Beach rentals brisk but last-minute

Sunday, June 21, 2009 By KATHY JUMPER Real Estate Editor

A two-bedroom, two-bath condominium unit on the beach in Gulf Shores that sleeps six: $1,500 to $1,900 a week.

A five-bedroom, five bath Gulf-front house in Orange Beach that sleeps 16: $4,800 a week.

Watching dolphins play in the surf from your balcony: Priceless.

Well, it's not exactly cost-free, but renters do have a great view of the dolphins, according to Sarah Kuzma of Meyer Real Estate, which manages rentals for 1,600 condo units and 300 houses at the Gulf.

It's summertime, and the race is on to keep the rental units booked. "We have 10 weeks to make it happen," Kuzma said.

Rental agencies are open 24-7 to accommodate guests who are following a national trend - booking rooms at the last minute.

"We've had some calling while driving on the interstate" to the coast, Kuzma said. "There are so many last-minute bookings, we can't stay ahead of the paperwork. We have walk-ins all during the night."

Twenty-five percent of bookings at Brett Robinson Real Estate & Development Co. in Orange Beach come within six days of arrival right now, said Brett Robinson's Marie Curren.

"We don't know why," she said, "if it's the economy and they are trying to save money, or just not thinking far ahead."

The peak July 4 weekend is booking now, when it used to book months in advance, agencies said. But no one is complaining, because occu pancy rates are meeting last year's full house.

"We're very excited that our June and July occupancy is equal if not better than last year," Curren said. "We had another building open, and that increased our inventory by 5 percent." Brett Robinson manages 2,057 rental units.

Discounts are available at most rental agencies all summer, ranging from 20 to 25 percent off the rental price.

"Our supply has increased, and our demand hasn't," said Connie Carlisle, director of reservations of Kaiser Realty in Gulf Shores, which has 650 rental properties, and 230 of those are houses. "When you have a lot of new things coming on the market, people are discounting them to get them known, and we have to discount some of the older units to make the rates competitive."

There are 14,090 condo units and 1,954 hotel and motel units in Gulf Shores, Orange Beach and Fort Morgan, according to the Alabama Gulf Coast Convention & Visitors Bureau.

The summerlong Student Life convention at The Wharf's conference center in Orange Beach and a number of large sports tournaments have brought new visitors to the area, Carlisle said. "We are appreciative of the group business coming. We don't mind giving them a better rate to get future business."

Shorter stays

Erik Nist, owner of Alabama Beach Vacation Rentals or ALBVR.com in Gulf Shores, said his company is seeing shorter stays - three or four days rather than a week.

"With the current state of the economy, guests know what's going on, and some request a discount," said Nist, whose firm manages 92 properties. "And some are real bold. We had one offer $700 a week for a house that rents for $4,200 a week. We tell our owners we will do our best to book their unit, but we don't want to give it away."

Still No. 1

Alabama is still the No. 1 state for visitors to the Gulf, followed by Louisiana, Mississippi, Kentucky and Tennessee, agents said. This summer is also bringing more folks from Texas and Arkansas, according to Kuzma.

"We're seeing more who have never been here before, but heard about us. And the coast is also known for its repeat business. It's very important to get heads in beds. Once they are here, we've got them, and they will come back."

/cut/2/cBILL STARLING/ Staff PhotographerPeople crowd the beaches Monday in Gulf Shores. Renters this summer are following a national trend: booking at the last minute. But occupancy rates for the peak July 4 weekend are meeting last year's full house, so Alabama Gulf Coast rental agencies aren't complaining.