute, very well decorated. I was a little concerned that it backs to the airport, but I never heard a plane and I stayed over a perfect autumn weekend.

Recommended for:Romantic getaway, sightseeing, adventure seekers, families with young children.

A Wonderful Way to Remember All American Heroes

Guest: Bryan (Los Angeles)
Date of Stay: 09/09/11 Review Submitted: 09/12/11

I had mixed emotions about going to Big Bear for this 10th Anniversary of 9/11. But the wife convinced me that it would take my mind off our son who we lost that day. She searched through the VRBO listings and found the farmhouse. She said the pictures reminded her of her parent’s home in the Midwest, and the back porch where I proposed. There was a last-minute special for the weekend that was very reasonable. So I relented. I’m glad I did. Molly also convinced our daughter in-law and the grandsons to come along. The pictures only show a fraction of the many things that make this such a special place. It was so much more than we expected at a price much less than we would have paid for a motel room. When the owner opened the front door, we were taken by the scent of fresh pine. David joked that they had just finished laying down the wide-plank pine boards and polished them to perfection. I almost believed him. The floors looked and smelled like the planks had just been milled from the forest down the road. Molly raved about the big, country kitchen. David said all the cabinets and countertops, even the farmhouse sink, were from Ikea. This time he wasn’t kidding. Now, Molly thinks I can make our kitchen look just like it. The grandsons particularly enjoyed all the military planes that flew past the upstairs back deck this morning. They both want to be pilots just like their dad. There were many patriotic touches found throughout the farmhouse, such as the little bird house decorated in stars and stripes, and the big wooden red, white and blue stars among the fruit bowl on the kitchen table. David was so helpful, providing directions to the local Episcopal church with a view of the lake and the perfect place for brunch afterwards. He also said he thought we would enjoy the dedication of a small park right across the street. It is a park built by the 50’s film star and singer Shirley Jones and her comedian husband Marty Ingels, who retired to this ideal community, and decided there should be place on the west coast to honor the heroes of 9/11. Shirley still can belt out all those patriotic anthems that were so appropriate for today. When went back to the farmhouse, the boys had to take a couple of last spins around the yard in the farm tracker. All kids will have fun here; many of them have only seen a home like this one on re-runs of “The Waltons.” You can be sure we will return again in years to come.

Recommended for:Romantic getaway, sightseeing, pet owners, age 55+, families with young children.

Truly a Quaint Farmhouse!

Guest: Cam (Las Vegas, NV)
Date of Stay: 08/24/11 Review Submitted: 08/29/11

Loved the farmhouse interior and all the special touches. Would suggest a new photo because the one above doesn't reflect how close the neighbor's house is. However, the neighborhood was very quiet and the people we saw were very friendly!! Woke up the first morning to a dead car battery!! Our neighbor didn't hesitate to help and even gave us some good fishing spots to try! We would definitely recommend the house to others and plan on visiting again. David, our grandson liked the tractor! He races Bandolero cars in Las Vegas, so he didn't have the speed he's used to, but had fun anyway! Also, for those who may be concerned about the airport and planes flying overhead - it was not an issue. In fact, it was very enjoyable to watch the small number of flights that graced the airport each day.

Recommended for:Pet owners, girls getaway, age 55+, families with young children.

A Warm & Cozy Get-A-way, 8/15/2011 - 8/17/2011

Guest: Emma (San Gabriel Valley)
Date of Stay: 08/15/11 Review Submitted: 08/24/11

It's exactly like what you see from the pictures, a warm & cozy little farm house by the far end of the lake. The runway of the private airport is just a block away from the deck, but it is not noisy at all as there were few airports using it. It's conveniently located as supermarkets, coffee shops, the Zipline, the Marine rental, etc. are just within 5-10 minutes drive. Would definitely like to come back again.

Recommended for:Pet owners, age 55+, families with young children, families with teenagers.

This Is A Great Vacation Value

Guest: FPF (Redondo Beach, CA, USA)
Date of Stay: 06/24/11 Review Submitted: 08/23/11

Our recent Men’s Retreat in Big Bear required this cabin to accommodate four guests who required extra privacy from our main rental in Whispering Forest (which was in use for our group meetings and all meals). But this cabin could have easily served eight to ten people, with additional cots and sleeping bags. Because BCF was only five minutes from our main cabin, it was far enough for privacy concerns, yet near enough for these four guests to join planned activities without much travel time. The cabin was clean upon arrival, and loaded with amenities (flat screen TV, washer & dryer, a land line that came with unlimited calls, a working fireplace, dishwasher, cookware & dinnerware for eight, and fresh laundered linens). BCF is located in a typical mountain neighborhood, but it was also noticeably quiet, and the neighbors were friendly. Being at the east end of Big Bear Lake, it took only ten minutes to get to the Village, and the hiking trails at Discovery Center were only eight minutes away (in the opposite direction). All in all, this cabin served as a great back-up to our other rental, basic but more than adequate accommodations; it easily met all of our expectations. I would highly recommend this cabin for families, or hiking groups; it’s very much like a vacation home, and I bet it’s great in the winter time (the ski runs are very close by). But above all, the personal attention from David and Alan (and their crew) is what made this experience immeasurable; they got things done quickly when asked, and helped us get to know Big Bear with all of their local “insider” information (that was way cool and so appreciated!). Again, great location, affordable prices, well-equipped, and attentive crew….we highly recommend this cabin.

Recommended for:Romantic getaway, sightseeing, adventure seekers, girls getaway, age 55+, families with young children, families with teenagers.

DO NOT STAY HERE despite how cute it looks

Guest: Disappointed/Decieved (San Diego, CA)
Date of Stay: 07/04/09 Review Submitted: 06/07/11

I'm sorry for those who have stayed here after me. I have meant to post this review for a while not. I stayed here one 4th of July weekend and was very disappointed. First of all I was given the wrong address when I inquired about the property. After liking the location that was given to me, I sent the deposit. It was only when I tried to drive to the property that I discovered that it was the wrong address because the cute little red cabin was no where in sight. After, calling the property owner, he realized he had given me the address to one of his other cabins. The actual location of this cabin is right along the airport runway which I would never have chosen if I knew! On top of that the sheets were full of sand and the towels did not smell fresh. By the time we discovered this it was late in the evening. We stayed up til 1am washing the sheets and towels before going to bed. I sent many emails and made phone calls to the property manager with these complaints and did not refund the cleaning deposit or give me any sort of discount due to all these mistakes. Very disappointing. Would never stay here again and would never recommend it.

Owner response:Once again, I find myself responding to a complaint posted on VRBO nearly THREE years after a guest has stayed in the farmhouse. I tried to go back into my previous e-mails to track the history of my communication with this guest. However, my computer doesn’t even save e-mails that far back! So I can only recollect how the wrong address may have been given to this individual. I own/manage five Big Bear cabins that appear on VRBO. This is a full-time job, as you can imagine. Over the years, I have continued to make improvements, not only in the amenities of each cabin, but to the systems I have in place to provide the best customer service possible. There also have been improvements to VRBO during the past three years that help owners of multiple vacation rentals keep track of all reservations and the status of each property. Naturally, holiday weekends – like the July 4th weekend of 2009 – can be a major challenge when there are arriving guests in all of the Big Bear cabins. Leading up to these holidays, I answer dozens of e-mail inquiries and phone calls about the availability, amenities and location of every cabin. For some time now, I have written first-time reply templates that I e-mail to every written VRBO inquiry I receive. It does not include the specific address due to security reasons. But I describe the neighborhood in great detail, which does include the fact that this property is located next to the Big Bear Airport. Literally hundreds of guests have stayed here. In fact, some parents have even posted reviews here calling the airport wonderful entertainment for their children. Regarding this guest’s complaint about the sheets and towels, I ask every guest to call me immediately if they find anything that does not meet their satisfaction. Had this guest done so, rather than writing and calling me weeks after their departure to demand a refund of the cleaning fee or a discount on the rent, I would have been there in minutes to remake the beds with fresh sheets and put out a second set of recently laundered towels in both bathrooms. I’ve been through several housekeepers since 2009, and now carefully inspect each cabin once it has been cleaned. We also keep extra towels, sheets and supplies in the closets at all times.

Recommended for:

Wonderful and Charming Winter Experience!

Guest: Snowboarding Lover (Irvine, CA)
Date of Stay: 01/01/11 Review Submitted: 01/05/11

We went up to Big Bear this past weekend and had such a wonderful time at the farmhouse! It was close to the ski resorts and the lake, but far from all the noise and traffic. The farmhouse looked exactly like it does in the pictures, and was clean, cozy and comfortable. David, the property manager, was very kind and accommodating as well. My family and I had a wonderful time and will definitely be making the farmhouse our choice for rental in Big Bear! Thanks again David!

Recommended for:Romantic getaway, sightseeing, pet owners, adventure seekers, girls getaway, age 55+, families with young children, families with teenagers.