26 Apr Is a Vacation Home Out of Your League? Not Necessarily…

Have you been dreaming of a vacation home? Are you resigned to the idea that the current market is making your dream impossible? Think again!

Second homes/vacation/pre-retirement homes are priced right.  If you were even remotely thinking of buying, there will probably never be a better time.  Prices are reduced, and many distressed deals are being purchased at .30 cents on the dollar.

Conversely, beware when purchasing distressed properties because you won’t know the future of the project. Is there an active HOA to manage finances and other issues?  What happens if an investor buys the project?  How would the future inventory be priced? Unfortunately, along with affordable pricing comes a lot of unknowns.

At Idea Associates, most second home purchases we are seeing for our clients are cash deals.  Anywhere from downsizing to Intown Condos to planned retirement housing in second home neighborhoods – many are bought with cash.  The price is lower so buyers can afford to pay with cash, especially since most can’t get financing anyway with banks’ new stringent policies.

With the future so unsure, most buyers don’t’ believe they are making money in investments for these second homes, so they are choosing to buy something they want for the future instead.

Have you personally considered taking advantage of the prices and buying a second home? If you’re a builder, developer or agent – what are the trends you are seeing?