Are you a homeowner who plans to purchase your second home in 2024? If so, you will be applying for a mortgage under different circumstances than those under which you bought your first home. Securing a loan for a second home is more complicated, more difficult, and even includes two separate sets of rules - one for vacation homes and another for investment properties. 

Let’s examine these two types of homes, the rules that govern them, and the pros and cons of each approach when it comes to your finances. 

What Qualifies as a Vacation Home?

Your primary residence is where you’ll spend most of your time, of course, but you are permitted to have one or more vacation homes as well, or even a residence that you use as your office. Either way,