A perfect combination of historically low interest rates and affordable home prices is making the dream of owning a vacation home more feasible, and many families are beginning to seriously ponder the question.

For some, a vacation home is exactly that… a second home to escape to. For others it may be a seasonal home where they spend large chunks of the year to take advantage of better weather. Still for others, a vacation home can be both a vacation home and an investment property when income is generated by using it as a vacation rental.

Regardless of the nature of the vacation home, here are some examples of traditional getaway locations and how affordable prices have become:

• Vail, CO - Median home prices are now around $385,000 compared to $562,000 five years ago
• Palm Beach, FL - Median home prices are now around $250,000 compared to $758,000 five years ago
• Martha's Vineyard, MA - Median home price around $400,000 compared to $638,000 five years ago