Original Message:
Rental process summarized.... (by KC):
johnc1143 asks in part: >>So, next I first would need to cough up the $$ to get a full membership to RedWeek.<<
That's all of about $12 for a full year membership. If you can afford a vacation rental in the Bahamas, you can surely afford the $12. ;-)
Re: >> Then I start contacting a couple of the owners via email to gauge mutual interest based. I'd choose who to contact based on their listed weeks. Maybe then also some phone conversations with said owners. We can talk price and specifics. Then I'd call the Atlantis resort to check on the owner to ensure they have the "goods" they are actually offering. If all checks out I can give the owner the go-ahead to send a contract, or use the escrow service (with owner approval). Sign a contract. Payment goes to either owner or escrow service. Call Atlantis to confirm a week or so later to ensure things are booked and hunky-dory (should be in my name then, right?) Call Atlantis again a week or more before departure to re-confirm. Check-in at front desk with my own credit card to cover phone calls, damage, mini-bar, and/or incidentals. If we use escrow, the owner gets his/her pay at the completion of our stay. <<
It sounds like you have it all down just about right, except that it might just take considerably more than a week for resort reservation records to become updated after the owner formally notifies the resort of someone else using their unit / week.
Also, you may or may not already be aware that some owners (yes, even some completely honest and entirely legitimate owners) may summarily reject any involvement of a third party escrow service, since utilization of such a service means, by definition, that the owner won't have ANY payment in hand until some weeks after the actual usage. Owners have to pay their annual maintenance fees long in advance of their usage week, so many owners expect (indeed, demand) to have payment in full in hand BEFORE any occupancy and use. Then again, in this sorry economy, a formerly solid rejection posture may now be softened a bit. Bear in mind that an owner is NOT legally obligated to accept the involvement of an escrow service, regardless of who is paying for the service. It's a matter and a decision to be discussed and resolved on a case by case basis with the particular, individual owner.
Good luck. Bon Voyage.