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Thinking about buying a vacation home? You might want to pause and reconsider. Although owning a second home in a beloved getaway spot sounds like a dream, it often comes with complications and costs that can become a financial headache. These homes require regular maintenance, ongoing bills, and need to be used frequently to justify the investment.
Here are five reasons why purchasing a vacation home might not be as ideal as it seems.
1. High Maintenance Hassles
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Owning any home requires upkeep, but vacation homes ramp up the challenge. Image: Shutterstock/ Toa55
Vacation homes are high-maintenance assets, especially if they’re located by the water or in the mountains. That picturesque waterfront property might need a new deck every 15 years due to moisture damage, or that cozy cabin could require a fresh coat of paint every five years, not to mention the smaller issues that go unnoticed because you’re not always there.
2. The Airbnb Myth
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Many think renting out their vacation spot on Airbnb will cover costs, but managing rentals is nearly a full-time job. Image: Shutterstock/ BongkarnGraphic
Many people think renting out their vacation home on Airbnb will cover the costs, but being a host is not as easy as it sounds. Managing short-term rentals involves constant marketing, cleaning, dealing with guest issues, and sometimes neighbor complaints. Hiring a property management company might help, but their fees can gobble up any potential profits.
3. Underutilized Investment
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People sink fortunes into gorgeous vacation properties only to visit a couple of times a year. Image: Shutterstock/ Halfpoint
It's startling how infrequently most vacation homes are used. Owners might shell out millions only to visit a couple of times a year. Factors like distance, busy professional lives, and seasonality (only visiting during peak seasons) drastically reduce the use of these properties.
4. Ever-increasing Property Taxes
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Property taxes have a nasty habit of increasing, even when property values don’t. Image: Unsplash/ Grant Durr
Don’t forget about property taxes, which seem to have a relentless knack for increasing. Even if property values decline, taxes historically tend to rise, potentially adding thousands to your annual expenses.
5. It's Not Liquid
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Need quick cash? Good luck quickly liquidating a home. Image: Unsplash/ Mike Scheid
Need cash fast? A vacation home won't help much there. Selling real estate is a long and often unpredictable process involving agents, listings, open houses, and possible contractual and inspection issues. Unlike stocks, which you can sell almost instantly, real estate is a slow-moving investment.
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