HotPads Daily :: The Official Blog of HotPads.com

Time's Running Out! Vote for HotPads!

As you know, HotPads was chosen as one of five finalists in the Real Estate Category for the 13th Annual Webby Awards! 

We want to WIN, and we need your help! Voting ends tomorrow, so please take a few minutes to show your love and vote for HotPads for the People's Voice Winner!  

It's easy to do, just follow these steps:

1. Register to vote on the Webby Awards Home Page 
2. Activate your account with the code sent to your email
3. Vote for HotPads in the Real Estate Category (listed under "Services") 

We really appreciate you taking the time to show your support for HotPads!

Hot Pads: The Animal Take-Over

Lions and Tigers and Bears, Oh MY!  It's an animal take-over on this edition of the Hot Pads of HotPads!  Here are some of the animals we've found in listings of homes for sale!  

Horses

What a beautiful picture from this 8 bedroom, 7.5 bath country home, minutes from ski slopes in Edwards, CO.

Wild Boars!

This listing definitely wins for the most animal photos I've ever seen in a listing.  From deer to goats to buffaloes, this ranch has every animal you'd want!

Pumas!

Watch out for Pumas near this 4 bedroom home in Golden Beach, FL!  With a view like that, I wouldn't mind having to watch my back for giant cats!

Dinosaur?

I could have sworn these were extinct, but I guess dinosaurs still roam free in Vista, CA (or at least in this 4 bedroom "green home for sale".

Kung Fu Panda!

Kung Fu Panda takes over this media room in a 6 bedroom/ 7.5 bath house for sale in Miami, FL.

Vote for HotPads in the Webby Awards!

Section: Services

Category: Real Estate

Voting Ends April 30th!

We Have a Winner! Congratulations Karen!

We are so pleased to announce the winner of our  $1,000 Renter Bailout Sweepstakes: Karen (pictured below with her granddaughter)!

Karen hails from Knoxville, TN and just couldn't be a nicer person!  All of us here at HotPads are so excited to present the grand prize check to her!  Congratulations, Karen!

 

Please Vote for HotPads in the Webbys!  (Category: Services--> Real Estate)

psss... Follow us on Twitter!

Mega Yacht Parking? Check!

If you're like me, you keep finding great homes for sale on HotPads, but there's always just one little thing missing: there's no place to park your yacht!  Well, fear not, housing shoppers, because Hotpads has the perfect place for you right in beautiful Lighthouse Point, FL.  

This "palatial designer-furnished Intracoastal villa" will satisfy all of your desires AND comes included with a handy mega-yacht dockage site that boasts 180+ feet of limestone-decked deepwater dockage with a 28,000 lb boat life.  But what about your other boats?  No worries... there are also 2 additional 10,000 pound boat lifts on the waterfront.

Let's take a closer look, just to make sure that your yacht will fit...

That seems about right.  And the best part is, you can make sure it's safe and sound from the comfort of your beautiful pool!

But don't be fooled, there's a lot more to this 11,273 square foot property than just that.  From the exotic stones and Venetian plaster to the burnished hardwoods, this property leaves little to be desired... just read the description! 

Vote for HotPads in the Webby Awards!

Section: Services

Category: Real Estate

Voting Ends April 30th!

Hot Pads: A Magnificent Backyard

I've written before about how one of my "deal breakers" when looking at a place to rent is that it must have an outdoor space.  Well, this property definitely caters to people after my own heart.  Heck, I'm sold on it and I haven't even seen a photo of the interior of the house (or a photo of the house itself, for that matter).  

But, when you've got it, flaunt it, and this listing does just that by highlighting the incredible exterior space... at every time of the day and night:

Birdseye

Birdseye Dusk

Birdseye Sunset

Birdseye Night

Check out the rest of this magnificent listing in Paradise Valley, AZ here

Vote for HotPads in the Webby Awards!

Section: Services

Category: Real Estate

Voting Ends April 30th!

HotPads: The Gothic Edition

A loyal reader just sent this tell-a-friend about a 9 bedroom, 30,000 square foot home for sale in Manakin Sabot, VA.  

I can assure you that this "Gothic Revival" style home isn't afraid of the dramatic and it truly is a one-of-a-kind house!  

Look at this entertainment/ living room with ceiling to floor window treatments and iron chandeliers.  I can't even guess how tall these ceilings are!

The gothic style is readily seen throughout in all the features, just look at the drama of this hallway and massive fireplace!

Even the staircase commands your attention...

This is truly one of the neater homes I've seen on HotPads... and it could be yours!  With 15 full bathrooms and 16 half baths, it comes fully furnished for $9,950,000

Vote for HotPads in the Webby Awards!

Section: Services

Category: Real Estate

Voting Ends April 30th!

HotPads Nominated for Webby Award!

HotPads was chosen as one of five finalists in the Real Estate Category for the 13th Annual Webby Awards! 

The Webby Awards are the Internet's version of the Oscars (less focus on designer dresses), and this year received 10,000 entries from over 60 countries. Even getting nominated is a big honor for a little company like HotPads!

However, we want to WIN, and we need your help! Please vote for HotPads for the People's Choice Winner!  

It's easy to do, just follow these steps:

1. Register to vote on the Webby Awards Home Page 
2. Activate your account with the code sent to your email
3. Vote for HotPads in the Real Estate Category (listed under "Services")

We really appreciate you taking the time to show your support for HotPads!

psss... Follow us on Twitter!

HotPads Launches International Hotel Search

HotPads introduced a Vacation Rentals Search in March and today we have another big announcement: We have launched an international Hotel Search!  

With all the effort we've put into our map-based search software over the last 4 years, we couldn't resist adding 80,000 world-wide hotels.  Now, when you are looking for a great vacation spot or just need to book a place to stay during a business trip, we have a great way for you to find the perfect place.  

Our map-based search takes the guess work out of searching for hotels.  No longer will you have to consult a list of places and be forced to take their word that they are "only blocks from the ocean" or "within walking distance to something"... you can SEE exactly where they are on the map.  We also have included reviews from Yelp right within the listing so you can read other visitor's feedback about each place.  Add in our integration of Google Street View, and you can get a great feel about a place and its surroundings without even stepping foot in the same city!

Another great feature is that now you can see both Hotels and Vacation Rentals within the same search functionality.  When you are on the Vacation Rental Search, simply check the box to include hotels. Then, you can view all rental options in a particular location, available during a particular time, within a particular price range.  This allows vacationers and business travelers alike to view all of their short-term rental options in a given area simultaneously. 

Because HotPads doesn't spend money on advertising and expensive commercials, we can ensure that our prices are the lowest possible.  We don't tack on any additional fees for our Hotel Search- the prices you see are the prices originating from each hotel!

Check out some of these Hot Markets or start your hotel search now!

• Los Angeles Hotels
• Washington, DC Hotels 
• San Diego Hotels 
• New York City Hotels 
• Miami Hotels  

 

Search for Hotels Now

psss... Follow us on Twitter!

Two Days Left to Win $1,000!

Hello all- we hope you had a fantastic Easter weekend and wanted to remind you that time is running out to enter HotPads Renters Bailout Sweepstakes!

The Quick Details

- Anyone can enter whether you are currently renting an apartment, owning a home, or even if you just know someone who is doing either

- Entering is FREE and easy with no paid subscription mandatory.  All we ask of you is to share the HotPads love with 3 of your friends and you are entered to win $1,000!

- Your last chance to enter is 11:59pm tomorrow, April 14th! So enter now!

- The drawing will be held Tax Day, April 15th and the lucky new thousandaire winner will be announced here on HotPads Daily!

Happy Easter from HotPads!

(and Bozzley too!)

psss... Follow us on Twitter!

Cool Street View in Vegas Strip

I've never been to Las Vegas, but I keep getting email alerts from various airlines boasting ridiculously low fares.  Like I seem to do any time I hear about a particular place or city, I obviously had to check out what was going on in Vegas on HotPads.  

As many of you know, HotPads introduced Google Street View into our housing search some months ago, which is just truly an incredibly helpful feature when you want to get a feel for the place.  I was trying to find the strip, so I thought I'd start on Las Vegas Blvd to see if I could stumble upon it:

Luckily for me, with a great guess at a starting location and the help of Google, I was able to find it in one click north:

This may be old news, but I've never seen Google Street View take the pictures at night!  It really gave you a feel for the Vegas Strip with all the lights, entertainment, and questionable billboards.

Check out some places to rent in Las Vegas.

psss... Follow us on Twitter!

Friday Funday: The STICKER Edition

I will admit it: we LOVE our HotPads gear here.  On any given day, almost every person is wearing a HotPads-branded piece of clothing be it a t-shirt, long-sleeve shirt, or hoodie or any combination of the 3.  I have a HotPads bag that I carry to work at HotPads where I write with a HotPads pen.  However, one thing we didn't have were HotPads stickers... until now!

(models: Justin Rodante- Systems Engineer & brother Ryan in the background)

Thanks to our friends over at Startup Schwag for sending over tons of awesome stickers for us.  I can't wait to hand them out at the next conference or even do some decorating of all things that have yet to bear the HotPads logo!

psss...Follow us on Twitter!

Have you entered HotPads $1,000 Renter Bailout?

As many of you know, HotPads.com is holding a little economic bailout of our own in the form of a $1,000 Renter Bailout.

However, we don't discriminate and welcome all citizens of the United States (aged 18 and over, of course) to enter- reguardless of whether you currently rent a house, are a past renter, or just know someone who has rented!

Entering is easy and only takes a moment.  Just go to the official Renter Bailout registration page and enter to win!

You only have a few more days to enter: the deadline is April 14th at 11:50pm and we will draw the name of one lucky winner on April 15th, 2009!  

(So don't miss your chance and enter today!)

psss...  Follow us on Twitter!