Here is the second half of the list of top 10 little-known yet affordable vacation home areas:

6. Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia, Canada: Cape Breton is considered one of “50 places of a lifetime”, and was named the second best sustainable tourist destination in the world by National Geographic Traveler magazine. There are four major golf courses (Highland Links, Bell Bay, Dundee, and Le Portage) on Cape Breton Island, as well as numerous scenic drives, including the Ceilidh Trail, Cabot Trail, and the Bras d’Or Lakes Scenic Drive. The Cape Breton Highlands National Park protects 20% of northern Cape Breton, and is the largest protected wilderness area in Nova Scotia. Property is amazingly inexpensive, with historic oceanfront and bayfront homes selling for less than $100,000, and occasionally found for less than $50,000! Small fixer-uppers, some that even come with acreage, can be found for around $25,000 - $50,000.

7. Grand Lake O’ the Cherokees, Oklahoma: Grand Lake O’ the Cherokees has a little something for everyone. There’s boating, fishing, sailing, SCUBA diving, golf, casinos, live theater, music festivals, and more. The lake is 46,500 square acres, and has 1300 miles of shoreline. Located in the Ozark mountains, the area has everything from bustling lakefront communities to secluded coves and lakeside resorts. Small lakefront cottages can be found for well under $100,000 in many areas around the lake.

8. Fairfield, Idaho: Fairfield is located just an hour from Sun Valley, Idaho, and is emerging as Idaho’s best “undiscovered” small ski town. Soldier Mountain Ski Resort offers excellent powder runs, snowboarding, groomed skiing and cat skiing, and nearby is unlimited back-country ski areas on National Forest Lands. The climate is high-mountain desert with dry air, sunny days and clear night skies. There’s excellent mountain biking, camping, fishing, hiking, horseback riding, bird watching, golf and photography opportunities. Small in-town homes can be found for less than $70,000, with most in the $100,000 to $150,000 range.

9. Crestline, California: Located in the mountains around 90 miles east of downtown LA lies Crestline. Crestline is located around the jewel of Lake Gregory, and sits at an altitude of around 4700’ above sea level. While there are many homes available for over $1,000,000, there are also many 1 bedroom, 1 bathroom cabins available for around $100,000.

10. Northern Vermont: Northern Vermont is a very diverse area. There’s the Northeast Kingdom encompassing the three northeastern-most counties in the state (Orleans, Essex, and Caledonia), which boasts a couple of ski areas, multiple lakes (including Lake Willoughby and Lake Memphremagog), the northern Connecticut River, and lots of hiking trails. Northcentral Vermont includes the headwaters of the Missisquoi River. Northcentral Vermont also includes the Stowe area, which has numerous ski areas and year-round events. Northwestern Vermont includes the shores of Lake Champlain (often referred to as the other Great Lake), and the Champlain Islands. There are two national wildlife refuges in northern Vermont, the Missisquoi (on the shores of Lake Champlain) and the Silvio O. Conte (in the Connecticut River watershed). Throughout this area, cabins and cottages can be found for well under $100,000. Most are near or on lakes, ponds or rivers. Homes on the larger lakes (including Memphremagog, Willoughby, and Champlain) are generally more expensive, starting in the $250,000 range and extending to well over $1 million.

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Filed under: Buying, Market, Vacation Homes