Vacation house hunting tips

Considerations for buying a second home while on vacation

Over one third of all homes sold in 2004 were vacation homes. If you are like my family, you probably spent some time while on vacation looking at real estate.

Here are eight tips courtesy of Bankrate.com for maximizing your productivity while looking for a second home while on vacation:

Before you go

1. Figure out your motivation

2. Find a real estate agent

3. Get mortgage pre-approval

4. Think about taxes

While you're there

5. Find the nearest Starbucks

6. Talk to locals

7. Check out the vacation rental market

8. Crunch the numbers again

Something to consider when shopping for a second home is that the best deals can often be had in the off-season when there are significantly fewer potential buyers and properties are not tied up with renters.

8 tips for house hunting on vacation [Bankrate.com]