The Monterey Peninsula is a popular vacation destination for Bay Area, Central Valley, Texas and Arizona residents. With world renowned golf courses, beautiful coastlines, sandy beaches, wineries, art galleries and lots of wonderful shops and restaurants it is the perfect place to getaway. A big factor? The cooler coastal weather that brings relief to many who live in the hotter areas of California and beyond.
Here are a few highlights of the area:
Carmel -Small intimate inns like the La Playa, the Cypress Inn, L'Auberge, cozy cottages, beautiful sandy beaches, upscale shops and art galleries and lots of wonderful restaurants but I can't forget the historic Carmel Mission, Clint Eastwood's Mission Ranch and historic architecture
Monterey offers - Marriott, Portola Hotel, Monterey Plaza Hotel, the state historic park, the Monterey Bay Aquarium, Fisherman's Wharf, Coastal trail, water sports and a bustling downtown area with shops and restaurants
Pacific Grove - Beautiful Victorians, the Coastal trail, Lover's Point, Asilomar Beach and of course shops and restaurants in the quaint downtown. We even have a little movie theater.
Carmel Valley and Village - Wineries, restaurants, Earthbound farms, Garland Ranch, golf courses, artist studios and equestrian centers
Pebble Beach - Golf courses, 2 luxury Lodge at Pebble Beach & Spanish Bay, 7 golf courses, the famous 17 Mile Drive, equestrian center, amazing estates and a gorgeous coastline with trails and beaches.
With all that said, it doesn't look like we hit the top 15 places to buy a vacation home. Why? I assume home prices play a big role in these selections. Since the Pandemic, demand in our area has increased dramatically and so have prices. Average price for a home in Pacific Grove is $1,477,000. Average price in Pebble Beach $4,526,307.
Here are the top 15 places to buy a vacation home in 2021, according to Vacasa’s rankings:
Gatlinburg, Tenn.: $320,111 (median home sale price)
St. Augustine, Fla.: $365,576
Gulf Shores, Ala.: $402,905
Dauphin Island, Ala.: $382,699
Norris Lake, Tenn.: $343,907
Blue Ridge, Ga.: $290,934
Palm Springs, Calif.: $539,370
Deep Creek Lake, Md.: $439,367
Seaside, Ore.: $466,086
Ludlow, Vt.: $346,950
Big Bear, Calif.: $372,667
Rockaway Beach, Ore.: $330,831
Cle Elum, Wash.: $551,586
Big Sky, Mont.: $850,000
Twentynine Palms, Calif.: $263,897
Source: Realtor Magazine August 19, 2021