This vacation rental owner found management that treats him like family

For Max W., vacation has always been about family.

“When I was growing up, my grandpa had a lake house. The trips to that house were some of the most cherished of my life. We would get together with our cousins and our extended family. It really shaped me—and it was a lot of fun,” he remembers.

So when he and his wife were expecting their first child, Max was thinking about helping his new baby build those same powerful memories.

“We love Florida and were interested in checking out Miramar Beach. I found the house, and it was a great opportunity. I told my wife—who was eight months pregnant—‘Hey, I think we're going to do this,’” he tells us. “And she says, ‘Oh my goodness, you're crazy.’”

“But once we came down to see the house, we fell in love with the area—and she was more excited than I was. So, we decided to get the place.”

Living the dream

Max and his wife were interested in investing in real estate, too, but purchasing a vacation home was about a lifestyle choice. However, maintaining that lifestyle from over 1,000 miles away in Kansas presented a monumental challenge. That’s when Max thought of Vacasa.

“Vacasa’s reputation really precedes itself. It's one of the most common names that comes up when you look into staying at a vacation home,” he says. “We had stayed at other Vacasa properties, so when we found out that they have a local presence in Miramar Beach, they were at the top of our list to talk to. And we're glad we did.”

Vacasa’s local presence makes it easy for Max and his family—including cousins, nephews, family friends, and beyond—to come and stay when they have the opportunity.

“We probably wouldn't have done this if we were responsible for all of the nitty-gritty details,” he tells us. “We love the flexibility of being able to visit whenever we like, and still having an investment that helps pay for itself.”

“But one of the best things about Vacasa has been the relationship that we've built with the local team,” he continues. “Our local manager is amazing. We text regularly, and she’s on top of everything that comes up. That’s been the most comforting aspect of making the jump into real estate here in Florida. All the way from Kansas, we feel very comfortable knowing that somebody we can trust is taking care of the property and has our best interests at heart.”

In good hands

Max loves that Vacasa offers homeowners like him multiple ways to keep tabs on their homes while they’re away, beyond on-the-ground teams.

“The biggest thing that separates Vacasa from other managers is their technology. The owner account makes it easy to book my family’s stays from Kansas. The reporting is excellent, too—it's always on time and it's really comprehensive,” he says. “The personalized service you get with Vacasa is spectacular.”

Max loves that Vacasa’s commitment to service is evident at every level—online, in Miramar Beach, and at his home.

“Our local manager has reached out and said, ‘Hey, what time are you getting in?’ And when we arrived, there were cold drinks in the fridge and things were set up for activities we specifically like,” he says.

“When I was growing up, whenever we left our vacation home at the lake, we had to clean everything and do a lot of prep work beforehand. It's so convenient that with Vacasa, our local manager can tell us that housekeeping is coming in and we’re good to go.”

But personalized, thoughtful service doesn’t end with homeowners, as Max will tell you.

“There have been a few events held at our home, including a small reception after a wedding. Our Vacasa team helped put together some special table decor, flowers, and a few other things that really made it a special memory for them,” he tells us.

“It's really amazing to know we've created a space that's awesome for us to come to, but also that so many other families get to visit and enjoy,” he continues. “And the reviews are excellent—I’ve loved to hear, ‘Wow, this was the first time my family has gotten together in years. We loved it and we're going to do it again.’ That quality time is really important—it’s one of the primary reasons my own family decided to go on this journey—so it's cool to see that other people are getting to do that, too.”

Staying together

Now, with another little one on the way, Max feels like he’s accomplished the dream of continuing the family vacation home tradition (with the added bonus of being able to share their beautiful getaway with others).

He sees Vacasa as a resource he can trust to keep his dream going—and help him find more ways to love owning his vacation home.

“It's a worry- and stress-free experience for us because so much is already handled and taken care of, including the little things. It has been one of the biggest blessings to be able to do this awesome, awesome project,” he tells us.

And as for advice to homeowners who might be dreaming of a family oasis of their own?

“In other relationships, I’ve noticed that if you reach out to somebody and they don't get back to you promptly, you don't get the responsiveness and care you need,” he says. “So, it really boils down to the relationship that you build. We trust the Vacasa team and are really pleased that we have such a great group of people to work with.”