Lenders get stricter with a second home loan application. Obviously, when you get another loan for a second home, your finances will be stretched out again. High-income earners may not see this as a problem, but average families do.

However, there are also some advantages that lenders see for second-home buyers. Most of the time, these people are more affluent than single-home buyers since they can afford yet another big investment.

One way to fund all or part of your second residence is to take out a home-equity loan on your first home. However, without careful considerations, you might end up paying higher interests than getting a new mortgage.

Another way, just as mentioned, is to get a new mortgage for the second-home. However, mortgage lenders may be a little stiff this time so you would need to be able to show proof of your income stability.

Refinancing and consolidating all your mortgages and debts may be a good option to choose as well. This will enable you to only pay a single interest rate and may even be lower than when you add all the interests you are paying on a non-consolidated mortgage.

When you think of buying a second home, it is best that you have enough savings to fund it. Make sure that your new plan of buying another big investment will not give you so many burdens in paying all the bills. You have to think about your capability of buying.

Assess your family's current financial condition. Make sure that you have a stable source of income for you to be able to get another investment. Also, do a lifestyle check and determine your family's spending pattern. You may have to forego of some things that are not really important if your priority now is to buy that second home. You have to allot more of your income on the new home for you to be able to get it as soon as possible.

If you're still planning to buy one, though, you may want to start saving now just like you did when you bought your first home. Setting aside a decent amount for your savings and keeping it separate will help you save enough for a down payment of that second-home.

Try out different investment tools in the market as well. You may want to invest in stocks, bonds or mutual funds that would yield higher interest than the banks give over a long period of time. This way, you are sure that you have some money in an investment earning interest for you. Just make sure that your investment is some amount that you can afford to take out from your monthly family budget so as not to compromise your needs as well.

Buying a second home can be thought of as a luxury already, not a necessity anymore. However, if you do have means to fund it, why not? It is a good investment to make as real-estate properties often increase value over time. Just make sure that you can very well prepare for it and your family can surely afford it. Do not shortchange your family's immediate needs just to be able to buy that second home. It is better to take it slowly and take plenty of time saving for it, than buying on an impulse using a loan that will add more burden to your family's budget.