The Arguments Against Vacation Home Ownership

Purchase a vacation home? That's professional suicide for a travel writer who needs to be constantly exploring new places.

But try to explain that to my husband, a country boy living in New York City who longs to get away from concrete and traffic on a regular basis.

Well, it looks like the New York Times has given me a few more weapons in my "argument arsenal". According to the experts they quote, buying a vacation home typically ends up costing thousands of dollars more than purchasers expect. The costs go well beyond the initial price, into yearly maintenance and repair fees. Buyers also don't end up using the place nearly as much as they thought they would. Typical usage of a vacation home is just 30 days per year. The solution for many: renting the  home for part of the year. But becoming a landlord has its own hassles attached. Paul Sullivan, the author of the piece, concludes that simply going to hotels each year for vacation is likely the most relaxing option.

Thank you Paul! Frankly, its not just my career that makes me shy away vacation homes. Its the time suck that ownership of any property entails. And I just don't like the idea of being tied to the same place for vacations year after year. I like to get out in the world, experience new places and peoples. Which may be why I became a travel writer in the first place.

(Photo by DVRO)