Ours is 3.5 hours. It’s on a ski hill, and we’re in Baltimore, so 3 hours was the realistic minimum. For us, the extra 30 minutes is worth it for better skiing and a place that has more summer activities. But we definitely only go up for long weekends or longer vacations. It helps that my husband and I can both work remotely so we can go whenever the kids have a school holiday.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Not gonna lie -- we would have preferred a house on the beach, sure, but the hassle involved just wasn't worth it to us. The closest beaches to the DMV are just too far and difficult to get to for a carefree summer weekend, and outside of the summer season they're dead and you can't swim anyway.

We ended up looking west, and landed on a place that we love. On a bad day it's just under 2 hours; most of the time barely more than 90 minutes. Saving an hour to 90 minutes each way is a game changer.

That's great that you found a place that you love. But I never understand when people just feel like they want a vacation home without a strong desire for a specific type of location, such as the beach or mountains.

Because in our case it's not a "vacation" home. It's a second home outside of the city. We "vacation" elsewhere. We "live" in our first and second homes.

Not that complicated.

I think we are still all confused, but I guess you need to name the city.

I suppose I understand a one BR in NYC and then a house in Scarsdale.

Outside of NYC, it’s hard to understand doing the equivalent in any other city…maybe Chicago but the nice suburbs are much closer in for Chicago.

Anonymous wrote:We bought three second homes, two at the Beach about 3-5 hours away, and one in WISP for skiing about 3 hours away. The kids are older now, and we rarely go to the Beach but once a year. The same is true for the Sheonondoa place. We ended up renting them out on Airbnb, and they have been a decent investment.

You bought a second home at Wisp for skiing? Hopefully you enjoy Deep Creek because the skiing at Wisp sucks (as does all mid Atlantic skiing these days).

Also, Wisp isn’t Shenandoah.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Not gonna lie -- we would have preferred a house on the beach, sure, but the hassle involved just wasn't worth it to us. The closest beaches to the DMV are just too far and difficult to get to for a carefree summer weekend, and outside of the summer season they're dead and you can't swim anyway.

We ended up looking west, and landed on a place that we love. On a bad day it's just under 2 hours; most of the time barely more than 90 minutes. Saving an hour to 90 minutes each way is a game changer.

That's great that you found a place that you love. But I never understand when people just feel like they want a vacation home without a strong desire for a specific type of location, such as the beach or mountains.

Because in our case it's not a "vacation" home. It's a second home outside of the city. We "vacation" elsewhere. We "live" in our first and second homes.

Not that complicated.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We have homes 1.5 and 3 hours away. The 1.5 one we go to 2-3 monthly, but the 3 hr one only gets visited 1-2 a year. We can make day trips with the 1.5 one but the 3 hour is always overnight/ long weekend.

Why would you buy a second home just for day trips? Where is it?

It's not just for day trips but the option is nice to have. It's in shrnandoah. We love kayaking and fishing and just listening to the water. We get a lot friends who live coming through but don't necessarily stay the night.

PP again. Another thought: we have teens and our kids still go with us to the house a lot bc its only 90 mins away so their friends can come hang out. Something to consider if you have kids

Sure but, the main thing is you have the river which is what you want, right? If I could plunk the same house down at half the distance, but no river, it would be a no go right?

Anonymous wrote:Not gonna lie -- we would have preferred a house on the beach, sure, but the hassle involved just wasn't worth it to us. The closest beaches to the DMV are just too far and difficult to get to for a carefree summer weekend, and outside of the summer season they're dead and you can't swim anyway.

We ended up looking west, and landed on a place that we love. On a bad day it's just under 2 hours; most of the time barely more than 90 minutes. Saving an hour to 90 minutes each way is a game changer.

That's great that you found a place that you love. But I never understand when people just feel like they want a vacation home without a strong desire for a specific type of location, such as the beach or mountains.

Not gonna lie -- we would have preferred a house on the beach, sure, but the hassle involved just wasn't worth it to us. The closest beaches to the DMV are just too far and difficult to get to for a carefree summer weekend, and outside of the summer season they're dead and you can't swim anyway.

We ended up looking west, and landed on a place that we love. On a bad day it's just under 2 hours; most of the time barely more than 90 minutes. Saving an hour to 90 minutes each way is a game changer.

We have a cabin at 1 hr 15 min and a beach house at 1 hr 45 min. The cabin is SO MUCH EASIER. So I wouldn't be doing above 2 hours.

OP, an hour is a big difference - but the quality of the location is very important. The clearest example: you can be either walking distance to the beach, or a 15 minute drive from the beach. Walking distance to the beach is awesome. A 15 minute drive from the beach is hardly worth it.

I'll weigh in.

We have a wknd place in the Shenandoah Valley. It is about 2 hours and 10 mins away. We go up at least twice a month in the late spring, summer and early fall. There are times when my DH goes up every wknd.

This would not be the case at all if it were 3 hours and we have often talked about how we wouldn't make it up there as often if it were a longer drive.

YMMV.

When my parents retired to Ocean Pines (3 hrs), we went with kids alot on weekends in the summer. Kids are grown now.
YMMV, but sometimes, we'd go for just the day as our weekends weren't always totally free.
We'd leave at 7, arrive by 10, do beach time, fun time, nap time, dinner; then leave around 8 and be at home by 11.

We bought three second homes, two at the Beach about 3-5 hours away, and one in WISP for skiing about 3 hours away. The kids are older now, and we rarely go to the Beach but once a year. The same is true for the Sheonondoa place. We ended up renting them out on Airbnb, and they have been a decent investment.

Anonymous wrote:To me it totally depends on what you want to do when you get there.

If we’re just talking a third bedroom for guests? No. Not worth it.

But if 3 hours has a dock and the whole point is boating, then yes.

I mean you’re not driving all that way just to sit around and drink coffee, right? So figure out what makes the whole enterprise worth it and then get the closest version of that you can afford.

+1 We bought a place ~2.5 hours away because we love the beach and amenities so we wouldn't consider anything that wasn't right by the ocean and in the middle of a fun town.

We would have loved to find that within 1.5 hours, but it doesn't exist. There was no point in even looking at closer locations that didn't have a beach and fun town.

I bought a vacation home very close my primary home. Don't laugh, Kids were 6, 10 and 12 at time. I used it one summer and some of next summer. By the time they were 8, 12 and 14 they had so much kids activities even 20 minutes away was too much.

I should have bought it when first one was born. Little kids go where you go. Older kids have friends, activities, camps, in summer. They dont want to go as much.

Also it depends how nice your primary home is People in Manhattan for instance have tiny apartments and going to Hamptons or New Jersey shore beach house is heaven.

However, anyone with a an amazing house on Long Island or NJ in surburbs quickly grows tired of beach house

My wife and kids sleep when driving and I end up doing all the driving. So if you got that situation they dont mind long drives as much as I do. If you are splitting driving with spouse you can go longer.

My neighbor in DC has a lake house on Great Lakes!!! They go twice a year and the Mom, Dad and two older kids split the drive in their minivan

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We have homes 1.5 and 3 hours away. The 1.5 one we go to 2-3 monthly, but the 3 hr one only gets visited 1-2 a year. We can make day trips with the 1.5 one but the 3 hour is always overnight/ long weekend.

Why would you buy a second home just for day trips? Where is it?

It's not just for day trips but the option is nice to have. It's in shrnandoah. We love kayaking and fishing and just listening to the water. We get a lot friends who live coming through but don't necessarily stay the night.

PP again. Another thought: we have teens and our kids still go with us to the house a lot bc its only 90 mins away so their friends can come hang out. Something to consider if you have kids