Just Great!

Guest: OB Visitor (Portland)
Date of Stay: 02/09/10 Review Submitted: 02/16/10

We stayed in this home in early September of 09 and now we are planning out 2010 trip. This home was just great for our group of 14. Others have said it, but we really appreaciate the space to spread out for our different families and yet all gather together in that great dining room, which seats about 15 or 16 people. It's a great place to just hang out. There are a lot of nice touches to this home that are really helpful for large groups: 2 coffee makers, 2 refrigerators, 5 or 6 televisions spread throughout the whole house, and the personal computer. Something else worth mentioning -- the mattresses and bedding are of a really high quality, something you don't usually think about until you arrive at your destination. The owner was very attentive and I was always impressed by how quickly he answered my emails. The location is great..,just around the corner from town and an easy walk to the beach. The park across the street with tennis and basketball, and stuff for the kids is a real place. We highly recommend this home.

Recommended for:Girls getaway, families with teenagers, tourists without a car, families with young children, age 55+.

Truly a Home Away from Home!

Guest: Anonymous
Date of Stay: 07/10/11 Review Submitted: 09/12/11

I've stayed in this home with my family and extended family for the past 5+ years during our annual family vacations to the Vineyard. It is truly our home away from home! Its location can't be beat! If you're looking for a house close to town, beach and park all are in walking distance - town and park literally steps away! The house itself is clean, modern and spacious. Enough room for privacy when you want it and family time for meals, games, etc.! Rent this house for your stay on the Vineyard and you won't be disappointed.

Owner response:Thank you for your yearly trips to this house and for taking the time to write a review. It is much appreciated. We are already looking forward to your return trip in 2012.

Recommended for:Girls getaway, families with teenagers, tourists without a car, families with young children.

Failed Septic System

Guest: c w.
Date of Stay: 08/07/11 Review Submitted: 09/02/11

We stayed here August 7 to August 21, 2011. There were 12 of us the first week, 15 the second, and most of us have been staying in houses together on Martha’s Vineyard for three years now. We’ve all also visited the Vineyard separately many times over the years. This is a spacious house within walking distance of Circuit Avenue and the beach. The kitchen is large, with 2 refrigerators, very nice for a group of this size. The mattresses are very comfy, the best we’ve had so far. However, 3 of the 6 bedrooms have no closet and one bedroom has just enough room to squeeze alongside the queen size bed. In addition, the septic system had failed. Although the owner says he first became aware of the problem a few days before we arrived, he informed us of the situation on the day of our arrival as we were all in route, and then suggested that we take short showers and shower outdoors. The toilets filled with food and overflowed three times during our stay. There were days when 15 people had the use of 1 or 2 of the 3 bathrooms in the house. The owner was quick to have someone come and pump the system whenever problems arose, but we feel we should have been informed when the owner first became aware of the situation and given a chance to back out and get a full refund or offered a discount to still come.

Owner response:To be blunt, I have been renting my homes on the Vineyard since 1998, and I have never had such a serious situation while guests were in the home, and I truly regret that it happened. The septic had been acting up, but I learned about the extent of the problem the day before the guests arrived. The thought of cancelling their lodging in the middle of August did not even occur to me – they were arriving from Maryland and would have been stranded without a place to stay. When I told them of the problem they did not mention cancelling their reservation. Yes, I did politely ask for their help by reducing their water usage during their stay. It was the only way to alleviate the problem. I mentioned working out some form of settlement with the guests while they were still at the home and I have mentioned it again since. THE GOOD NEWS IS THAT THE SEPTIC IS BEING REPLACED THIS WINTER AND I WILL BE HAPPY TO SHARE THE ENGINEERING PLANS WITH ANYONE WHO IS INTERESTED. WE ARE COMBINING THE JOB WITH A NEW LANDSCAPE DESIGN, SO WE ARE LOOKING FORWARD TO IMPROVING THE YARD AS WELL. But now I need to defend the bedroom comments. While this home has been updated top to bottom, it is still a big funky Oak Bluffs home that is filled with surprises, and that includes the bedrooms. I love to watch the reactions of visitors as I show them through the house. It is truly unique. The bedrooms range in size from very large, to average, to one that is very small. They all have dressers and storage for clothing. Three have closets in the room; one has a place to hang clothes right outside the door. Two others have places to hang clothes but no closets. I can easily add more places to hang clothes this winter. The only reason it has not been done sooner is that no one has mentioned it as a problem. It's really a minor change. Lastly, I stand by the quality of all 4 of my rental properties. I welcome you to examine my other properties on Homeaway.com ( 106497, 105199, and in San Diego – 125975) and decide about them for yourself. If this property interests you, please call me and we can discuss my plans for next year and any of the issues raised by the reviewer.

Recommended for:

Wonderful house, perfect location

Guest: Autherine (Washington, DC)
Date of Stay: 08/31/09 Review Submitted: 09/15/09

Celebrated my 40th birthday with friends and family in this house and everyone loved it. The house is located a block from Circuit Avenue shops and restaurant, which the adults will love. It is also adjacent to a lovely park and tennis club, which the kids will love. The beach is a short stroll away and the neighborhood is lovely. The house is nicely updated with a sweet front porch, small yard with benches and a grill. The inside of the house is very clean and well-maintained. The layout is unique with 3 separate staircases leading to the bedrooms which is great for privacy. The bedrooms are nicely decorated and family friendly and great for kids. The living room is comfortable with a nice sofa and books and magazines. There is also a computer room with computer and high speed internet. The dining room has two tables, including a large one. The kitchen has 2 refrigerators and a new washing machine. There is parking in both the front and back of the house. I worried that the 2.5 baths would not be enough for a large group but was pleasantly surprised that it was just fine. The owner was fantastic! Very attentive and flexible with our requests. As far as activities in the area, I would recommend Deon's for meals, C'est La Vie for shopping, the Flying Horses Carousel for the kids, and don't miss a road trip to Acquinnah to see the lighthouse and have a lobster roll at Faiths.

Recommended for:Pet owners, girls getaway, families with teenagers, tourists without a car, families with young children, sightseeing.

Beautiful Home

Guest: Vineyard Fan (San Diego, CA)
Date of Stay: 06/22/08 Review Submitted: 06/29/08

We stayed at this property with 13 people. The owner was VERY nice and informative about all the amenities of the property. The house was clean and well maintained. We were right across the street from a greenbelt that the kids played on, as well as tennis courts and a nice play structure. The house is located right on the end of Circuit Avenue, which allowed for late night dinners close to home as well as easy grocery shopping. The beach and bus stop were only a couple of blocks away. We didn't even need a car. This property is very kid friendly and great for multiple families. It was the perfect size for a big group with a very interesting bedroom layout (three different stair cases) providing lots of privacy. We had a great time and would use this property again in the future!

Recommended for:Families with teenagers, tourists without a car, families with young children, sightseeing.