Mount Baker

"We rented both homes recently for a family reunion (18-20 people). The property, set on a beautiful orchard and inlet, was absolutely stunning. Both homes were lovely, clean and well-equipped--other than a few light switches that didn't work and some difficulty with the Beach House wi-fi everything was in working order. We had a couple of elderly parents with us and so the Beach House, with it's large outside porch, lot's of comfortable seating and no stairs was a perfect spot for them to be. The ONLY reason I did not give this property a 5-star rating is because of the issues with the neighbors regarding beach access. The property was advertised as having "beach access" and it wasn't until the week before we were to arrive that I was notified of a "4 year lawsuit" that the owners and their neighbors have been involved in regarding beach access for the renters of these properties. I was provided with the legal document, dated August of 2013 granting beach access to renters until the lawsuit is finally settled. I was told that "During past rentals one of our neighbors told our guests that they did not have access to the waterfront, which is completely false" and that "If someone does approach, you just tell them they are wrong and that you know you can use the waterfront. I’ve already talked to the local sheriff and provided them with a copy of the order as well. " Although I did wonder why I was just now getting notified, a week before our scheduled arrival, the directions seemed straightforward and so none of us were concerned. We were not prepared for the level of initial harassment that we received however. Obviously this has been a long-standing disagreement, breeding much resentment and obsession by the neighborhood association. From the first moment we set foot on the beach (which truly you would only be on to launch a kayak--it's a muddy beach at low tide) we were told we couldn't be there, argued with, threatened with Sheriff contact, and given dirty looks once they realized were weren't going anywhere. We are not a rowdy group, we gave them no reason to be bothered by us, yet the comments and threats of "calling the Sheriff" continued throughout the first 2 days. I guess once they saw we were weren't going to bother them, they backed off. Although their behavior absolutely did NOT ruin our gathering--it actually just added to our adventure, it was initially disconcerting and we should have been better prepared for the reality."

"We are veterans of Airbn and VRBO's and have to say that I put Casa Verde at the top of the list. Ann has opened this house to guests and I cannot recommend it enough. First, Ann is a great communicator-- very fast via email. All of our questions were answered and she was very patient with us as our dates changed. Second, the house is perfect-- immaculately kept. If you are an amateur cook (or even a professional), you should find everything you need down to the Viking oven. The location is superb, just a quick 10 minutes into Eastsound. Read the other reviews for the layout of the home-- it can easily accommodate 4 adults. Every day we had to tear ourselves away from the view of East Sound. Orcas Island exceeded expectations, and Casa Verde was a big part of that. We hope to return with our children and grandchildren in the future."