From Aberdeen to Wenatchee: Ranking the Most Lucrative Second-Home Markets

Having a second home can be a nice getaway, and a nice investment. A new study ranks U.S. secondary home markets where sellers are getting the best return on their investment.

Looking at the 500 largest metros in the nation, Realtor.com ranked cities based on comparative home sales data from 2008 and 2018 to find increases in value and return on investment. James H. Boykin, author of "Investing in a Vacation Home for Pleasure and Profit," says, "People who buy real estate should have a sense of that property and [the area's] history: does it have a track record of flooding or landslides? If it's oceanfront [property], is there a history of beach replenishment?”

It's a wonderful daydream: Once the clock hits 5 p.m. on Friday (OK, 4:45), you flee the office, shed the suit and soul-crushing stress, and head out to your vacation home for the weekend. It could be a house right on the beach. Or maybe a cabin in the woods surrounded by the magnificent fall foliage. Perhaps it's a rustic lodge in the mountains near the ski slopes. Wherever it is, it's your sanctuary—and your oasis.

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