How this homeowner simplified the good life

Life’s too short to put off enjoying it.

It’s a lesson Vacasa homeowner Danielle M. realized after watching her parents get older.

“They were going to work hard, save, and be really conservative, and then when they retired, they were going to do all the things that they weren't able to do when they were raising their family and working,” she says. “And unfortunately, my mom was diagnosed with Parkinson's shortly after she retired.”

Her mother’s diagnosis was life-changing, to say the least. It got Danielle thinking about how she could start enjoying time with her son and husband now.

“Working hard and putting away your money until you're retired so that you can afford to live was instilled in both me and my husband,” she explains. “But for us, pulling money out of retirement funds to divert it into another investment was important as a family, so we can actually enjoy each other and enjoy life,” she continues. “Yes, it's not the ‘traditional’ thing to do, but it's the thing that we needed to do for ourselves.”

Embracing the present

So, she and her husband met with a financial planner and started looking at investing in a vacation home near the ocean.

“We ended up spending some time in Cannon Beach and fell in love with the Oregon Coast,” she told us. “I love the nature, the landscape, and wildlife. It's incredible. It just makes me feel so chill—I can relax like I can't at home. I think we all feel that way when we're here, even the dog.”

They settled on a beautiful craftsman home in Rockaway Beach, a sleepy town known for its stunning landscapes and white sand beaches.

Danielle and her family knew they wanted to share their property with others. But because they live seven hours from Rockaway, they needed a local team they could trust to keep their property in good condition in between visits. So, she contacted Vacasa.

“One of the stipulations when you have a short-term rental permit in Rockaway is you have to have a local point of contact, somebody actually managing the property and taking care of it,” Danielle says. “After meeting our general manager, speaking to other people at Vacasa, and finding out the benefits of doing business with them, I was awed.”

Danielle knew Vacasa was a great fit for her and her family because of her local team’s focus on care.

“The beach house is an investment property, but it's not about making money—it's about covering our costs. And we want other people to be able to enjoy it,” she explains.

“When they walk into this house, I want my guests to feel like they have literally transported from their home that has everything, to my home that has everything that they're going to need,” Danielle continues. “I don't have to buy six months’ worth of paper towels and toilet paper and put it in a storage closet somewhere. Vacasa does it for me.”

Taking it easy

The key to her hands-off vacation rental is Vacasa’s unique blend of on-the-ground experts and homeowner-friendly tech. Combined, they make managing a busy vacation rental from over 400 miles away a snap—and make it simple for Danielle and her family to enjoy their home.

“I feel confident in the local staff, which is really important to me because we've basically left this investment here for them to take care of for us while we're not around,” she tells us.

“We basically come to this house whenever we want. It's super easy for us to be able to make it happen. I just log into my Vacasa homeowner account, I block off the days that I want to come, and it automatically schedules housekeeping for me. It's a done deal and we show up.”

Danielle loves that Vacasa’s full-service vacation rental management has made it effortless for her family to own—and share—a place that’s all about the good life.

“We just don't have any worries. I can be seven hours away and not have to think about anything other than, ‘Is somebody staying there today?’ It's awesome.” ⧫