Top 5 Pacaso Scheduling Myths Debunked

One of the biggest benefits of Pacaso second home ownership is the ease of spending time away from it all, with people you care about, in a familiar place you own and love. To address some of the most common misconceptions about booking a stay in your second home, we asked current Pacaso owners to share their experiences with scheduling, and Pacaso CEO Austin Allison offered up insights into how owners plan their stays.

Myth: Co-ownership makes scheduling complicated

Pacaso’s app, powered by our SmartStay™ system, makes scheduling easy, flexible and equitable. With two types of stays to choose from — general and short-notice — owners can see availability in real time and book their stay with just a few taps. SmartStay was created to streamline scheduling behind the scenes so owners have more control.

Gayle, owner: “The app is so ridiculously easy. You can do your scheduling, you can cancel and change — it’s really flexible, and if there are extra nights you can just book it on the spot.”

Myth: Getting holidays is hard

Owners of a one-eighth share can hold four general stays, including a “special date” holiday, and can enjoy unlimited short-notice stays throughout the year. Each owner is guaranteed one special date per share. If you don’t get your first choice of a special date in a given year, the 24-month stay calendar gives you the opportunity to request the date in the future.

Austin’s take: “Almost every single person who hears about Pacaso for the first time asks, ‘Isn’t everybody going to want to use the home on the 4th of July?’ But because co-owners all have different travel preferences and life situations, and not everyone can or wants to travel at the same time, we haven’t seen that happen.”

Myth: It’s scheduled like a timeshare

Pacaso’s scheduling system is responsive and real-time, enabling owners to enjoy their second home multiple times throughout the year. Timeshares often have fixed weeks or other scheduling limitations, relying on a draft process or priority ranking to secure a week in a hotel room or condo just once a year.

Elizabeth, owner: “I think the app is super easy to use, and I can just look and see what’s available and we plan our trips around it.”

Dan, owner: “The rolling scheduling gives me the flexibility and opportunity to book ahead.”

Myth: The dates you want are hard to get

We limit the number of co-owners to a maximum of eight, and owners can use their home in proportion to their ownership amount. Owners of a one-eighth share stay at their homes, on average, six to seven times per year, for about a week at a time. A diversified co-ownership group means people naturally gravitate towards different date preferences, and SmartStay makes it easy to book dates you want. Plus, SmartStay accounts for peak seasons, giving all owners an opportunity to book at least one peak season stay before any owner can book a second peak season stay. This ensures that the most desirable dates are not fully booked by just one or two owners.

George, owner: “One of the most positive aspects is how well Pacaso thought about the app — when owners can get access, how much time they can schedule, how equitable it is. We look at the calendar and know what we can plan, and it's been pretty awesome.”

Austin’s take: “SmartStay’s equitable system means everyone gets a fair bite of the apple. Layer that on top of the really dynamic and sophisticated software we’ve built, and scheduling is a breeze.”

Myth: Scheduling can’t be spontaneous

Sometimes you just want to get away from it all, which is why the app shows availability in real time — if the home is free to use, you’re free to book it as little as two days in advance. It’s flexibility at your fingertips, using SmartStay on the Pacaso app.

Dan, owner: “I think the ability to look far to the future but also have the flexibility for last-minute stays is really awesome with the app, because it enables you to make the most of the time you have and really enjoy the property.”

Pacaso’s SmartStay system makes scheduling easy, flexible and equitable. Have more scheduling questions? Read our FAQs.

Top five Pacaso scheduling myths debunked