Franklin County, Fla., saw the largest year-over-year increase in second-home mortgage rate locks, up 11.5 percent year-over-year, according to a report from Pacaso, a real estate platform that helps people buy and co-own a luxury second home.
“We know that the pandemic fueled a major surge in second-home buying demand, and that national demand peaked in the spring of 2021,” Pacaso CEO and co-founder Austin Allison said in a release. “But what’s been less obvious is how and where that demand has impacted local markets across the U.S., especially outside of well-known top second home destinations. This report helps shed light on which residential real estate markets across the U.S. have become distinctly popular second-home destinations.”
After Franklin County, Fla., Sevier County, Tenn. (9.7 percent), Trigg County, Ky. (9.3 percent), Oktibbeha County, Miss. (8.2 percent), and Hardy County, W.V. (7.4 percent) saw the biggest year-over-year share increases. Sevier County is home to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, the most visited national park in the country, and Trigg County is known for its expansive Land Between the Lakes National Recreation Area, which features more than 170,000 acres of nature.
“What’s interesting here is that many of the counties that saw the largest year-over-year shift toward second-home buying activity are not typically regarded as well-known second-home destinations,” Allison said. “What we are seeing at the top of our list is the pandemic-driven surge generating interest in new destinations that weren’t previously on the map, for example, less well-known destinations in places like Kentucky, Tennessee, and West Virginia.”
Rounding out the top 10 were Pacific County, Wash. (4.9 percent year-over-year increase), Garrett County, Md. (3.9 percent), Saunders County, Neb. (3.7 percent), Windham County, Vt. (3.5 percent), and Grand County, Colo. (3.4 percent.)
Counties that were the top second-home market in their state but saw significant declines in their share of second-home sales include Dukes County, Mass., which includes Martha’s Vineyard (down 19.4 percent year-over-year) and Teton County, Wyo., home to Jackson Hole (down 7.9 percent).