Saturday, we head to the beach! I can’t wait. My two older kids, ages 8 and 4, are super-excited. We decided to schedule our vacation a bit earlier than usual, due to the fact that our summer schedule is full of activities. I spent several hours, online, looking for a condominium to rent, and I think I found a gem. Built in 2005, the three bedroom, three bath unit looks to be a perfect fit for our family. Mommy and baby girl will share a room, big sister and big brother will share a room, and I’ll have a room of my own. The condominium is surrounded by several public golf courses, has three pools, and sits right next to the beach.

When looking for a condominium online, be aware that the price you see listed on many sites does not include several fees and taxes. Be prepared to pay about 25% more than the list price - You may have to pay cleaning fees, processing fees, usage fees, etc. Be careful and do a lot of research before giving anyone your credit card (or in our case, debit card) number. (Once we get back, I’ll let you know where we stayed and whether or not I would recommend using the Realtor I found.)

The condo we are staying in has free high-speed internet access - so I should be able to blog, even while we are on vacation. We really wanted a three bedroom unit that had direct access to the beach and a pool. In the end, due to the price of the units, we settled for a really nice unit, but it doesn’t face the beach. Instead, it overlooks one of the golf courses and a small lake. But, it is right next to one of the pools. By choosing a room on the inland side, we were able to save more than $600. Sure, it would have been nice to go with the beech front condo, but life is about making choices. And, $600 is $600!