Get outta town ! Resort homes offer value and a respite from The City amid recession.

Growing up middle-class in Connecticut, I never thought it unusual that my maternal grandparents had a second home on a lake in New Hampshire (what we Yankees call a 'camp') and my paternal grandparents had a ski house in Vermont. Most weekends year round were spent in one these modest homes boating, swimming, skiing or visiting the beaver lodges that my grandfather was constantly threatening to blow up with dynamite lest they cause the river to flood the road and homes nearby. It wasn't until I was much older that I discovered that everyone wasn't as lucky as I was.

Although they did well for themselves, I would never describe my grandparents as wealthy. So how did they end up with these terrific second homes that offered a respite from the daily grind and an opportunity for kids like me and my cousins to spend countless days exploring the woods, lakes, mountains and rivers without the distraction of television or the risk of getting hit by a car?

My maternal grandparents grew up in rural settings. Although they were raising my mother and her sisters in the suburbs, they still wanted their family to experience the peace and beauty of the country. So in the late 1950's they bought a rustic, unheated cabin on a bucolic New Hampshire lake. Although it was a lot of money at the time, they paid about $16,000 for the camp and the adjacent lot. Real estate prices had been depressed that year due to a recession in 1957, so Grandpa Tibbetts took a risk. Over the years they made many improvements and they still summer at the camp. I happily visit almost every year. After 51 years it has more than paid for itself and the memories for my entire family are priceless.

My paternal grandparents took advantage of another economic downturn when they acquired land to build a ski house. The 1969 recession hit the country hard, but my Pop Pop had a good year in the auto business. He took some of that money and bought a wooded lot uphill from a river in southern Vermont and built a ski house. His son would soon be a father (mine!) and Pop Pop pictured his growing clan gathered around the fire, drinks in hand, apres-ski. The house that he built with the help of my father, his brother-in-law and his friends became the locus for our family in winter and I cherish the countless memories I have.

In the past, during times of uncertainty, people with moderate incomes felt confident enough in the future to purchase a second home when they saw a good opportunity. Here in San Francisco we live in close proximity to Sonoma and Napa--counties that currently offer incredible value in a globally desirable second home market. Herth Real Estate has a wine country office that specializes in these properties and I'd be happy to help you find your retreat.