does anyone have a summer home?

[Anonymous]

My dream is to own a summer home either here in the US or in Europe. Problem is to afford said summer home my husband and I would have to work all summer!! We do have vacation time that we could use for a block stay each summer or, perhaps, we would have to pick something relatively local that we could drive to each weekend (we couldn't afford to fly to Europe each weekend).

Does anyone have a summer home? Where is it? How do you use it - during summer only when kids are out of school (if you have kids) or also during other times of year? Who takes care of it when you aren't there? Do you work remotely while you are there?

Just curious about folks with this life style and advice regarding good locations and things I need to think about to make it work!!

Thank you!!

[Anonymous]

We have a house on Cape Cod. We are able to work remotely for part of the summer so spend 5-6 weeks there, plus a few weekends. We use it mainly in the summer but spend a little time there in the off season. With older kids weekends during the school year are usually totally booked with school and sports activities so even if it were closer we wouldn't get there during the school year. We do not rent the house out, mainly because we are using it during peak rental months but also because I don't want renters in the house - it's not set up for that. We mostly drive up there since we are there for an extended period but will fly up for a weekend. We do have a homewatch service that checks the house weekly during the off season and also does cleaning, handyman services, painting, etc.

It is expensive (partly because we don't rent it out) and you have to be prepared for significant costs in addition to the mortgage. We don't shut the house down in the winter so the heat bills can run $300-400 for a few months in the winter (with the heat set at 50). Also have landscaping, homewatch, maintenance, etc expenses on a regular basis.

We love being able to spend time there. The kids love it too. It's been worth it.

[Anonymous]

Well, we've got a beach house in Bethany. I wouldn't really call it a summer home because we definitely don't spend the summer there. I rent it out all but two weekends per month during high season, and one week during August, so we get down there 4-6 days per month and it still pays for itself. Theoretically it will be paid off when we are retired and then maybe I can either summer there or live year round.

[Anonymous]

We have a summer home, really a second home, on the Chesapeake Bay in Annapolis. There are many waterfront communities in that area that offer summer homes and because it's only an hour from DC, you can visit all during the year. During the summer we spend weekends there and commute back and forth many days during the week. Used to be all homes in our community were summer cottages but now most are year round residences.

Depending on what you are looking for in a summer place, check locations that are within a 2 hour drive to home with decent transportation options and also figure in if you want to rent it out or have it be available all year. Some people I know that have places in our Annapolis neighborhood rent out their place to family and friends for a week or 2 in the summer since there is a beach and pierand all Annapolis has to offer.

[Anonymous]

We don't have a summer home and though we have a comfortable lifestyle that will ideally get more comfortable as we increase earning potential in years to come, will likely not ever be able to afford that luxury!

But, my parents have always had either beach condos that they would rent out, and we would stay in as well, or later, a beach home they would not rent, but kept just for our family. From their experience, my dad was always able to hire an assistant to help him with that sort of stuff, the renting, or the upkeep. It is a lot of work otherwise, keeping another home. I can't imagine how you would do it in Europe. As you probably know from owning a first home, things go wrong and upkeep is required.

But it provided our family with a lot of lovely vacations and a lot of joy, so it's worth it, but you have to keep in mind that it is a fair bit of work.

[Anonymous]

You should get a summer home, or second home, in the spot that makes you happy. A friend of mine who lives in London owns an oceanfront house in Duck, NC, and she gets back a fair bit throughout the year (long weekends, etc.). It can be done.

We have a weekend place and don't rent it. We keep it up ourselves because it is not in the kind of community where you can hire lots of folks to do stuff for you (very rural and in the mountains). My friend has a management company that keeps her house up for her even though she doesn't rent it.

I love the idea of a summer house and wish (i) I had the kind of job where I could take the summer off and (ii) that the beach I love best was not 12 hours away.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We have a summer home, really a second home, on the Chesapeake Bay in Annapolis. There are many waterfront communities in that area that offer summer homes and because it's only an hour from DC, you can visit all during the year. During the summer we spend weekends there and commute back and forth many days during the week. Used to be all homes in our community were summer cottages but now most are year round residences.

Depending on what you are looking for in a summer place, check locations that are within a 2 hour drive to home with decent transportation options and also figure in if you want to rent it out or have it be available all year. Some people I know that have places in our Annapolis neighborhood rent out their place to family and friends for a week or 2 in the summer since there is a beach and pierand all Annapolis has to offer.

It amuses me to hear of Annapolis being used as a summer home since I live very close to here and commute to DC daily for work. I'd love to own a summer house in New England (Maine perhaps...) but my current job cannot be done remotely.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We have a summer home, really a second home, on the Chesapeake Bay in Annapolis. There are many waterfront communities in that area that offer summer homes and because it's only an hour from DC, you can visit all during the year. During the summer we spend weekends there and commute back and forth many days during the week. Used to be all homes in our community were summer cottages but now most are year round residences.

Depending on what you are looking for in a summer place, check locations that are within a 2 hour drive to home with decent transportation options and also figure in if you want to rent it out or have it be available all year. Some people I know that have places in our Annapolis neighborhood rent out their place to family and friends for a week or 2 in the summer since there is a beach and pierand all Annapolis has to offer.

It amuses me to hear of Annapolis being used as a summer home since I live very close to here and commute to DC daily for work. I'd love to own a summer house in New England (Maine perhaps...) but my current job cannot be done remotely.

My guess is she's referring to Cape St. Clair. I think that area is great. And honestly anything that's not "home" is a great getaway. (I used to work and live in Annapolis. I miss it).

[Anonymous]

Yes, I do. It's in China. My private pilot flies me there on my jumbo jet every weekend.

PSYCH!

[Anonymous]

Why on earth would you own a jumbo jet? Very down market and pollutes like crazy anyway. John Travolta only has one because he likes to pilot it himself. Apparently 737s have lots of thrust.

If money's a little tight you could pick up a used GV pretty cheap right now. All the bailed out companies are getting rid of them.

[Anonymous]

Hmmmm...good idea. Since we're in a recession, I'll downsize my jumbo jet and buy a used GV. China home, here I come!

[Anonymous]

I'm the Annapolis summer home person and it's actually in Arundel on the Bay, not quite as far as Cape St. Clair.

[Anonymous]

A summer home is like a boat. You're only happy the day you buy it & the day you sell it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm the Annapolis summer home person and it's actually in Arundel on the Bay, not quite as far as Cape St. Clair.

Also really nice. 8)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:A summer home is like a boat. You're only happy the day you buy it & the day you sell it.

In my case that's not true at all. In fact the day I bought I was anxious about spending all that money, as well as the prospect of furnishing it long distance and getting work done on it. But once we got through that it's been great and we really enjoy spending time there. And I would be really sad to sell it, unless I was selling it to get a nicer house in the same town.