Dreaming of Owning a Second Home?

Warmer parts of the season tend to bring fanciful dreams of owning a second, seasonal home. Maybe it’s a beachside bungalow, a mountain cabin or a lakefront cottage with a front porch and a sweeping view of the sunlight on the water. All of them no doubt sound enticing, but fulfilling this dream takes attention to detail and a firm vision of your long-term goals.

The current housing market presents a unique set of challenges and opportunities for prospective buyers. First, median home prices are up 5.1% since January of 2023, for an all-time high of $379,100.1

Mortgage interest rates have also risen in recent years, though there is a silver lining. The Mortgage Bankers Association anticipates a gradual decline in mortgage rates through 2024 and 2025.2

Of course, housing costs and interest rates aren’t the only considerations when purchasing a second home. You also need to think about your lifestyle preferences, the home’s location and your long-term plans.

If the factors add up right for you now, owning a vacation home may bring years of happiness. But if the time isn’t right, re-evaluate your long-term goals to see if you can buy this home in the future and avoid a ton of hassles today.

Issues to Explore

Location, location, location: Heeding the first rule in any real estate transaction, think about how far you wish to travel from your primary residence or business (and the travel costs involved), the natural or recreational opportunities, economic history and current conditions of the new region, and state and property taxes.

Financial preparedness: Ensure that the new home won’t compromise or threaten your long-term financial goals. If you have a chronic illness or medical needs, for example, you want your income, assets and savings to cover those costs first. Your Synovus Wealth advisor can help assess your preparedness and guide your strategy to buy a second home while keeping your long-term goals on track.

Count all costs: The true cost of owning a vacation home goes beyond the purchase price and mortgage interest rate (if you choose to obtain a loan.) Maintenance, utilities, property and state taxes, prices of seasonal activities, weather concerns and insurance all change constantly and add up quickly. Consult with a real estate agent as well as with a tax professional as you evaluate these variables.

Investment, rental property, legacy or fun house: If interested in this property purely for investment, think about improvements the home may require, the availability of skilled help in the locale, and the economic history and vitality of the community. Also, consider how long you want to or must retain the property to get a reasonable return on investment.

Tax implications arise if you hope to derive income from renting your vacation home (a tax professional can enumerate them). Renting your property may force you to incur some additional expenses and repairs from tenants’ damage, for example.

If you hope to simply treasure time at a second home and escape for solitude, recreation or making memories, the new place can potentially turn into your retirement home. Is that attractive to you? Do you hope one day to make your vacation home a legacy to be handed down for generations or is your interest more short term?

Co-ownership: The more might seem the merrier when owning a vacation home, so you can split costs, but make sure you iron out what happens if one owner can’t pay the agreed-upon share of expenses.

Consider forming a limited liability company (LLC), which exempts you personally from legal and financial liabilities of ownership. With the LLC owning the property, an operating agreement outlines details from the beginning in case someone runs into financial trouble. Another option may be for an individual or couple to own the property and rent it to others.

If you want to create a legacy, a trust can facilitate passing the property from generation to generation with the least confusion. Discord created with the other owners may outweigh the benefit of sharing the mortgage payments, taxes and other expenses, however.

Regardless of what you decide, consult your Synovus Wealth advisor to fully understand the implications of your decisions. When you’re thinking about a second home, your heart and head must work together so you meet all your needs.

Your Financial Advisor: Your financial advisor can help assess your preparedness and guide your strategy to buy a second home while keeping your long-term financial planning goals on track. In addition, your financial advisor can serve as a quarterback in organizing all your other advisors – lawyers, CPAs, real estate professionals, etc. – in order to gather all details, opinions and research.

So, if warmer days are enticing you to look at those dreamy summer homes, make sure you let your financial advisor know so you don’t get too far extended.

Because like all financial decisions, the further out we plan your goals, the more successful your journey.