Second Home First

[REAL STORIES] They Bought a Lake House Instead of an NYC Apartment and Paid it Off in 15 Years

Nearly two decades ago, today’s guests were a young couple living in Jersey City, dreaming of buying a home in Manhattan. But instead of stretching their budget to buy in

[EXPERT] Think You Can’t Afford a Vacation Home?

Do you dream of owning a vacation home but think you can’t afford it? What if I told you that you might need way less cash than you think? Today’s expert guest is breakin

Can This Vacation Home Pay For Itself? (Spoiler Alert: YES!)

What if I told you that there’s a ski chalet in Vermont that looks like it was plucked straight out of a storybook currently for sale for less than $150,000!? That price

[EXPERT] The Secret to Getting Instagram-Worthy Photos and Videos of Your Vacation Home

If you want your vacation home to pay for itself, you need to get people excited to actually book it. And one of the best ways to do that is with scroll-stopping photos a

[REAL STORIES] This NYC Fashion Stylist Bought a Beach House in Maine Sight Unseen

What do you get when you cross a New York City-based fashion stylist with a vintage beach cottage in Maine? A fully booked rental calendar, that’s what. Today’s guest dec

[EXPERT] What to Cook at a Vacation House with Bestselling Author Caroline Chambers

Vacation homes are where some of life's best memories are made, and the kitchen is often the center of that. On this episode, Caroline Chambers shares her favorite recipe

[EXPERT] Vacation Home Design Secrets that Make You More Money

Most vacation homeowners think great design is about picking pretty furniture. But today’s expert guest says it’s actually all about psychology. And when it’s done right,

Should You Allow Pets in Your Vacation Home?

Nearly half of American households own a dog, yet less than a quarter of vacation rentals allow them to stay. We're unpacking if allowing pets in your vacation home is a

[REAL STORIES] From Military Orders in South Korea to Building a Vacation Home in Mississippi

When her husband received military orders to move their family to South Korea, today’s guest made a decision that completely changed the way she viewed homeownership. Wha

The Email That Landed Second Home First in The New York Times

Breaking news—Second Home First has been featured in the holy grail, the New York Times! I’m taking you behind the scenes on everything, from the cold pitch I sent to get

[REAL STORIES] Why She Gave Up on Buying a House in LA and Bought a North Georgia Cabin Instead

How long would you wait to afford a home where you live? Five years? Ten? After more than 2 decades renting in Los Angeles, today's guest decided she was done waiting and

[EXPERT] How to Buy a House

Buying a house is one of the biggest financial decisions most of us will ever make. So why does it feel like no one has ever taught us how to actually do it? There's no c

[REAL STORIES] “Is this it?” Her Life Felt Like Groundhog Day Until She Bought a Cabin in Tahoe

After years of hustling, climbing, achieving, and building, many of us are looking around at our lives and thinking: is this really it? Our guest today felt exactly that,

The Abandoned Irish Farmhouse My Mother Inherited… And Why It Went Viral

What happens when a forgotten property becomes the beginning of something much bigger? In this deeply personal episode, host Katie Cline shares the story behind the aban

[EXPERT] How to Own a Vacation Home That Makes Money Without Becoming a Landlord

Want to own a vacation home that pays for itself but don’t want to become a landlord? Today’s expert episode introduces us to the world of co-hosts — property managers wh

[REAL STORIES] Why Being “Debt-Free” Might Be Keeping You Poor

If I told you someone was $1.7 million dollars in debt, you’d probably think: that sounds really bad. But today’s guest is all about leverage — using debt strategically t

[EXPERT] The Kid-Friendly Details Every Vacation Home Needs

For a lot of people (myself included), the “dream” isn’t just owning a vacation home that pays for itself—it’s owning a place that your family genuinely loves to visit. B

[REAL STORIES] This NYC Teacher Stopped Waiting for “Someday” and Bought a Cottage in the Poconos

How many of us are currently putting something off for the hypothetical “someday?” This guest realized he didn’t want to wait around to enjoy his life. So instead of buyi

[REAL STORIES] She Escaped Texas Summers by Buying a House in Maine

What if attaining your “dream life” didn’t require quitting your job, becoming a millionaire, or even moving someplace else? Today’s guest, a native Texan, bought her sec

When Your Vacation Home Becomes a TV Star

On this episode of Second Home First, I’m taking you behind the scenes of something I never could have predicted: my very first vacation home, Trout Landing, being featur