This book is designed to help first-time buyers and long-time owners make the most of a cottage investment. Douglas Hunter provides expert advice on all aspects of ownership of a second home, from finding and buying the perfect cottage to selling it or handing it down to the next generation. The hundreds of tips and cautions, sample documents and comprehensive checklists lead to maximum enjoyment of a cottage and minimal unhappy surprises. The book is jam-packed with solid information and easy-to understand advice, including: How to choose the right location - Finding the perfect property to match a lifestyle - Finding the right real estate agent - How to inspect a vacation property - Cottage surveys - Financing the purchase - Co-ownership arrangements, including fractional ownership and time-shares - Strategies to minimize taxation in the U.S. and Canada - Trouble-free rentals and using a rental agent - Boosting market appeal when trading up or selling - How to structure a cottage inheritance to reduce taxes -and family disputes - Retiring or relocating full time to the cottage. This all-in-one resource also identifies potential problems and offers effective solutions to common challenges. This book tells you all you need to know, from choosing a location, inspecting the cottage, financing and purchasing. There's also information on selling your camp or handing it down to the next generation. And if you're retiring shortly you might want to read about relocating full time to your summer home. Not that I'm jealous of anyone retiring shortly. (Karen Craib Thunder Bay Chronicle-Journal 2010-03-28) With easy-to-understand advice on finding the perfect property to match a lifestyle, plus an entire chapter dedicated to sharing a cottage, it's a comprehensive tome that also makes a great gift for new cottage owners. ( Toronto Star 2009-06-06) Falling in love isn't always conducive to rational thinking and planning -- even if the object of your affection is a cottage. So before entering into a relationship, Douglas Hunter suggests balancing your emotions with information.... If you're not informed about tax implications, water quality in nearby lakes or rivers, neighbors, anglers, and even where the sun sets and direction of wind in relation to your cottage, you might be in or a big surprise. You didn't think romance could be so complicated, did you? (Martha Phifer Chattanooga Times Free Press 2009-05-01) This book is a must-have for cottage owners or anyone with dreams of buying a cottage. The basic buying tips are helpful, but the best part of the book is that it addresses a key question for baby boomers: Is retirement at the cottage really possible? ... Add this to your fall cottage book list. ( Good Times 2006-10-01) Douglas Hunter regularly writes on business, sports and outdoor pursuits for a variety of publications. He is the author of 13 books and lives on Georgian Bay in Ontario's cottage country. 1. Introduction Vacation homes have been with us for as long as humankind has needed a vacation. The Romans had their villas. The Elizabethans couldn't wait to escape the crowds and pestilence of London and head for their country retreats. Somewhere in our deep past, whenever breaks in the mammoth-hunt schedule permitted, a cave dweller probably grabbed spouse and kids and shambled off to a quiet spot with a drop-dead view by the tar pits. The cottage is supposed to be about "getting away from it all," but clearly you don't have to be cooped up in one of Milton's Dark Satanic Mills before you start yearning for a respite at the lake. Most people who own a vacation property have a perfectly nice home elsewhere. The change they're looking for is not just about fresh air and a place to paddle a canoe, but about a different set of priorities. A cottage is about sleeping in -- or getting up even earlier than usual to do some fishing. It's about having a haven for family and friends -- or a haven from the rest of the world entirely. Cottages are where batteries are recharged, where harried souls can decompress -- regardless of where they're located or their degree of sophistication. The cottage is synonymous with escape. And with a perfect cottage, the escaping is to , not from . You stop thinking about getting away from town -- it's not just that any port in a storm will do -- and, instead, about getting to the lake. Some of you reading this book have probably had years of experience with cottages. Some of you own one already. For those of you interested in buying your first cottage, perhaps your family had one that evokes fond childhood memories. Others will have little experience with cottages at all -- perhaps a visit to a friend's getaway or a summer rental has piqued your interest in becoming an owner. You may be single or half of a couple, or surrounded by kids... or grandkids. Your idea of the perfect retreat is going to differ from the next person's. And depending on where in North A