What are THIRDHOME Members saying about their luxury home exchange trips to The Dominican Republic and the United Kingdom this week?
La Esperanza | Casa de Campo, Dominican Republic
Sometimes called “the Hamptons of the Dominican Republic” and other times “the Beverly Hills of the D.R.”, Casa de Campo sure does live up to expectation. Comprised of over 1,700 villas ranging in price from $500K to $24 million, visiting Casa de Campo means being in good company. When THIRDHOME member, Barbara visited this past month, she only knew as much as the travel guidebooks could tell her. There was no predicting the extent of the pampering she and her party would receive by the property staff. With 3-bedrooms and a pool terrace surrounded by lush greenery, this home is perfect for a winter’s end escape.
THIRDHOME member Barbara says, “Casa de Campo is the Beverly Hills of the Caribbean, who knew? Not us…Our home away from home was lovely, beautifully decorated and comfortable without being pretentious…It was truly an exquisite week that we shall never forget! ” click here to read more of Barbara’s review
Fox End | Cotswolds, United Kingdom
Just follow the cookie crumbs from Oxford and you’ll soon arrive at this fairytale cottage in the charming and pastoral Moreton-in-Marsh parish of Cotswold. The building itself dates back to the 1650’s but has been delicately and lovingly updated over the years, a perfect blend of old and new. For reference, tea was introduced to England in 1652, making this property as quintessentially British as teatime. With room for up to 8 people, the word “cottage” more so describes the aesthetic and bucolic qualities of the home rather than the size. Explore the countryside, enjoy tea in the garden, go horseback riding or go fly fishing all from the comfort of this cozy Cotswold home.
THIRDHOME members Dean and Lesli say, “We did–fall in love, that is. Hated to leave! This was the perfect storybook cottage in the perfect location. Our family of five were exceedingly comfortable in this well-appointed, gracious and beautifully furnished home…Our visit was exactly what we wanted and needed it to be and it would be our pleasure to have the opportunity to return one day!” click here to read more of Dean and Lesli’s review
Members, click here to view all available weeks and plan your next THIRDHOME trip. Remember, you must be logged in to your account to see availability.
Want more information about our luxury home exchange club? Click here to learn more about THIRDHOME.
Renee and Patrick have been THIRDHOME members since 2011. Their membership has provided the opportunity for them to book 12 homes all over the world, allowing their daughter to see nearly every continent before the age of 10. Learn how the Finn family uses THIRDHOME to travel far and wide.
FROM THE GALAPAGOS TO AN UPCOMING SOUTH AFRICAN SAFARI, THE FINN FAMILY SURE KNOW HOW TO TRAVEL.
How did you get involved with THIRDHOME?
A friend referred me right at the beginning of the company really getting started.
Where are you based?
Guam
Where do you usually travel?
Asia, Australia and Europe
What do you do for a living?
We own and manage our real estate portfolio of long and short term rentals and also my husband is a United Airlines Pilot of 21 years.
What are your favorite travel hobbies?
Beaches, seeing animals, surfing, scuba diving and just seeing amazing places of history.
In your past travels with THIRDHOME, what was your favorite destination and what did you love about it?
Galapagos. It had animals that you will not see anywhere else in the world. The home Casa Iguana owner and staff are amazing. We loved it so much we have been 2 times.
Take a note from The Finn family and venture down to their favorite destination, The Galapagos, in this upcoming Inner Circle journey.
What’s the next destination you are eyeing to travel to with THIRDHOME?
South Africa to a Game Lodge in August 2018.
What do you love most about your property with THIRDHOME?
I get to have amazing people come to visit from all over the world and each guest that has stayed has taken great care of my property.
Any personal/family achievements you’d like to share?
After this summer we will have taken our 9 year old daughter to all continents except Antartica. This we are hoping to do this next Christmas. We also enjoy traveling to take our daughter to surf competitions for her around the world.
How has THIRDHOME changed the way you travel?
Instead of booking hotels we always look for THIRDHOME first and then can invite family and friends to come. It sure makes the trips more fun to have friends to come along with us.
What is the nicest amenity you have encountered while staying at a THIRDHOME property?
Trump Towers in Waikiki staff was beyond excellent. We really enjoyed the amenities we received.
How would you describe THIRDHOME to a friend?
Its the best travel club to join if you have a really nice 2nd or 3rd home even if you don’t normally rent it. Its like a trade but you have the control of who is coming to visit plus insurance to cover you if there is damage.
What’s the most memorable restaurant you’ve eaten at during one of your trips?
Galapagos. The staff went and got all kinds of fresh fish and seafood and steaks and grilled for us. They fed some amazing birds and we enjoyed the hot tub while we were waiting to eat. It was a wonderful memory.
Any travel tips for fellow members?
Do watches for anything you are interested in. Don’t wait to book as it will be gone and browse new properties often.
What makes a THIRDHOME stay so special?
You get to deal directly with the owners and they tend to tell you great spots to visit as they know their properties and areas so well. They give more attention than a hotel or company rental ever would. All the homes have been vetted and are higher end properties.
How is staying in a THIRDHOME different than other types of accommodations?
Again, I would say dealing with the owners and the level of the properties you stay at are a cut above.
On February 15th, 2018, the THIRDHOME team added a gorgeous property in Sydney, Australia. That property happened to be the 10,000th property added to our luxury home exchange club.
“I always knew we would reach 10,000, but to actually see it, that’s something else.”-THIRDHOME Founder & CEO, Wade Shealy
THIRDHOME‘s 10,000th property, the Pacific House, is a modern beach home in Palm Beach, just north of Sydney.
Patrick and Karen, the property owners, are rightfully proud of their home. Its construction was carried out by the notable Sydney architect studio, Casey Brown.
Beyond a stunning design, the home features stellar views of Palm Beach and the New South Wales coastline. There’s also a plunge pool overlooking the water.
The sleek interior has an open layout and floor-to-ceiling windows. Those stellar coastline views follow you throughout the home, even to the master bedroom.
The property has a total of 3 bedrooms; there are 2 queens and a king-sized bed. With room for 6 people, this property is perfect for a Sydney beachside getaway!
Keep an eye on this property for your next Australian adventure!
While we celebrate the 10,000th property, we also celebrate every other THIRDHOME luxury home exchange club member who has contributed to this milestone. We are thankful for each and every home and owner that has added to our portfolio. We raise our glasses to you!
“We’re willing to waive the initiation fee, right now, for everyone in Australia.”- Wade Shealy
Wade Shealy, Founder and CEO of THIRDHOME, and Bridget Ramey, of Kuper Sotheby’s International Realty Austin, were featured on a Sky News real estate segment to discuss THIRDHOME‘s focus on expansion in Australia.
“THIRDHOME has become my travel agent and travel guru.”- Bridget Ramey
As THIRDHOME continues to grow and develop its relationships in Australia, more properties are sure to emerge for members. If you’ve ever been interested in a trip to Australia, now is a great time to be a THIRDHOME member. Keep track of the latest properties Down Under by clicking on the link below!
Click here to see all available THIRDHOME properties in Australia.
Listen to Wade Shealy chat with Jason Hartman on The JetSetter Podcast.
Jason Hartman talks with Founder, CEO and Chairman of THIRDHOME, Wade Shealy. The two discuss how people with second homes can loan out their vacation spot while getting access to thousands of properties in desirable areas for as little as $495 for a week.
So if you’re tired of going to the same destination year after year, maybe it’s time to visit somewhere new and stay at someone else’s home for a change. Click below to listen!
Is your second home in one of these U.S. counties?
In 2014, the National Association of Home Builders estimated that the count of second homes in the United States was at 7.5 million. In a follow-up December 2016 study they found that the largest share (%) of second homes was in Hamilton County, New York, whereas the largest count (#) was in Maricopa County, Arizona.
The difference? Population density.
Maricopa County, whose county seat is Phoenix, is home to 3.8 million residents making it the state’s most populous county. Hamilton County, New York, has slightly over 5,000 residents making it New York’s least populous county. Proximity to major metropolitan areas greatly inflates the number of second homes in this study. So the most surprising finds may appear in the top share (%) metric.
While some counties come as a surprise, others such as Pinellas County, Florida, or Los Angeles County, California, come as expected.
See if your county made the cut in this infographic:
THIRDHOME “Tercera Casa” es un intercambio internacional de casas de lujo. Este concepto crea una tercera opción para disfrutar las vacaciones. Uno de los inconvenientes más frecuentes de ser propietario de una casa de vacaciones es la monotonía del viaje. Con un intercambio de casas, se puede seleccionar un destino diferente por una semana en la casa de otro miembro.
Por ejemplo, si es propietario de una casa en el capital de Guatemala y posee una segunda casa vacacional en La Antigua Guatemala, su opción está limitada a pasar sus vacaciones en La Antigua. Cuando se decide a salir del país y viajar por ejemplo a Belice, no se está utilizando la casa vacacional y por lo tanto está perdiendo costo en el mantenimiento cuando no se usa frecuentemente. THIRDHOME le puede ayudar a cambiar este problema y darle una solución al agregar su propiedad a una selección exclusiva de 10,500 propiedades en más de 95 países. Para poder aplicar a la membresía, sólo necesita ser propietario de una segunda casa y de una pasión para viajar en lujo. Por cada semana que usted está en el sistema de THIRDHOME usted adquiere “llaves” para viajar a la casa de un otro miembro. Para obtener más información, puedes visitar nuestro sitio de web en www.thirdhome.com
A continuación le invitamos a ver un ejemplo de estas propiedades:
Disfrute de las vistas del Mediterráneo desde esta villa andaluza, mientras toma mojitos junto a la piscina.
Un escape a las montañas de los Andes, como Pablo Neruda, en esta suntuosa mansión en Bariloche.
Planear una semana de sueño en el Mediterráneo, con un personal de 7 personas, no tendrá que levantar ni un dedo.
Para un viaje de familia, esta villa en Jamaica acomoda hasta 8 personas.
Si está interesado en saber cómo puede aprovechar su casa de vacaciones para viajar por el mundo, póngase en contacto haciendo clic en el link abajo.
As a reciprocal home exchange club, we rely on our community of members to both graciously host guests in their homes and also receive great treatment when they decide to travel. Here’s what our members are saying about their experiences with host members while participating in home exchanges:
“Jerry was superb in providing the requested information and his recommendations for restaurants were spot on! ” – Tom Q.
“We enjoyed our communications with the owner, Claudio, very much. Not only was he helpful, providing many suggestions for eating out, but we feel we have a new friend in NM. I highly recommend a stay here!!” – Sally R.
“Thank you so much for your amazing hospitality! As soon as we booked our trip, Helen went above and beyond to send ample suggestions of things to do and see during our stay with a great selection of local favorites.” – Phillip L.
“Charlotte provided very clear arrival, check-in and high-tech security lock instructions, and gave some great restaurant recommendations.” – Matthew M.
What leads to an outstanding host review like the above? Here is a list of the top ways to impress when hosting a fellow THIRDHOME Exchange member:
Be available and timely with your communications:
Answer all questions a guest member asks to the best of your ability and within a short timeframe. If you are having trouble communicating, try scheduling a time to talk ahead of time that works for both of you. Additionally, if you don’t have time to answer their questions immediately, send off a quick email letting them know you received their questions and will respond as soon as you get a free moment.
Leave a welcome letter or instructional booklet:
Each home has particular quirks for operation. Simple things that you know inside and out can be confusing to a new guest, like operating your kitchen appliances, electronics, and security systems. To make the transition easier, leave a welcome letter or instructional booklet easily accessible in your home. Alternatively, you can email the packet to the guest member ahead of time if you would rather keep a digital file.
Help your guests feel like they are one of the locals:
One of the best advantages to participating in a house swap instead of staying in a hotel is being able to fully immerse yourself into the culture by feeling like a local. As a host, take it a step further and assist your guest by offering helpful suggestions. These can include a list of your favorite restaurants or chef, must-see local attractions, and area excursions.
Following through with these few tips will help enhance the experience of your guests greatly during the home exchange process!
Interested in a home exchange? Click here to learn more!
Home exchanges are a great option for cost effective family vacations. Expenses are nominal and you are saving thousands of dollars versus hotel rates. They come with lots of added amenities and offer lots of vacation options —from resort-style villas to ski condos, and swanky city lofts. It did not surprise me when RCI took notice and launched programs similar to a traditional home exchange.
Wyndham Vacation Rentals, part of the Wyndham Worldwide family of brands, launched Wyndham Home Exchange; a program that would allow “homeowners of vacation rental properties to trade weeks at their rental property for access to accommodations at more than 4,000 RCI affiliated resorts around the world.”
Wyndham clearly sees the growth of this segment and wants to be a part. Similar to our company 3RD HOME, the new Wyndham program administered by RCI, the world’s largest vacation exchange company, gives “Wyndham Vacation Rentals homeowners access to additional vacation options by allowing them to deposit unused weeks of their choosing at their rental property.”
It’s a way for owners of vacation homes to see the world and get added utility. That being said, I do believe that Wyndham will attract a different customer than 3RD HOME. They will appeal to vacation homeowners that perceive going to a timeshare as a good option for them. But, that is not necessarily the case for all second homeowners.
In short, Wyndham will attract a mass audience, probably not the luxury second homeowner, who wants to visit properties of the same caliber as their own, as well as host like-minded individuals.
All told, the fact that Wyndham is allowing vacation homeowners to exchange into RCI is further evidence of the value and growth of home exchange to second homeowners.
Wade Shealy
Founder, CEO, and Chairman
If you thought airline fees were a nuisance, think again.
A recent USA TODAY article outlined the top five trends to watch out for in travel this year. It got me thinking about all those extra fees we now accept so openly when we fly—baggage fees, reservation changes, even the food.
Reports from that article indicate that airlines collected more than $900 million in baggage fees in the third quarter of 2012. They made another $600 million straight from fees to reservation changes.
Now, it is forecasted that hotels plan on following a similar pattern. We should expect hotels and other service industries like rental car companies and even cruise agencies to adopt “airline strategies” that will end up costing travelers more money. Plan ahead when you book your next vacation because some hotels have guests pay extra for re-stocking mini-bars, luggage storage, and room safes. If you think about it this starts to add up.
Home exchange programs save vacationers as much as several thousand dollars per trip. 3RD HOME, has saved its members more than $10 million in rental fees in just the past 2 years alone. There are no hidden or add-on fees. And nominal fees overall.
With 1325 properties in 67 countries with an average value of over $2.25 million, 3RD HOME properties are some of the most beautiful in the world rivaling any travel alternative for luxury second homeowners. You can learn more by visiting 3RD HOME.
Steve Zacks, CMO, 3RD HOME
A tumultuous ride over the past 5 years got me thinking about the future of vacation home ownership. Things seem to be settling down. However, they are settling down at a snails pace compared to what we saw from the late 90’s to 2007. Was it a false surge in resort real estate? Absolutely! People were not buying for personal use but for financial gain. After all, prices were rising at record rates, and people were flipping contracts without closing and making big profits. And the bottom line was not views, or family enjoyment, but simply profits. How much and how quick.
I watched buyers line up at our launches and buy up to 28 units each. They did not care about the views, floor plans, and amenities. They only cared about how quick they could flip it and for how much profit. Financing? They never expected to have to close. A contract could be flipped a week later for a $100,000 profit.
Who do we blame? We could say the sales people for selling the wrong values. But can we really blame them since they were being paid commissions? Or maybe the mortgage lenders, who, with 5% down and easy to qualify programs, made buying multiple units achievable for people who really could not afford them. Or was it the buyer for being greedy? Remember the old game we all played as kids called Musical chairs? In 2007 the music stopped and the nine people standing had one chair to find. Maybe one out of nine of these flipping investors found a safe chair. The rest? Well, they probably gave it all back.
So, what is the future for second homeownership? Many of these owners now feel “stuck” with ownership and the expenses that come with it. In the past people could sell and buy a different second home every 5 years, however, in today’s economy most people who bought more than 5 years ago could not sell it for anywhere close to what they paid for it. So, owners are looking for more value. More benefits to turn an under-utilized asset into something that is more acceptable financially. Many have turned to short-term rentals or obtained travel benefits by joining luxury exchange or reciprocity clubs like 3RD HOME. And what was first driven by the economy will no doubt become the standard.
Wade Shealy
Founder, CEO, and Chairman
Firstly, in our society at large, we have evolved into a community driven by a desire for options. Whether it’s a second car or a second watch, or a second home, we have grown accustomed to having options expand our lives in multiple ways. At THIRDHOME, we understand this core human desire and are satisfying it in a new way, specifically within the second home market.
Secondly, the current economic climate has affected most industries, but the luxury property development sector has been hit harder than most. Selling real estate is now more challenging, and agents and developers need meaningful points of difference and added-value services to help drive sales. THIRDHOME has created a unique proposition that will differentiate its offering by creating an owner benefit that no one else is currently providing.
Built as a private club where members gain access to multiple luxury second homes via a limited access property exchange network, THIRDHOME has created a unique value proposition for second home ownership based on the principle of reciprocity. Enabling our members to ‘get out what they put in’ lies at the heart of everything do.
Our thinking is simple. If you own a luxury second home, you should not have to pay rental rates to use others when you travel. Use your second home to give you a THIRDHOME anywhere else in the world.
The Club has rapidly grown to over 14,5000 properties in 100 countries worth an average of $2.4 million each. Members have access to a network of other homes of a similar level all over the world. And, given the economic climate, everyone is looking at what they own through different lenses and asking themselves – ‘Am I getting the most value possible from owning this particular home?”
THIRDHOME is the answer to the main question and concern that prevents the purchase of a second home – before I buy this property, am I sure that I want to be coming back here year after year?
Now, with THIRDHOME membership, a single second home now opens the door to hundreds of others all over the world for a reasonable membership and a nominal reservation fee.
THIRDHOME will revitalize vacation home sales and resort/luxury property investments and provide second home-owners with a win-win way to leverage their investment.
To find out more, visit https://www.thirdhome.com/