To begin, my review may have been different if COVID-19 didn't cause massive interruptions. But my review is reflective of my experience with the property owner. Please be careful who you rent from and be aware of the risk you are taking when renting homes and the possibility of losing out on money during unexpected times.
I rented this property in Feb of 2020 so my family could come celebrate my graduation in May. As we are all aware, COVID-19 swept across the world and as of Mid-March many US States were under stay-at-home orders. By the time it was clear that travel in May would be difficult, it was past the 60 day cancellation window to receive a full refund from the home. VRBO's policy stated that they encouraged property owners to work with those who have already booked during these times to receive refunds or flexible date options. Casey (the property owner) was NOT flexible. Casey was 100% unwilling to consider a refund and would not allow flexible dates through VRBO. The only way Casey would be flexible would be to take our business with him off platform and to send money directly to him to hold the home (prior to receiving a refund from VRBO). As this option brought huge risk to my family we had to make the decision to cancel with no refund or to keep our dates and attempt to travel during the pandemic.
My family made the decision to keep the home, a few family members drove, a few flew, and many couldn't join in at all not wanting to risk getting sick - including my grandparents who had helped cover the cost of the rental. Our family made the best decision we could given the circumstances, but it would have been safer for us all to have had the option to change dates, which is what we were asking Casey for. It was disheartening that Casey lacked the flexibility to work with my family during a world crisis outside of all of our control and he showed a lack of empathy. Because of this situation, I will NOT rent from Casey again, and though I don't intend to cause negative harm to him or his family, I think it is important to share our honest experience so that everyone is aware of the strict cancellation policy and the character of the home owners.
With that being said, the house was large and had enough rooms and beds for the guests that stayed. The pool and hot tub were nice for the kids to play in. The maintenance manager was responsive. The wood floors in the house do cause noise to travel easily.