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Wilgus Associates The growth story of Wilgus Associates can be traced back to its origins as a staff of one in a one room insurance office located on the boardwalk in the Bethany Beach Bowling Alley. Since that humble and simple beginning, Wilgus Associates has grown to include two offices in Sussex County that offer a wide array of real estate and insurance services and now employs a staff of over fifty.

We would like to give a special thanks to our Realtor and Rental Manager, Charissa Joachimowski, for making the purchase and settlement of our vacation rental property a smooth and enjoyable experience.
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The growth story of Wilgus Associates can be traced back to its origins as a staff of one in a one room insurance office located on the boardwalk in the Bethany Beach Bowling Ally. Since that humble and simple beginning, Wilgus Associates has grown to include three offices in Sussex County that offer a wide array of real estate and insurance services and now employs a staff of over fifty.
Wilgus Associates can help better your vacation experience by giving you access to our advanced vacation rental tools. Use the search fields (on the side) to address your specific search criteria, or search by featured properties and specials. Once you have found the perfect property, check the available dates and book online!
Situated between the Atlantic Ocean and the bay, Bethany Beach is known as the quiet resort. The town was founded in 1901 and originally intended as a permanent yearly seaside assembly for the Christian churches in the county. Today, Bethany Beach is a year-round resort attraction offering a 5 star accommodations, shopping, dining and activities the whole family will enjoy.
South Bethany Delaware is one of the "Quiet Resorts" along with Fenwick Island and Bethany Beach. South Bethany is almost like two different towns. Split down the middle by Route 1, oceanfront homes teeter in front of the dunes on the ocean side while canal front homes offer boaters access to the Assawoman Bay and wooded lots provide shade on the other side.
Reviews (27)
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Darren Griffith
May 29, 2022
Thank you, Shannon! You were "Amazing", very professional and you made the cancellation process very easy. I will keep Allstate Insurance Company in mind for any future purchases. Kim Griffith
Allie G.
May 15, 2022
Rental process was Incredibly easy. Rental property was much better than expected and prices are incredibly reasonable especially compared to what I was paying for a similar property in Avalon, NJ. Highly recommend!
Chels
Apr 24, 2022
We rented through Wilgus in waterside a few years back! Kim and Machel were very kind and helpful.
Hardeen H.
Apr 21, 2022
Full review will be forthcoming, but just wanted any potential buyers, year-round renters, or seasonal renters, to be aware of this firm. We were defrauded today after they held "a gun" to our head to not lose on a property. Can you believe a $600,000+ "new home" where they have the "French Doors" from Dining Room to back door "boarded shut" and no stairs to back yard, and not a square inch of slab for a patio! Yesterday, prior to us submitting confidential documents, the "Stairs" were coming soon. Today, they claim that the builder decided not to put in stairs, and we would have to live with a boarded door and no access to backyard.

Now let's mention the war zone of construction on the street and the dumpster in from of house - doesn't stop Wilgus from stating that property is amazing! Can we mention the fact that this same property seems to be missing fan/light fixtures or at least light fixtures in bedrooms! So-called" professional Realtor from Wilgus had to ask one neighbour about construction, trash pickup, lawn cutting, and swimming pool construction!

They also had to ask neighbour about construction hours. Incredibly, the neighbour stated trucks come rumbling by at 7am and they work till 7pm - 6 days a week! This is luxury beach living according to Wilgus! Ironically, "so-called" professionals at Wilgus don't know that developments like this our required to post "construction" hours by their front entrances - actually the hours Ryan Homes list are shorter than this, but they must not care about owners. In our opinion, "Good Luck" if you choose to do business with Wilgus! "WillDisgust" is a better name for this company!
Gwen Deshong
Apr 08, 2022
Shannon was great to work with. She has a great personality, a sense of humor and a lot of patience. The world needs more people like her. Gwen
Jenn Carter
Jan 28, 2022
In dealing with the process of acquiring new property insurance, Shannon explained elements of the prior insurance we had that the company had NOT pointed out. She found terrific insurance, better coverage, and a more reasonable price. Line by line, Shannon made sure I understood the new policy. Shannon knows her business, has a good sense of humor, and represents Wilgus with efficiency and professionalism. Thank you for your support!
Susan McCloskey
Oct 21, 2021
We've rented from Wilgus for our Bethany Beach, DE vacation for over 30 years. It started with my parents, and I've continued the tradition. They are very responsive, although only once did we ever have to call about a cleaning issue upon arrival, and that was handled very quickly. They have a good selection of properties. They allow you to "reserve" your current rental for the same timeframe the following year. Only once did that not work out because the owner made changes in their usage weeks. I would highly recommend them.
Lori Dira
Sep 09, 2021
This was my first time using Wilgus Associates and I stayed in Bethany Beach with my twins. We had the 'best vacation ever' as my 11 year olds say. The beach house was absolutely gorgeous and felt like home. It was clean and well kept. Wilgus was extremely helpful in helping me find a beach house for certain dates. I will absolutely use their services again.
Kathryn Stack
Sep 05, 2021
The rental office and customer service department with Wilgus Bethany Beach was excellent, very professional and helpful. We have had good experiences booking our family's vacation with Wilgus. The reason for the three stars is for the property. After renting the same property for the last two years we felt this year that the property needed some updating.

We had a problem with the air conditioning which had not been serviced and was not working properly creating a stagnant musty oder. Wilgus did respond promptly to the problem, but should follow up on the issue to assure that it doesn't happen again next year. My brother had to fix a broken bed upon our arrival. The property definitely needs some freshening up. We love vacationing in Bethany beach and look forward to each summer's new memories.
Thomas Shearer
Sep 02, 2021
We have been renting from Wilgus at Sea Colony, Bethany Beach, DE for over 10 years. Last month, my son left a ROKU remote at the condo and Crystal Dempsey was sympathetic and diligent enough to make an extra effort to retrieve the item at the end of the next week and return it to us. Well done!
Janet Aaron
Aug 20, 2021
Our Bethany Proper unit was located just 2 blocks from the beach.very walkable unless you wanted to ride the trolly.which had a stop out the back door! And the community pool was just steps away. Bethany Proper is a very well maintained community.lots of trees for shade and very quiet with more than adequate parking. The unit itself was beautiful and just the right size for our family of 8 people.

This was the second year that we stayed in this unit. We had some very minor issues that the helpful Wilgus staff took care of right away. You will not be disappointed if you rent from Wilgus!
William Erb
Aug 12, 2021
Wilgus is a first class operation. Our beach week and interactions with them was fine. Only improvement: notify incoming renters sooner that their rental is ready for moving in. Renters lose potentially half a day of their rental week for cleaners.
Nina Horn
Aug 12, 2021
I have been using this agency since 2017 and have not been disappointed! They make the process so easy and my family has found our forever spot and company we will use.until at least we can move there (I'll be applying with Wilgus!) haha No, we will be staying in Ohio, however thanks to Wilgus Bethany Beach has became our family's second home. Thanks for everything.
Kristen S.
Aug 11, 2021
Absolutely terrible. We, as a community can't wait to see them gone. They do minimal work, continously break promises, and didn't even have l chemicals in our pool. I tested it, a d 0 chlorine, PH was off as well as all else. It's unfortunate, as we'd love to be able to trust the company we pay. However, do not!
Patricia Casillas
Jul 20, 2021
Charissa was simply exceptional. This was not a summer vacation rental for me but a two month gap filler before my house is ready for move in. Charissa went above and beyond to find me a property and ensure it was one that met my family's every need. I recommend Wilgus 100%.
Bill Wallace
Jul 16, 2021
Wilgus Associates at Bethany Beach DE is the best company to deal with for summer rentals on the Eastern Shore. They know the properties, the area and everything you will need to have a great vacation. Call them today you won't regret it.
Linda E.
Jun 21, 2021
Recently we made a move to Delaware and needed Homeowner's, Auto and Boat Insurance in a hurry. Theresa Hayes at Wilgus was super helpful getting us quotes and issuing our policies three days before closing. I know she was juggling a lot that afternoon but she made us a priority, realizing that our Homeowner's Insurance was critical. We were especially pleased knowing that the office was nearby if we needed to go in person in the future. We really appreciated Theresa's efforts. Highly recommend!
Eric H.
Mar 30, 2021
Positively painful experience, looking for a beach rental. Dear Wilgus folk: look at your competitors' websites and the ease of narrowing down searches. Idea for you: allow the user to see all properties of a certain search.by the dates available.
Edward P.
Feb 10, 2021
We used Wilgus Associates to obtain insurance on a property. We worked with Shannon, who was absolutely fantastic. Not only did she find us a reasonable rate and help us customize the policy to our needs, but she went above and beyond to help resolve an issue involving an erroneous claim that showed up on our record that was artificially bumping up the price on our policy. Would definitely recommend!
R. B.
Sep 14, 2020
We used Wilgus to obtain insurance for our property where timing was of the essence. Shannon gave top-notch customer service by giving us peace of mind and a policy that met our needs. We had the issue cleared up in about an hour.
Katherine M.
Sep 02, 2020
This was our first time visiting Bethany Beach and renting from Wilgus. Everything was simple and professional- from start to finish. We booked the house pre-COVID, and our agent Crystal provided us with a variety of properties to check out to meet the needs of our family of 9. The house was perfect and within walking distance to the beach and town.

Check in went smoothly, and the drive through check- in perfect, especially with COVID. We called around 1:30 PM to see if the property was ready, and was told they would check and give me a call back. True to her words, we received a call back about 15 minutes later telling us the house was ready. Would definitely recommend Wilgus agency and the Bethany Beach area!
Jennifer H.
Aug 06, 2020
Very easy to work with from making the reservation to picking up the keys and checking out. Crystal was great, she responded promptly to any issues we had and took care of things by the next day. I would definitely use them again!
Kathleen Z.
Jun 24, 2020
I have used Wilgus both for summer rentals of my condo and, most recently, for the sale of my beachfront condominium. I have had nothing but positive interactions. The agent who sold my condo, Kylie Givens, couldn't have been more helpful. She went above and beyond to get my condo sold. She is a true professional and I recommend her without reservation.
Gwyneth J.
May 01, 2020
Property Management by Wilgus: Basically Made of Amazing. I love my HOA and my Property Management by Wilgus Associates. This is a phrase or a sentence that I never could imagine typing.or even thinking, much less feeling. But since moving into the Savannah's Landing community in Ocean View I have encountered such an amazing HOA experience like none ever.in any of the several communities I've lived in before. at twice the price!

Our neighborhood is carefully groomed, enjoys pristine open space areas, generously and frequently mulched, enjoys lush plantings, white picket fences (which are being replaced this year), sparkly community pool, refreshed tennis and pickleball courts, and they even arrange to have our delightfully nostalgic antique streetlamps hand cleaned! So, I am guessing it's a fine partnership with amazing HOA leadership team combined with the diligence and professionalism of Wilgus.but truly, truly, admire and appreciate how they have created a delightful community like no other.and kept HOA fees reasonable, too! Thank you!
Marvin S.
Jul 31, 2019
We sent Wilgus a deposit for a one week summer 2019 rental of the same Bethany Beach Townhouse we rented in 2017 and 2018. A month before our planned vacation we hadn't heard back from them. We called and were told that our reservation had been cancelled. We said we did not cancel it. Why didn't you tell us there was a problem! Wilgus claimed they sent us a letter by US mail and read off our correct street address.

They said they sent an email and read off a correct email address. They also said they left a voice message on our phone and read off our correct phone number. None of those "communications" ever took place. We did not receive any paper mail from them. We did not receive any email from them. We did not receive any calls from them. Mistakes happen. I can understand a reservation gets fouled up. But to lie outright about trying to contact us when they did not speaks volumes about these folks.
Angie I.
Jul 24, 2018
Fairly vindictive, not pleasant to deal with. VRBO is much easier. We were traveling with a young baby who had a cardiac condition and it took 24 hours to remedy the AC malfunction in the rental unit so we had to drive her around in the car to keep her cool on our vacation! It took 3 phone calls to fix this! Then they promised to return our deposit of $75 (yes, even though we checked out late) since they could not provide AC for one day of our vacation.

It was supposed to be their way of making amends. Never got the check, and in a review on Google they scolded us for checking out late. Actually we left the apartment ON TIME, but got some food and then turned in keys. Temps were well in the 90's and we were promised Central air! Didn't care about the welfare of our congenitally Sick child!

Just trying to get a brief break from the stress of parenthood- we go on one vacation every 2 years because of this and they just made us feel worse about it. Keep that in mind if you use them. Heartless.you have to stick to all of their rules and they don't care if they overlook important details. Not fair, and extremely unprofessional. I fully expect that there will be a response from management that we checked out late and that voided our deposit.

Of course, that doesn't explain why Donna S later agreed to send us the check "that she had in front of her" because she felt badly we didn't have AC. The check is in the mail, I guess.seriously, most hotels will allow a late checkout if you're traveling with a special Needs child. And Wilgus will Probably say they didn't know our child was sick- we'll heck yes, they did!

We specifically asked about that before coming and we were assured there was central air. Anyway, there's so many other ways to rent, if you have a choice don't use Wilgus for the sake of your family and peace of mind.
Eileen S.
Jul 30, 2017
Recently rented in Bethany Beach for a week. We have used Wilgus before, but I have never reviewed. Everything was just as promised. The house was clean and well stocked with the necessities. The check in and out process were fast and streamlined and the realtors very nice and friendly. We received our refund deposit check earlier than promised. Our a/c was broken the first day and someone came and repaired it quickly and was extremely nice.

The only downside is the very late check in (3 pm). It is very hard when it is your only Saturday to spend that waiting for a check in. I would suggest offering earlier check in as an option for an extra fee!