855-224-4236
Don't settle for a cramped hotel.
Relax in a home away from home.
Serving visitors to Big Bend since 2008.
The Eby Family and Big Bend Vacation Rentals
On the internet, Big Bend Vacation Rentals, LLC, is just another company. In real life, it is owned and operated by the Eby family of Terlingua Texas. We are assisted by our cleaning, maintenance, and laundry crews. We represent dozens of individual property owners.
We basically fell into the vacation rental management business by coincidence, and we are so glad that we did. It is our joy and privilege to be able to serve thousands of tourists to the Big Bend region of southwest Texas. It is also our honor to serve a handful of wonderful property owners that allow us to help them share their personal vacation homes with others from all over the world. Your Big Bend vacation and our owner’s homes is our business.
We are fortunate to live and work surrounded by the beauty and majesty of Big Bend National Park, Big Bend Ranch State Park, and the eclectic communities of Terlingua, Study Butte, Terlingua Ranch, and Lajitas. Serving tourists gives us constant reminders of just how lucky we are. We didn’t plan it, but we would not want it any other way. Thank you for making it possible.
Family History
Janet grew up in Houston. Daryl grew up in San Antonio and DeSoto (south of Dallas). We met at Dallas Baptist University in 1986. We knew we were destined to spend our lives together. Despite the concerns of our parents, we got married in 1987. We spent three years in Boston (don't ask why) where we started our first business, a popcorn and pretzel concession in Liberty Tree Mall.
Our daughter, Lydia, was born in Salem, Massachusetts in 1990. After her birth, we decided that we needed to move back to Texas to be near family. We lived in various places around the Dallas area and worked an assortment of jobs, some better than others. After realizing how difficult it was to raise and provide for a child, we waited 10 years before having more kids. We jokingly explain the gap by saying, "we waited until we had a baby sitter". Our sons, Joshua and Zachary were born in 2000 and 2003.
We moved to Terlingua in 2004 and started our a construction business. At the time of our move, Lydia was 14, Josh was 3, and Zach was just 3 months old. Life was pretty good in Dallas, but much better in Terlingua. Raising our kids here was full of challenges, but well worth it. Living here is definitely not easy or convenient. Most normal people just visit here and then heading back to civilization. We've never claimed to be normal. Just happy.
We started managing vacation rentals way back in 2008. We've gone from being tourists to the Bend, to living in the Bend, to serving tourists that visit the Bend. We can't imagine ever moving away. We love it here and we're honored to host thousands of visitors to the Big Bend of West Texas.
Our Move to the Bend
I fell in love with this region when I first visited here back in the 80s. Since then, I’d wanted to retire here. Janet wasn’t convinced of that plan, but retirement was in the distant future so she didn’t mind letting me dream.
My life took a powerful turn on the tragic day that one of my brothers, Mike, was killed in an auto accident. He was a young man with a wife and two young boys and died suddenly, in the prime of his life. Mike was the man I had always wanted to be. He was fun loving, active and living in the moment. I was way too serious and lived for retirement and week-ends that rarely materialized.
After Mike died, I realized I was living life all wrong. I had been slaving away at a heartless corporate job just to earn money that I never had time to enjoy. My family was suffering and I was losing the rat race. I decided that waiting for retirement was not an option, especially since Mike’s death reminded me that tomorrow may never come.
I decided that I wanted to move to the Bend as soon as possible. I knew it might be hard to make a living, but making a life was more important. Janet was excited to see me more focused on the family but was far from convinced that moving to “the middle of nowhere” was a good idea.
I knew I had to persuade her but did not want to push her. I had visited the Bend several times but Janet had never tagged along. I figured if I could bring her here for a few days the Bend would win her over. It was NOT love at first sight.
I’ll never forget driving down a lonely stretch of scenic desert highway and seeing a troubled look on Janet’s face. I suspected what she was thinking. “Janet”, I asked “what are you thinking?” She replied, “I know you love this desert and want to move here, but I’m looking around and I see nothing but sticks and rocks.” Not to be dissuaded, I commented, “But they’re really interesting sticks and rocks.” It took her another day or two to adjust to the lack of green and fully appreciate the awesome beauty and diversity of the mountains and desert. She agreed to the move.
There was just one more person I had to convince. Our daughter, Lydia, was thirteen at the time. Like any teenage girl, she was not a fan of moving several hours away from the nearest mall or multiplex theatre. I dragged her out on the next trip. I told her she could veto the move if she really wanted but to please think about it. One trip was all it took. I had the approval of both the women in my life. Josh was only three and Zack was still in the womb. They had no objections.
We’ve never looked back. Okay, that’s not fully true. Our daughter, Lydia, looked back and is once again living within minutes of malls and movie theatres. I guess living in the Bend is not for everyone. But, everyone should visit here at least once.
Business History
Life takes unexpected and often wonderful turns when you least expect it. I was negotiating with the buyers of the first house I built down here when I first heard the term “vacation rental”. Tom and Vilis, who were then strangers but quickly became good friends, wanted to buy the house for occasional visits and rent it out to tourists the rest of the time. Frankly, I thought they were nuts, but I was trying to convince them to buy a house from me, so I played along.
They bought the house and turned into the “Terlingua Ranch Retreat”. Within a few months, I started to regret not setting it up for vacation rentals myself. They eventually sold the Retreat. We now manage it for the new owners.
Tom and Vilis missed having a vacation home down here and Janet and I really wanted one as well. I stumbled upon an abandoned adobe in need of serious renovation. We partnered with Tom and Vilis to turn it into the “Big Bend Getaway”. Vilis designed the renovations and additions. I provided the construction labor. Tom and Janet set up the business. The four of us eventually sold the Getaway. Happily for us, we still manage it for the new owners.
The Getaway was the first vacation rental, and so far only, vacation rental we’ve owned. Since those early days we've been asked to manage hundreds of rentals. We've turned most of them away. We've only accepted properties that we love or where we felt a deep desire to help the owners keep a home they might otherwise have to sell. Janet built our Big Bend Vacation Rentals from the ground up. At first it was a small side business to our construction company and operated as “Mountain Desert Vacation Rentals”. It has since grown into our primary business and has been restructured as “Big Bend Vacation Rentals”.
We now manage over forty vacation rentals for over thirty different sets of owners. We plan to add more in the near future. It turns out that serving tourists is the next best thing to being a tourist.
We're a true Family Business.
Janet runs the business. I just help out and do what she asks. She might dispute that last point, but I try. Our boys help out wherever they are needed.
Janet handles the reservations, booking calendar, customer communications, business management, expense payments, book-keeping, cleaning schedule, inventory, purchasing, receiving, recommendations on items household items for use by guests, and much more. She has designed and continues to improve her processes for keeping on top of her myriad of time sensitive tasks.
I lead the cleaning, laundry, and maintenance crews. I also handle property owner relations, software systems management, website development, marketing, community relations, and business growth management (mainly deciding which potential new properties and owners to accept into our portfolio. My background as a project manager comes in handy. I like to think that I'm pretty good, but my family and my crew makes me look great.
Josh helps with tech support, cleaning, maintenance, and photography. If your WiFi connection, phone line, or television acts up while your at a property we manage, Josh will most likely be one to save the day. Josh also helps us out around the house, takes care of business and personal errands.
Zach manages one of our two operations centers, where he takes care of laundry services and warehouse management for the wide range of products, supplies, and equipment that we stock. Zach also picks up and delivers whatever is needed. Most importantly, he rolls his eyes and calls us "Boomers" when appropriate (often).
Our devoted cleaning, maintenance, and laundry crews, plus our marvelous property owners make up the extended family or Big Bend Vacation Rentals.
Guest Services
We often find ourselves telling guests, “Keep in mind, this is your vacation but it’s our job. You focus on enjoying your trip and let us take care of everything else.” We really appreciate that the vast majority of our guests try to clean up after themselves and hesitate to call us about minor problems. However, that really is our job. Let us take care of that stuff for you. After all, you are paying us for the service, and you have far better things to do.
Are you trying to decide on the best place to stay on your next trip? Let us help. Ready to reserve a rental and need directions and instructions? We’ve got that covered. Curious about what to see and do while you’re in the Bend? We have lots of suggestions. Having problems while staying at one of our rentals? Please call us. We want to help. Ready to leave and are too tired from your adventures to clean up? Don’t sweat it. That’s our job. Did you leave something behind in one of our rentals? Don’t worry. It happens all the time. We’re happy to ship it back to you. Want to tell your friends all about your trip? That’s why we’re on Facebook. Post all about your adventures there. We’ll chime and help you share your experience. Want to come back? We’ll be here.
Owner Services
Lots of folks own second homes here in the Big Bend. Some of them are willing to share their vacation home with others. We are here to make that possible and profitable.
Operating a vacation rental, let alone dozens, takes a shocking amount of work. Janet has created efficient processes and has the time management and organizational skills to stay on top of it. As we have added more rentals, We've added more staff and improved our processes. We’ve become more and more effective and have increased both our service level and income generation for each of our owners.
We both meet with prospective owner clients to discuss their needs and interests. Together, we develop an individual approach for each property based on the preferences and personalities of each owner. For most owners, we do absolutely everything. Others prefer to be directly involved in some aspects of the rentals. Our goal is to manage each rental according to each owner’s desires.
We provide consulting to current and prospective clients regarding operating their rental and serving the needs of their guests. After several years and several rentals, we know what it takes to meet and exceed the expectations of guests. Ultimately, making guests happy is the best way to keep our clients happy and maximize their income.
We are often asked by potential owner clients, “What do you take care of and what will we have to do?” Our standard answer is, “You provide the furnished home and we'll handle the rest. All you have to do is tell us when you plan to come down. We love renting out houses but hate telling owners they can’t visit because their home is reserved for someone else.”
Cleaning Crew
Our cleaning crew is the beating heart of our business. We absolutely could not operate without them. We try our best to treat them well, pay them a living wage, give them flexibility in their schedule and which cleanings they accept. As a result, most of them have been with us for years. Our crew turnover is very low. All of our cleaners are good friends and part of our extended family.
For our first few years in this business, Janet and I handled all of the cleaning ourselves. We'll never forget those days. We know exactly how demanding and challenging it is to clean up after one set of guests and make sure that everything is ready for the next.
We are proud of the fact that our cleaning crew all take great pride in their work and respect our guests. They want our guests to be happy and for our business to thrive. With their continued devotion, it will.
We currently employ ten cleaners. Most prefer to work part time. We'll continue to add more cleaners as needed.
Maintenance Crew
Occasionally, things break. Sinks get clogged. Toilets run. Screens get torn. Bulbs burn out. Walls need painting. Pipes burst. Air conditioners freeze up. Weeds need to be pulled. Luckily, such things don’t happen often at our vacation rentals. When they do, we have the people in place to show up and take care of it.
I work very closely with the maintenance crew. As a former builder and the original fix-it guy for our first several years in business, I can handle virtually any maintenance issue. These days, I prefer to handle 98% or them by sending out one or more of our experience maintenance techs. Please let us know of any maintenance issues that you might notice.
Laundry Crew
Our dedicated laundry crew works out of our two operations centers. One off of FM170 in Terlingua and the other on Terlingua Ranch. With over 40 rentals, containing our business generates a LOT of laundry. They stay busy inspecting, treating, washing, drying, folding, and package several tubs of laundry a day. In addition to laundry, they also manage our operations center warehouses, taking care of shipping, receiving, stocking, and managing the large volume and diversity of products, supplies, and equipment that is needed to keep all of our vacation rentals operating smoothly.
They also provide team cohesion for our business. Most members of our team are in and out of our operations centers daily. Our laundry crew interacts with all of us. They provide a helpful sounding board for all of our ideas, challenges, successes, and failures, both business and personal. They are never seen by our guests, but their work is vital and never ending.
The Property Owners
When you travel to the Big Bend and stay in a vacation home managed by Big Bend Vacation Rentals, you are not stuck in a corporate owned hotel or impersonal lodge. You are staying as a valued and respected guest in a home or guest ranch that is the pride and joy of someone else. Someone, perhaps, much like you, but lucky enough to own a dream home or ranch in Terlingua, Terlingua Ranch, or Lajitas.
Our property owners have a broad range of backgrounds and interests. The one thing they all have in common is a love of the Big Bend Region. It is their honor to share that love of the Bend with you. They hope you will view their vacation home as your home away from home. Or, as we commonly say down here, "Mi casa es su casa".
Business History
Life takes unexpected and often wonderful turns when you least expect it. I was negotiating with the buyers of the first house I built down here when I first heard the term “vacation rental”. Tom and Vilis, who were then strangers but quickly became good friends, wanted to buy the house for occasional visits and rent it out to tourists the rest of the time. Frankly, I thought they were nuts, but I was trying to convince them to buy a house from me, so I played along.
They bought the house and turned into the “Terlingua Ranch Retreat”. Within a few months, I started to regret not setting it up for vacation rentals myself. They eventually sold the Retreat. We now manage it for the new owners.
Tom and Vilis missed having a vacation home down here and Janet and I really wanted one as well. I stumbled upon an abandoned adobe in need of serious renovation. We partnered with Tom and Vilis to turn it into the “Big Bend Getaway”. Vilis designed the renovations and additions. I provided the construction labor. Tom and Janet set up the business. The four of us eventually sold the Getaway. Happily for us, we still manage it for the new owners.
The Getaway was the first vacation rental, and so far only, vacation rental we’ve owned. Since those early days we've been asked to manage hundreds of rentals. We've turned most of them away. We've only accepted properties that we love or where we felt a deep desire to help the owners keep a home they might otherwise have to sell. Janet built our Big Bend Vacation Rentals from the ground up. At first it was a small side business to our construction company and operated as “Mountain Desert Vacation Rentals”. It has since grown into our primary business and has been restructured as “Big Bend Vacation Rentals”.
We now manage over forty vacation rentals for over thirty different sets of owners. We plan to add more in the near future. It turns out that serving tourists is the next best thing to being a tourist.
Guest Services
We often find ourselves telling guests, “Keep in mind, this is your vacation but it’s our job. You focus on enjoying your trip and let us take care of everything else.” We really appreciate that the vast majority of our guests try to clean up after themselves and hesitate to call us about minor problems. However, that really is our job. Let us take care of that stuff for you. After all, you are paying us for the service, and you have far better things to do.
Are you trying to decide on the best place to stay on your next trip? Let us help. Ready to reserve a rental and need directions and instructions? We’ve got that covered. Curious about what to see and do while you’re in the Bend? We have lots of suggestions. Having problems while staying at one of our rentals? Please call us. We want to help. Ready to leave and are too tired from your adventures to clean up? Don’t sweat it. That’s our job. Did you leave something behind in one of our rentals? Don’t worry. It happens all the time. We’re happy to ship it back to you. Want to tell your friends all about your trip? That’s why we’re on Facebook. Post all about your adventures there. We’ll chime and help you share your experience. Want to come back? We’ll be here.