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Posted Wednesday, February 3, 2010
Feel at "home" away from home at your next PGA event
By Golf Gal
The Olympics are only a few days away and Vangroovy is buzzing! Okay, they have to truck snow to Cypress Mountain for the snowboarders (it’s been so warm, there’s no snow up there), but other than that, things are moving along pretty smoothly.
Hmmm… maybe not so smoothly for some folks who thought they would be floating pretty on the Norwegian Star during the Games – a cruise ship that was going to be a floating hotel for spectators.
Looks like that ship has sunk under economic hardship. Yikes! Time for the lifeboats for the guests who signed up to stay on board!
Well, thankfully, I discovered a solution which could help a few of these stranded spectators – SportsEventRental.com.
I learned about this company about a week ago. They are listed on Mike Perez's website. Apparently one of their founders, Todd Brenneman designed Mike's new site, which is looking pretty cool. Small world, eh?
When I visited Sports Event Rental, I was impressed to see that they are offering homes for rent in Vancouver during the Olympics. When I dug a little deeper, I discovered they also rent homes, condos, apts and even yachts at tons of sporting events throughout the year, including the entire PGA Tour (you wouldn’t expect me to write a non-golfing post, now, would you? :)).
To test it out, I decided to check out the Accenture Match Play Championship at The Ritz-Carlton Golf Club, Dove Mountain in Marana, Arizona in February. Just for fun, I looked at the price of a single room at The Ritz during the event – the cheapest was 559.00 (USD) per night. Not fun! Then I took at look at what Sports Event Rental could offer. There were more than a dozen homes listed in the area; one 4 bedroom house was 10-15 minutes from the event and was renting out at only $150 per night! No, that's more like it!
I wanted to learn more about this company, so, as I am known to do, I talked to one of the founders (Robert (Bob) Hayes) by phone to get the skinny on how it all works. Check out his interview... (Click Here for interview)
Well, I am very happy to announce that after our chat, Bob Hayes and his team got together and added the LPGA majors to their list of events, with plans to add more LPGA events. Cool, don’t you think? Ask and ye shall receive, as they say.
For you home owners looking to rent out your place, you should check their rates. From what I can tell, they are much more affordable and flexible than VRBO (about $300 cheaper) and they don’t charge commissions that VRBO is rumored to be adding to their fees.
I know I'm going to check out SportsEventRental.com the next time I plan a trip to a golf event. Actually, the Senior Men's US Open is at Sahalee in July. Hey, Bob! Can you put that event on your site too! I'll be there.
And what about the 2010 U.S. Amateur at Chambers Bay in August? I'm thinking of going there as well!
Keep them coming guys! I think you've got a winner!
Posted Friday, January 15, 2010
Renting out your home for Super Bowl
is no sure win.
By Doreen Hemlock
Vacation rentals require work, face tough competition.
Renting out your home, timeshare or yacht for the Super Bowl may sound like a way to make a quick buck, but property owners beware: it's not as easy as it might appear.
Besides advertising on Web sites or elsewhere, owners face a host of tasks: ensuring their condo board or homeowners association allows short-term rentals, screening renters, obtaining a security deposit, removing personal items from the home, stocking up with goods that renters need, setting conditions for use and checking those conditions are met, among others.
"It's not like lending the house to friends or relatives for a few days," said Hollywood resident Valerie Galsky, who works year-round on vacation rentals and is offering two properties for the days around the Feb. 7 championship football game. "This is a business."
About 120,000 visitors are expected in South Florida for the Super Bowl this year, but business conditions have changed radically since the last time the area hosted the game in booming 2007.
Back then, area hotels commanded an average $499 a night for the bowl, a premium over their usual winter rates. About 7 percent of visitors opted to stay outside hotels, said Kathleen Davis, president of Sport Management Research Institute of West Palm Beach.
But rates are less buoyant in today's weak economy - down roughly 20 percent last year from 2008 levels, according to Smith Travel Research. And more homeowners now see rentals as relief from recession.
"For hotels and rentals, the key word now is value," Davis said. "You have to be cost-effective, reasonable and competitive."
Many people listing South Florida properties for the Super Bowl have yet to find takers.
Retired engineer Mark Kavanaugh thought he'd have a contract by now on his two-bedroom timeshare condo in Pompano Beach. He's listed it online for four nights at $880, with half paid upon reservation.
He hopes interest will pick up when people know which teams will play, but he's not holding his breath."I'm kind of thinking I may not be able to rent this," Kavanaugh said from his home in Michigan.
Tammy Domanico and her husband also are waiting to find renters for their three-bedroom, two-bath waterfront home in Pompano Beach, complete with a heated pool. They're moving to their second home to offer the luxury spot as a permanent vacation rental, helping supplement income they've lost in the recession. They're seeking $4,800 for Super Bowl week – or at least $1,000 a night for the big game, more than other times of year.
To prepare for visitors, Domanico is busy readying her other house to move in and preparing to take out family photos and other personal items from the current one. "It's a lot," said the hospital pharmacist. "But it makes sense for us. This house is more rentable."
Even yacht owners are looking to charter their boats rather than have them sit idle during Super Bowl this year.
Entrepreneur Malcolm Cohen wants to rent out his 90-foot yacht that usually docks in Lighthouse Point. He's offering the four-bedroom, four-bath vessel with nine flat-screen TVs and other perks for $40,000 for five nights docked in Miami Beach, closer to parties. The ship comes with some crew, but not a chef, food, gas or tips.
Cohen won't accept just anyone with cash either. Besides background checks, he requires a "very strong contract" that includes no smoking aboard, no pets, limits on the number of people on the yacht and those dockside for parties, plus a default clause-- in case of violations.
"You have to be very selective who you charter to," said Cohen.
To promote their properties, owners are turning to a range of websites, both free and paid. One gaining ground is sportseventrentals.com, a Phoenix-based company that charges a $99 flat fee per calendar year, with no commissions or percentages. People who see listings on the site deal directly with owners by email or phone.
Robert Hayes, chief executive for the listing company, said the Super Bowl definitely ranks as the most popular event on the rental site, but "until we know who's playing, we won't know how big the traffic will be."
Posted Wednesday, December 30, 2009
New Web site for traveling sports fans
Hotel occupancy rates (and prices) shoot way up during a big event like the Super Bowl, Olympics or World Cup. One alternative is renting an apartment or house for a few nights. A new Web site — sportseventrentals.com — helps traveling fans do that. It lists places available at more than 300 major sporting events worldwide. This cute Cape Town guest house (at left) is going for $100 a night when South Africa hosts next year’s World Cup. Property owners can post their digs on the site for a flat fee of $99 a year.
This cute Cape Town guest house is going for $100 a night when
South Africa hosts the World Cup in 2010.
Posted Wednesday, December 30, 2009
Rent your home during spring training
New Web company offers listings in Fort Myers. SPECIAL TO FLORIDA WEEKLY
Sports Event Rentals, a Phoenix, Ariz.- based company that connects property owners with fans looking to rent private homes, condos, apartments and even yachts during major sporting events, announced it is offering Fort Myers homeowners the ability to list their homes for rent during the upcoming 2010 spring training season for a $99 flat fee with no commission. Full Story
Posted Friday, December 18, 2009
Web site offers listings of short-term rentals for visiting sports fans BY Chris Casacchia
Texas Christian and Boise State university fans who want more spacious accommodations for the Fiesta Bowl can scroll through a new Web site that lists short-term rentals during their stay.
SportsEventRentals.com, which launched three months ago, includes about a dozen listings for the BCS game, ranging from condos at the Hotel Valley Ho to four-bedroom ranch homes in the West Valley.
Co-founders Robert Hayes and Todd Brenneman, childhood friends from Chicago, expect their venture to scoop up market share in a sector dominated by Austin-based Vacation Rentals by Owner.
“We can take a small margin away from them,” said Hayes, who developed the idea with Brenneman during Super Bowl XXLII, which was played at University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale. The annual Fiesta Bowl also is played there.
At press time, more than 75 homes, apartments, condos and resorts were listed on SportsEventRentals.com. The site has been built to accommodate listings in more than 150 cities and 27 countries, so the owners expect it to grow.
The site is a portfolio company of Brenneman Interactive Co., a Phoenix-based firm that designs, manages and monetizes more than 50 Web sites for businesses ranging from nightclubs to retailers. The rental portal charges a one-time listing fee of $99 that gives clients 365 days to list their properties under multiple events. The company is targeting corporations, sponsors and athletes, as well as sports fans and vacationers.
Nic Jones, director of revenue for the Hotel Valley Ho and Sanctuary Resort, has three properties listed for the Fiesta Bowl and has received about 20 calls from interested parties. The listings are not standard hotel rooms, but rather private residences on the property.
Jones said SportsEventRentals.com is cheaper and more user-friendly than VRBO, which charges nearly $300 for its listings, plus additional fees for extra photos and prime placement.
Jones has used Craig’s List for personal trips and rentals, but said that popular listing service doesn’t have the professionalism of other sites.
SportsEventRentals.com is averaging about 26,500 hits a month as developers boost its search engine optimization capabilities.
“It’s far exceeding our expectations,” said Hayes, who is optimistic it will succeed. “Time will tell.”
Posted Friday, December 18, 2009
Web site offers listings of short-term rentals for visiting sports fans BY Chris Casacchia
Texas Christian and Boise State university fans who want more spacious accommodations for the Fiesta Bowl can scroll through a new Web site that lists short-term rentals during their stay.
SportsEventRentals.com, which launched three months ago, includes about a dozen listings for the BCS game, ranging from condos at the Hotel Valley Ho to four-bedroom ranch homes in the West Valley.
Co-founders Robert Hayes and Todd Brenneman, childhood friends from Chicago, expect their venture to scoop up market share in a sector dominated by Austin-based Vacation Rentals by Owner.
“We can take a small margin away from them,” said Hayes, who developed the idea with Brenneman during Super Bowl XXLII, which was played at University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale. The annual Fiesta Bowl also is played there.
At press time, more than 75 homes, apartments, condos and resorts were listed on SportsEventRentals.com. The site has been built to accommodate listings in more than 150 cities and 27 countries, so the owners expect it to grow.
The site is a portfolio company of Brenneman Interactive Co., a Phoenix-based firm that designs, manages and monetizes more than 50 Web sites for businesses ranging from nightclubs to retailers. The rental portal charges a one-time listing fee of $99 that gives clients 365 days to list their properties under multiple events. The company is targeting corporations, sponsors and athletes, as well as sports fans and vacationers.
Nic Jones, director of revenue for the Hotel Valley Ho and Sanctuary Resort, has three properties listed for the Fiesta Bowl and has received about 20 calls from interested parties. The listings are not standard hotel rooms, but rather private residences on the property.
Jones said SportsEventRentals.com is cheaper and more user-friendly than VRBO, which charges nearly $300 for its listings, plus additional fees for extra photos and prime placement.
Jones has used Craig’s List for personal trips and rentals, but said that popular listing service doesn’t have the professionalism of other sites.
SportsEventRentals.com is averaging about 26,500 hits a month as developers boost its search engine optimization capabilities.
“It’s far exceeding our expectations,” said Hayes, who is optimistic it will succeed. “Time will tell.”
Posted Wednesday, December 16, 2009
Should Have, Could Have Bought a Home Near Cowboys Stadium BY CANDY EVANS
Yes, because then you’d be able to lease it out to frisky fans during high season and, hello, Superbowl XLV. This story ran in the Star-Telegram about a Phoenix based company that specializes in hooking up fans with rentals in the proximity of sports stadiums. (I’m sorry, I just cannot imagine spending a vacation and $7500 a night to stay in a McMansion right close to Cowboy’s Stadium. Give me a ski mountain, give me a beach.) But I checked with Prudential’s Jamie Adams, who takes care of all the big guys’ real estate needs, well Jamie and Rogers Healy, and he says he has already received a lot of calls about this very notion. And stay tuned: supposedly someone is coming up with a website that will only feature celeb/star athletes’ homes for sale.
My workout buddy, Stephen Giles, who’s married to Clarice Tinsley, tells me they enjoyed Sunday’s game after a friend sent over a stretch to pick them up from their Preston Hollow home. (Can I be friends with your friend?) Come Superbowl XLV, Steve says he’ll rent out his guest house, I’ll rent out my entire house! Maybe we can get a deal on the stretch limo…
Posted Wednesday, December 16, 2009
Cowboys Stadium: Cash Cow for Homeowners? BY CANDY EVANS
Who says that living near a major sports stadium will hurt property values and ruin your quality of life? Residents living near the new $1.2 billion Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas -- locals have dubbed it "Jerry's World" after the free-spending Cowboy's billionaire owner, Jerry Jones -- may soon be cashing in by renting out their homes to fans.
A Phoenix-based online company now specializes in hooking up fans with homeowners who live near stadiums for short-term rentals. The site, sportseventsrentals.com, has listings for 315 sporting events in more than 150 cities.
But this is nothing new to star agent Jamie Adams, who has offices at The Ballpark in Arlington and a bevy of sports heroes as clients, including Daryl Johnston, Nolan Ryan, Avery Johnson, Dirk Nowitzski, Rick Carlisle, Shawn Marion, Tim Thomas, Matt Carroll, Sergei Zubov and Michael Alford. Jaime says he's received three calls in the last 30 days from people who either want to list their chez Cowboys Stadium home for sale, or lease it to fans. Going rate: $500 to $7500 per night, the latter giving you access to an 8,000-square-foot manse.
"This is only going to heat up the closer we get to Super Bowl XLV (in 2011)," says Jamie. "Especially since the local hotels book up so fast."
Does Jamie think that Cowboys Stadium has increased property values in the Arlington area?
"Yes," he says.
So the next time you are house-hunting, don't turn up your nose at those bright lights and noisy boxes. That stadium just may end up paying your mortgage.
ARLINGTON — There’s a potential upside to living in the shadow of Cowboys Stadium — fans may be looking to rent a home away from home for major sporting events.
At least that’s what the Phoenix-based online company sportseventrentals.com is pitching to residents living near the new $1.2 billion stadium. Company co-founder Todd Brenneman describes his 8-month-old site as a sort of Craigslist where property owners living near stadiums worldwide can post photos and information about their homes in hopes of landing lucrative, short-term rental deals with sports fans who either can’t find or don’t want to book hotel rooms.
So far, the site has listings for 315 sporting events in more than 150 cities in 27 countries, he said.
"If you are not into football, if you want to get out of the area, this is an excuse to escape. You can go on vacation with the money you make," Brenneman said. "You can rent your home, not for an obscene amount, but for a lot more than you could a vacation rental."
Exactly how much the home will rent for is left up to the owner, who pays the company a flat $99 fee to list their property for either one event or for a year. People listing their property also handle the rental agreement and collect the money from renters.
Brenneman said his company is planning an advertising campaign early next year in Arlington, including mailing advertisements to property owners within five miles of Cowboys Stadium, targeting events such as the Feb. 14 NBA All-Star Game and Super Bowl XLV in 2011.
No one is currently advertising their properties for those sporting events or others scheduled in the Dallas-Fort area, including the Bell Armed Forces Bowl at Amon G. Carter Stadium in Fort Worth on Dec. 30 or the AT&T Cotton Bowl at Cowboys Stadium on Jan. 2, according to the Web site.
City officials say there could be a market for home rentals during sporting events. Since Cowboys Stadium opened last June, Arlington’s hotels have been booked up for almost all of the venue’s events.
Jay Burress, president and CEO of the Arlington Convention & Visitors Bureau, said Arlington homeowners have been contacting his office for information on how to cash in on their proximity to the stadium.
"We’ve had plenty of people call and ask. We know there is a demand," Burress said. "As a CVB, we would encourage visitors to stay in hotels as opposed to home rentals."
Burress said home renters are competition for area hotels, which can hurt the city since hotel occupancy taxes are not collected on nights booked at private residences. Arlington’s hotel occupancy tax is used for things such as promoting tourism and repaying the city’s bonds for Cowboys Stadium.
Burress said he doesn’t believe there will be a shortage of hotel rooms for the Super Bowl at Cowboys Stadium since the North Texas region has 90,000 rooms available. The North Texas Super Bowl Host Committee has already reserved 25,000 of those rooms for fans, he said. "
Maybe there is an opportunity there," Burress said of home rentals near Cowboys Stadium. "I hate to get anyone’s hopes too high. I think a lot of people see dollar signs."
One of those considering the possibility is George Hawley, who lives on Slaughter Street across from the stadium.
Hawley, whose home borders one of the stadium’s parking lots off Collins Street, said making money off his property could make up for some of the hardships, such as traffic and litter, that he’s endured since the facility opened. Hawley said fans renting homes close to the stadium will experience what residents already do — tailgaters who get a little rowdy after an afternoon of drinking. "
Several of them came over one night and started urinating on my lawn so I called 911 on them," said Hawley.
Brenneman, who said he has rented out his home for sporting events and been a renter, said opening up your home to strangers requires some preparation.
He recommends securing or hiding valuables, setting limits on where they can go on the property and what amenities they can use, and even swapping out the sheets and towels with inexpensive linens.
By Hugo Martín | December 14, 2009
Rose Parade and two bowl games will entice a blitz of visitors Managers of tourist attractions in the L.A. region hope the out-of-town fans will stay and spend. USC fans at the 2009 Rose Bowl game. The upcoming football games -- Oregon vs. Ohio State and Texas vs. Alabama -- is expected to draw more fans from out of town. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times / January 1, 2009)
Within hours after the Oregon and Ohio State football teams march off the field following the Rose Bowl game in Pasadena, crews will tear out and replace the turf to prepare for the BCS national championship matchup between Texas and Alabama six days later.
But no one in Pasadena is complaining about the cost of the turf.
This January marks the first time under a new rotating collegiate bowl system that Pasadena will host two major bowl games in a week.
The Rose Parade on New Year's Day and the two bowl games could draw nearly 1.2 million people to the city of roses -- and tens of millions in tourism dollars.
The Tournament of Roses alone could generate about $370 million in direct and indirect spending throughout the region, according to past economic studies. The Bowl Championship Series matchup on Jan. 7 could bring in an additional $34 million in spending.
"I think a lot of people will come," said Paul Little, president of the Pasadena Chamber of Commerce and Civic Assn.
Although football fans and parade devotees will pool around Pasadena for the events, visitors will probably fan out across the region, going to beaches, theme parks, entertainment complexes and shopping malls.
"It really doesn't get any better for Los Angeles than this," said Mark Liberman, president of LA Inc., the Los Angeles Convention and Visitors Bureau. "We have four great teams from areas that really have a tremendous fan following for both home and away games."
Already, managers of several top tourist attractions are planning events to get visiting fans to stay and spend.
In Pasadena, the city and the convention center are hosting a tailgate party on Jan. 5 at the Paseo Colorado mall with performances by a live band.
Santa Monica will host rallies for Rose Bowl rivals -- Oregon Ducks fans on Dec. 30 and the Ohio State Buckeye faithful Dec. 31 -- at a parking lot north of the Santa Monica Pier. The city's visitors' bureau expects more than 40,000 fans, players, coaches and cheerleaders to attend.
"We are encouraging the fans to come early and stay late," said Kim Baker, marketing director for the Santa Monica Convention and Visitors Bureau. "We are trying to get as much business out of this as possible."
Across town, Universal Studios Hollywood has invited the Ohio State marching band to play in the theme park on Dec. 30 and is hosting the Texas marching band on Jan. 6, a day before the Texas Longhorns meet Alabama's Crimson Tide for the BCS game.
"This year will be particularly good for us," said Eliot Sekuler, a spokesman for Universal Studios Hollywood.
Since 1959, Disneyland has invited the two Rose Bowl teams to visit before the game. This time, the park plans to invite the BCS teams to hold news conferences in downtown Disneyland, a shopping and dining district adjacent to the park.
How many fans will visit Southern California for the two games and the New Year's Day parade is uncertain.
The Rose Bowl stadium seats more than 90,000 fans, and both bowl games are expected to be sold out. In addition, Pasadena officials estimate that about 1 million people will attend the Rose Parade and view the floats during the following week.
Though it might be difficult to find a room in Pasadena, hospitality experts say there are enough hotel rooms throughout the region to serve all of the visitors.
In Southern California -- including Santa Barbara, Ventura, Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino and San Diego counties -- the number of hotel rooms is about 220,000. Pasadena has about 2,500.
Mark Davis, general manager of the Hilton Pasadena, said football fans began making reservations at his 296-room hotel about a year ago. The hotel has been completely booked for the nights before and after the Rose Bowl and BCS games for at least six months.
About two-thirds of the guests who stay at the Hilton Pasadena for the bowl games will probably stay a few extra days to visit tourist attractions in the area, he said.
"There is so much to do in Southern California, so many venues to participate in, that they want to make the most of the visit," Davis said.
Even businesses that rent houses and condominiums in Pasadena are struggling to keep up with the demand.
"We are right now scrambling to accommodate a lot of traffic coming in," said Todd Brenneman, president of SportsEventsRentals.com, a website that advertises rental lodging for major sporting events.
The extra bowl game comes at a time when Southern California's top industry -- tourism -- continues to struggle amid the worst recession in a generation. The hotel occupancy rates in Los Angeles dropped to about 65% in October, down from about 74% last year.
The extra visitors also will land in Southern California during one of the year's slowest months for tourism.
"It comes at a time when there wouldn't otherwise be a demand," said Bruce Baltin, a hotel analyst and vice president for PKF Consulting. "The first weeks of January are usually dead."
In 2005, the UCLA Anderson School of Management estimated $189 million in direct spending and $181 million in indirect spending from the Rose Bowl game and the Rose Parade.
Last year, the USC Sports Business Institute projected the football game alone generates $22 million in direct spending in Pasadena and nearly $12 million in indirect spending. The BCS game is likely to generate nearly as much, experts say.
The USC study noted that out-of-town fans generally stay longer and spend more than locals who can forgo hotel lodging and spend less on food and travel.
Sekuler and others pointed out that all of the four bowl teams have strong followings of fans who are likely to spend several days enjoying Southern California's typically mild weather. In the past, fans from cold-weather states, such as Michigan, Wisconsin and Nebraska, spent more and stayed longer.
"When Nebraska was in the Rose Bowl" in 2002, Sekuler said, "there was a sea of red in our park" as fans packed the Rose Bowl wearing their burnt-orange team jackets and accessories.
When it comes to the Super Bowl, the three most important words in real estate apply: location, location, location.
With nine months to go before Super Bowl XLV, a number of North Texas residents have already listed their houses on rental Web sites such as superbstays.com and sportseventrentals.com, with asking prices anywhere from $325 a night to $30,000 a week.
And the shortage of hotel rooms near Cowboys Stadium might help Arlington homeowners benefit the most. Six of the current listings on the sites are in Arlington.
Home rentals are common for major sports events such as the Super Bowl and the Olympics, as well as for annual sports events, concerts and even parties. But the Super Bowl represents the first big event-rental opportunity for North Texas.
The game and ancillary events are expected to draw more than a half-million Texans from outside the market area and 147,000 non-Texans, according to an economic development study commissioned by the North Texas Super Bowl Host Committee.
"Event renting is very new here, and people are seeing green," said Martha Dent, chairwoman of the Arlington Board of Realtors. "They think it looks easy until they get into it. You can make good money, but you may come back and have to renovate your property because of damage."
Giving the keys to the house to a stranger can be risky business.
Sharon Whittington said she almost rented her southeast Arlington house to a California woman for the NBA All-Star Game weekend but backed out because she had a feeling she might be getting scammed. One red flag was that the woman never called from the same phone number twice, she said.
In retrospect, she said the offer was probably legitimate, but she didn't want to take any chances.
It hasn't discouraged her from trying to rent her four-bedroom house, which is about 41/2 miles from Cowboys Stadium, during Super Bowl week.
Whittington is asking $1,200 a night and $8,000 for the week for her home.
"I'm new to this," she said. "At first I was asking $120 a night, but I did some research and saw what others were asking, so I raised it by a thousand. I don't want to rip anyone off, but I think my price is still pretty low, a bargain."
Paulette Francis, who lives with her three children in a four-bedroom house six miles from the stadium, said her 21-year-old son suggested renting for the Super Bowl, but she had to give it some thought before agreeing to list for $12,000 a week.
"I'm not going to lie: The money is important and will pay a big chunk of my mortgage," Francis said. "But my main reason for renting is to be part of history. It's the first Super Bowl here and something the kids will remember."
She said she has done due diligence and consulted with her insurance company and a friend who is a financial adviser.
"My kids are excited, but at the same time a little leery," Francis said. "We're doing research, and we'll do background checks. We want to make sure we rent to the right people who won't burn our house to the ground."
Protecting the neighborhood
Mayor Robert Cluck said Arlington is concerned about disturbances and worse, such as a renter accidentally setting a house ablaze.
"You don't want problems with the neighbors," he said. "You might rent to a couple, and then they have a hundred people over for a party. But we have to be careful about freedom of choice. I can't tell or suggest what homeowners should do."
Cluck said he would not rent out his house.
"This is not the mayor's opinion, but a personal one -- I wouldn't do it," he said.
"I've been to Green Bay [Wis.], where homes around the stadium are rented for every game, and the risk to homeowners is that when they get their house back, it is frequently in shambles.
"Items are broken or stolen, and the house often needs an extensive cleaning. You can make nice money, but expenses and things not covered by insurance can add up to a lot of money."
Dent recommends that homeowners use real estate professionals, "a company that sets guidelines and boundaries and has a bona fide real estate agreement."
A real estate agent, of course, would get a commission, which would reduce the homeowner's take. She said there is no standard percentage on event rentals.
Todd Brenneman, who founded sportseventrentals.com, suggested that homeowners speak to the prospective renters and meet them if possible.
"I've rented my home a few times and could tell right away if the people interested were the type I wouldn't want in my home," he said.
His Web site launched in November, in time for the Super Bowl in Miami. He charges $99 for a listing.
He said one way to calculate how much a homeowner should charge is to check hotel room rates. And he encouraged homeowners to list their property early.
Among the 30 people who rented their houses on his site for the 2010 Super Bowl, most listed three to four months before the game.
"Since we're new at this, we're still figuring it all out," Brenneman said. "When people list, we give them a follow-up call to get a feel for how they are doing and make sure they don't get scammed."
The possibility for scams has given pause to novices in the renting game.
Donna Williams, whose family lives in a 5,300-square-foot house in Carrollton, about 19 miles from Cowboys Stadium, prefers a corporate renter and is asking $30,000 for Super Bowl week, or $5,000 a night.
"We're cautious and wary about it," she said. "I'm not going to rent to the first person who calls or wants to write a check."
Dickey Shrum has listed his 4,400-square-foot Flower Mound house for $25,000 but concedes, "I'm just flying by the seat of my pants, and I haven't talked my wife into it yet."
The former season-ticket holder at Texas Stadium has, however, won over his 15-year-old daughter.
"I promised her we'd go on a trip to Cabo for a week," he said.
Who says that living near a major sports stadium will hurt property values and ruin your quality of life? Residents living near the new $1.2 billion Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas -- locals have dubbed it "Jerry's World" after the free-spending Cowboy's billionaire owner, Jerry Jones -- may soon be cashing in by renting out their homes to fans. 
