I wasn't aware of the HomeAway website until the Super Bowl XLIV coverage this year. Guess that means that whatever they paid for their commercial was probably worth it as I'm sure I wasn't the only one either.
The HomeAway website provides a clearing house for homeowners to put up their own homes to be used as vacation rental for someone else, an idea that reminds me of what they did with some North Myrtle beach rentals in my neighborhood. The HomeAway website currently claims over 185,000 homes available as vacation rentals on the site.
The site works like most other vacation sites. Just enter your preferred destination and the desired dates of your trip. The HomeAway website will then provide a list of available homes around the destination you've requested.
Once your search results are returned, the site reminds me of some other real-estate search site. You browse through the results that provide the amenities and prices available for your selections.
Comparing the costs to what you would pay for a nice hotel onsite somewhere, the savings can be well worth it, plus the bonus of having all the additional amenities that come with staying in a full home (like kitchens and private pools).
Perhaps the biggest hurdle for some is the idea of staying in someone else's home. I'm not sure about the hang-up here though, to me it would be much better than staying in a hotel room after 1,000's of other people before you.
Visit the HomeAway website the next time you plan your vacation and just get an idea of what you could take advantage.