Vacation Home

[BasiaGirl]

We have about 12 members in our family altogether. Would it be a sin to buy a mountain cabin for family vacations? It’s only a $99,000 and we can afford it. We donate money to the Church, and food to the Good Sam Pantry, plus we’re sponsoring a child in Guatemala. I feel like it’s sinful because we already have homes, but this would be nice for getting together. Is it a sin to offer lest than the asking price? Is that taking advantage of the seller in their desperation (actually, some of these are bank owned.) Please advise.

 

[1ke]

No it is not a sin to own a vacation home.

No it is not a sin to make an offer below the asking price. The seller does not have to accept it. This is called negotiating.

 

[Ridgerunner]

My family does not own a vacation home, and none of the extended family are at all likely to buy one, though many could afford it.

The reason is that my parents left my siblings and me their house in the country, on a very pleasant hill farm with live springs and a creek. The whole extended family (and there are a lot of us) use it as a “vacation home”, which spares each family of the expense of buying a vacation home if anyone felt the urge to have one. It also saves on vacation expenses because, it seems, everybody prefers to go there instead of some resort somewhere. I see a lot of advantage in that, not the least of which is that upkeep expenses are minimal for any one family because the expenses are shared among a number of families.

But somebody has to start the process. In our case, my parents built the house, which was their own home. In your case, it appears nobody has one yet. I see nothing at all wrong with doing what you’re doing, and it can actually free up some of the money some would have spent otherwise.

 

[turtle18]

You can always be charitable with your vacation home. My uncle owns a beach house and three of four times a year, he offers it to priest to let them come and take a free vacation. You could do the same, assuming your family agreed.

You could also donate off weeks for silent auctions for worthwile charities.

 

[puzzleannie]

it would not be a sin to buy a family vacation home even without the other things you are doing. It is a matter of exercising the virtue of prudence.

 

[OraLabora]

Even the Pope has a vacation home, it’s called Castel Gandolfo

We’re not dour Calvinists. God doesn’t mind if we have a bit of fun, as long as we remain charitable.

 

[tvdxer]

We have about 12 members in our family altogether. Would it be a sin to buy a mountain cabin for family vacations? It’s only a $99,000 and we can afford it. We donate money to the Church, and food to the Good Sam Pantry, plus we’re sponsoring a child in Guatemala. I feel like it’s sinful because we already have homes, but this would be nice for getting together. Is it a sin to offer lest than the asking price? Is that taking advantage of the seller in their desperation (actually, some of these are bank owned.) Please advise.

No, it’s not, as long as you let me use it.

 

[Newbie2]

No it is not a sin to own a vacation home.

No it is not a sin to make an offer below the asking price. The seller does not have to accept it. This is called negotiating.

It could conceivably be considered poor stewardship if you didn’t try to get the most mileage out of your money.

We got our present home at quite a bit below market value; the owners were divorcing and they had to sell quickly. We made an offer, they countered and we accepted.

No, it’s not, as long as you let me use it.

It would only be sinful if you were to hold owning a vacation home over charity. i.e. love of money or posessions over your fellow man.