ABOUT US
Al & Elissa
Hi, we are Al & Elissa, a husband-and-wife team located in Orange County, California.
We are Rather Be Properties, a family operated Short Term Rental Management Company.
We pride ourselves on maximizing each property’s booking potential, providing 5-star exceptional service, and the ability to meet guests’ needs & expectations time and time again.
Al- financing & contracts
- Al has had an extensive background in residential real estate over the last decade. He has been Nationally Recognized as one of the Top 1% of Mortgage Loan Originators in the United States every year since 2015.
- Over the last few years, he has expanded his expertise into residential real estate wholesaling and flipping, long-term real estate acquisitions, apartment syndications, private equity, and now of course parlaying into the Short-Term Rental space.
- Al’s passion for numbers, business execution, growth, and giving back has supported him in his growth in business.
- This has translated very well to Rather Be Properties as he focuses his skillsets on strategic growth, investor relations, and vertical integration.
Elissa- Team & Guest communication
- Elissa has over 10 years experience in the 5 star hospitality industry.
- She has worked in some of the finest 5 diamond resorts in the world including Hayman Island, The One & Only Great Barrier Reef Australia and Atlantis The Palm Dubai.
- She primarily worked with a passion for team training and development.
- She has extensive knowledge and patience when it comes to communication and exceeding guests expectations.
- Elissa currently manages all details with Rather Be Properties including- the home design, optimizing each listing, booking requests and guest interactions, managing turnovers, inventory, and coordinating repairs & maintenance for their assets under management.
Why "Rather Be"?
Al & Elissa fell in love in Dubai in 2014 and got married just 8 months later, to the Clean Bandit’s song “Rather Be”. We have two beautiful young girls, we love to travel as a family, explore new places, and to use our knowledge and love of travel to help families and other travelers feel at home in our vacation rentals.
What makes us the best?
Rather Be Properties pride ourselves on the ability to stock our houses with everything you could possibly need when traveling with children. Being parents ourselves we understand the importance of arriving for a family vacation and everything is ready for our guests. Including cribs, toys, books, games, and hours of entertainment and relaxation.
We also understand the importance of an “adults-only vacation”. We love to help with the planning of adventures including skiing, snowboarding, boating, off-roading, or the most epic bachelorette party planning in Palm Springs.
Please reach out with any questions. We look forward to hosting you!
Al and Elissa