It happens a lot. The dream vacation on the beach, at the lake or on the ski slopes suddenly morphs into a dream of buying a piece of paradise.

A number of people are considering buying a house with vacation in mind, according to the National Association of Realtors. In 2013, 80 percent of investment buyers were motivated to purchase a new property primarily as a family retreat.

Once upon a time, the idea of renting out your home to a stranger while you left for vacation was considered quite odd. Enter changing consumer attitudes, the “sharing economy” and online services such as Airbnb, FlipKey (owned by TripAdvisor) and VRBO (owned by HomeAway, which is now owned by Expedia).

James Johnson has been trying to sell his Caribbean dream home for months without success. While offloading your sofa or lawnmower on your own doesn't take a lot of sales skill, working with a professional real estate Agent is one of the best ways to make the most money in the shortest time when selling your home. Here are the top reasons why

Today it's one of the most recognized corporate symbols in the world. But the first time a drawing of a red, white and blue hot air balloon was proposed as the RE/MAX logo by two franchisees in 1977, it was rejected. They were allowed, however, to buy a balloon for special events. The next year, the franchisees made their case again at a regional meeting – this time with footage of the balloon flying in the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta.

Today it's one of the most recognized corporate symbols in the world. But the first time a drawing of a red, white and blue hot air balloon was proposed as the RE/MAX logo by two franchisees in 1977, it was rejected. They were allowed, however, to buy a balloon for special events. The next year, the franchisees made their case again at a regional meeting – this time with footage of the balloon flying in the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta.