Back in the dinosaur days, Clark used to be a travel agent. For a while it looked like travel agents themselves were going the way of the dinosaur, but recently Clark was surprised to read in the NY Times that travel agencies are starting to grow again. When airlines stopped offering commissions on ticket sales with the advent of the internet, it was assumed they wouldn't be needed anymore. But it turns out this industry won't be affected as much as predicted, because people have discovered that when the chips are down, the internet can't help you. Travel agents are there, though, because they work for you. 64 million people per year are booking with travel agents. Depending on the trip, it just may be worth an extra $20 to book with an agent -- you'll have to make that call. But with international travel, especially, agents can often find deals you can't find yourself. You could save you more than you spend on their commission. However, if you're going on a cruise, Clark always recommends you book it with an experienced agent, since there are so many traps there.

It's a great time to vacation at the beach -- not just because it's summertime, but because it's really a renter's market right now. Many owners are stuck with second homes on the water they can't use. So they're trying to rent them in the summer market at deep discounts. The Boston Globe recently reported that Cape Cod is now a great renter's market. For years the Cape has been a notoriously hard place to find a decently priced rental. But now due to the lack of people willing to rent, owners are offering their places at discounts of up to 20 percent. Just be aware if you're going to do a summer rental up north that the beach season there is shorter than it is elsewhere.

So what's the best way to take advantage of this soft market for rentals? Clark recommends a website called Vacation Rentals by Owner. As the name suggests, it helps you rent directly from owners -- whether it's a home, condo, cabin, villa or apartment! For extra value, be sure to look at "fill in the gap" deals where you rent accommodations that are available in between other renters. But be wary of pictures supplied by the owner. Photography can cover up a lot of sins, as Clark says. He recalls when he was in the travel business and someone showed him a brochure with a picture of a hotel next to a picture of a beach that was nowhere near the hotel! Meanwhile, if you're renting an older property, look to see that it's been renovated within the last three years. And don't be shy about asking for more pictures from the owner. What you get initially may be misleading, so watch out!