The following is a guest post from Coldwell Banker Real Estate summer intern, Carly Feryus.

One of the best parts of summer is vacation. Whether packing up a car for a day trip (also known as a staycation), boarding a cruise ship or jumping on a plane, there is a special feeling unlike any other associated with vacation. For many, it brings back happy memories of time spent with loved ones, I know for me that is certainly the case.  Growing up in New Jersey, I was blessed every summer to have the opportunity to head to the shore, yes the one and only Jersey shore.

Although New Jersey is known for many things, its shoreline has received the most attention of all. Not wanting to be bombarded by the Jersey Shore cast, my parents explored options in Long Beach Island, a common hotspot for many Jersey natives but also those from Pennsylvania, Maryland and Vermont.  The private beaches are a perfect place to own a home, and everyone is friendly. Whether you are looking for a shore house or a ski chalet as your home away from home, there are plenty of options out there; you just need to determine what amenities you are looking for!

Like all second home buyers my parents compiled a list of ideal amenities and must haves for their desired vacation home.  The first, and most important factor, was travel time from our primary home. Traffic played a big role in their decision, not just for commuting, but they also wanted a beach house in an area where they felt comfortable letting their children walk to the beach by themselves.

Another important amenity was the view. To us, sitting on our wraparound deck was one of the greatest features of our home as it allowed us to enjoy the bay from nearly every angle.  My parent’s choice to purchase a vacation home for our family has been a great one because we have the ability to get away whenever we want and have another place to call home.

Have you considered buying or renting a vacation home? Coldwell Banker Real Estate makes it extremely easy to find vacation homes all over the country and even internationally. Be sure to tryout our keyword search, so if you are looking for something specific for your second home, it will narrow down your search so you can find exactly what you’re looking for!  Of course location is everything so before you select a home it is important to check out the surrounding area. Some things to consider could include commute time, theaters, nightlife, and family activities, like mini golf! Check out our Best Places to Live series for ideas. Some popular getaway states I discovered while searching my Pinterest board for ideas were Maryland, Rhode Island, Colorado, New Jersey, Connecticut, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Florida.  Of course, you can always call your local Coldwell Banker office and they can help you find your dream vacation home too!

Are you dreaming of a vacation home? Tell us where you would most love to have a vacation home in the comments.

Carly Feryus is an intern with Coldwell Banker Real Estate for the summer and is assisting both the operations and marketing departments on various projects. Carly is will be entering her junior year at Syracuse University where she is a marketing major.

While she’s enjoying her time in our HQ in Parsippany, NJ, from the sound of this post we’re pretty sure she wishes we were located a bit closer to Long Beach Island.