#and find out 3 decades later you bargained away your soul in a game of drunken darts | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

cadykeus-clay · 4 years

Note

Would you mind sharing your thoughts about vex and Beau being cross campaign foils?

so!!!! first things first: apologies for taking weeks to answer this, finals + having adhd sometimes makes my brain turn to mush and forget every ask ive ever recieved. second of all, i’m assuming you sent me this bc of what i said in my vm vs. m9 how they view the world meta. and i’ll be real with you. i have exactly 0 memory of what was going through my head when i wrote that line, so i am simply going to type out a bunch of thoughts that i have on the similarities and differences between beau and vex and i hope that lives up to what you were expecting jsdflksjdksld

I'll detail some specifics in a moment, but overall, I think beau and vex share a very similar kind of trauma of exclusion in their formative years, that's caused them to have a lot of similar traits that manifest in different ways - for vex, she maintains control through her material posessions and beau finds an emotional control in her asshole-ness. I've broken this down into 5 points on which I think comparing the two really emphasizes that claim:

1. daddy issues: both beau and vex have awful no good terrible very bad dads. both syldor and thoreau can suck my ass. they both raised their kids with little love and impossible-to-meet expectations, alientating them and leaving them with lifelong feelings of inferiority and unbelonging. If beau and vex were to meet, i think they would have a very friendly toast to shitty dads, and then have a good drunk vent about it an hour later.

but, at the same time, the actual minutae of their trauma and the ways it manifests are nearly polar opposites. syldor wanted nothing to do with vex, or else wanted her to somehow become a full elf. her issue was that she would never be able to belong, despite her desire to, and as she grew up it lead to her being overly protective and even possessive of the people she found who DID accept her as she was.

With beau, rather than exclusion, her father created an environment of toxic inclusion. He created a role for beau to belong in, disregarding her distate for actually fulfilling it. And, as such, she ended up making herself into someone who could have no expectations and pushed away anyone who tried to set them up for her. In the end, they both came to love themselves by abandoning the woman their father wanted them to be but for vex it was the laying down of an impossible dream and for beau it was the picking up of a mantle she had feared to wear.

2. brothers: now, on the topic of family, I also think its really interesting how their interactions with their brothers play out. We've got vex and vax, tied at the hip til the very end and then some; and then we've got beau and TJ - decades apart and with beau barely acknolwedging TJ's existence. But, even that distance between beau and TJ didn't stop her caring for him when they actually met. She gave him lucky Jade, and she entertained the idea of kidnapping him to get him away from her stinko dad.

And I'd espeically like to talk about what she said outside the hag's hut - "I think Luc and TJ could be best friends", in comparison to the way Vex reacted when Vax told her was going to Zephrah with Keyleth for the year break. There's an aspect to the way they interact with their brothers that lets them slip back into those bad habits they formed growing up (NOT that i'm claiming vex and vax were like toxic for each other. but even good relationships can have unhealthy moments).

With Beau, when she offers to give her happiness so TJ can grow up safe, she's trying to take on the role she's ""supposed"" to fill - the big sister, the protector - because she failed to fill the one her father set out. And with Vex, when she grows jealous of Vax, it's because she's afraid that his leaving with keyleth is a sign that she no longer belongs in his inner circle, and she falls back on that childish, desperate desire to do anything to be accepted unconditionally.

3. romance: spoilers for 5 or so most recent m9 eps (115-120) if you haven't watched them ahead!!!! at this point, both vex and beau have an endgame romance - percy and yasha respectively. Obviously as the m9's campaign is still playing out, that could change, but like. yasha wrote her a love letter and they're officially going on a date so i'm counting that as at least endgame-track rather than just random flirting. What's interesting to me is that they both seem to flip between the SAME roles between their (in-game) general perception and their actual pursual of romance.

Vex gets characterized as a pretty big flirt, right? She's got the winks, the casual "darling". She's flashed grog her boobs on multiple instances with little prompting. Beau, similarly, has easily the most game out of anyone in the m9. She's slept with two guest characters and at least one more npc in the events of the game. Caleb made her a fuck mirror in her room in the mansion. And yet, in both of their actual romantic endeavors, they became the shy, uncertain type.

Vex only confessed her feelings when Percy was laying dead before her, and not an hour of game play before percy kissed her in the woods, she had a talk with vax about how she was pretty sure he didn't like her that way and she didn't want to pursue it. Beau, similarly, spent a very long time convinced that yasha wasn't looking for love after zuala, especially not in anyone like her, asked everyone in the party if they thought yasha ACTUALLY liked her, just to be safe, and then still terrified to ask her out after recieving a literal love letter. I'd argue this shift comes from that same sense of unbelonging - they're very good at pretending they fit a role but doubt their actual right to take it when the opportunity is presented. This time, the role is the lover rather than the daughter.

4. authority: Both vex and beau grew up shunned by the upper crust of society, and grew to mistrust those kinds of people. And yet, both of their arcs result in them assuming such a position. Vex, thrown out of high society gets her place as a baronness, and Beau, running from leadership of her father's business ends up a top member of the Cobalt Soul. There's not a lot here, but I find it interesting how both of their stories involve them shedding their baggage regarding authority and power and assuming it in a way that they feel comfortable in - invitation by someone she trusts for vex, and a promise of freedom of will and control for beau.

5. their deadliest sins: this is the point at which their similarities culminate and transform to a fundamental difference. despite everything they share - shitty childhoods, the small piece of family that's still good, flirtiness masking shy love, and a mistrust of those in power - vex and beau are such different characters because of their biggest vices. Vex, both in game and out, is "the greedy one". She's stingy with money, she haggles for everything, she mourns the loss of physical objects. Beau is "the mean one". She cares little for people's feelings if they're not in her immediate circle, she focuses on her tough guy image, she laughs at things she knows she shouldn't.

And, over the course of the campaign, as they find unconditional acceptance, they grow away from these traits (I won't say they grow out of them) because they heal from the things causing these vices to begin with. I've always been vocal about vex's greed being a manifestation of her class insecurity, and beau's asshole-ness stemming from her fear of being forced back into another position of complacency. And I stand by that now - all the similarities in their backstories are what tally up to these different women.

Despite her careful tally of party funds and her reflexive bargaining, vex is not cruel. she is not angry on her own behalf. She saves two boys from the market in the city of brass at great personal cost, she relinquishes an entire dragon's hoard to the devastated city of Westruun, she took the time to save a baby bear from a cage when she could have just cut and run after escaping her own. She's the first one most people go to when they need a shoulder to cry on, and she's devastated when they don't (thinkin about when Scanlan left). She carved "forgiveness" into the bow she stole from a man after killing him by proclaiming how much she loved someone, because she knew anger had no place in her heart.

And Beau, Beau is a bitch and she's harsh, but she doesn't hoard or protect like vex did. she spends her money without much of a second thought. She pitches in to help her friends buy a ton of glowsticks, and she loves to indulge in material desires like drink and good food and the nicer inn room. She's a member of an organization that's about making knowledge public rather than guarding it. And, though this may be controversial, I think her position with bowlgate of "its not our problem what cali wants to do with it", her long-standing mistrust of their alliance with the bright queen and and more recently with the tomb takers of "i want to go in and talk, rather than assuming they're antagonistic, even if it puts us at a disadvantage" are both examples of this non-possessiveness too - she has no need or desire to get involved in controlling what other people are doing.

so, i guess the general conclusion here is: vex struggles to let go of things, of money, of people. beau struggles to let herself be known in case she gets wrongly interpreted again. they both fight feelings of inadequacy, they both fight the feelings of not belonging, of 'doing it wrong', they fight the perception of them as shitty people because of the shells they hide in despite their absolute hearts of gold. but at the end of the day, vex's story is one of having to lay down what could never be hers so she can carry what is, and beau's story is one of allowing herself to be known so a place can be made for her.

#hope this is what you and that other anon were looking for jdsflkdsajfsaldfsa #critical role #vexahlia #beauregard #long post

44 notes · View notes

crownees · 5 years

Text

[ demi male, he/him ]. did onyx bae just walk by? the 23 / 1,000+ year old demon is known for their resourceful, candid and impulsive, mercurial behavior. that explains why they resemble park jimin. doesn’t hazy neons, stacks of rings and pink bubble gum remind you of them?

heya! i’m rel and this is a mobile post because i’m getting ready for work now :/ . this is the first of my three babes, ONYX, and i look forward to writing him with you all. the rest of my intros will be posted eventually. it’s best to reach me on discord @lesbee1619. thank you in advance for reading this trainwreck and like this post if one of the wanted connections interests you, or if you have an idea of your own for a connect / plot!

⋆ ◦ * CHARACTER —— background.

⋆ Peasant born and raised in Baekje right on the coast. Realized at sixteen backbreaking farm labor on the clan leader’s farm was not worth it and set out for the sea as a sailor, then fell into some pirating and plundering troupes. Quick and dirty trap, fell into plundering the coasts of Japan, China, and Silla, taking from the rich to sell to the richer for coins to rain on the underclass for cheap tricks and fun.

⋆ Life caught up when he fell into a trap somewhere in China and found himself thrown in some warlord’s prison pen. A warrant out for his head, the one then-known as ❝ Joo ❞ called out to anyone desperate and found a demon answering the call. Traded a way out of torture with his soul after .2 seconds of thought, but died two months later from leprosy on some shitty countryside. Wow.

⋆ Spent three hundred years tortured in hellfire before he found the demon again. This time, they came with another offering, another trade; another way out. Joo took this one again without a thought, eager for a way out of hell and walk the earth again. After a few more decades of dying without dying, he found himself breaking ground with a duty —— devour souls and keep going.

⋆ Joo’s taken thousands of steps under the guise of hundreds of different vessels. Mayhem there, mayhem here. Eventually it all gets a little dull, repetitive cycles people keep falling into, ruts that make the fun no longer fun. When the war happened centuries ago, Onyx didn’t take a side ------ but he certainly appreciated all of the desperate souls he gobbled up. What he wants now is just some damn peace and quiet, and to avoid hellfire’s home with everything he’s got.

⋆ ◦ * ZODIAC SIGN —— scorpio.

❝ Scorpio-born are passionate and assertive people. They are determined and decisive, and will research until they find out the truth. Scorpio is a great leader, always aware of the situation and also features prominently in resourcefulness. Scorpio is a Water sign and lives to experience and express emotions. Although emotions are very important for Scorpio, they manifest them differently than other water signs. In any case, you can be sure that the Scorpio will keep your secrets, whatever they may be. ❞ ( x )

personality quirks: resourceful, brave, passionate, stubborn, distrusting, jealous, secretive, violent, competitive

⋆ ◦ * PERSONALITY TYPE —— isfp.

❝ Adventurer personalities are true artists, but not necessarily in the typical sense where they’re out painting happy little trees. Often enough though, they are perfectly capable of this. Rather, it’s that they use aesthetics, design and even their choices and actions to push the limits of social convention. Adventurers enjoy upsetting traditional expectations with experiments in beauty and behavior – chances are, they’ve expressed more than once the phrase Don’t box me in! ❞ ( x )

personality quirks: temperamental, impulsive, egotistic, manipulative, selfish, charming, sensitive, curious, unpredictable

⋆ ◦ * CHARACTER ALIGNMENT —— neutral evil.

❝ A neutral evil villain does whatever she can get away with. She is out for herself, pure and simple. She sheds no tears for those she kills, whether for profit, sport, or convenience. She has no love of order and holds no illusion that following laws, traditions, or codes would make her any better or more noble. On the other hand, she doesn’t have the restless nature or love of conflict that a chaotic evil villain has. ❞ ( x )

personality quirks: dishonest, uncooperative, opportunistic, immoral, destructive, self-centered, callous, self-reliant, pessimistic

⋆ ◦ * CHARACTER —— miscellaneous.

Occupation: Unemployed. Sells fake drugs.

Hobbies: taking naps, playing arcade games, stealing things, rapping at karaoke, torturing customers, inappropriate graffiti, selling chalk at raves, daydrinking, skateboarding, surfing, selling forged fangear on the web, enjoying 80′s music, graffiti, bumming around convenience stores

Vices: comfortable chairs, b-movies, anything shiny

Personal style: Ripped jeans, colorful zip-up hoodies and print t-shirts. Mixes it up with messily-buttoned blouses and trousers on occasion. Pastel beanies or ring-studded caps. Doc Martens. Sunglasses, never the same pair twice. Pockets full of candy. Denim jackets. Studded belts. Stacks of rings, silver bracelets. Pierced ears and lip ( hoops )

Other: 5′8 ; athletic build ; orange hair ; two half-sleeve tattoos ; pansexual ; panromantic

⋆ ◦ * WANTED —— connections.

⋆ feelings towards other creatures: onyx is very old and very tired. he generally has a low opinion of every creature, but he’s been around enough to form his own prejudices and to abandon others. he’s generally amused by vampires, werewolves, and humans alike. witches and siphoners scare the shit out of him, and he has a respectful fear / avoidance of all things angelic. for centuries, he competed with other demons for souls, bargains and the like, but for the past several decades he’s sort of become bored with all of that and spent most of his time amusing himself. he’s made more than his fair share of enemies among hunters and the like. during the war, he took no side but did reap the benefits of a whole bunch of scared humans in the aftermath. since he was mostly neutral, he’s earned both friends and enemies on all sides of the battle lines. as long as they don’t expect him to do something, he’s fine.

⋆ connections: vessel’s ex who doesn’t know their ex is now a demon ; treasure hunter who figures out onyx is an old af demon ; fellow ancients who know onyx from past bodies and lives ( contracted, lovers, enemies, sources of entertainment ) ; a familiar and/or siren descended from one of onyx’s various human forms ; fellow demons he’s exhausted by / has a love/hate relationship with ; vessel’s roommate ; a surprising best friend ; an age-old nemesis who’s just as tired as he is ; customers at the convenience store onyx works at ; humans or magic-sensitive folk who’re willing to make a bargain for more power / knowledge ; lovers from the past ; enemies from the past ; the one who got away ; fellow lowkey prankster ; good influence ( they don’t have to be “good” ) ; tutor in all things 21st century ; a hunter on his tail ; someone he’s friends with because they’ve both lived so long that it’s pointless to be enemies with anymore ; someone he’ll never be friends with. ever. even if they’re the last things on earth ; a romance that ended HORRIBLY ; someone who he sealed a deal with during the War who hasn’t paid up yet

** i’m equally interested in these suggestions being in-game or established plots & connections. development bb!! & don’t forget to check out my wanted tag <3

#warfare;intro

3 notes · View notes

davidoespailla · 6 years

Text

Chill Out, Then Cash In: The 10 Most Profitable Markets for Vacation Homes

Meinzahn/iStock

It’s a wonderful daydream: Once the clock hits 5 p.m. on Friday (OK, 4:45), you flee the office, shed the suit and soul-crushing stress, and head out to your vacation home for the weekend. It could be a house right on the beach. Or maybe a cabin in the woods surrounded by the magnificent fall foliage. Perhaps it’s a rustic lodge in the mountains near the ski slopes. Wherever it is, it’s your sanctuary—and your oasis.

And if the value of that second home kept steadily appreciating, it could be your best investment as well. Not only do many second-home markets have solid returns, some even post profits that rival or surpass those in the nation’s hottest markets. Plus, some of these vacation spots are surprisingly affordable, with plenty of bargains to be had. Who says you can’t have everything?

But when it comes to price appreciation, not all vacation markets are equal. That’s why the downtime-craving realtor.com® data team ranked the most lucrative second-home markets in the nation, the places where sellers are walking away with biggest profits.

Just don’t expect riches overnight.

“When you look to buy a second home, know there isn’t always an immediate return financially. You’re in it for the long haul,” says Holly Mabery, an associate broker at eXp Realty in Arizona who teaches courses on selling second homes. She points out that these places usually require a higher down payment and bigger insurance costs—so making money on a resale takes more time.

And then there are the risks. Vacation homes, for one, tend to be located in places prone to environmental factors.

“You could be hampered by a hurricane or forest fire,” Mabery says. “And lakes are amazing until we have a drought.”

If making a tidy profit on the place is your eventual game plan, it’s important to try to gauge the long-term appeal—and stability—of a place, says James H. Boykin, author of “Investing in a Vacation Home for Pleasure and Profit.”

“People who buy real estate should have a sense of that property and [the area’s] history,” he says. “Does it have a track record of flooding or landslides? If it’s oceanfront [property], is there a history of beach replenishment?”

To find the country’s most profitable vacation-home markets, we looked at the 500 largest metropolitan areas* where second homes made up at least 12% of all of the properties. Then we focused on all of the homes that sold over the past 12 months and compared the most recent sale prices to their previous ones, going back as far as 2008. The profit was defined as the difference between the two sales.

Finally, we used those figures to create an annualized rate of return for each market. And we limited our ranking to two metros per state to ensure some geographic diversity.

Got it? Get ready to chill—you’ve earned it!

Most profitable markets for second homes

Claire Widman

1. Traverse City, MI

Annualized rate of return: 14% Median home list price: $315,000

Traverse City, MI

CT757fan/iStock

If it’s sunbathing, boating, and beach volleyball you’re craving, Northern Michigan probably isn’t the first place that comes to mind. But Traverse City, along Lake Michigan, has long been a second-home destination for folks in Midwestern states such as Missouri and Ohio looking for some summer fun.

“Just looking at the water, you’d think you’re in St. Croix,” contends Bart Ford, managing broker at Coldwell Banker Schmit Realtors, of the clear, blue waves. The Caribbean comparisons might be a matter of debate, but not the town’s vacation cred: This place draws flocks of warm-weather tourists, many of whom later become buyers.

But the market ground to a halt after the housing bust of a decade ago. Recently, a stronger economy throughout the Midwest has brought buyers back to Traverse City with something of a vengeance. They’re snapping up quaint cottages from the ’40s and ’50s, or building their dream homes from scratch, Ford says. That’s causing prices to surge.

2. Claremont, NH

Annualized rate of return: 12% Median home list price: $255,000

View of Claremont

- Fotosearch/Getty Images

Claremont is another one of those places that don’t exactly scream vacation destination. But it does offer an idyllic downtown with some older Greek Revival and Italian Renaissance Revival buildings, and borders the Connecticut River with plenty of opportunities for kayaking and fishing. And when the mercury drops, it becomes a winter mecca for skiers, snowshoers, snowboarders, and ice skaters.

Oh, and did we mention those ultralow home prices? They’re attracting buyers from big, expensive cities such as Boston.

Claremont boasts its own downhill ski playground at the Arrowhead Recreation Area, an 8-mile cross-country ski run, ample horseback riding, and a snowmobile/ATV run called the Sugar River Trail. Plus, the Killington Mountain Resort & Ski Area is just an hour away.

Buyers can score this four-bedroom, remodeled Victorian near town for just $215,000. Or they can splurge on a secluded, 4,000-square-foot house on 150 acres right at the border of Ascutney State Park. It’s $679,000.

3. Clearlake, CA

Annualized rate of return: 11% Median home list price: $325,100

A home dock in Clearlake, CA

realtor.com

Just two hours north of San Francisco, Clearlake has become a go-to spot for Bay Area residents on a budget. (If spending more than $300,000 on a vacation home sounds like a lot, keep in mind that the median home price in California is nearly $540,000.) This destination is packed with nice homes that sit on the banks of Clear Lake.

The lake might be a half-million years old (purportedly the oldest lake in America), but the hotness of the market is of a considerably more recent vintage.

“People come in looking for a place to vacation in for now and retire in later,” says Stacey Mattina, a real estate agent and co-owner of Konocti Realty. “The lake is great because it’s not overcrowded; there are plenty of boats here, but it doesn’t get congested.”

There is a wide range of homes and prices. Many buyers are looking for an abode on an acre with a dock and pier, which go for around $500,000. But there are also smaller homes under $200,000 for folks who don’t want to worry about maintenance while they’re away.

Note: The region does have some issues, with its crime rate exceeding that of the nation and California. But many second-home buyers are snagging properties outside the city limits where the crime is lower. Some are opting for pricier communities like Buckingham Park, where three-bedroom homes can easily exceed $800,000.

4. Brainerd, MN

Annualized rate of return: 11% Median home list price: $286,200

Cabin for sale near Brainerd

realtor.com

If a rustic cabin on a lake is your thing, then Brainerd might just float your boat. About two hours north of Minneapolis, this vacation destination in the Land of 10,000 Lakes has become an escape for city folks hoping for a quiet weekend getaway on land or water. (A frosty beer along the way is optional, but recommended.)

This ultra-affordable lake town boasts more than 500 lakes located within a 25-mile radius.

And the real estate isn’t too expensive either. A modest cabin can be found for under $100,000, including this 224-square-foot, one-bedroom with a wood-burning fireplace priced at 89,900.

But prices are rising now that the economy has recovered and more folks can afford a second home. Savvy buyers are making their moves before the market explodes.

5. Port St. Lucie, FL

Annualized rate of return: 11% Median home list price: $279,300

Port St. Lucie

felixmizioznikov/iStock

Those who love to sink their toes into the sand and swim in the sea don’t have to spend a fortune to own a beach home. Unlike Fort Lauderdale, about an hour and a half south, Port St. Lucie offers oceanfront property for well below the $1 million mark. Buyers can scoop up homes on the water starting at around $500,000, while condos can go for half of that.

So why are returns here so high?

“People bought second homes at the bottom of the market, when there were some really great deals,” says John Gonzalez, broker and owner at Engel & Volkers Stuart. This part of Florida was hit particularly hard by the housing bubble. But it’s recently seen many folks get back into the market.

These properties “are now worth what they were before foreclosure,” Gonzalez says. Wannabe beach bum buyers had better act fast, because homes are selling quickly, he warns.

6. Bend, OR

Annualized rate of return: 11% Median home list price: $442,000

Old Mill District, Deschutes River in Bend, OR

Stephen Saks/iStock

Buyers in Bend love being outdoors—year-round. During the summers, residents go hiking and rock climbing on the peaks of the Cascade Mountains just outside the city. The spring and fall are the best times to go cycling. And when the weather turns cold, there’s world-class snowboarding, skiing, and snowmobiling.

Ever since the economy recovered, vacation home buyers have been swarming from more expensive, nearby states such as California and Washington—or basically anywhere within a six- to eight-hour drive, says Daren Cullen, a real estate broker with Re/Max Key Properties in Bend.

And with their purchasing power, they’ve driven up real estate prices. “There are no bargains in Bend now,” says Cullen. “It’s getting pretty pricey.”

Newcomers tend to like furnished cottages and smaller, single-family homes on the west side of town that don’t require much maintenance. Some buyers snag condos in downtown that do double duty as a vacation home and a source of short-term rental income when they’re booked through websites like Airbnb, says Cullen.

7. Aberdeen, WA

Annualized rate of return: 10% Median home list price: $229,500

Homes on the water in Aberdeen

realtor.com

Aberdeen is a sleepier, beach locale in the Pacific Northwest that is beginning to gain some renown—and price bumps—as more families and retirees from Portland, OR, and Seattle are discovering the area.

While it’s often too cold to take a casual swim in the Pacific, the area attracts plenty of surfers and kayakers. Paddleboarders are drawn to the many freshwater canals.

But with home prices rising, Aberdeen may not be one of the country’s most affordable beach towns for long. Houses on the ocean run around $300,000 to $400,000, Kelsey Brazeau, a real estate broker at Keller Williams South Sound, told realtor.com. But buyers with smaller budgets can get beachfront condos in the region starting around $100,000.

8. Wenatchee, WA

Annualized rate of return: 10% Median home list price: $449,100

View of the Wenatchee River

Erhoman/iStock

Deep in Central Washington, at the foothills of the Cascade Range and along the Columbia River, is this quiet town where vacationers go to unwind. The streets in Wenatchee are lined with well-kept historic homes. And the many orchards around town have given Wenatchee the nickname “Apple Capital of the World.”

Just outside Wenatchee is Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest, where folks can enjoy panoramic views of mountains and commune with wildlife.

Wenatchee’s charm and beautiful homes have made it a go-to for second-home buyers from Seattle. The city is just two hours west of the city—not a bad commute for a weekend getaway.

9. Hilo, HI

Annualized rate of return: 10% Median home list price: $494,100

Hilo, HI

steinphoto/iStock

Why get just any ol’ beach house on the coast when you can get one in Polynesian paradise with views of two volcanoes, Mauna Kea and Mauna Loa? (Note: Hilo, on the big island of Hawaii, is located about 30 miles away from Volcano Kilauea, which erupted in May. So relax.)

But brightly colored, tropical homes surrounded by palm trees don’t come cheap. Sorry, buyers, the folks snapping up places here tend to have big bucks. And with stock prices hovering around record highs, more of these folks are buying, driving up prices.

Aside from the picturesque homes, the region is known for its astronomical research, such as the Mauna Kea Observatories, which has outposts equipped with giant telescopes collecting data from space. And with the clear night sky, why not lay on the beach and take in those stars?

10. Key West, FL

Annualized rate of return: 9% Median home list price: $687,100

Key West, FL homes

ferrantraite/iStock

Key West, the last and most famous of the Florida Keys, is a top destination for spring breakers, beach and boat lovers, and just about anyone who enjoys some good, old-fashioned bacchanalia. And many of these folks make it their mission in life to buy a vacation home on the so-called “Conch Republic,” which has mostly rebounded from Hurricane Irma.

Buyers come from all over the United States, especially folks from colder states looking for a winter escape, says local real estate broker associate Christopher Orth of Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Knight & Gardner Realty. Notable residents have included Ernest Hemingway, Truman Capote, Calvin Klein, and (of course) Jimmy Buffett.

Second-home buyers want condos, townhomes, and single-family homes in gated communities like Truman Annex. Properties range in price from $600,000 to $6 million.

Or they prefer Conch-style homes, those small, wooden homes set on stilts or piers originating from Bahamian immigrants. Want to see one for yourself? Take a look at this three-bedroom beauty priced at $799,000.

“Buyers are attracted to the charm,” Orth says. “And you just can’t get bored here.”

* A metropolitan statistical area is a designation that includes the urban core of a city and surrounding smaller towns and cities.

Sources: realtor.com and CoreLogic

Allison Underhill contributed to this report.

The post Chill Out, Then Cash In: The 10 Most Profitable Markets for Vacation Homes appeared first on Real Estate News & Insights | realtor.com®.

Chill Out, Then Cash In: The 10 Most Profitable Markets for Vacation Homes

#TRUSTED LOCAL REALTOR #Chill Out #Then Cash In: The 10 Most Profitable Markets for Vacation Homes

0 notes

gillespialfredoe01806ld · 6 years

Text

Chill Out, Then Cash In: The 10 Most Profitable Markets for Vacation Homes

Meinzahn/iStock

Just don’t expect riches overnight.

And then there are the risks. Vacation homes, for one, tend to be located in places prone to environmental factors.

“You could be hampered by a hurricane or forest fire,” Mabery says. “And lakes are amazing until we have a drought.”

Finally, we used those figures to create an annualized rate of return for each market. And we limited our ranking to two metros per state to ensure some geographic diversity.

Got it? Get ready to chill—you’ve earned it!

Most profitable markets for second homes

Claire Widman

1. Traverse City, MI

Annualized rate of return: 14% Median home list price: $315,000

Traverse City, MI

CT757fan/iStock

2. Claremont, NH

Annualized rate of return: 12% Median home list price: $255,000

View of Claremont

- Fotosearch/Getty Images

Oh, and did we mention those ultralow home prices? They’re attracting buyers from big, expensive cities such as Boston.

3. Clearlake, CA

Annualized rate of return: 11% Median home list price: $325,100

A home dock in Clearlake, CA

realtor.com

The lake might be a half-million years old (purportedly the oldest lake in America), but the hotness of the market is of a considerably more recent vintage.

4. Brainerd, MN

Annualized rate of return: 11% Median home list price: $286,200

Cabin for sale near Brainerd

realtor.com

This ultra-affordable lake town boasts more than 500 lakes located within a 25-mile radius.

And the real estate isn’t too expensive either. A modest cabin can be found for under $100,000, including this 224-square-foot, one-bedroom with a wood-burning fireplace priced at 89,900.

But prices are rising now that the economy has recovered and more folks can afford a second home. Savvy buyers are making their moves before the market explodes.

5. Port St. Lucie, FL

Annualized rate of return: 11% Median home list price: $279,300

Port St. Lucie

felixmizioznikov/iStock

So why are returns here so high?

These properties “are now worth what they were before foreclosure,” Gonzalez says. Wannabe beach bum buyers had better act fast, because homes are selling quickly, he warns.

6. Bend, OR

Annualized rate of return: 11% Median home list price: $442,000

Old Mill District, Deschutes River in Bend, OR

Stephen Saks/iStock

And with their purchasing power, they’ve driven up real estate prices. “There are no bargains in Bend now,” says Cullen. “It’s getting pretty pricey.”

7. Aberdeen, WA

Annualized rate of return: 10% Median home list price: $229,500

Homes on the water in Aberdeen

realtor.com

While it’s often too cold to take a casual swim in the Pacific, the area attracts plenty of surfers and kayakers. Paddleboarders are drawn to the many freshwater canals.

8. Wenatchee, WA

Annualized rate of return: 10% Median home list price: $449,100

View of the Wenatchee River

Erhoman/iStock

Just outside Wenatchee is Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest, where folks can enjoy panoramic views of mountains and commune with wildlife.

Wenatchee’s charm and beautiful homes have made it a go-to for second-home buyers from Seattle. The city is just two hours west of the city—not a bad commute for a weekend getaway.

9. Hilo, HI

Annualized rate of return: 10% Median home list price: $494,100

Hilo, HI

steinphoto/iStock

10. Key West, FL

Annualized rate of return: 9% Median home list price: $687,100

Key West, FL homes

ferrantraite/iStock

Second-home buyers want condos, townhomes, and single-family homes in gated communities like Truman Annex. Properties range in price from $600,000 to $6 million.

“Buyers are attracted to the charm,” Orth says. “And you just can’t get bored here.”

* A metropolitan statistical area is a designation that includes the urban core of a city and surrounding smaller towns and cities.

Sources: realtor.com and CoreLogic

Allison Underhill contributed to this report.

The post Chill Out, Then Cash In: The 10 Most Profitable Markets for Vacation Homes appeared first on Real Estate News & Insights | realtor.com®.

from DIYS https://ift.tt/2QBz1cR

#DIYS

0 notes

recordstorefanatic-blog · 6 years

Text

Record Seeking Road Trip

(Originally appeared in Automotive Traveler)

Without music, life would be a mistake.--Nietzsche

Two milk crates were tossed into the back of the Cayenne Red Nissan Juke, and the journey began. With a full tank of gas, a six-pack of bottled water, and a tight schedule planned, the whirlwind tour was greeted by a surprise October snow storm. The weather be damned, our intrepid travelers would not be stopped on their musical mission. Slowed, maybe... but not stopped.

The heroes of this story were embarking on a nearly record-book-worthy adventure. In about 14 hours, as the plan was, they would visit seven of the best record stores the American Mid-Atlantic has to offer. A circuitous route weaving through Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Maryland was intended to maximize the time in each store and cram everything into a single day.

While it seemed slightly counter-intuitive, the pair and their crimson coach would wander from west to east before heading north and then south. No, it's not how MapQuest, a GPS, or a strictly rational person would plan such a trip. But with some of the stores open earlier or later than others, travel time and retail hours dictated the route.

Opening earliest that morning, the Record Connection in Ephrata, Pennsylvania was first on the itinerary. Hidden in a quiet strip mall in Lancaster County, this indie record store opened in 1985 houses a remarkable inventory--providing a history of the music industry that should be a lesson to its executives. Artists were once given time to develop a following and find their sound. Today, pre-packaged products are foisted on the public as the "latest thing," even if they have nothing new to give us. But here at the Record Connection, we have a time capsule of an age when music was good, and artists were in charge of their own sound.

Racks and racks of records fill three rooms, in addition to the room overflowing with CDs. The "pop" room contains music from nearly every top-40 artist from the 1950s into the 1990s. In search of Donnie (and Marie) Osmond albums, 10 different records surfaced, priced at $3 or $4 with one $8 selection. Other finds included the 1984 comeback album from Slade (known for misspelling song titles, such as Cum On Feel the Noize and Mama Weer All Crazee Now) titled Keep Your Hands off My Power Supply and the relatively obscure British act Charlie's 1979 release Fight Dirty. Another room gathered soul, blues, and country, in addition to a small grouping of hard rock. Little records--once known as singles or 45s--populated the last area.

Friendly, helpful, and knowledgeable staff readily assisted in our search for that lost classic. Minutes from the Pennsylvania Turnpike, the Record Connection's only drawback is that it's hidden away in Amish country. For those vinyl fanatics looking for great-condition discs from the pre-CD period, this is a must-find shop.

A few dozen records placed into the milk crates, hatch closed, and the Juke was heading east toward the City of Brotherly Love. Even with freezing rain, the Nissan competently sailed across Interstate 76, otherwise known as the Schuylkill Expressway. A turn up the Vine Street Expressway leads to the Ben Franklin Bridge and then New Jersey, but exiting the highway before the bridge gets our music-loving travelers to the next stop.

Destination number two was A.K.A. Music on North 2nd Street, Philadelphia's largest independent record store. Although A.K.A.'s collection of music leans more toward CDs, they do have a wide selection of LPs. In the newer music, the store features alternative and local acts. Their used collection has some great finds and wonderfully tempting bargains. Among the rack of 99-cent to $3.00 CDs, were rare (rightfully so) pieces such as B-movie actress Kari Wührer's 1999 release Shiny and central Pennsylvania act the Badlees' 1995 River Songs (for two-bits!).

The hour devoted to A.K.A. Music on the day's schedule was nearly over, so the adventurers made their way to the front counter. Found among the collection here was the album Fickle Heart by Sniff 'n' the Tears with its classic road tune Driver's Seat. And perfect for Halloween was Mike Oldfield's legendary album Tubular Bells, with the title track instantly recognizable as the soundtrack to the horror film The Exorcist.

Quite possibly, the most significant find of the day came from this store. Among the 99-cent records was Cheech & Chong's second album Big Bambu. Noteworthy for the Sister Mary Elephant bit on track one and its nomination for a Grammy award (losing to George Carlin), this LP is notorious for its packaging. Designed to look like a pouch of rolling papers, Big Bambu came from the factory with an actual rolling paper about 10 inches square. Four decades later, finding a copy of this record is difficult. Finding one with the rolling paper intact is nearly impossible. Finding a complete one for under a buck makes the entire trip worthwhile.

Foreigner, Howard Jones, and Eddie Money joined the lot in the Sealtest crate, and the Juke box rejoined the highway. This time, headed north on I-95 as the rain comes down harder. Approaching the next stop, the Juke passed more and more vehicles whose drivers had overextended their cars' capabilities. One after another, drivers found their rides sliding onto the shoulder or into the median. With proper care, however, the Juke arrived in Bordentown, New Jersey unscathed.

Packed on the narrow streets of this little hamlet were dozens of cars and trucks. You'd think it was January--except that the snow- and ice-covered trees still had much of their fall foliage. Even with parking spots at a premium, the Juke's luck continued when a space right in front of the next stop opened.

Farnsworth Avenue is Main Street America. Little mom-and-pop shops fill the tree-lined street, and that's where you find The Record Collector. This indie music store so embodies the specialist retailer spirit that they even reimburse students for their public transportation costs if they purchase more than $25.00.

As we entered the store, the owner was on the phone trying to decide whether or not to cancel that evening's live in-store performance. Posters on the wall and racks of records up front illustrate the level of musicians who have performed at The Record Collector. From local acts to artists known around the world, they've played here among the vinyl.

Up the ramp into the rear of the store, records are organized alphabetically in stacked shelves, just like your local library keeps their books. Only here, the records are in amazing shape and run the gamut of music halls of fame the world over. It's among these shelves that big-buck records can be found. An original copy of Johnny Cash at San Quentin, for example, and the rare Prince box-set Royal Jewels. Even a 12-inch single of Prince's Purple Rain-era I Would Die 4 U/Another Lonely Christmas was snagged.

Still unsure about that evening's performance, the store's owner offered a fond farewell to the travelers as they added more loot to the treasure chests stashed in the tail of the frog-eyed crossover. The little Nissan Juke continued its journey north.

After the highway dumps the explorers off onto the surface streets, they slip through the campus of Princeton. Students roam around, on foot and on wheels, trying to keep clear of the thick, wet snow that has blanketed the hallowed halls of this Ivy League school. Avoiding more than one oblivious driver, the Juke made its way to Tulane Street (barely an alleyway, really), home to the Princeton Record Exchange.

The parking gods blessed the rosy vessel once more with the prime spot right in front of the entrance. For a Saturday afternoon with a football game and rowing competition in town, this 32-year-old indie music spot was surprisingly alive with customers. Crammed with records, CDs and even tapes, the Princeton Record Exchange moves music hunters up and down the aisles as they pleasantly excuse each other's gentle bumps.

Unfortunately, the storm took control of our featured duo's quest and shut down the power to that side of Tulane Street. Less-hearty souls quietly left the darkened shop, but the more determined fired up their cell phones for just enough light to read an album cover or three. This would bear fruit in the form of the neo-swing CD Hot from Squirrel Nut Zippers and Cheech & Chong's first LP to match the previously discovered sophomore release. With the electronic cash registers and credit card readers silenced, it was a cash-only day at the Exchange. One CD and one LP came to a grand total of five bucks and change.

Downing a slice at Iano's Pizza, topping off the tank, grabbing a box of Munchkins, and the refueling was complete. It's at this point that the weather finally took its toll on the music-themed road trip. With the freak snow storm now traveling rapidly up the East Coast, driving back into eastern Pennsylvania would have stalled the rest of the trip. For this reason, Double Decker Records in Allentown, Pennsylvania was bypassed. Perusing the wares at that indie retailer would require a dedicated trip.

Instead of heading north, the Juke pulled a 180 pointed south on I-95. Temperatures eased a bit and rose above freezing, changing the sleet into rain. Almost as suddenly, New Jersey gave way to Pennsylvania. With four stores and two states down, there was one more state and two more music vendors to go. Across the Mason-Dixon Line, the Juke wound its way to Baltimore.

In a nondescript building on Hickory Avenue resides The True Vine. Settled deep in a comfy chair was a man flipping through a lapful of old records. Record memorabilia plastered every wall, with the most prominent visual the 1960s-era three-record set that forms a three-foot long picture of a nightgown-clad blonde.

With its racks and racks of blues, soul, country, and rock albums, The True Vine looks like it could have been plucked out of a movie set where the script called for a "period record store." Selection and pricing are excellent, but it's the atmosphere at this indie music retailer that evokes the sense you've stepped back in time to when record stores formed the center of the hip culture universe.

Mixed in with the top-notch Sixties artists were some unexpected Eighties pop platters. Priced well, copies of records from Split Enz, Blondie, Heaven 17, and the Motels found new homes.

Back in the car, it was time to seek out the final destination of the day. Across town waited the one big record store on the list that was open until midnight. Saturday evening on Thames Street draws Baltimore's in crowd. Men and women dressed to the nines eschewed coats despite the particularly cold evening so as not to cover their best duds. With so many people parading across the cobblestone road, the nearest parking space was three blocks away.

Between Duda's Tavern and The Horse You Rode In On Saloon, The Sound Garden, in business almost 20 years, offers a wide selection of CDs. Stretching deep into the building, well-organized CDs in all genres are available for casual perusal. The college-town staff, complete with the requisite piercings and black nail polish, provide the kind of aloof attitude you would expect from such a store. If vinyl was the medium of choice--and it was--the place to be was the front section.

Up there, the room is filled with numerous modern vinyl releases. Vinyl records have been the odd highlight in an otherwise dour music industry, but annual national sales of just over one million records keep the discs hard to find. At The Sound Garden, the selection of high-quality records was impressive. The hard-core vinyl-phile will find a rare treasure here.As the day came to an end, the Juke's headlights pointed north on I-83 and Baltimore faded in the distance. A trunkful of records and CDs, rumbling bellies, and a gas tank begging for a refill were the remnants from a successfully productive day with a singular focus. The anticipation of spinning the black circles and dropping the needle pushes the pair homeward.

We remember so many events by the music that's playing. A road trip with a carload of friends or family belting out songs. Dad at the family piano tinkling out a tune on the ivories. The song playing on your first date, your first dance, or your first kiss. A great music collection helps keep those memories fresh. And stumbling across a great find in an independent record store can be like pulling a long-forgotten love note or photo out of a drawer. I remember when...

https://automotivetraveler.com/magazine/viewer.php?path=2012/04/Record-Seeking_Road_Trip&page=1&acc=2

#Vinyl #Records #Music #roadtrip #Philadelphia #Baltimore #Princeton #Ephrata #Bridgeton #Pennsylvania #NewJersey #Maryland

0 notes