'Byrd Sanctuary — Oceanside Home, Where Ocean Meets the Sound, Peace Is Found'

You are the great family, and we're looking forward to you again this summer. Have a happy good day. (Love your children, too.) ;-)

Thank you, Susan. A pleasure to have you as a guest. I was the next "guest" after you, and I appreciate that you took very good care of the home. Did you get my e-mail about the items found in a drawer in the master bedroom? Not yours? I'd like to help them find their rightful owner. I wish you the best, Bryan

Thank you, Sharon. It was a pleasure to work with you. I hope your other accommodations were to your liking. Sorry I did not have the availability to accommodate all of your vacation days. It has been a very busy year and I appreciate your first choice being the Byrd Sanctuary. Bryan

While the five star review was not effusive with praise (still, I'll take it), the fact that the guest asked (the same day they checked in) to reserve the same week next year is high praise. Says "Wow!" in meaningful terms.

It was a delight to have you and your family as guests.

We enjoyed your presence and the very in-depth conversations. W hope you will return at your earliest convenience.

Thank you, Dan. We look forward to your return. Hope you are well.

This is not a bad review, so I won't try too hard to rebut it, since everyone has their mattress preferences, but I will look for abnormalities. I noticed someone had added a foam topper to the queen, which is not standard (I prefer a firm mattress) and can be removed, but since I have an 80% guest return rate, the provider may hope it is there when they get back. The toilet comment is interesting. I installed a new, low-flush and taller toilet in the top floor bathroom at the request of an aging guest, and it gave me the first-ever comment of it being stopped up early this year (tenant bought a larger plunger and, voila!). The older toilet is as clean as any new toilet, and has never stopped up. Being on a lower floor may affect the water hydraulics? Or is it the comparative difference? I dunno. Septic system was new last year, so all is functionally sound. Thank you for the comments. Will put these on my To-do list.

I thank this guest for such an info-filled review which is quite accurate except for a couple items. The cleaning expectations say nothing about getting it ready for the next guest. It requests no more than the guest says she always does in any vacation home: "1) Wash and put away all dishes; 2) Remove all food and trash from home; 3) Place trash in a proper receptacle and roll carts to the edge of the street; 4) Wipe appliances, counters, etc. clean of excess spills; 5) Sweep carpets and floors; and 6) Properly arrange all furniture and bedding." Her feeling rushed on checkout may have been influenced by her staying just three nights, made available for those without a lot of time but deserving of some kind of a break. I encourage a longer stay if possible. I never watched a lot of Miami Vice, but the furniture is pictured on the website for any potential guests to assess. We were absolutely sold out this year except for two days in Sept., which I used to clean behind the normal cleaning service. I'm told I own the Taj Mahal on the street, which itself may also be dated. :-) The mold was a hard-to-reach two inch discoloration in the caulk behind the kitchen faucet. Not easy to remove or normal, but not impossible by the end of the season. A popular house at the beach is a challenge, like no other, to maintain.