Luxury Resort Condos Vs. Vacation Homes: Which Investment Is Better?

Travelers like to vacation in various tropical places. Many choose Central America for its abundance of hotspots and great amenities. At some point, a vacationer decides to invest in a permanent dwelling for which to spend their leisure time. In this case, the dilemma often arises whether to choose resort condominiums or vacation homes.

Vacation Homes

Vacation homes usually refer to a townhome or residential home in a vacation area. These homes are usually accompanied by a certain amount of land that is owned along with the dwelling. The nice thing about having a regular vacation home is privacy. These houses are often separated and on their own. They can also come gated for even more privacy and exclusivity.

Though vacation homes are quite nice, they do have several downsides. The first and most important to most people is they tend to be quite a bit more expensive than resort condominiums. You could spend literally millions of dollars on a regular vacation home verses several hundred thousand dollars for a resort condo in the same area.

The high purchase price of the house is really just the start of the expenses. After buying, you will want to consider how to tailor the home to your specifications -- such as putting in a swimming pool, security system, or whatever else. And when it comes to security, you will need to have the property secured during the months you are not there. This can sometimes be a dicey proposition in a foreign country.

Upkeep is another issue to consider with vacation homes. You will need to make sure the premises is always clean and tidy and up to the local municipal codes, which again could be quite different from what you are used to in your home area. The cost of keeping your place looking presentable can be quite hefty. But if you have the financial resources, it may be a good investment.

Resort Condominiums

Investing in luxury oceanfront condominiums offers vacationers quite a bit of the same benefits of a vacation home but at a reduced cost with far greater convenience. Resort condos are usually built in higher end communities where there are plenty of upscale amenities on site. These can include swimming pools, tennis courts, workout facilities, restaurants, shopping, and in some places even gaming. Amenities like these would be hard to duplicate in a vacation home.

In addition to luxury amenities, resort condos also offer much more convenience for the vacationer. Since you will probably only spend one to two months of the year in your condo, the last thing you want is to have to keep the premises clean the other 10 or 11 months of the year. Usually, the condo association takes care of these things for you, and all you pay is the association dues.

One added benefit that some resort condominiums offer is the ability to earn money from your investment while you are not there. Some even have rental programs that you can enroll in, making it very easy for you to make money by just sitting back and letting them do all the work for a small cut of the rent.

Overall, the decision on investing in resort condos vs vacation homes is an individual one. If you have the cash and desire to have a private and exclusive home, then a full residential vacation dwelling may be right for you. For most, however, the advantages of a resort condominium are hard to pass up.

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