President-elect Barack Obama and his family have chose to spend their 2008 winter holidays in a single-story oceanfront home over the mountain from downtown Honolulu, Hawaii, where he grew up.

The vacation rental fronts Kailua Beach, a favorite haunt for windsurfers, kayakers and dogwalkers. The beautiful white sand in front of the house is open to the public, just like all beaches under state law.

Kailua is a half-hour drive through the Ko’olau mountains from Honolulu, where Obama was born and spent 14 of the first 18 years of his life.

Barak Obama knows much about the state and the island and still chose to stay in a vacation rental rather than a hotel. The home is within a mile from another beach house vacation rental where the Obama family stayed during their weeklong vacation in August.

Vacation rentals are for everyone, from Barak Obama to Joe the Plumber - great places for families to get together in a home away from home.

If you’d like to look for vacation rentals then check out www.vr-lodging.com and for more information on what it means to use vacation rentals then check out the Vacation Rentals 101 site.