Ever since the pandemic began, vacation home rentals and sales have surged as Americans search for getaways to rent out or enjoy themselves. In the first quarter of 2021, vacation homes climbed 46% year-over-year, according to realtor.com®.
“Given the pandemic, a second home offers a sense of security and personal space that a hotel or vacation rental may not,” Joe Robison, a data reporter at MoveBuddha.com, an online moving resource, told CNBC. “And with work-from-home protocols, the freedom to move between two different home offices could be tremendously attractive as it offers a change of scenery without the unknown variables of booking a vacation rental.”
Destinations that are growing more popular ever since the pandemic began are those within driving distance of major cities. “We’ve seen rising demand for vacation destinations within a three-hour drive of major metro areas, as road trips become the preferred way to travel--and that’s especially true for mountain and beach areas where people can be outdoors and there’s less density,” Shaun Greer, vice president of real estate and strategic growth at Vacasa, told CNBC.
According to a report from Vacasa, a rental company, the following destinations topped the list as the best places to buy a winter vacation home in 2021-2022. The areas were ranked based on cap rate and median home cost.
Source: “Best Places to Buy a Winter Vacation Home 2021-2022,” Vacasa.com and “Here Are the Top Spots to Shop for the Winter Vacation Home of Your Dreams,” CNBC (Jan. 17, 2022)
