Bargains in Paradise

They like Horseneck Beach near Fall River, so they started researching weekly rates for rental homes in the area. "Some were really close to the beach," says Fairchild, a graphic designer, "but even little cottages were $1,800, and there were plenty for $2,400 to $3,000. I found one for $900, but it was booked for the entire summer."

The couple decided that if they were going to pay so much, they may as well stay in Provincetown, which is still near the family reunion, gay-friendly, and "has so much more to do."

Antonellis, an ESL instructor, suggested looking on Craigslist, and Fairchild found a rental in town for $800 a week. "That seemed like a pretty good deal," he says. But then Antonellis checked with a friend who rents condos in the area. The friend had a weeklong rental available in July for $700 -- the standard price, not lowered because of the economy or the personal connection. "We're really psyched," Fairchild says. "It pays to shop around."

And this year, it pays more than ever. Though some brokers might try to tell you otherwise, the recession is having an impact on the vacation rental market this year, and consumers can find prices that are down anywhere from 5 percent to 40 percent from last summer, depending on their destination. Not everyone is offering deep discounts, but as Fairchild and Antonellis discovered, a little legwork can result in significant savings.

"With travel being so down this year -- significantly down -- there's no way vacation rentals are not going to be affected," says Carroll Rheem, director of research at PhoCusWright, a travel-market research firm based in Sherman, Connecticut. "We're forecasting the US travel industry to decline 11 percent from 2008, and the vacation-rental marketplace in general is going to suffer a little bit of price pressure as they compete with other forms of lodgings. The drop in the market this year is as bad as -- if not worse than -- it was after September 11."

Finding a recession special does depend in large part on where you want to go.

"The fly-to markets are struggling a lot more than the drive-to markets," says Steve Trover, vice president of the Vacation Rental Managers Association, a trade organization based in Santa Cruz, California. "You can find a better deal in Las Vegas and Aruba than in Cape Cod. Hawaii is way off. Florida might be down 10 or 15 percent. Those are places where you'll see a lot of specials."

The Cape rental market "got off to a slow start" this year, according to Arthur Ratsy, vice president of tourism for the Cape Cod Chamber of Commerce. Theresa Smith, director of vacation rentals for Kinlin Grover Real Estate, which has 10 offices throughout the Cape, agrees, saying that bookings are down but that Web traffic -- potential renters trolling Kinlin's listings -- is still high. "The owners are feeling it's too early to negotiate right now," she says. "If they have a nice house, we're probably going to be able to get it rented for the same price as last year."

One company that is discounting already is Martha Murray Real Estate in Dennis Port. Some of its rental prices are as much as 20 percent off.

A scan of Craigslist ads for Cape Cod destinations, though, does not turn up a whole lot of slashed prices. Searching on "discount," "price drop," "special," and similar words yields few results, though there are some slight reductions available for those who commit early or book more than one week. One exception is a listing posted by Aaron Conte, who rents out a house in East Falmouth. His listing begins with the words "Recession special!!"

Conte, like others with Cape rentals, says he has plenty of people looking, but not enough making deposits. "You want to price it right so that you win," he notes. Many other owners, however, say that their bookings are actually up from last year, when gas prices kept many people home. Carolyn Stewart, a first-grade teacher who lives in West Chester, Pennsylvania, but has two houses in West Dennis, says she's "overwhelmed with the response" she's getting for her Cape rental postings.

"Last year as an incentive I was offering a $100 gas credit because the season seemed so slow," she says. And this year? "Not so far."

In farther-flung destinations, discounts are easier to find, and may even be so deep that they offset the price of a flight, making that dream vacation suddenly accessible. "Disposable income is not readily available, so people are cutting back," says Cindy Krog, a broker at West Hawaii Property Services, a real estate firm on the Big Island. "We're being creative. Especially at the last minute, I will definitely offer oceanfront at 40 percent off the usual rates."

In other markets, such as Florida, deals might take the form of discounts such as booking seven days but paying for five, or free maid service in locations where it's normally extra. "It's absolutely in response to the economy," says Danny Pratts, a vacation-rental owner in Kissimmee. "Everybody is offering deals now."

Many rental owners -- perhaps having hit upon the gas-card idea last season -- are also jumping on the amenities-incentives bandwagon: Rather than discounting their units outright, they'll provide coupons to local restaurants, free horseback riding, or a round of golf for every day you stay. Sites like getmorevacations.com, where you can search either by destination or preferred activity, represent consolidators that go out and rustle up deals on everything from variety shows to historic tours to white-water rafting, so that management companies can pass them along to you.

Such deals have been going on for years, says Linda Nelson, vice president of operations for Crye-Leike, a realty and management company in Destin, Florida. But renters, she says, "never appreciated them or put a dollar amount to them as much until now."

That awareness may be what's keeping the vacation-rentals market in decent shape this season. "The industry is not at the point of a fire sale," says Michael Spinelli Jr., president of the New England chapter of the American Society of Travel Agents. "Stuff is selling, but maybe it's because of the deals."

Elizabeth Gehrman is a frequent contributor to the Globe Magazine. Send comments to magazine@globe.com.

How to ask for a deal: Talking points for bargain-hunters from T.J. Mahony, CEO of Flipkey, a vacation-rental ratings site based in Boston. Find four or five properties you're interested in and call the owners or managers of each one. Let them know you're looking at other places and tell them your price range. Then say, "If there are any other amenities or add-ins, that would really help me understand exactly what my best option is."

If you go back year after year to the same destination, it helps to develop a relationship with the owner or management company. "The friendlier you are with them," says Mahony, "the more flexible they'll be."

Think 2010. Many companies will give you a 5 percent to 15 percent discount for booking a year in advance.

Avoid itemizing. "It's important not to approach it as a negotiation," Mahony says. "That may create an adversarial relationship. Instead, you want to know whether the owner can accommodate what you're looking for." -- E.G.