* Choose a destination where supply exceeds demand.
Pick places where villas are abundant: Forgo high-profile St. Barts for St. Martin, over-exposed Tuscany for Umbria. And consider the length of the rental season: Destinations where villas are filled three to five months of the year (e.g., Italy) are pricier than those where rentals last eight or nine months (e.g., the Caribbean).

* Go where the U.S. dollar is strong.
Greenbacks stretch a lot farther in Costa Rica or Croatia than in England or Italy.

* Go where villas have breakdown rates.
Generally speaking, the larger your group, the lower the per-person rate. In certain regions or seasons—especially in the Caribbean—if your group is not big enough to fill all of a villa's bedrooms, you can pay a fraction of the rate for a fraction of the bedrooms, yet still have the property to yourself. Even when breakdown rates aren't published, you can negotiate for them if it's an off-peak time.

* Prioritize your wish list.
Decide what features and amenities you're willing to give up to get those you can't live without. A beachfront location? A modern kitchen? A big pool? The latest sound system? High-speed Internet access? Ask your villa rental agent which amenities drive up prices the most at your destination, since this varies from country to country. On the French Riviera, for instance, air-conditioning, Wi-Fi, and a heated pool won't add much to the cost; in Tuscany, they'll send it soaring. A beachfront location on St. Thomas will be pricier than one on Virgin Gorda (which has more beachfront villas).

* Consider what the rate includes.
Sometimes rates exclude a hefty tax, a cleaning fee, and additional charges for air-conditioning, heat, and the privilege of paying by credit card. Sometimes they include staff, beach-club access, a rental car, and even a boat. If a villa does not include beach access, find out if you can buy day passes to a nearby oceanfront resort. My villa rate at Jamaica's Bienvenue, near Montego Bay, included day passes to the Rose Hall Resort & Country Club. If it hadn't, we could have purchased them for $55 per person, which includes all you can eat and drink.

* Go where the cost of labor is low.
Having staff at your villa in the British or U.S. Virgin Islands, for instance, is usually more expensive than it would be in Barbados or St. Lucia. Want only a cook? Realize that at some destinations (e.g., Provence, St. Martin), cooks are pricey gourmet chefs. You'll get better value if your cook is part of a villa's built-in staff.

* Go where you can arrive and depart on any day of the week.
Destinations catering mainly to Europeans insist on Saturday-to-Saturday rentals. In much of the Caribbean, by contrast, you can start your stay on any day of the week—which means you can book your flights on the dates that have the lowest airfares.

* Use a rental agent who works directly with villa owners rather than with property management companies.
Management companies tend to standardize the prices of all the properties they represent. Owners, however, may decide to price their villas below the standard market value in order to rent them more often.