NAR: Outlook Favorable for Second-Home Market

Despite weakening second home purchases in 2008, the long-term demand looks favorable for the second-home market because there are large numbers of people in the prime years for buying a second home.

“While economic factors can affect sales from one year to the next, the fundamental demand from these large population groups will remain,” says Lawrence Yun, NAR chief economist. “Given that most people become interested in buying a second home in their 40s, the bulge of population approaching middle age should drive the second-home market over the next decade.”

The median price of a vacation home was $150,000 in 2008, down 23.1 percent from $195,000 in 2007. The typical investment property cost $108,000 last year, which is 28 percent below the 2007 median of $150,000.

“People are buying weekend homes or recreational property to use themselves or for a family retreat—investment considerations are secondary for most vacation-home buyers with relatively modest interest in renting,” he says.

The combination of vacation- and investment-home sales slipped to 30 percent of all existing- and new-home transactions in 2008, according to the NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS ®' latest report. However, more than four out of 10 investment buyers and more than three in 10 vacation-home buyers paid cash for their properties, with large percentages indicating that portfolio diversification was a factor in their purchase decision.

SOURCE: NAR

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