Ernie truly understands the value of THIRDHOME. He said, “This is the best program out there! The experience is great with the professional staff, quality of luxury member homes and not having to do a direct exchange with another members home.” This Texas resident has his THIRDHOME in Mexico, his home country. Currently living in New Braunfels, Ernie loves to travel to new cities when he’s not working. Meet longtime THIRDHOME member Ernie Jergins!
How did you hear about THIRDHOME?
My second home is in San Miguel, Mexico and a lady friend of mine told me about THIRDHOME in San Miguel. Now I tell all my friends about THIRDHOME. THIRDHOME is the real deal, it’s the best thing I have ever joined and you all run it perfect. This was a great vision on Wade’s (THIRDHOME Founder and CEO) part.
What are your travel hobbies?
Tennis and fine wines.
What do you do for a living?
I own Ernestos Jewelry, a fine jewelry store that has diamonds imported from Belgium. I also own and develop real estate shopping centers and mini-storage buildings.
What do you love about THIRDHOME?
I’m 56 and able to travel, do what I want, when I want and THIRDHOME has changed everything for me. Before I would look at nice hotels, now I look at beautiful homes for a fraction of the price. I love this deal and I hope to continue forever. I have prepared years in advance because I see the value in THIRDHOME.
Where do you plan to travel next with THIRDHOME?
I plan to go next to Cabo. I have traveled to Costa Rica and a few other places and it’s been great. I have several reservations pending with THIRDHOME.
Tell us about your second home with THIRDHOME!
My THIRDHOME is in San Miguel, Mexico. It comes with first-class furnishings, amenities and a staff complete with maids and cooks. I will make my home available again real soon. The last time I put up 6 weeks and they filled quickly so be ready. I’m very happy I’m in this club. Thank you THIRDHOME.
Photos from Ernie Jergins travels:
This couple nails it in the travel department. They use THIRDHOME to travel over half of the year to homes all around the world. While in semi-retirement, this couple travels together and with their family to incredible THIRDHOME member properties in popular destinations. Paul and Karen Hannigan’s travels have included St. Maarten, Anguilla, California and France. Read below to learn about THIRDHOME members Paul and Karen Hannigan!
HOW DID YOU GET INVOLVED WITH THIRDHOME?
WHERE ARE YOU BASED?
WHO DO YOU USUALLY TRAVEL WITH?
WHAT DO YOU LOVE ABOUT THIRDHOME?
We love the comfort and flexibility it gives us when traveling and the ability to commit our Vineyard Compound as a value to book other quality properties all over the world. We are not planned tour travelers. We like to plunk down in different locations and get out and explore on our own. Using THIRDHOME allows us to dive more into local culture and really get out and explore areas at our own pace or within our own very specific interests.
WHAT ARE YOUR FAVORITE TRAVEL HOBBIES?
Some of our favorite activities while traveling include photography and crossing museums off of our list, where we have the opportunity to view famous pieces of art. We also enjoy finding local music, cooking classes, wine tours, searching out places that are unique or not on your classic tourist list.
WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE CITY YOU’VE TRAVELED TO WITH THIRDHOME AND WHAT DID YOU LOVE ABOUT IT?
WHAT’S THE NEXT DESTINATION YOU ARE EYEING WITH THIRDHOME?
WHAT DO YOU LOVE ABOUT YOUR THIRDHOME?
Martha’s Vineyard is the center of my being. It is home in every way. Our house was designed to be where all our grown children and their children come to catch up, rejuvenate and make memories. Our compound allows lots of little one full of wild ruckus and perfect for summer days playing outside in open fields or building forts and fairy gardens in the perennial beds. It was designed to be a base for what we call Cousins Week. It has lots of nooks and crannies inside and out so when every bed in the house is full you never feel crowded or lack a quiet corner to just sit and read a book. Our home reflects years of celebrating with friends and family.
ANY PERSONAL OR FAMILY ACHIEVEMENTS YOU’D LIKE TO SHARE?
Our proudest and best achievement has been raising our three children to adulthood and now being grandparents to 8 grandchildren ages 1-16. Showing them the world and exposing them to different cultures has been a great gift for all of us.
Thank you THIRDHOME for opening so many wonderful doors for us!
Photos from Paul and Karen Hannigan’s travels:
Planning a family escape that will entice toddlers as much teenagers and enable you to kick back and relax sounds like a daunting task. But traveling to family-friendly destinations is easy with the large selection of breathtaking THIRDHOME member homes that are complete with fun amenities. Family vacations always create lifelong memories, but to ensure that every member of the family is satisfied, it’s important to pick the perfect location. Choosing the right place to visit with the little ones can make the difference between enjoying your time away as a family or needing another vacation when you return home. These 5 vacation destinations are highly praised for featuring top-rated guided tours and unforgettable beaches. They are built for all ages and interests, whether you put a premium on activities, culture, or wildlife. These are locations sure to make the whole family happy. So get ready for the best family vacation!
OAHU, HI
This Hawaiian island is a standout star in terms of family activities. Oahu is both fun and educational, with museums, historic sites and beaches. Head to Waikiki Beach for a swim or venture to the Waikiki Aquarium. As if that wasn’t already enough, don’t forget about the stunning coastline of endless ocean views ready for family-friendly fun!
ORLANDO, FL
With spring fast approaching and spring break trips occurring this month, now is the perfect time to snag your admission tickets to Walt Disney World. With so many Disney vacation packages and options available, there’s always a new family experience to discover in Orlando. Orlando also offers world-class entertainment, golf courses and shopping.
Tip: Reunion, Florida is close to Orlando and has great homes for a trip to Disney or Universal.
COSTA RICA
Just about every adventurous activity imaginable can be found in Costa Rica. From zip-lining, mountain biking, whitewater rafting, kayaking and surfing, this place has it all. Plus, there is the opportunity to see exotic wildlife like monkeys, sloths and unique bird species. Other activities to put on your family vacation to-do list? Try gliding 3,200 feet above the rain forest in the Sky Tram or attempt to conquer a three-hour walk across bridges that hang high in the canopies.
CAPE COD, MA
Families can have a full day of activities on the Cape and islands, beginning with the beach, mini-golf and bike rides, and ending with a movie and popcorn at one of the nation’s only remaining drive-in theaters. There are surf and stand-up paddle lessons, tidal pool hikes, boat cruises for kids and more! Cape Cod has everything from fishing excursions to pirate boats where children can pull up their own loot. Top that off with a visit to the children’s museum, and it is easy to see why kids of all ages love Cape Cod!
SAN DIEGO, CA
San Diego has emerged as one of the premier family vacation destinations in the country. The 1,200-acre Balboa Park which is home to the famous San Diego Zoo, is a great place to let kids burn off energy. Not to mention walks along the Mission Beach Boardwalk, the Gaslamp District for shopping and dining and its beaches are some of the top ranked in America.
Meet Kiky and Michael, who have snapped some incredible photos while traveling! A simple google search of ‘Vacation Homes’ brought these two Napa Valley homeowners to THIRDHOME. Their vacations haven’t been the same since they stumbled upon traveling by home exchange! They love the properties and conveniences that THIRDHOME offers, and as new members they are excited to explore many new destinations the THIRDHOME way!
WHAT DO YOU DO FOR A LIVING?
I am the CEO & cleaning lady of Vin Roc Boutique Wine Caves.
WHO DO YOU USUALLY TRAVEL WITH?
Michael – who is my full-time lover and part-time husband.
WHAT ARE YOUR TRAVEL HOBBIES?
Food, wine, art, music, culture and people
WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE CITY YOU’VE TRAVELED TO WITH THIRDHOME?
We are new, we’ve traveled to West Palm Beach and Naples in Florida and spent the Christmas holidays in New York. We love them all!
WHERE ARE YOU OFF TO NEXT WITH THIRDHOME?
We are going to revisit Africa and Eastern Europe in THIRDHOME fashion!
WHAT’S YOUR MOTTO TO LIVE BY?
Share a bottle of wine everyday, unless you are sick, then share two!
TELL US ABOUT YOUR THIRDHOME!
It is a guest retreat for our winery in Napa Valley and it is a little piece of heaven on earth!
Kiky and Michael are owners of Vin Roc Wine Caves.
Not many years ago the idea of sharing was limited to only your nearest and dearest. Today sharing extends to people around the world with the help of car sharing and home swapping services. These trends are popular for good reasons! Car sharing will lead to having less communities built entirely around cars and leave less of a mark on our environment. Home exchange is making big waves in the way people people vacation, encourages travel and demands a more comfortable stay. Home exchange is when a second home owner exchanges unused time in their home for unused time in someone else’s second home. At THIRDHOME our members own luxury second homes all over the world and exchange unused time in their home to spend time in another members home. This gives our members the opportunity to travel the world and stay in luxury second homes.
You are no longer limited to traveling to the city that your second home sits in. By sharing your home you trade unused time in your home, for unused time in someone else’s all over the world (read more here). Rather than feeling like a tourist every time you travel, you can feel like a local. Grab the best gelato around the corner in Florence, crepes and French onion soup in Paris or dine at a neighborhood restaurant steps away in New York City.
Your crowded hotel room with a coffee maker isn’t cutting it these days. You need a place where you can relax, entertain and enjoy. Today you can host your family and friends in a home with plenty of rooms. Host a dinner at a dining room table or watch football comfortably on the couch with your dog at your feet. If this sounds like home to you, that’s the point.
THIRDHOME is different than other home exchange companies because of our stamp of approval. You can trust your home is in good hands since we perform a series of verification steps before our members and their properties are accepted. Not all homes are accepted into our exclusive travel club, so when you vacation at a THIRDHOME you know it’s up to snuff. When you visit a THIRDHOME property you can be confident its situated in a desirable location, has great amenities and tasteful furnishings.
THIRDHOME is the finest luxury second home exchange program out there. With our interactive website, you can make real time bookings and be rest assured you know what you’re getting. Our club allows members to experience luxury properties in a way where they truly get out what they put in.
Today’s Member Spotlight highlights longtime THIRDHOME member Bonneau Ansley. Bonneau and his wife Jen have experienced incredible luxury home exchange trips with the club! These pictures were captured in Deer Valley and St. Thomas, but their THIRDHOME travels extend to Seaside, Florida, Bluffton, South Carolina, Cabo San Lucas, Mexico and Park City, Utah to name a few.
With second homes in Sea Island, Reynolds Plantation, Palmetto Bluff and Cashiers, he understands the value THIRDHOME brings to second homeowners. Find out more about Bonneau and his family in the interview below:
Meet THIRDHOME member Bonneau Ansley!
HOW DID YOU GET INVOLVED WITH THIRDHOME?
I was an original investor with Wade (Founder and CEO of THIRDHOME) when the club was just a concept… having multiple homes at the time, the concept of being able to leverage what you already had to go other places made perfect sense to me. Sometimes I felt I HAD to go to one of my homes when I wanted to travel to see more of the world. Being able to leverage what I already was paying for was a game changer for my family to experience new adventures.
WHERE ARE YOU BASED?
Atlanta, GA
WHO DO YOU USUALLY TRAVEL WITH?
My family
WHAT DO YOU DO FOR A LIVING?
I own a Brokerage Company called Ansley Atlanta Real Estate and I am a partner in a dozen more ventures.
WHAT DO YOU LOVE ABOUT THIRDHOME?
I love the variety of homes and places to choose from, and the ease of the website.
WHAT ARE YOUR FAVORITE TRAVEL HOBBIES?
I love to walk with my wife for a couple of hours to get the lay of the land when we go someplace new.
WHAT IS THE FAVORITE CITY YOU’VE TRAVELED TO WITH THIRDHOME?
We love going to St Thomas. We have been two times, and our other favorite place is going to Esperanza in Cabo. Quick trips to Palmetto Bluff and Seaside are always great as well.
ANY PERSONAL/FAMILY ACHIEVEMENTS YOU’D LIKE TO SHARE?
I loved watching both kids learn to snorkle on St. John and having my daughter swim with a turtle in the wild. My son loved the submarine in Cabo, and seeing the whales jump right in front of us.
After graduating from Woodberry Forest in Virginia, Bonneau went to the University of Georgia were he graduated with a MBA in Real Estate from the Terry College of Business. Bonneau has been involved in real estate as an investor, developer and salesperson for over 15 years. He has been involved in the development and sales of over a half a billion dollars in real estate. Bonneau consistently sets sales records for Residential Real Estate in Georgia, where he continues to be the number 1 agent for Harry Norman Realtors and Christie’s International Realty.
Bonneau Ansley III
The Ansley Group
Bonneau is consistently ranked the number one real estate agent in Atlanta, Georgia.
Ready to plan your next ski vacation? Good. We thought so, which is why we put together a list of the top ski resorts around the world! This is the season to discover new mountainous heights, don your best ski clothing and conquer new slopes at some of the world’s top ski resorts. After you tackle new heights, you’ll need a stylish and luxurious place you can rest at. This is why it’s no surprise many of our THIRDHOME members have homes in each of these locations. Here’s a list of 4 of the top ski resorts around the world and THIRDHOME properties you can vacation in nearby.
MERIBEL SKI RESORT
Meribel, France
Located in the heart of the French Alps, Meribel Ski Resort attracts the likes of skiers and snowboarders of all ages and skills. Meribel is popular because of its ease of skiing to any of the 3 valleys and low-level chalets which uphold the beauty of the surrounding French mountainside.
VAIL SKI RESORT
Vail, USA
Coveted as one of the largest ski resorts in North America and the world, Vail Ski Resort is a sought-after destination for skiers. Known for blue skies, carefully groomed pistes, and world-renowned restaurants and bars to enjoy off the slopes, it’s no wonder many of our members have homes in Vail. With over 150 THIRDHOME properties to choose from, our list of top ski resorts wouldn’t have been complete without it.
THE MATTERHORN
Zermatt, Switzerland
You don’t have to wait until winter to ski here, Zermatt offers a certainty of snow all year. Zermatt is home to the highest peak in Europe! Take a cable car ride up the Klein Matterhorn to see 4,000 meters of gorgeous alps. A stone’s throw away from Italy, this location has a lot to offer and explore when you aren’t on the slopes.
SUN VALLEY RESORT
Sun Valley, USA
There are many reasons Sun Valley Resort is at the top of the list for many luxury travelers. This resort has seen numerous improvements in recent years to its infrastructure, as well as its 2,000-acre trail system. But what we love is that its distinctive charm has remained unchanged. In the winter months it attracts celebrities and the wealthy, but still has a rural flair. With two mountains there is a variety of challenging terrain as well as perfectly-groomed slopes for the beginners.
When searching for the perfect second home, contemplating the amount of time you’ll actually use it is definitely a factor. To ensure you expand the use of your luxury second home you want to be confident that you will enjoy it enough times per year to make the investment worth the purchase.
Surely you know location, location, location is imperative for real estate appreciation value and to be sought after by renters. Pick a spot you know you will love skiing during the winter months just as much as you will love golfing over the summer. Plan to deck the home with the finest furnishings and tasteful appointments to make it homey and a place where you’ll want to be all year round. These are all great ways to maximize the use of your second home.
But what about that itch you have to travel to new locations, have new adventures, experience different cultures, see incredible landscapes and create new memories? Having the travel bug may keep you away from your prize second home possession. Rather than letting it sit empty and have you feeling guilty for not using it; here’s how you can expand the use of your luxury second home.
TURN IT INTO A THIRD
Let someone else enjoy your thoughtfully appointed luxury second home while you enjoy theirs. Earn a Key, use a Key with our exclusive THIRDHOME travel club! You no longer have to feel guilty about repeating your vacations to the same destination because you are tied to one location with your second home. You can now use the investment to your advantage and excite your luxury travel desires. Travel the world in style and stay in premier luxury second homes all over the world by exchanging unused time in your second home for time in one of our member’s luxury second homes.
Another benefit? You no longer have to worry about the trustworthiness of renters. All THIRDHOME members are reviewed and approved, so you can have peace of mind. By expanding the use of your luxury second home with our travel club, all you have to worry about is where you will travel to next and how fast you can pack your bags! Start checking boxes off your travel list and search for your next luxury getaway destination!
A variety of factors goes into compiling a list of the Hot Destinations of 2017. From classic destinations emerging, to the A-Lister’s vacation of choice and changes in travel restrictions making it easier to travel, there are a lot of hot destinations to travel to this year. Lucky for you (and especially our members), THIRDHOME has compiled a list of the hottest destinations to travel to in 2017 and it just so happens we have member homes in each of these sought after locations.
CANADA
Our Northern neighbor doesn’t just offer stunning views, this year due to the weak Canadian dollar, you can expect your money to go further while participating in one big birthday party. 2017 marks Canada’s 150 year anniversary and they won’t be shy celebrating. Join in on this piece of history and book your hot destination in Canada this year!
CAPE TOWN
It’s no wonder Cape Town grabs the attention of first-time tourists and repeat visitors. Voted readers’ favorite international city by Telegraph Travel Awards, Cape Town is not only one of the most picturesque cities in the world; it is also one of the most fun! Innovative restaurants and top bars, enticing attractions, colorful scenery and endless blue beaches, provide plenty of reasons to come back to this hot destination this year.
ICELAND
With the Northern lights to witness, endless landscapes and lakes, Iceland is always at the top of our travel list. This breathtaking country offers the luxury adventure thrill seeker a journey fell full of memorores and experiences, from taking a dip a geothermal spa, to snow mobiles and scenic tours, Iceland is this year’s hot ticket.
CROATIA’S COAST
This hot destination got a boost in tourism in 2016 after celebrating 25 years of independence. Croatia has as a lot more to offer than its many islands and fishing towns. This year Croatia is also on travelers’ radar because of its gorgeous coastline, fresh seafood and short ferry rides leading to wine trails, tranquil coves and mountainous islands.