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You ve probably thought about it at one time or another: the second home in the mountains, on the lake or the beach. Wherever you re located, you think about the opposite terrain as a potential getaway or retreat. Now that the leading edge of the baby boomers, are closer to retirement, that dream is becoming a reality. With massive equity in current homes or large pension buy-outs, they wonder if they should get that other house. After all, they seem to vacation there anyway each summer. So why not simply buy a residence complete with all the amenities and leave an entire set of clothes as well. Then, it s simply a matter of jumping into the car or

plane and you re enjoying that cool ocean breeze or pine scent in the high country.

I m speaking from experience. I built a cabin up in the mountains among the Ponderosa pines with redwood deck that allowed us to enjoy the bordering national forest and all it had to offer. We had views of mountains and tall pines. Elk, javalinas, coyotes, and deer, were plentiful. The home was a simple two bedroom, two bathroom, wooden-floored, single-level cabin covered in redwood siding and containing all the basic luxuries. Satellite tv, air conditioning, a gas fireplace, laundry room, and two car garage. I even had a workshop and extra storage.

We totally furnished it with new appliances, furniture, and everything needed for day-to-day

living. We bought some mountain bikes, had a barbeque off the deck and a large patio set with lounge chairs galore. I even had the obligatory hammock tied between two fir trees. Yep, it was the ideal setup for leaving the city life behind. What made it even better was the location: minutes from a Wal-Mart, Ace hardware and a few supermarkets. It had city water and sewers with newly paved roads. And the best part was is was an hour and a half from home, so we could go up anytime we wanted. What more could a boomer want?

So why did I sell it just two years later? Here are some things I never considered. My daughter hated going

there because, as a teenager, there was nothing to do. Communing with nature or just relaxing wasn t her idea of fun. So she dreaded going up, even though she had she own room with a tv. For us, my wife and I went up to escape the summer heat, but rarely made the short trip in the winter because it was too cold. We liked the occasional snowfall, but then couldn t enjoy the deck.

And then there was the maintenance. We still had to clean, cook, do laundry, and take care of the trees, plants and bushes we had used for landscaping the property. I had installed a watering system that had to be turned off over winter so

it wouldn t freeze. We both worked and, therefore, usually went up on summer weekends, so the rest of the time it remained unused. And that was the major issue. We were paying for all the utilities, mortgage, and taxes for just a few weekends a year. Logic said, it didn t make financial sense. So we sold it in a singe day and invested the profit instead.

Now, if we need to get away, we get a hotel room. We can travel for a lot less money than we had tied up in the cabin and choose a different place to stay each time, so we don t get bored. The money we had invested would have paid for decades

worth of travel. So, my advice to those considering the same type of getaway: think about the actual usage factor. For us, it just didn t make sense, but for you, it might. Yet I have a feeling there are a lot of folks out there in a similar situation. To you, I say, myth busted!

Jeffrey Hauser was a sales consultant for the Bell System Yellow Pages for nearly 25 years. He graduated from Pratt Institute with a BFA in Advertising and has a Master’s Degree in teaching. He had his own advertising agency in Scottsdale, Arizona and ran a consulting and design firm, ABC Advertising. He has authored 6 books and a novel, “Pursuit of the Phoenix.”

His latest book is, “Inside the Yellow Pages” which can be seen at his website, http://www.poweradbook.com. Currently, he is the Marketing Director for thenurseschoice.com, a Health Information and Doctor Referral site.