Where is your vacation house? Where would you get one?

[Anonymous]

We have a house in Hawaii. We go for a month in the summer and Christmas, sometimes other weeks. Now that our kids are in high school/college we come without them sometimes. We rent it out for some select weeks and plan to eventually retire here.

[Anonymous]

We have a home in Bethany. The people claiming it isn’t an easy drive to the DE beaches are they knew who don’t own there - one of the huge benefits of owning is that you can time your travel to non-peak times because there is no check-in day or time. Only once this summer did we hit any traffic delay of more than 15 minutes, but we often head there Friday morning and return Monday night.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We have a house in Rehoboth that we go to 8-10 times a year. We rent it out a few weeks during the summer, but we don't rely on the rental income. The main reason we bought it in the first place was b/c H has family there.

It's a great place to take the kids, who are still small. But if it weren't for the family there, we'd preferred to have a place on the west side of the bay, south of Annapolis. We love being on the water, kayaking, sailing, fishing, crabbing, you name it, and the bay is a great place for all of it. It would be much easier for quick weekend trips. An hour away and you're in a totally different world.

We have a house right by the bay in Annapolis and we love it. We live in Silver Spring and the drive is 40 minutes door to door other then summer Saturdays.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We have a home in Bethany. The people claiming it isn’t an easy drive to the DE beaches are they knew who don’t own there - one of the huge benefits of owning is that you can time your travel to non-peak times because there is no check-in day or time. Only once this summer did we hit any traffic delay of more than 15 minutes, but we often head there Friday morning and return Monday night.

Yeah people who claim there is a ton of traffic really don’t go there often. I can’t remember the last time we hit any traffic of significance (more than a 15 minute delay) and even then it has been due to an accident.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We’re looking at buying a second home on Smith Mountain Lake. We live in a western exurb of DC, so the drive down wouldn’t involve any of the major interstates that are disasters in the summer. We WFH most of the time so our thought is that we would definitely spend the majority of the summer there and long weekends in the fall.

Another fake lake.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We have a house in Ocean City, New Jersey. Bought in 2016 when the market was much calmer. At the time it seems like a rash purchase but it's doubled in price so perhaps it was a good investment (who knows---we have no idea what the market will do and we're not currently selling).

One of our teenagers worked there this summer and we alternated living there with her. I did most of the time since my job is more flexible. Let me say, it was a great summer. I am more relaxed then i've been in a long time. DC is just STRESSFUL un many big and small ways that I didn't notice when i was here full time, year round. We're now in DC but going back for 2 more weeks on Wednesday.
This is the first summer we've spent that much time there.

it's 3 hours door-to-door. Holiday weekends can be rough if you attempt to travel during prime hours. Going up is easy (we travel late on a Friday evening). Coming back can be hard--you want to avoid the Monday afternoon of a 3 day weekend if at all possible. Monday mornings or late Monday night are usually fine.

Are you the one who posted about how much happier all the people from Philly are whose kids don't go to the Big 3 and end up at St Joe's and Villanova for college? I remember that laughable post . . . it's about as ridiculous as your "3 hours door to door" claim. It isn't three hours, even in the dead of winter. I grew up there, and it's closer to 4 on a good day.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We have a home in Bethany. The people claiming it isn’t an easy drive to the DE beaches are they knew who don’t own there - one of the huge benefits of owning is that you can time your travel to non-peak times because there is no check-in day or time. Only once this summer did we hit any traffic delay of more than 15 minutes, but we often head there Friday morning and return Monday night.

Yeah people who claim there is a ton of traffic really don’t go there often. I can’t remember the last time we hit any traffic of significance (more than a 15 minute delay) and even then it has been due to an accident.

Maybe true, but it's still a pretty long ride . . . to a mediocre beach.

[Anonymous]

We have a house on the Chesapeake Bay western shore. It’s an hour away. We come all of the time. Spend the summer here, weekends in the fall, Thanksgiving too. Sometimes I even make the round trip drive in a day. Don’t rent although the income would be nice. Only traffic we hit is 495 so try to avoid DC rush hour.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We have a home in Bethany. The people claiming it isn’t an easy drive to the DE beaches are they knew who don’t own there - one of the huge benefits of owning is that you can time your travel to non-peak times because there is no check-in day or time. Only once this summer did we hit any traffic delay of more than 15 minutes, but we often head there Friday morning and return Monday night.

Yeah people who claim there is a ton of traffic really don’t go there often. I can’t remember the last time we hit any traffic of significance (more than a 15 minute delay) and even then it has been due to an accident.

Maybe true, but it's still a pretty long ride . . . to a mediocre beach.

In Rehoboth now, took us 3 hours to get here on Sunday from Fairfax. Maybe too much for you, but works for us.

And on that note, beautiful day for boating at this mediocre beach, so I’m out….

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We have a home in Bethany. The people claiming it isn’t an easy drive to the DE beaches are they knew who don’t own there - one of the huge benefits of owning is that you can time your travel to non-peak times because there is no check-in day or time. Only once this summer did we hit any traffic delay of more than 15 minutes, but we often head there Friday morning and return Monday night.

Yeah people who claim there is a ton of traffic really don’t go there often. I can’t remember the last time we hit any traffic of significance (more than a 15 minute delay) and even then it has been due to an accident.

Maybe true, but it's still a pretty long ride . . . to a mediocre beach.

Boating, swimming, live music, crabs. We don’t find it to be mediocre but each to their own.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We have a home in Bethany. The people claiming it isn’t an easy drive to the DE beaches are they knew who don’t own there - one of the huge benefits of owning is that you can time your travel to non-peak times because there is no check-in day or time. Only once this summer did we hit any traffic delay of more than 15 minutes, but we often head there Friday morning and return Monday night.

Yeah people who claim there is a ton of traffic really don’t go there often. I can’t remember the last time we hit any traffic of significance (more than a 15 minute delay) and even then it has been due to an accident.

Maybe true, but it's still a pretty long ride . . . to a mediocre beach.

In Rehoboth now, took us 3 hours to get here on Sunday from Fairfax. Maybe too much for you, but works for us.

And on that note, beautiful day for boating at this mediocre beach, so I’m out….

I actually really like Rehoboth/Bethany, but the difference between 2 or 2.25 and 3 hours turned out to be incredibly important to me when scouting a location for a second home. But I really measure by what feels like a short/easy drive and how bad things get on the worst traffic days. The other piece about the Rehoboth drive that I don't like is that a long part of the last hour is on surface roads - but that may be personal preference.

-my 2nd home is in the foothills of the mountains

[Anonymous]

I have a place in Basye (Bryce Resort). I bought it a long time ago when my kids were in middle school. I use it as a weekend place. I wouldn’t even consider it a vacation place because I really never spend more than 2-3 nights there at a time. I live in Loudoun so it’s under 2 hours away. I never rent it out. I toyed with the idea during COVID but I don’t want to deal with other people in my space.

Honestly I’ve been on the fence as to whether to sell it for about the last five years. Some years I only get down there three or four times for a weekend. I still love it but the house itself was poorly constructed so there are issues as it ages.

I keep it because I do l enjoy it when I make it there and it doesn’t cost much (paid for it in cash).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Ok, let's make one thing clear: if you rent it out, it's not a "vacation house." It's an investment. If you "have a condo in Rehoboth" and "block out a week" for yourself, it's an investment.

Got it?

I’m the pp. can’t it br both? All homes purchased are considered an investment aren’t they? We go one weekend a month approx year round, few days at Thanksgiving and Christmas. And yes block out a week in August. It’s both.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We have a home in Bethany. The people claiming it isn’t an easy drive to the DE beaches are they knew who don’t own there - one of the huge benefits of owning is that you can time your travel to non-peak times because there is no check-in day or time. Only once this summer did we hit any traffic delay of more than 15 minutes, but we often head there Friday morning and return Monday night.

Yeah people who claim there is a ton of traffic really don’t go there often. I can’t remember the last time we hit any traffic of significance (more than a 15 minute delay) and even then it has been due to an accident.

Maybe true, but it's still a pretty long ride . . . to a mediocre beach.

My biggest issue is the traffic once you are there. If you need to run out for a "quick" errand you can get stuck in a massive traffic jam.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We have a home in Bethany. The people claiming it isn’t an easy drive to the DE beaches are they knew who don’t own there - one of the huge benefits of owning is that you can time your travel to non-peak times because there is no check-in day or time. Only once this summer did we hit any traffic delay of more than 15 minutes, but we often head there Friday morning and return Monday night.

Yeah people who claim there is a ton of traffic really don’t go there often. I can’t remember the last time we hit any traffic of significance (more than a 15 minute delay) and even then it has been due to an accident.

Maybe true, but it's still a pretty long ride . . . to a mediocre beach.

In Rehoboth now, took us 3 hours to get here on Sunday from Fairfax. Maybe too much for you, but works for us.

And on that note, beautiful day for boating at this mediocre beach, so I’m out….

I actually really like Rehoboth/Bethany, but the difference between 2 or 2.25 and 3 hours turned out to be incredibly important to me when scouting a location for a second home. But I really measure by what feels like a short/easy drive and how bad things get on the worst traffic days. The other piece about the Rehoboth drive that I don't like is that a long part of the last hour is on surface roads - but that may be personal preference.

-my 2nd home is in the foothills of the mountains

Yea, I agree. We did the same thing as you. We bought a really nice place on 7 beautiful acres with a pool about 90-100 minutes west of the DMV just outside of a small historic town. Not only is it far more convenient than the DE/MD beaches, it's a nice area to visit regardless of the season. Unlike a beach town, it's not jam packed in the summer, dead in the winter, and focused exclusively on tourism.