The Dollars And Sense of a Second Home

We recently hosted a high school graduation party for Alex at my sister Sheri and brother-in-law John's getaway place at Smith Lake in Warren County, Alabama. As is so typical of me, before the weekend was over, I was scheming and dreaming about building a place of our own along these same shores.

   

Ken's reaction? Sell that book you're writing and then we'll talk. While this wasn't an unenthusiastic response (although it might sound that way), this Sunday's Parade magazine offered even more practical commentary on the "dollar and sense" of such a purchase.

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Women Rule When It Comes to Homebuying

Why would a well-regarded residential builder scrap his business model after 27 years of success? Believe it or  not, it is because he decided to listen to a bunch of girls. Continue Reading...

Relaxing With Crawling, Slinky, Winged Creatures

I have rhapsodized on Back Roads, Charming Towns about the increasing desire of Americans to buy vacation or retirement homes in college towns, small towns, on farms and prairie land.

Now, many of us are looking for another type of place to relax: environs where creatures creep, crawl, soar and coexist with humans. Bird watching, salamander hunts and flora and fauna hikes are all popular pursuits for yet another sector of the relaxation set.

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Going Back To School

“Going back to school” used to mean that one was returning to earn a previously elusive undergraduate diploma, to expand knowledge and marketability with a graduate degree or to take courses for pleasure or a change in professional focus.

Today, it is just as likely to mean that you are buying a weekend retreat in the college town where you previously attended classes. And increasingly there are endless options geared specifically at allowing you to recapture that college spirit.

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Home Sweet (Second) Home

Thinking about buying a second home -- a place to get away on weekends or during vacations, a future retirement location, a long-term family compound to be passed on to your children and grandchildren? According to The National Association of Realtors (NAR), you are not alone. 

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