Yes we can! Yes We can!

Remember when the crowds were shouting that during President Obama’s campaign?

Well, we can rent the same five-bedroom Hawaiian villa as the First Family if we can spend $3,500 per night or $75,000 per month. Part of the the prestigious development of Paradise Point at Kailua Bay on Oahu, this 7,000-sq.-ft. house is available on HomeAway.com for much of April. The pool looks gorgeous and of course it’s landscaped for maximum privacy. Spring break in Hawaii, anyone? I’ll bring the beer!

Obama slept here; all photos courtesy of HomeAway.com

I’ve used HomeAway.com’s sister site, VRBO.com, four times with great success. As much as I love hotels, it’s nice to have an apartment/condo if I’m staying somewhere for a week or so. I especially like having a condo for a ski vacation, where a kitchen really comes in handy.

When I went to Park City, Utah, last December, I found a great little condo on VRBO.com just two blocks up from Main Street. I chose it based on location and price — Park City can get very expensive between Christmas and New Year’s. It was not the kind of place where a First Family would stay because there was only one bedroom. And because it was rather modest.

I consider VRBO.com one of my best kept travel secrets, and I often look through their inventory even if I don’t ultimately end up going that route. Tip: Whenever you email the owner, always ask if they’re offering any discounts off their listed rate. It can’t hurt and I’ve found that most people are willing to give you at least a little off. Possibly even if the Obamas stayed there.