Sarah,

You can also check out the area around Wimberley TX. It's not that far south from Austin, and the Blanco River is very popular for tubing during the summer. Wimberley is a very small town, but prices have been appreciating over the years.
Thanks,
Grant Pollet

Good Morning Sara.
I agree with a previous post. It is a subjective decision and is governed in part by your life style concerns. Expressing a very biased opinion, I suggest that you consider Charleston SC. For the second year in a row the Conde-Nast suvery listed Charleston as the second most desireable location to visit: behind San Francisco and ahead of New York. Whatever of your interest are they are likely to be satified in this wonderful city. There are links on my website , http://www.lloydgunn.com, that will provide information about Charleston, as we say here, The Holy City.
All the best.

Lloyd R Gunn, Jr. Broker, MBA, ABR, Realtor
Office: 843-795-7810
Mobile: 843-270-6856
Fax: 843-202-2976
Email: lgunn@carolinaone.com
Fine Properties Specialist
Visit my website: http://www.lloydgunn.com

MAKING GOOD THINGS HAPPEN

Sarah,
The answer is very subjective. A lot depends upon your life style. How much time will you expect to spend at your vacation home; what type of activities appeal to you; what climate do you like.

I had a second home in Mexico. When I was away, I had affordable help who took care of my home and I had it listed as part of the International Home Exchange Network. I had a minimum of one full travel day, each way.

If you are in areas that often experience hurricanes or tornadoes, or severe winter weather, you must consider who will handle preparation and maintenence. Careful that you don't end up with a place where you work during your entire vacation!

I could go on and on, but you get my message. When you narrow down the characteristics that are best for you, please contact me. I will refer you to the real estate agents that could help you in those certain areas.

There is also the concept of Fractionals. That is when possibly 8 individuals own a property and have specific times when they use it. All expenses and maintenence are shared. sometimes, very high end houses are sold this way and it enables the buyer to be a partner in a much more expensive property.

Best of luck!

Lots of options......South Florida, Charleston and Myrtle Beach SC, Cabo San Lucas, Barbados or anywhere in the Carribean.

Sarah,

You have been given some great locations for consideration. One of the most desirable location for both local and international visitors is the Sarasota, Florida area. The area has it all....fantastic beaches, social and recreational activity, safe environment, ideal weather etc.

The location is the "perfect storm" with excellent opportunity to buy at great savings and a relatively safe and dependable annual rental market for December through April. Many 2/2 homes rent easily for $2,500 to $3,500 monthly.

Many vacation property owners rent their homes 4-6 months and use it personally for the balance of the year. And they run it as a business and use to their benefit for tax purposes.

If you would like to find out more about this location, we would be happy to hear from you.

Gest regards,
Susan & Bill Eckler, GRI

Michael Saunders & Company
billeckler@michaelsaunders.com
941-408-5363

2008 Five Star Award for Outstanding Cuctomer Service

The market you want will depend on what attracts you. Do you like the mountians or the beach? There are a number of great places to purchase a vacation home. Some of my favorites are Costa Rica, Texas coast -Port Aransas, Corpus, Galveston, Colorado is another great place that has seen good appreciation. I would consider: Aspen, Telluride, Dillion, Breckenridge and Vail. Typically you can find a good management company to handle the rentals and simply block out the time you want to be in the home. THis is a great way to keep a little cash flowing in to take tare of the bills and mortgage.
Sincerely,
Betina


Betina Foreman, Realtor Austin Texas

Sarah,
I also live in Austin and am a big fan of Port Aransas, TX coast. I own two vacation rental properties there. The TX coast and North Padre Island is pretty much the last under-developed coastal land in the continental US. I studied many options before purchasing and decided to make Port Aransas part of my overall investment plan. And, perhaps the best part, I can be there in 3 1/2 hours straight shot down 183. I can hook you up with a reputable Realtor in Port A if you're interested. I have a couple posts on my blog on Port A (link below).

Depending on how old you are I really like the Sun City West area of Arizona with a great proximity to Scottsdale and Phoenix. The values are very easy to swallow right now and the demand for that area is only going to rise as the baby boomers age. Do you like vacationing in Arizona or do you need the ocean? I have a great recommendation for a second home in Mexico if you are interested. Talk to you soon.....

David Van Noy Jr
(816) 536-7653

Where do you like to vacation? I lived in Hawaii before relocating to Kansas City so I still keep up with the market there. Right now, condos in Honolulu are selling at good discounts. If you get one in Waikiki, it is easy to rent out. You'll need to check to see which ones can be rented nightly, weekly, monthly or long term. If it were me, I would select a nightly or weekly rental. Also, getting one that is managed and in a rental pool relieves you of the stress of finding occupants and maintaining the property. You will probably want to buy a fee simple as opposed to a leased land condo. One of my contacts there is Stephanie Chan at Pru HI.
StephanieChan@PruHawaii.com 808.732.3218 Stephanie is one of the most knowledgeable and pleasant people you will ever meet. Her intimate knowledge of O'ahu properties will be invaluable.
Another is Alan Yukitomo with Dower Realty 808.258.7788 Alan is also a CPA who helps his clients with financial planning decisions. alanyuki@hotmail.com
In Florida, I recommend contacting Kimberly Cacioppa with South Beach Estates 305.573.8060
Good luck in your hunt.