Second Shelters | News, Deals, Sales and Trends About Second Home Ownership by Candy Evans

Top-5 Friday: Dallas Too Hot? Escape to Lake Texoma

Joanna England — Fri, 17 May 2013 21:02:23 +0000

It’s affordable, it’s huge, it has great fishing, and if you’re lucky, you can get a little sandy beach of your own!

I love Lake Texoma — named for its location straddling the Texas and Oklahoma borders — as a weekend escape. It’s a favorite among North Texas outdoorsmen for its fishing, and it’s great skiing too. Here are a few great vacation properties you can head to this summer when the smog and crowded restaurants are just too much!

Hey North Texas! Need a Spot to Escape to? Northshore Harbor Condos Are Just a Short Drive Away

Joanna England — Fri, 10 May 2013 20:51:52 +0000

I love Richland Chambers Lake. It’s a fantastic weekend escape with great fishing, boating, and tons of great scenery. It’s near Corsicana, Texas, which is just an hour south on Interstate 45 from Dallas.

Top-5 Friday: Dreaming of a Cool Getaway on Kauai, Hawaii’s Mystical Island!

Joanna England — Fri, 03 May 2013 16:17:24 +0000

Brrr! It’s the first week of May and it’s chilly in Dallas! Aren’t we supposed to be basking in 72-degree weather and enjoying cocktails on our covered porches?

If that’s what you really want to do, then perhaps looking into a second home in a tropical locale is in order. Me? I’m taking my dreamboat to Kauai, Hawaii! This island is so gorgeous, with forests, plantations, mountains, and tons of gorgeous ocean views. The breaks are perfect for surfing, and with every gorgeous home comes a lanai worthy of admiration.

Top-5 Friday: Ranches Make Great Getaways That Don’t Feel Too Foreign

Joanna England — Fri, 19 Apr 2013 08:09:02 +0000

With ranches, you can get whatever you want, really. Say you want a place to ride ATVs and hunt? There’s a ranch for that. Maybe you’re an equestrian and want a spot to enjoy your horses that isn’t too far out of town? There’s a ranch for that. Or, maybe you’re a hobby cattle raiser that wants a place where you can retire from the 9-to-5 grind? There’s a ranch for that, too.

Long Cove on Cedar Creek Lake Appoints Director of Resident Services. And Yes, He Paddleboards

Candy Evans — Wed, 17 Apr 2013 16:20:23 +0000

Long Cove is a new, private residential community located just over an hour from Dallas on Cedar Creek Lake. The area is getting a ton of buzz.

Some good news is coming out of East Texas: Long Cove is getting it on. This coincides nicely with some positive news about the second home market: it is no longer dead! Second home sales are up by more than ten percent, while 11% of all real estate purchased nationwide goes for a second homes.

Luxury Second Home Fractional Sales Heating Up: Calistoga Ranch Sells Out

Candy Evans — Thu, 11 Apr 2013 15:01:37 +0000

In California, they have even sold out of the most famous outdoor showers in the world! The award-winning Calistoga Ranch in the Napa Valley has sold out of its private residence club offering.

Top-5 Friday: Love Sports? Think About Buying a Second Home Where The Magic Happens — Arlington, TX!

Joanna England — Fri, 05 Apr 2013 15:51:59 +0000

The Dallas-Fort Worth area is home to loads of great sports teams. You’ve got the Texas Rangers and the Dallas Cowboys in Arlington, the Dallas Mavericks in downtown Dallas, and there are tons of fantastic minor league baseball teams throughout the region. Of course, Cowboys Stadium hosts other fantastic events, like the NCAA Final Four basketball tourney, as well as the Cotton Bowl. Some musicians even play gigs at Cowboys Stadium, too!

Top-5 Friday: Florida Gulf Coast Puts Up More Than a Great Basketball Team

Joanna England — Fri, 29 Mar 2013 16:29:10 +0000

It’s March Madness, so we took a cue from our nation’s obsession with basketball to showcase some great properties in Fort Myers, Fla., home of Florida Gulf Coast University, this year’s NCAA Basketball Tournament Cindarella story.

The Floor Report: How About Floors Made of Sand in Your Second Home?

Candy Evans — Wed, 27 Mar 2013 06:08:42 +0000

I saw these coolio floors in a restaurant down in Nassau, The Bahamas, where we visited second homes this past weekend. This is the floor at a beach club restaurant called, appropriately, “Footprints”. Yes, the entire floor is made of sand. No, they don’t vacuum it but rather sweep and rake it nightly. The restaurant is adjacent to the pool area and encourages casual dining, but turns elegant at night. How cool would floors like this be for some rooms in a beach house? I mean, that sand is going to come in regardless!

Top-5 Friday: Bisbee, Ariz., is a Great Place to Get Away. Just Ask Dave Perry-Miller!

Joanna England — Fri, 22 Mar 2013 21:30:17 +0000

Dallas luxury real estate broker Dave Perry-Miller has a second home in Bisbee, Ariz. If you want to find your own getaway in the remote mountain town, we’ve picked a few unique properties.