A mountain cabin is great. In the spring, you can visit and see some beautiful flowers blooming. In the summer, you can beat the heat by visiting a higher altitude area. The fall brings gorgeous colors in the leaves, and of course, being surrounded by snow while sitting cozy in a warm cabin is a dream.

But does it make sense for you to buy a mountain cabin? Here are a few things to think about.

Second Home or Rent Out?

The first thing you need to consider is what you plan on doing with the cabin. Do you want a second home, a place where you can have everything just how you want it? A place that’s all yours, and the only people that ever visit are your family and close friends?

Or are you looking to make it into a business? Maybe you plan on renting it out 90% of the time and you’ll just pick a few of your favorite weeks or weekends to go up there.

Either way has its pros and cons. For example, the nice thing about having it as a second home is you don’t have to worry about people messing it up, stealing stuff, etc. It’s also available 100% of the time.

The bad part is the financial cost. You’re not just paying for a second mortgage but everything else that comes with a home – decorating it, utilities, maintenance, etc.

Can You Visit it Enough to Make it Worth it?

Whether you choose for it to be a second home or primarily a rental, this question should go through your mind – will you be able to visit it regularly?

A lot factors into this. For example, are you an empty nester with a 9-5 job that is pretty flexible, and never has you working on the weekends? If so, you probably have the free time you’d need to go visit the cabin a lot.

On the other hand, are you a young parent with three kids that always have weekend activities going on? In that case, it might be tough to get away on a regular basis.

It’s not just timing though – it’s also location. You need to make sure the cabin isn’t a long drive away – especially if you plan on heading up Friday nights.

Can You Afford a Mountain Cabin?

The good news is a mountain cabin can be relatively inexpensive, considering the fact you’re buying a house.

The bad news is it is a house, so you’ll need to take out a mortgage. Assuming you already have a mortgage on your current home, that means you need to have the finances to qualify for two mortgages at the same time.

Don’t let that scare you though. Millions of people have second mortgages/homes. It’s a high priority to them, so they make it work. And for those who are buying the home as an investment property, it’s even easier to get the finances to work.

Send us an email at Team@RyanGrantTeam.com and we’ll help you crunch the numbers. We look forward to hearing from you soon!