No Debt: BelleHavens' Smart Club Pitch

The destination club BelleHavens, which is in the same deluxe class as Exclusive Resorts and Quintess, has a unique selling point that should appeal to mortgage-wary travelers: the homes in its portfolio are owned by members rather than the club's overseers, and are debt-free. BelleHavens thus calls itself the first "equity membership" club with asset protection as a key factor. That doesn't mean that visits to properties such as those at La Quinta, CA (shown); Palm Coast, FL; Kohala Coast, Hawaii; Hilton Head, SC; Los Cabos, Mexico; and midtown Manhattan come cheaply. The current price of a BelleHavens Equity Membership is a one-time deposit of $225,000 and annual dues of $18,500. Still, that means a reasonable average price of about $615 per night based on 30 nights annual usage. And peace of mind? Priceless.

Second Home Slump? Not in NYC

While formerly hot second home markets like Miami Beach, Las Vegas and Fort Myers slump, New York City, especially Manhattan, soars. Example: A Time Warner Center 3,000+square foot 65-floor condo, sold by Ricky Martin last year for $9.75 million, is for sale again for almost double: $18.9 million, according to the Wall Street Journal. Pop star paid about $6.8 in 2004 for 7-room pied-a-tierre in the sky.