Second-Home Savvy

The faucet is running in the master bath of a home that won't be occupied for three months. An elaborate chandelier sways above a glass-top table that won't see diners for half a year. And silently but relentlessly, mold is forming on bathroom walls where a tiny plumbing leak exists.

It could be the first wave of major aggravation for the absentee owners, or it could be just a minor ripple in a sea of tranquility. The variable is how owners of second and third homes take care of their properties while they're away. Should they trust their homes to fate? That's risky business for any property, but especially when homes cost hundreds of thousands or millions of dollars. Electronic and human help is safer.

The swaying chandelier was a potential disaster headed off by the concierge teams of WCI Communities Inc. The Bonita Springs-based firm offers home-watch services in five of its communities. A WCI team member waiting in the home for a package delivery noticed the poor installation of a new chandelier. The owners were alerted, and the store's installers returned to make repairs.

Subscribers to WCI's Signature Services Concierge program can arrange for weekly, or less frequent, visits to their property, or even order a pre-arrival shopping trip to fill the refrigerator.

"Whether it's stocking pantries, Fed-Exing a forgotten party dress or finding a gushing sprinkler, having onsite assistance and constant communication allows home-owners to truly enjoy the leisure lifestyle," says Connie Boyd, corporate director of WCI's concierge services.

The company dubs such part-time residents "splitters," and recently conducted an Internet survey to gather information on them (www.splitters.com). Among the findings: 33 percent of the 408 responders listed maintenance, repairs and upkeep as their main concern with their vacation homes. Among the data: the National Association of Realtors' estimate of 11 million second-home owners by 2009.

When Patrick and Shirley Daly bought their single-family home in the Colony Golf & Bay Club 18 months ago, they said home-watch service was a must.

"We have a place in Steamboat Springs, [Colo.]," Shirley says. "So we were already aware of how important onsite help is."

The Wheaton, Ill., couple opted for concierge service and uses it not only to get packages at the Southwest Florida home they enjoy with their two sons, but also as a resource for reliable local tradespeople.

"They referred me to the folks who put up our hurricane shutters," she says. "It's such a good feeling knowing I can call and be assured that things are being done to protect our home."

Debbie Hamell runs two home-watch businesses, Tropical Properties Solutions and Customer Services of Collier County. The latter is one of several used by residents of The Bonita Bay Group properties.

"New owners of vacation homes don't always have the experience needed to make good decisions for their homes," she says. For instance, they need to leave the air-conditioning set low enough to maintain their property (78 degrees, she recommends), and they should shut the water off.

Hamell says in Florida, weekly home monitoring is the best way to prevent a mold problem or discover an equipment breakdown. Her clients usually rely on her to call tradespeople to remedy situations. Having good relationships with reliable tradespeople is key to the monitoring process, according to WCI's Boyd.

"We've developed resources who like the prospect of continued business," she says. "As a steady customer, we have confidence work will be performed satisfactorily, and our clients benefit from reasonable prices."

Boyd says clients get a list of dos and don'ts to implement before they leave, which they can do themselves or have done by staff. She shares two hints for seasonal residents: leave ice cubes in a bowl in the freezer when departing. If they've frozen into a solid piece of ice when they return, the electricity has been off for some time. Also, put colored plastic wrap over toilet seats. The wrap prevents evaporation in the bowl; the color reminds returning owners that it's there.

Adele Cygelman, editor in chief of Robb Report Luxury Home, says owners of high-end vacation homes commonly use electronic security, such as motion sensors and cameras. Not only do electronics serve security needs, but absentee owners can prepare the home for their return by remotely turning air conditioning down, pool and spa heaters up and opening automatic storm shutters.

Cygelman recalls a homeowner who noticed things weren't quite right after lengthy absences. Inside cameras were installed to solve the mystery. Turns out a neighbor decided to make himself at home in the family room while the owners were away.

"The cameras-and the popcorn kernels-gave him away," she says.

Home electronics have come a long way since homeowners used telephones to turn on pool heaters, says Anson Fogel, president of ESC, a systems integration firm in Aspen, Colo. Now the Internet is the medium for absentee homeowners to check on their properties, he says. "Users go online, enter their user name and a password and not only turn on electronic devices in their home, such as pool heaters, air-conditioning units, lighting and security systems, but see what's going on in every room at any time from anywhere in the world."

Current technology records any incidents of vandalism or criminal activity on a hard disk, he says, for replay at a later time.

Lutron Electronics' Jessica Tolliver touts two systems the Coopersburg, Pa., firm makes to aid absentee owners. One allows users to open and close window coverings via the Internet from any location. The Sivoia system senses sunlight and closes window coverings without any human assistance.

In most cases, however, the human touch is still key to solving empty home problems. Hamell says prudent homeowners should take the time to interview more than one home-watch candidate before making a choice. She recommends asking candidates for references and selecting someone with whom owners develop a rapport.

A vacation home with a super view and a flowing floor plan is fine, say the experts, but one with a good protection plan is even better.