Tips for Purchasing a Vacation Home

By: Mark Nash
Submitted: 2007-01-17 16:16:14
Print this article | Tell a friend | For publisher | Social Bookmarking
Rating:
 

Investing in a vacation home might be for the pleasure you receive from it, than as a real estate investment. Second homes can bring enjoyment to you and your family, but buying at the right price and time, can make all the difference between profit and loss. Be sure to visit your proposed purchase destination both in-season and out-of-season. Many vacation spots are desolate off-peak.

It might be easy to buy the cheapest property as a second home, but good resale characteristics are what you should looking for. Buy a home with at least two bedrooms and two baths, people always have friends and family visiting their second home. Look for a good location, you'll enjoy it and so will buyers when you go to sell. Stay away from allot of fixing-up, many a second home owner burned out from all the work that a supposed "vacation home" created. Buy a property within an easy days commute to it. Remote locations that chew up travel time on vacations have limited appeal. ere are some additional tips:

-If the home is on a water well and septic, have them inspected by a professional.

-The best time to buy a vacation home is the first season after peak season. Many second home owners want to use it one-last-season, then sell and have the carrying costs. Inventories of resale homes are greatest off-season and at reduced prices.

-Find locations that offer long seasons for golfing, boating, and skiing. Some resorts have off-season alternative activities that can bring you back for a respite in slower times.

-Retiring down the road to your second home brings to mind some things you should consider. Are some of the or the lack of seasons that don't appeal to you? How is traffic in-season, you might have retired to get away from grid-lock, but very popular vacation and resort areas can have massive back-ups in season.

-You might enjoy renting your vacation home now, but when you retire will you want the transient nature that short-term rentals bring?

-Don't rely on seasonal rental to cover all your costs. Off-season may be too hot or rental rates drop so low, that the cleaning service, management fees eat up profits. Verify that any resort or condotel allows short-term rentals in season.

--Anticipate all the costs for renovation and refurnishing. Sometimes it might be cheaper to start over. or to buy new construction.

-Buying furnished vacation homes is typical. If you're going to rent your home, make sure the rental manager approves of the furniture you're buying with the property. Out-dated and well-worn furniture won't cut it today with savvy vacation renters.

Mark Nash is the author of "Fundamentals of Marketing for the Real Estate Professional", "Starting & Succeeding in Real Estate", "Reaching Out: The Financial Power of Niche Marketing", and "1001 Tips for Buying and Selling a Home". Mark is a contributing writer for: Realtor (R) Magazine Online, Broker Agent News, Real Estate Executive Magazine, Principal Broker, and Realty Times. His tried and true real estate tips has been featured on Business Week, CBS The Early Show, CNN, HGTVpro.com, The New York Times, and USA Today. Purchase his books at http://www.1001RealEstateTips.com.

Article source: Expert Articles

Most Recent Articles in Real Estate category

  • The Silver Lining of the Foreclosure Crisis - By: Leslie Eskildsen
    They need capital to not only buy the home, but also to restore it. Foreclosure homes can range from an empty, abandoned building to a trashed house with garbage strewn all over the place, missing fixtures and a galloping case of mold or termites.
  • Why You Should Invest in Spanish Property - By: Craig Edmonds
    The reasons why people choose to invest in Spanish property are varied. Those wanting to spend their vacation in this beautiful country know all about its beautiful beaches and romantic culture. They want to experience its golden sunsets and warm nights with the sea air wafting through the curtains.
  • Additional Inspections to Get Before You Buy That Home - By: Greg Smith
    Hiring a licensed pest inspector to check the home for wood destroying organisms such as termites and mold is always a good idea. Termite infestation wreaks havoc on the wood structures in your home, while keeping their presence a well-kept secret. Often it isn't until a great deal of damage has been done that you discover that you have termites.
  • The Ins & Outs of Sale Contingencies - By: Greg Smith
    A sale contingency is a critical contract addition for a buyer who owns a house that he or she needs to sell before closing on a new one. If she doesn't add this provision to the contract, she faces the possibility of having to pay two mortgages. With a sale contingency in place, the contract for the new home becomes null and void if she is unable to sell her home.
  • Problems With Mineral Rights Leasing - By: Anna Poelo
    Problems and disputes cannot be wholly avoided in mineral rights leasing.
  • Milwood homes for those wanting to settle - By: Joe Cline
    It is your typical Austin community: landscaped lawns, tree-lined side-streets, kids playing, couples strolling, all awash in Texas sun on a summer's day, and you scout around for 'for sale' or 'for rent' signs.
  • Rosedale: An Austin Neighborhood By Any Other Name - By: Joe Cline
    Rosedale is simply enchanting. The small cottage-like homes offer a charming, homey, and exquisite appeal. The neighborhood offers a mix of the old and new Austin.
  • The 4 Parts of a Business Plan for Real Estate Agents - By: Cheri Alguire
    This model of business planning and goal setting for Real Estate Professionals breaks the process down to four parts and seventeen steps.
  • Tenant Screening - the first line of defense - By: Garret Lloyd
    Getting a tenant for an unoccupied apartment is definitely a good idea. But getting good tenants is of prime importance in order to ensure safety and peace of mind in the long run.
  • What is online reverse auction? - By: Ron Victor
    Reverse auction deals with internet auction and e-purchasing. This is also known by many names like procurement auction, sourcing event, e-sourcing, and e-auction. Generally in an auction, purchaser is allowed to place a bid on an item on the amount that he is willing to pay so that he can buy that item.