With Americans working more hours on average than at any other time in our history, we are setting a precedent for not only working hard, but playing hard as well. It seems our leisure time is more valuable to us now than ever before. Perhaps that is why buying a vacation home is becoming a major goal for many working Americans.

Some are (and wisely so) combining their goal of a vacation home with their dream retirement home as well. They are looking forward to a future when the kids are grown and the nest is empty rather than simply a place they can go for weekends during the summer or winter for that matter. Here are a few questions to ask yourself when considering a vacation home.

1) Can you really afford the luxury at this point in your life? Not only do you have to make the payments on the home, but the upkeep for the times when you are not going to be there. You'll need to maintain utilities even when you aren't there and keep it in good repair (which means having someone check on it periodically if you are far away). In addition to utilities and maintenance, it is one more piece of property that needs to be properly insured. If your vacation home is not lived in, you may need a rider to your owner's policy to make sure that the home and the contents are covered for damage received when you aren't in residence.

2) Will you make use of it often enough to make it worth the investment? There was a time when owning any property was a solid investment, but we've really begun to reach a plateau, and empty property tends to become neglected and more difficult to sell. If you aren't sure you will use the property often enough to make it worth the cost, perhaps you could try renting a vacation property for a year and keep up with how often you or a family member makes use of it.

3) Be aware of just how much home you need in your vacation home. If you are planning extended summer stays with the family, you may need more space within the home than if you were planning several weekend trips throughout the year. Also, keep in mind your long-term goals for the property. Is this the place you wish to someday retire? If so, you may want the house to have a cozy, low-maintenance feel to it. These things are very important factors in the decision making process. Also pay attention to the area around your property. If you want a nice secluded cabin in the woods, make sure you aren't in an area that has the potential for explosive growth or you could find your nice cabin in the middle of a suburban sprawl.

4) Be aware of what you want as far as location. Do you want a cabin in the woods or on a lake, or a little home on the shore? If this is your place to hide from the world, you want it to be a place where you would be comfortable and derive a great amount of pleasure from. You also want to make sure that there are amenities that appeal not only to you but also to your family members that you plan to bring along. Children can make a vacation miserable if they aren't properly entertained and then no one will want to use your get away.

Whatever your wishes for a vacation home are, ultimately you have to be sensible when choosing and purchasing your place to get away from the world. If you follow the advice above you should be off to a good start in determining the best vacation home for you.