What are the next hot spots? Try these 9

According to EscapeHomes, a Web site whose polls are often used in the mainstream media, these are the "Top 10 Emerging Second Home Destinations" (um, hello? I count nine):

Brunswick, ME
Kingsport, TN
Lakeport (Clear Lake), CA
Livingston, MT
Minden, NV
Paonia, CO
Talent, OR
Vashon Island, WA
Venice, FL

By what measure? EscapeHome bases its list on the number of requests it receives from the site's users for specific areas and towns.

I'm not sure how reliable a guide that is, but if you're looking for property in a place where prices have not quite soared into the straosphere yet, you might want to check these out.

What are you looking for?
Location: Six of the towns are in the West, two in the south, one in New England.

Landscape: Livingston and Paonia are in the Rocky Mountains... Kingsport is in the Appalachians... Brunswick is by the ocean... Lakeport is on a lake (duh!) north of San Francisco... Minden is desert south of Reno... Talent is near hothothot Ashland.... Vashon is across Puget Sound from Seattle... Venice is beachside on the Gulf south of Sarasota.

Lifestyle: Brunswick -- Bowdoin College and summer activities... Kingsport -- lower than average home and living costs... Lakeport -- affordable (by California standards) fishing, boating... Livingston -- Yellowstone and horses...Minden -- quiet and agricultural... Paonia -- winter/summer outdoors... Talent -- both pastoral and cultural... Vashon -- sailing... Venice -- architecture, beaches, yachts.

For more, click the EscapeHomes link in the right-hand column.