This rental is on The Bolivar Peninsula, across the free ferry from Galveston Island, about 2 hours from Houston
Yes, we know the old saying, if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is, but read on. We'll explain why below, and then you'll understand. You can also see from our feedback that this is a real deal. We believe you'll find this gem of a deal to be one of those opportunities that turns out to be true, and you'll also discover the reason we're almost giving away this "GetOuttaTown" timeslot. You read the starting bid right. $1.00. (One dollar) And no reserve! No, this isn't a trick, gimmick or timeshare. See our 100% positive feedback from previous guests and look at the prices they paid! Someone may get the deal of a lifetime! This bid is for a beach cabin rental for the time period indicated, at Crystal Beach, TX, on the Bolivar Peninsula, less than 2 hours from Houston. This time period could actually rent for just $1.00 (although we hope not). We won't try to sell you anything else, although you probably will make it onto our Christmas card list. Our goal is that you will like our rental properties so much that you will return and stay with us in the future. Even if you don't bid on this specific time period, please add us to your "eBay favorite sellers" list to receive updates as we add future listings. We even list our premier property, Caplen Shores, considered to be Texas' finest beachfront rental. We have other dates available, and you can view the calendar of availability on our primary website. Of course, we reserve the right to sell at full price until 12 hours before bid closes, however, most guests reserve months in advance, and the likelyhood of a full price sale is low, as you can see from our completed auctions. You can also see our complete feedback at the bottom of this page without having to go to the feedback section. Many times we upgrade these guests and the eBay auction will still complete. We will be happy to answer your questions, either by phone or email. You can reach us most times at 281-772-1650 and we try to answer our phone calls and emails 24/7/365.
This is a great hideaway on the Bolivar Peninsula, just under 2 hours from Houston. We believe this is your greatest opportunity to lower your stress levels to nearly zero on our wonderful little "offshore barrier reef", as it's referred to by the Texas General Land Office. Why such a good deal when the normal rental for our properties are hundreds, and in some case, thousands of dollars more? Simple. We honestly hope the bid will go above the opening bid, but if it doesn't, we consider this a great way to introduce new guests who may have not previously considered renting a beach cabin to ours at Crystal Beach. We admit that it's sort of an experiment as well, but we figure that if you're looking for a vacation rental on eBay anyway, then you've got the potential to rent from us in the future. We also think you're going to tell your friends and associates from now on what a great deal you got an a beach cabin, and most importantly to us, provide positive feedback about your stay on eBay.
Yes, it may not be summer, but if you know about the Crystal Beach area, it can be the best time of year to be here. The solitude is wonderful. With the waves in view, you can sit on your deck in the morning with your coffee and enjoy the sunrise. After coffee, enjoy a walk on the beach, which is usually more pristine in the winter time anyway, then have a nice lunch at one of the great local restaurants, then maybe some crabbing or fishing. Later in the afternoon, have your friends join you for cocktails on the deck for sunset. The weather, although unpredictable, can be surprisingly comfortable and pleasant at times even when it's not summer. I grew up near this beach, and spent many nights and weekends in a tent, probably in front of one of the homes I own now. I always wondered why would anyone want to go to the beach unless it was summertime and hot. As I got a little older, I realized the solitude was an overwhelming factor in my decision to now spend so much of my time here. I often use the statement "I've traveled to 106 countries, and I would rather be in Crystal Beach than just about anywhere else in the world". Now I know that sounds strange, but we've got a lot to offer here, even in the winter, and especially on the weekends. All of the local restaurants are open on the weekends, and many during the week, including: Steve's Landing, Stingaree, Jose's, Bob's Sports Bar, Tiki Bar and Grill, DeCoux's, Coba's, as well as several others. And of course Sharky's, Ship's Wheel and Tiki Bar are open late at night, most weekends with live music, even in winter. Gulf Coast Market (The Big Store) is open everyday until about 8PM, and they literally have everything you need for your stay and they don't have inflated "resort" prices, so you really don't have to bring anything with you. There's also the corner Chevron Corner Market that's open 24/7/365, at the corner of Highway 87 and Stingaree Road, for emergency supplies. You can ask me for my full rundown on what to do and see from a "local's" perspective, and I'll be happy to pass it on to you. One of my favorite things to do anytime, and especially in the winter, that most people never know about is a morning or afternoon visit to the Houston Audubon Society's Marsh Preserve, (also known as The Bolivar Salt Flats) as far as you can drive on the west end of the beach. Stop where the pilings prevent any further driving, and take a thermos of coffee and maybe your lawn chair, then walk about 400 yards along the shoreline. You'll find an enormous variation of local and migrating birds that have discovered this virtually untouched by man area of the beach. You can walk quietly among them, and see and hear them as they go about their daily routine, ignoring your presence. You don't have to be a bird watcher to enjoy this as you look across Bolivar Roads, which some call the Houston Ship Channel, to Galveston Island. This was an area where many historic Civil War and Spanish American War battles took place. You can then drive about a mile and visit historic Ft. Travis and almost hear Glen Campbell singing "While I watch the cannons flashing". And yes, the 5th picture shows fish that were caught from the shore directly in front of the cabin!
We own 4 great beach cabins at Crystal Beach, and we've been renting our properties on the peninsula for 10 years. We can't list our website due to eBay restrictions, and absolutely will not negotiate this rental off of eBay,. You can find many other available regular dates on our calendar by going to the top right hand corner of this page under "Meet the Seller" and click the red and blue me. On that page, you'll find a link to our primary website with listings of our other homes on The Bolivar Peninsula. We are the owners of all of the properties that we rent, so there's no agency or broker to deal with either. It's just that easy!
The address for our "Gulfview" property is 1142 Gulfview, in the Bluewater Subdivision. Close to everything, yet far from everything. This isn't Ambergris Caye, then of course it doesn't cost as much, either. Just use your imagination to make the water blue, but of course it's sandy. This is a beach cabin built in 1975, and the upstairs recently updated in November, 2007. It is kept very neat and clean. We have it checked and sanitized before each guest arrives by our local staff. It's not the Waldorf=Astoria, so we don't have all the cute little soaps and shampoos, but we have convenience and solitude (except for the zoo, which is about a mile to the east, depending on the holiday). Crystal Beach has a very laid back atmosphere, which is probably what you're looking for when you get away from the city. We didn't have an interior designer plan our property, and indeed, any beach cabin is usually an ongoing project. We have made several recent upgrades which we think you'll like. These upgrades include an extremely comfortable Sealy bedding set in the master bedroom, and a new sleeper sofa with a very comfortable mattress in the living room. The cabin is great for kids, too. They have 2 futon style bunk beds downstairs, (full size on the bottom, and twin size on top), their own remote control satellite TV, microwave, and their own bathroom with shower. If you try it once, you will be back! Additional discounts are available for previous guests! Indeed, more than half of our guests return time after time. How far is it to the water? I like to tell folks that a strong guy can throw a rock at high tide and hit the water. It's usually about 100 yards, depending on the tide, and the access to the beach is very easy.
Directions to 1142 Gulfview:
From Houston:
Take IH 45 South to Harborside Drive, (Texas Hwy 275), exit 1C (immediately past Galveston Causeway). Exit Harborside, go under freeway and proceed east on Harborside for 8.1 miles through The Strand area and past UTMB to Ferry Road. Turn left on Ferry road to ferry. After exiting ferry, drive east on Hwy 87 for 9.2 miles to South East Rd. Turn right on South East Rd (at Seaside Lumber) for .4 mile to Gulfview. Turn right onto Gulfview, then 2nd house on the left. (1142 Gulfview)
From Beaumont / Winnie:
IH 10 West, Take Winnie exit, Highway 124. Drive south (20miles) through High Island to the coastline. Turn right on Highway 87. Proceed through Crystal Beach then look for First Baptist Church on the left. The next street will be S. East Rd. (by Seaside Lumber). Turn left (south). Drive .4 mile to Gulfview. Turn right onto Gulfview, hen 2nd house on the left. (1142 Gulfview)
Distances traveling westbound (from Beaumont / Winnie) on Highway 87 to South East Rd from:
Rollover Pass: 10.9 miles
Stingaree Road: 4.7 miles
Gulf Coast Market (The Big Store): 3.3 miles
Swedes Road: 1.8 miles
By bidding on this auction, you agree to abide by the following house rules:
- No smoking inside. Smoking inside will result in a charge of $250.00 for cleaning and loss of rents. If you smoke outside, don't throw your butts on the ground, or we'll charge you a cleanup fee.
- Anything put in the toilet other than toilet tissue will result in an overflow and you'll be responsible for cleaning it up and paying for all damages. Occupancy AND/OR USE by more than 10 persons WILL cause septic tank problems. Your lease will be terminated immediately.
- We supply linens, pillows and towels, however, many guests prefer to bring their own. All we ask in return is that you wash and dry them before departure, and leave them out for us to replace. You may leave the last load in the dryer. There is a queen size bed with very comfortable Sealy mattress in the bedroom, a new (June 2007) queen size sleeper sofa in the living room upstairs and two bunk beds downstairs. (Full size futon on bottom and twin mattress up). Although it hasn't happened yet, if there's a chance your little ones might wet the bed, please take appropriate precautions. Damages will be charged accordingly.
- We always try to supply many items for our guests, you might want to consider bringing toilet paper, paper towels, paper plates if necessary, extra ice, dishwashing liquid. (No dishwasher). Bath and hand soap. Portable Bar-B-Que pit (we have a small one in the utility room, and remember, propane tanks are not allowed on the ferry). Your surf chairs and beach coolers.
- Garbage days are Tuesday and Friday, except on holidays. All trash must be bagged and taken to the street side receptacle for pick up. Trash left in the house will be charged accordlingly.
- No cooking, fires, etc on the deck. No bonfires or fires in the yard. No fireworks anywhere on the property. Bonfires and fireworks are allowed on the beach.
- Music must be kept low. There are neighbors. No boom boxes outside. Please take them to the beach. This is a quiet subdivision. Sheriff disturbance calls will result in immediate termintion of lease.
- Use sand pans with water in them at the bottom of the stairs to get the last of the sand off feet before going upstairs. Clogged drains caused by sand will be charged accordingly.
- Watch for Man-o-wars and jellyfish. There are stickers in the yard at certain times of the year. Watch the tide flags. (Red, Yellow, Blue, etc.). When the waves are up, there will be a deadly undertow and the possibility of being swept out to sea on a surfboard or float. Recovery may not be possible.
- The property must be cleaned before departure. If not, it will be cleaned at $25.00 per hour with a 6 hour minimum. All damage will be invoiced to you by PayPal and collected in small claims court if not paid. We will provide an optional full clean for $100.00; however, it must be requested, arranged and paid at time of reservation.
- No fish cleaning on property. Please clean your fish at the marina, boat launch or beach. (Subdivision regulations)
- If it has rained much in the previous days, please bring mosquito spray or lotion.
- Small pets are allowed with a $25.00 per stay, per pet, non-refundable cleaning fee. You will be billed for all pet damages. Please call us immediately if you find any evidence of past damage we may have missed.
- Usually the beach access road to the west side of the property is groomed better than the South East Rd. access. If you're driving onto the beach, we recommend that entrance.
- By law, and for insurance purposes, the downstairs is not a full "build out". It has indoor outdoor carpet and the bathroom / laundry area has linoleum flooring, and thus will have a "beach smell". (See views below).
- Please take all unused food items from the refrigerator when you leave.
- You must be 25 or over for this rental. By bidding on this item, you agree that you are age 25 or over. Just like in a hotel, you will have to provide us with a copy of your driver’s license. This is my home, and I’ll be giving you the keys to it, so I don’t think that’s too much to ask.
- The keys are in a lock box at the cabin. The day before your arrival, please call for the key code. Please take a flashlight with you in order to see the numbers on the combination lock box if you plan to arrive after dark in case the automatic lights do not come on. When you depart, simply put the keys back in the box, and you’re done. It’s that easy.
- This rental cannot be sold, bartered, or subleased. It must be occupied at all times by the eBay registered user. If the eBay registered user is not present on the Bolivar Peninsula, the rental will be considered abandoned, and the persons in the cabin will be trespassing. The only exception to this rule is if you are bidding on this auction in order to give it as a free gift to a recepient of a U. S. Military Purple Heart medal or their immediate family, which we encourage. The identity of the receipient must be provided and confirmed, and this will be done directy between Dan and the auction winner.
- By bidding, the eBay user agrees to abide by the house rules.
- You do not have to stay for the entire week, however, you must arrive on the first day of the rental period by 6PM, or advise us that you will be arriving late, or on Friday for the weekend, due to security settings. Otherwise, your rental will be considered abandoned, and will be resold. You can come and go anytime during the rental period advertised, but if you are away for more than 24 hours, the rental will be considered abandoned, and will be resold.
- Payment must be made by PayPal within 24 hours of bid close due to the expiratory nature of cabin rentals, or rental will be relisted and / or resold.
- Continuous rentals are not available (week to week) through eBay bidding, however, we will throw in a free night if you rent the following week subject to availability, and you'll still receive a 10% returning guest discount. You can rent the connecting night for two weekly eBay auctions at the regular price of $100.00, but is not required.
- We reserve the right to sell at full price until 12 hours before auction close. However, we always attempt to complete the auction and upgrade when possible.
- Don't let all of the stuff above scare you. Our lawyers tell us to say it. If there's an issue, we can usually work it out, unless you're intent on getting something for nothing, or have "buyer's remorse".
Vacation Rental Amenities
Sleeps 6-10, (no more than 6 adults recommended). 4 Adults and 6 kids is just right.
Central Air and Heat upstairs, window unit downstairs
Toshiba 36" Stereo TV with front jacks for camcorders and digital cameras.
Satellite TV with 3 separate receivers (2 TV upstairs and 1 downstairs). Satellite Remotes on all TV's.
One of the few rental properties with free high speed internet access on the Bolivar Peninsula.
VCR and DVD (bring your own VHS tapes and DVDs)
Non smoking, upstairs or downstairs.
Full tub and shower, toilet and sink upstairs. Shower, toilet and sink downstairs
Direct view of the beach with only a small road between the house and the dune.
Outdoor hot and cold shower for returning from the beach.
Two microwaves, small stove, refrigerator
Computer with highspeed internet and wireless router. (Bring your laptop, too!)
Phone number (also fax #) at cabin 409-684-1723. (No recorder)
Brand new (July 2006) comfortable and relaxing swing on front deck providing wonderful mornings and evenings.
High Capacity Washer and Dryer
Large refrigerator / freezer with filtered water, crushed and cubed ice in the door.
Clean water, provided by water district. (Not well water)
Smoke detectors upstairs, downstairs and in utility room. Carbon monoxide detectors upstairs and downstairs.
Rollover pass and The Bolivar Salt Flats are close by. Both are known for exceptional fishing as well as surf fishing right in front of the cabin! See "Beach Photos" for some of the large fish caught surf fishing right in front of the cabin!
Wireless broadband internet (free)
Possibility of free upgrade to our fabulous Caplen Shores beachfront home
If you haven’t discovered the benefits of renting beach cabins, we hope this will help. First, when you rent from us, it is definitely more economical than renting a
nice hotel room, especially when you have more than 4 people. Renting a beach cabin is simple. Although we will not require a deposit since you are using PayPal with
with a confirmed address, by bidding on the rental of the property, you agree to abide the house rules listed below, and agree to be responsible for any damages. You
will have to provide us with your identification as well, just like in a hotel. Since we’re turning over the keys to our home, we’re going to have to know who you are,
and we’re sure you can understand that. Although we have never had to do it in 10 years, we do reserve the right to refuse rental to anyone, and without reason, but
will give a full refund.
Our regular prices are as follows:
In Season May 1st - September 30
|
Time Period |
Price |
|
Per Week |
595 |
|
Per Week, (holiday) |
695 |
|
Per Weekend |
350 |
|
Per Weekend (holiday) |
450 |
|
Short Week Mon 3:00 PM - Fri 12 Noon |
475 |
|
Short Week Holiday |
525 |
|
Extended Weekend -Thu-Sun or Fri-Mon |
425 |
|
Extended Weekend -Thu-Sun or Fri-Mon (holiday) |
525 |
|
Monthly (calendar month or 30 consecutive days) |
1995 |
Low Season October 1 - April 30
|
Time Period |
Price |
|
Per Week |
475 |
|
Per Week (holiday) |
525 |
|
Per Weekend |
295 |
|
Per Weekend (holiday) |
325 |
|
Extended Weekend -Thu-Sun or Fri-Mon |
350 |
|
Extended Weekend -Thu-Sun or Fri-Mon (holiday) |
375 |
|
Monthly (calendar month or 30 consecutive days) |
1495 |
Holidays are: Memorial Day, July 4th and Labor Day, Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Years, and Spring Breaks - College and High School, Crab Festival - Mothers Day Weekend, Kappa Beach Party - 3rd Weekend in April (weekly rental only), plus, Dickens on the Strand, Mardi Gras and New Years Eve. (One of the best fireworks displays I've ever seen is done by a local every New Years Eve)
Feedback | From / Price | Date / Time | |
| We were upgraded to Caplen Shores - ten times the house, wow thank you Dan | Buyer: kccharmer ( 7 ) | Apr-13-08 04:12 |
| Fantastic beach cabin*Beachfront view*04/07-11*Mon-Fri (#230237411432) | US $255.00 | View Item |
| Excellent bargain by a very helpful seller and a great individual. | Buyer: twhall35 ( 0 ) | Apr-12-08 11:09 |
| Crystal Beach*Great View*$1/week*No reserve*04/07-13/08 (#230236543409) | US $200.00 | View Item |
| THIS HOUSE REALLY IS BEACHFRONT AND COZY TOO!! | Buyer: scotsmoor2 ( 193 ) | Apr-11-08 21:35 |
| Crystal Beach, TX*Beachfront cabin*No Reserve*Apr 07-11 (#230237427793) | US $108.50 | View Item |
| | | |
| Better than excellent. Everything you could possibly need. Immaculate! Thanks! | Buyer: silsbeegranny ( 86 ) | Mar-30-08 16:02 |
| Crystal Beach*Great View*$1/week*No reserve*03/24-31/08 (#230232788743) | US $217.25 | View Item |
| SUPERFAST PAY...THANKS A LOT.....AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA+++++++++++++++++ | Seller: rrreddd ( 2804 ) | Mar-24-08 14:16 |
| -- (#270220532195) | -- | View Item |
| Nice Beach House, Nice People, A Lot of FUN, A+++++ | Buyer: pigseye935 ( 133 ) | Mar-19-08 17:46 |
| Crystal Beach, TX*Beachfront cabin*No Reserve*Mar 02-07 (#230226129996) | US $96.00 | View Item |
| excellent ebayer | Buyer: beckoray ( 94 ) | Mar-18-08 20:50 |
| Crystal Beach, TX Beachfront cabin $1.00/wk No reserve (#230206099348) | US $100.23 | View Item |
| excellent ebayer | Buyer: |
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