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[quote=Anonymous]If you do it, get something within a 1-2 hours' drive.  The shorter the better.

At three hours, you can't run out there for overnight very easily.  One hour is no big deal.

Other expenses/issues:  waste.  We throw away tons of food because we either forgot to bring it home or decided it wasn't worth it or the cooler was already full of other stuff.

Depending on where you buy, satellite TV can be very pricey and cable may not be an option.  Also, if you have a job that demands you be accessible, you are looking at costs for high speed internet, etc., which, again, depending on where you are may be very pricey.

Also look out for second home taxes.  Our place is in West Virginia and they love to load up on the taxes for people who are not full-time residents.  One of the many examples is that we recently got assessed a new emergency ambulance fee event hough we don't live there.  It was higher for non-residents.

Also look at what there is to do around your second home.  As the kids get older, not only will you have very limited time to go if they are in sports, but what they want to do may change as well.  Make sure there is plenty to do.

Also make sure that, if you want a caretaker or housecleaner or whatever it is that there are people in the area.  My friend has a place in Middleburg.  He has plenty of help.  My remote place?  Nope.  Not at any price.

You can buy something furnished (we did), but then you end up replacing it all anyway within a year or two.

Think it over carefully.  If you really think it is for you, maybe even try renting for six months to see how it feels.  I wish we had.

Signed,
Bought a place 2.5 hours away before we had kids and never ever get there now but unable to get DH to sell it.[/quote]

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