Demand for vacation homes soared 84% year over year in January.

Mortgage applications for second homes soared 84% year over year in January, according to a new report from Redfin (www.redfin.com), the technology-powered real estate brokerage. While that's down from a peak 118% year-over-year increase in September, it's up significantly from a year ago and marks the eighth straight month of 80%-plus year-over-year growth.

The annual rise in second-home applications is more than double the increase in applications for primary homes. Demand for primary residences rose 36% year over year in January, down from the 65% peak in September and the smallest increase since May.

The report is based on a Redfin analysis of mortgage-rate lock data from real estate analytics firm Optimal Blue. A mortgage-rate lock is an agreement between a homebuyer and a lender that allows the homebuyer to lock in an interest rate on a mortgage for a certain period of time, offering protection against future interest-rate hikes. Homebuyers must specify whether they are applying to secure a mortgage rate for a primary home, a second home or an investment property. Roughly 80% of mortgage-rate locks result in actual home purchases.

The continued popularity of vacation homes is indicative of the rise in remote work due to the coronavirus pandemic. With white-collar workers able to work remotely and children learning from home, many affluent Americans are opting to spend at least part of their time outside of densely packed cities and decamping to vacation destinations. The demand for second homes is also representative of the K-shaped economic recovery from the pandemic-driven recession, with scores of lower-income Americans continuing to suffer financially while many high earners benefit from skyrocketing home values and well-performing stock portfolios.

"Although demand is down slightly from the fall peak, the fact that nearly twice as many second-home buyers submitted applications in January as the year before means the popularity of vacation towns is not a fad," said Redfin economist Taylor Marr. "Many Americans have realized remote work is here to stay, allowing some fortunate people to work from a lakefront cabin or ski condo indefinitely. But while many well-off remote workers are able to follow their dreams and purchase second homes, it has become even more difficult for many lower-income people to buy a primary residence as home values rise and the recession disproportionately impacts employees in the service sector."

Overall homebuying demand has been up over the last several months due to low mortgage rates, remote-work-driven relocation and desire for more space for home offices and homeschooling. Total home sales were up 16% year over year in December (the most recent month for which data is available), the fourth-biggest increase on record, and pending sales were up 35%.

HOME PRICES IN SEASONAL TOWNS ROSE 19% YEAR OVER YEAR IN DECEMBER

Meanwhile, home values are rising by double digits in both seasonal and non-seasonal towns, but seasonal towns are seeing bigger increases.

The median sale price for homes in seasonal towns rose 19% year over year in December—the most recent month for which data is available—to $408,000. Home prices in non-seasonal towns grew 13% to $365,000 over the same time period. For this analysis, Redfin defined a seasonal town as an area where more than 30% of housing is used for seasonal or recreational purposes.

—Redfin