Today we’d like to introduce you to Denise Vitale.
Hi Denise, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
My husband, Darin, and I have been married for 35 years, and when we started out, we really didn’t have much—just a lot of determination and a shared vision for a better future. We both worked steady jobs—Darin in law enforcement and I in the local school system—while raising our two sons and saving as much as we could.
Over time, we began investing in rental properties, slowly building a portfolio of long-term rentals. By 2011, we had several properties, and that’s when an unexpected opportunity came our way. Darin was offered a position in Ghana, West Africa, managing a large production facility that built housing camps for the oil and gas industry. I joined the same company as a Shipping Administrator, handling international logistics.
We spent about three and a half years living and working in Ghana, which was both challenging and incredibly rewarding. During that time, we continued investing in real estate back home in Ocala. When we returned to Florida in 2015, we went back to our careers and maintained our properties as long-term rentals.
In 2021, after retiring, we decided to take things in a new direction. We converted seven of our long-term rentals into short-term vacation rentals, and that’s how Ocala Marion Vacation Rental came to life. It took about a year and a half of renovations and furnishing, but today we have a successful operation with multiple units, many repeat guests, and top-tier ratings on both Airbnb and VRBO. We also built our own direct booking website, www.ocalavacationrental.com, which has become a great resource for guests looking to stay in the Ocala area.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
It has definitely not been a smooth road. The transition from long-term to short-term rentals was especially tough. For about a year and a half, we worked 10–16 hour days, almost every day, while renovating and furnishing all seven units. At the same time, we had no rental income coming in from those properties, which added a lot of pressure. We also had a learning curve in the beginning. We priced our first unit too low and ended up with a guest who caused significant damage. That experience taught us quickly that pricing matters—not just for revenue, but for the type of guests you attract. There were plenty of stressful moments, but we kept pushing forward, adjusted where needed, and built better systems along the way.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
Today, I manage our vacation rental business full-time. Through Ocala Marion Vacation Rental, we currently operate seven units, most of which are located close to downtown Ocala and near local hospitals. We’ve built a strong reputation, with a 4.98 rating on Airbnb and a perfect 10 on VRBO, and we’ve earned Superhost and Premier Host status. And even though we have a great cleaning team, I still personally do a quality control check before every guest arrives. I believe the small details make a big difference, and that’s something I take a lot of pride in.
Before this, I spent 25 years working in the school system, starting in an entry-level position and working my way up to a county administrator role overseeing multiple departments. I’m very proud of that career, as well as my time working internationally in Ghana—it pushed me in ways I never expected. But more than anything, I’m proud of the life Darin and I have built together. We’ve been married 35 years, raised two independent and successful sons, and created something through hard work and persistence that we truly enjoy today.
Risk taking is a topic that people have widely differing views on – we’d love to hear your thoughts.
We’ve definitely taken some risks over the years, and looking back, those decisions shaped everything. Early in our marriage, we moved to a very expensive area even though our budget showed we’d be short each month. Darin told me, “I won’t fail,” and he worked multiple jobs to make sure we not only stayed afloat but actually saved money.
Another big leap was moving to Ghana. It’s not an easy place to live and work, and there’s a lot you take for granted here that simply doesn’t exist there. But it ended up being one of the most impactful experiences of our lives.
The biggest risk though, was converting our rental properties. We gave up steady rental income, invested heavily into renovations and furnishings, and stepped into something we had never done before. There was definitely a moment of “what if this doesn’t work?”—but we believed in it and committed fully.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.ocalavacationrental.com
