HOBOKEN, N.J., May 16 /PRNewswire/ -- America's suburban families are growing up -- and out. As baby boomers say good-bye to their adult children, this career-driven segment of society is rediscovering leisure time. The trend of swapping their city apartments (originally purchased as relief from killer commutes) with like-minded travel-bugs worldwide, has been on the rise, according to a recent member survey conducted by the website www.digsville.com. Helen Bergstein, founder of the Digsville Home Exchange Club says, "secondary/vacation home listings have been increasing every year and now comprise over 20% of the Digsville database."
A Long Island couple, who bought their NYC apartment when they were still working, say they "get an exchange request almost every day." In fact, they didn't even purchase their city digs with vacation home exchange in mind, but because "hotels are far too expensive, and restrictive (ie., can't sign in before 4 pm -- must sign out by 11am). We have our place for 24 hours a day."
Joyce, of Buck's County, PA, says she and her husband spend a good bit of time in their NYC apartment, and appreciate its "doorman, 24-hour access to local restaurants, transportation, and a parking lot." Because their city home "is filled almost constantly with friends," they often swap their primary home or another in Spain, advocating the lifestyle because "it's more interesting and we get to meet great people and see environments that are 'real,' not plasticized like in hotels."
"The second home market is booming," says Bergstein. "Expecting to double by 2009, which means a full two-thirds of residential real estate purchases will be vacation homes or investment properties. Second homes are viewed both a solid investment and lifestyle enhancement. They make even more financial sense when used in vacation swaps with substantial savings on hotel bills, car rentals and by taking advantage of destination-specific or other airfare specials."
Founded in 1999, Digsville provides an alternate travel lifestyle, freeing travelers from hotel bills forever. The site offers a range of informative articles, tips and stories by first-time and veteran home exchangers.
