Owner Testimonial: A ‘First-Class’ Way to Own a Second Home

The Pacific Northwest is known for its natural beauty and mild climate — and rain. The latter prompted Stuart and his wife to seek winter respite in the California desert. The dry, warm weather of Palm Springs appealed to the Portland, Oregon, couple who bought a second home there in 1996, when their youngest son was a baby. They had considered buying in the Central Oregon resort town of Sunriver: “We could do three hours in a car with a one-year-old, or we could do two hours in a plane and have guaranteed sunshine when we get there, so Palm Springs won out.”For many years, the family spent a lot of time in Palm Springs, but as the kids got older and more involved in sports, they found they weren’t using their second home as much. “That became a problem because we had it vacant for so many weeks out of the year,” said Stuart. “The last year we had that house as a vacation home, we went for spring break and Thanksgiving and I thought, this is stupid — the house is vacant for 50 weeks out of the year and we only used it for two weeks.” Soon after, they decided to turn it into a rental.

Twice as nice, a fraction of the cost

Stuart and his wife hoped to have a place of their own in Palm Springs again someday, and after several years, with their kids now adults, they began exploring their options. “We started looking for second homes down there again, but the prices have gone up so much that what you get for the money just wasn't going to do it for us.” And then they had a stroke of luck: They saw a listing for a co-owned Pacaso second home. “It was twice as nice as anything we'd looked at, and obviously just a fraction of the cost,” said Stuart. “And then it also took care of the vacancy worries because other people are using it, plus there’s somebody else managing it and taking care of the cleaning. It's perfect for what I need because I'm not down here three or six months at a time.”

Ownership without the hassles

Pacaso’s management services were a big selling point for Stuart, who ended up buying a second home in Sunriver years prior and knew the hassles of overseeing the maintenance. “I have another second home in Central Oregon that we rent a little bit, and it seems like every time we're over there, I'm having to fix something that the property managers didn't notice. And that takes away from your vacation.” In contrast, their Pacaso home manager makes sure their Palm Springs home is always in great shape. “With Pacaso, we have somebody who checks in and will supervise any repairs. One time when I was down there one of the showers wasn’t draining right, and they got somebody over that day and fixed it. I didn't have to wait around — I went and played golf, and when I came back, the house manager had let the plumber in, and they’d fixed it and left.”

Consistency creates comfort and ease

Along with reliability and peace of mind, Pacaso ownership offers consistency that’s important to Stuart. “I'm a person who likes predictability, and so to know that I'm going to go back to the same place, it makes it a lot easier and it feels like it's yours versus a vacation home that you rent somewhere new every time... I know some people like the adventure of going somewhere new every time and pulling up Yelp and reading reviews, but for me, that’s exhausting. I go to relax.”

A first-class experience

Of course, predictability is only a good thing when your experience is positive — and Pacaso has not disappointed. Stuart has been very pleased with Pacaso’s service and how well his home is appointed. “It has really exceeded my expectations — and I'm not a guy who is easily impressed — but they have figured out literally everything from how well stocked the house is to the quality of the furniture. I'm constantly amazed at the things they've done proactively that you would have wanted anyway. Bottom line, it’s a first-class way to own a vacation home without the hassle.”

Find your desert retreat

Need some vitamin D? As the co-owner of a desert Pacaso, you enjoy sunshine and hassle-free ownership of a beautifully appointed second home. Check out our co-ownership listings in Palm Springs and other desirable locations.

Palm Springs provides the sunshine, Pacaso offers a ‘first-class’ way to own

Twice as nice, a fraction of the cost

Ownership without the hassles

Consistency creates comfort and ease

A first-class experience

Find your desert retreat

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