Getaway Homes for Vacation & Retirement

Everyone dreams of a quiet cabin in the mountains or seashore cottage to call home, and in Fine Homebuilding's Getaway Homes for Vacation & Retirement you'll find practical advice and inspired insight on how to find, afford, and enjoy your second home.

Written by building and design experts, along with firsthand accounts of people who have attained their second-home goals, Getaway Homes brings you to a wide variety of vacation and retirement homes across the country. Special emphasis is placed on working within budgets to find the style, location, and features that meet your present and long-term needs.

Come away with new insights on:

• Financing your project
• Selecting the right location
• Keeping tabs on a project remotely
• Managing maintenance and security
• Designing for everyone's comfort
• Eco-friendly building
• Increasing affordability through rental
• Furnishings that help you enjoy your home

With more design, financing, and building options available, there's never been a better time to find your personal slice of paradise. Order today.

Lakeside Family Lodge
Bedrooms inspired by the views shape a Wisconsin house shared by two families

A Tranquil Hill Country Homestead
A green home with plenty of outdoor space for an active retired couple and their grandkids

Gardeners? Delight A New York City couple builds a weekend house that's part garden

Paradise on a Budget
A young Washington couple builds a weekend house for skiing and biking

A Home for the Next 50 Years
Updated Arts and Crafts detailing enhances a home remolded for baby boomers who plan to stay

Camp Style in the Thousand Islands Rustic finishes, a sleeping porch, and plenty of fireplaces continue family traditions

Dockside Living
An energetic Florida couple transforms a 1950s ranch for cooking and outdoor living

A Hip Retirement Haven
Bringing sizzle to a California retirement community, an apartment's modern aesthetic banishes the blahs

Tuscany Comes to West Virginia
Inspired by antique doors, this light-filled vacation villa will mature into a retirement palace.

Building a family legacy
Gorgeous views from a big-sky ski house with room for everyone

Guest friendly and cost conscious
A vacation house of modest materials proves simple doesn't mean shortchanged

Victorian style feathers an empty nest
Now that the kids are gone, the parents get to live in a house designed for adults

A second home that pays for itself
Designed with renting in mind, this small seaside house sleeps 18, but also accommodates a honeymooning couple with aplomb

The House on Windy Beach
Buttressed by exposed timbers, the prow of a small Oregon vacation house offers unparalleled coastal views with privacy for two couples


DEPARTMENTS

Editor's note

Commentary
"In architect-client relationships, communication is key"

Dollars and Sense
"Can you afford a second home? Choosing the right financing"
"Rental income can make a vacation house affordable"

Getting it done:
Expert advice on building and maintaining a house
"Keeping tabs on a distant project"
"Finding a property manager/rental realtor"

Outdoor living: Products for outside spaces

Comfort & Durability: Products every homeowner can appreciate

Home design: lessons in comfortable living
"Kitchen design for vacation homes"
"Making the most of a difficult site"
"An elevator makes an accessible home"

Last Word