Vacation Rentals by Owner

Soldotna

Guest: John (Alaska)
Date of Stay: 12/18/11 Review Submitted: 01/01/12

Grew up inFreeport Maine, lived in Alaska now 27 years. Took family back for Christmas to visit family and friends. This is a perfect house if you are wanting to be in the Maine woods and want a quiet place to escape. Clean, comfortable and set up well if you have chefs in the family. Lots of room, great fire place and wildlife on the property. Four miles from Freeport, 20 minutes to Portland. We will stay here again. Thanx Wayne.

Owner response:We've put a lot of thought into the kitchen, since many people use VRBO and HomeAway so they can cook in and save money on meals. Pretty much everything you need. I did have the knives sharpened for this party, since it included two professional chefs and that's their single most important tool. I'm really happy to hear reports of wildlife. Folks are seeing deer and turkeys in particular!

Recommended for:Adventure seekers

October in Maine

Guest: R.B. and friends
Date of Stay: 10/26/11 Review Submitted: 12/01/11

Sent directly to me: We had a wonderful time in your home. The house was welcoming and comfortably furnished. We did a lot of cooking in and found the kitchen well stocked. The serene location was awesome. When the snow arrived we were able to enjoy it in the hot tub and found that even when the power went out we had flashlights and prompt snow plow assistance the next morning. Stellar, thanks. We highly recommend this home.

Recommended for:

Lovely Home

Guest: Carmel F.
Date of Stay: 10/08/11 Review Submitted: 11/28/11

So close to Freeeport yet seems a million miles away, this property offered all the comfort and convenience of a real family home - totally unpretentious, welcoming, and inviting. We happened to be in Maine during a stretch of spectacular summer-like weather and were able to make use of the deck and yard. The dogs were in heaven! The property was clean and there were no signs of wear due to pets. Wi Fi worked perfectly, so that was a plus. It may be time to take inventory regarding kitchen utensils, pots, pans, knives, etc. But we easily made due with what was available. The property manager was fantastic! He made us feel like he wanted us to have the best visit possible and was extremely pleasant and accommodating. Great customer service! We'll definitely lease this property again.

Owner response:We appreciate confirmation of the perfect combination of our location: close to everything yet totally private. Thanks for the nudge on the pots and pans. We looked it over and yes, they were a bit worn. So new pots, pans, utensils, etc. are on the way for December delivery. And the knives have been professionally sharpened!

Recommended for:

Wonderful Home

Guest: Njsmum (Maine)
Date of Stay: 09/24/11 Review Submitted: 11/16/11

Stayed with our two children and the house was perfect! Every amenity was thoughtfully provided; it was clean and well-kept with suggestions as to area attractions and restaurants. The area is so peaceful and beautiful, it was close enough to Freeport and Portland while still remaining off the beaten path. We never had a second's problem with anything and would highly recommend this home. The owner was super helpful and prompt with instructions and directions. This is a fabulous place for families!

Recommended for:Age 55+, families with teenagers, families with young children, girls getaway, pet owners, romantic getaway, sightseeing.

Home away from Home

Guest: rested and relaxed (Pennsylvania)
Date of Stay: 09/10/11 Review Submitted: 10/12/11

My husband and I stayed for a week which was too short!! This home was a perfect getaway for us and very charming and quiet. We definately reconnected here and got alot of rest and relaxation.. exactly what we needed. It was clean and neat and serene and peaceful yet close to all the sites you could fit into a week. We chose to enjoy off the "beaten" path sites and went to Popham beach and Reid State park along with a day at Old Port and had a wonderful lunch at J's oyster bar( a must in Old Port) as well as visiting the Freeport shops and taverns meeting alot of wonderful locals. Thank you so much for allowing us to stay in your wonderful home and giving us such a wonderful vacation. Everything was as you said it would be and the information on where to visit was much helpful. The kitchen was a joy to cook in and the hot tub is greatly missed. We will definately be returning for a longer period of time next year. Can't wait to get back. Thank you again.

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

Great place for any age

Guest: Vacation From Kentucky (Kentucky)
Date of Stay: 08/20/11 Review Submitted: 09/30/11

My wife and I stayed in this wonderful house with my parents for a weeks vacation. The house is surrounded by wooded area away from any other houses, but close enough to Freeport and Portland to enjoy the perfect vacation. The house includes any of the amenities that you would need and is decorated beautifully. We could not thank the owner enough for allowing us to enjoy the time in a great house that him and his departed wife helped create. I encourage everyone who stays in the house to read the stories and visit the room created for his wife. She seemed like a distinguished woman with a lot of accomplishments in life. Thank you again for a great vacation.

Owner response:Glad you enjoyed the "Ruth Room" in the basement. She just had to have an ongoing presence in the house.

Recommended for:Adventure seekers, age 55+, families with teenagers, families with young children, pet owners, romantic getaway, sightseeing.

Summer vacation 2011

Guest: Claus (Germany)
Date of Stay: 08/06/11 Review Submitted: 09/19/11

We, a family with four kids in the age between 2 and 19 years, spent two weeks there. We booked from abroad and our expectations were more than met. We enjoyed the garden, the spacious house, the fully equipped kitchen and the BBQ. Thanks, Wayne, for the pleasent stay!

Recommended for:Age 55+, families with teenagers, families with young children.

Great house at a great price

Guest: Dan (Philadelphia area)
Date of Stay: 07/30/11 Review Submitted: 12/11/11

An excellent value. Beautiful, clean house in a private, secluded area yet only a 5-10 minute drive to Freeport. Owner and property manager very helpful and a pleasure to deal with. Great deck with hot tub and an unbelievable view of the stars at night.

Owner response:Ah, thanks for reminding me about the stars at night! I need to add that to my description. Being in the city out here, we don't see the stars very often. I had forgotten how beautiful they are in Maine.

Recommended for:Adventure seekers, age 55+, families with teenagers, families with young children, romantic getaway, sightseeing.

We returned for a second year!

Guest: terpspe (Baltimore, MD)
Date of Stay: 07/23/11 Review Submitted: 07/31/11

My wife and I rented Wayne's house for our honeymoon last year and returned this year with out family. Wayne, as always, is easy to reach and quite responsive. The home was exactly as advertised and provided a great value for us. The property was clean when we arrived and easy to care for while we were there. Convenient to shopping at Freeport, nightlife in Portland or whale watching in Boothbay Harbor; it's a great place to stay.

Owner response:Our first repeat guests! Glad you enjoyed the stay. They're right about Boothbay Harbor, everyone. Quaint, attractive town with lots of shopping, boat trips, and restaurants. And only one hour away!

Recommended for:Families with young children, romantic getaway.

Beware if you are staying here - the $1000 dog pee

Guest: Dissappointed (Indianapolis, IN)
Date of Stay: 07/02/11 Review Submitted: 07/11/11

With the owner's approval we made a reservation to bring our 5 dogs, who are our traveling companions, and drove 18 hours to get here. Upon arrival July 4th week - the AC had not been installed in the dining room, the house does not have central air, so only 1 bedroom had air and it was in the high 80's and humid. Found 1 fan in the house to use. Finally got the AC in the dining room installed 3.5 days later. Some of the screens were loose and torn at the edges, and had the holes taped up with scotch tape. The plants are a pain, as the large ones take over the dining room and fall over - 3x on our trip, and I had to clean up the dirt and all the leaves they generate. Furniture in living room had spots on it, and so did the large rug in the living room. Not enough seating in LR, and not overly comfy. We figured no need to complain, it is a dog friendly home, so did not expect it to be perfect. One of the small area rugs in the living room must have been urinated on previously, as one of our dogs rechristened it. Accidents do happen When we picked it up to clean it, we saw the wooden floor had dark spots on it from another dog peeing on the rug and the owners not cleaning it up, thus allowing it to soak into the wood and mar it. Only request before checking out was to strip the bed. After stripping the bed, the master bedroom mattress pad had a pee stain in the middle of it - gross. We spent two hours using the shop vac to throughly vacuum the house and then used the house vaccum to go over it again, and mopped the floors before we left. Less than an hour after we checked out, the owner sent us a nasty e-mail saying there were piles of dog hair in the house - untrue, the rugs were pissed all over, which they were before we arrived, and the master bed was also pissed upon, news to us until we stripped the bed, and the screens were ripped? He is threatening to sue us for $1000 and keep our damage deposit. If you are staying at this property and have a dog, pick up all the rugs and store them somewhere else so you cannot be blamed for something your dog did not do. Take pictures of the damaged areas in the house with a date stamp on them when you arrive, and also of the house before you check out. An investment in enzymatic cleaner and a black light would be helpful too. Owner also refuses to respond to set up a way to return items accidentally left, and said he had black listed us on the VRBO owner site so no one else will rent to us again

Owner response:Folks, you will find here a single bad review. I've been renting to people with pets for three years with no problems. But these people were unbelievable. The house was in pristine condition for them, as it always is (my property manager is very fussy). They left it trashed in just one week's time. The dogs are not housebroken. Every piece of furniture and every floor had been peed on, and several rugs were pooped on (there was a pee stain on the couch that was still wet when the cleaning crew arrived). Screens were torn, and apparently the dogs liked playing in the dining room and knocking over plants etc. You know, I expect a little wear and tear when pets are present, and a little extra cleaning. But this is going to cost me a fortune, between the extra time for the cleaning crew and replacing rugs and furniture. And for them to respond that it wasn't them, and then post a nasty review on top of that, well, I guess that tells you something. All I would ask is that you read the other reviews before taking that one seriously. Thank you, Wayne Clark PS: fair is fair...my manager was indeed late getting the large AC in. An unusually cool spring that turned suddenly hot caught him off guard.

Recommended for:

Maine Vacation

Guest: Hammer (Maxwelton, West Virginia)
Date of Stay: 06/17/11 Review Submitted: 07/15/11

We visited our son who moved to Maine in December. I found the house to be just what we needed.I have a small dog that came with us. We were very happy with the house and found that Wayne was very easy to get hold of and very quick to answer questions.I hope to come back next year and plan on staying here again if avaible. Thanks again Wayne for everything!

Recommended for:Age 55+, families with teenagers, families with young children, girls getaway, pet owners, sightseeing.

Maine Getaway

Guest: Anonymous
Date of Stay: 06/13/11 Review Submitted: 07/12/11

I thoroughly enjoyed my stay at Wayne's home near Freeport. While only my son, my black lab, and I actually stayed at the property, my 3 sisters, a niece, and my parents gathered there with us one evening from all over the US, to help me celebrate my birthday. This house, which is located off a quiet country road, was clean, comfortable, and as promised, just a short drive from the shopping in Freeport. The property manager quickly returned my call one evening to answer a question and was extremely helpful. I would certainly recommend this lovely home to my family and friends!

Recommended for:Age 55+, girls getaway, pet owners, sightseeing.

Perfect place to relax with friends and family

Guest: Pollo (Vestal, NY)
Date of Stay: 07/10/10 Review Submitted: 01/14/11

The house is gorgeous, spacious, clean and comfortable, even better than it looks in the pictures. If you are looking for a place a little out of the crowd to hang out with friends and family, it is perfect. And downtown Freeport, with lots of shops and restaurants, is only a short drive away.

Recommended for:Age 55+, pet owners, romantic getaway.

Thanksgiving 2009

Guest: Parker & Cindy (Lancaster, MA)
Date of Stay: 11/25/09 Review Submitted: 05/24/10

We rented this property for our Thanksgiving and we had a wonderful time. We were looking to be near Freeport, ME and the home was perfect for that. I wee bit out of the way on a quiet road and only a few miles away from all the shopping. The home is exactly as advertised and Wayne is great to do business with. There is a room downstairs that you are invited to check out and my husband and I did and we got to know someone very special throught the pictures.

Recommended for:Age 55+, families with teenagers, families with young children, girls getaway, pet owners, romantic getaway, sightseeing.

We loved our stay...

Guest: nybornnbred (New York, New York)
Date of Stay: 09/05/09 Review Submitted: 05/02/10

here. We found it to be as advertised. It is a beautiful, well-maintained property with all the comforts of home.We loved staying there! We were able to enjoy nature at its best on the property and the house itself is warm and inviting.Plenty of helpful information about the area was provided. Both the owner and the contact were helpful with our queries. Great location; convenient for sight-seeing, the coast, shopping and eating.We did not miss not being in a beachfront property.

Recommended for:Adventure seekers, people with disabilities, age 55+, families with teenagers, girls getaway, sightseeing.

A lovely vacation home in a perfect location

Guest: Ciaraab (Dublin, Ireland)
Date of Stay: 07/11/09 Review Submitted: 04/25/10

This is an absolutely beautiful house in an equally marvellous location. We (4 adults) stayed for a week and had great weather, perfect for making use of the BBQ and outdoor deck and hot tub. Everything we needed was provided with good suggestions for restaurants, groceries, etc. This is not the place to stay if you don't have a car as the house is a little off the main roads, but lots of places to go nearby so certainly not isolated (within 15 min. of towns, attractions, stores, etc.). As city dwellers usually, the night-time rustlings & forest sounds outside were a bit of a surprise to us, but nothing you can't get used to! The living space was bright and modern, and the outside space was great too with lovely planting. The owner was very attentive and helpful, and we would definitely recommend this property.

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

A lovely home in a great location

Guest: Ciaraab (Dublin, Ireland)
Date of Stay: 07/11/09 Review Submitted: 08/10/09

A lovely home, just as described and with a very attentive owner/manager. This is a very comfortable house with everything you could need and close to a great range of activities/shopping/sights, etc. The folder of restaurant suggestions was great to have and dinners out were always good. Would definitely recommend this rental.

Recommended for:Adventure seekers, age 55+, families with teenagers, families with young children, pet owners, sightseeing.