Summer is the best way to buy and own a vacation home. Our members pay less upfront, earn equity faster, and have the option to walk away— no strings attached. We do this by combining a rent-to-own program with short-term rentals.
Summer is right for anyone looking for a lower-cost, hassle-free way to enjoy a non-primary home— one that pays for itself.
Summer was founded in 2021 by two Airbnb alumni with deep experience growing and scaling venture-backed hospitality businesses. As of October 2022, Summer has raised over $13 million in seed financing from leading venture capital firms and investors, such as QED, Lightspeed Ventures, 1Sharpe Capital, Firstminute Capital, the founders of Casper, and more.
While many listings on our site are pre-purchased by Summer and move-in ready, we also list prospective properties on the market that have caught our eye. A Summer prospect is a for-sale home– usually new-to-market– that we’ve determined to have significant income-generating potential. The home must be conducive to the Summer design process, meaning that our team has a clear vision for upgrades, renovations, furnishing, and outfitting. The only missing piece is a member who sees as much potential in the home as we do! Because Summer prospect homes are typically listed on the open market, if you see one you like, let our team know— they tend to go quickly!
Your Summer journey starts here. We’ll be in touch for a free, personalized consultation.
Summer currently owns a network of homes in the following markets:
· The Hamptons, New York
· The Catskill Mountains region, New York
· Park City, Utah
· Miami, Florida
· Joshua Tree/Coachella Valley, California
Interested in a market not listed? Reach out via this form and let us know your dream destination(s) for a vacation home and we’ll work with you.
Summer offers two distinct models.
Gradual ownership
Summer is the deeded homeowner. Summer buys the home, and you pay a one-time, fully refundable deposit equal to 20% of the home’s purchase price. From this point forward, a monthly subscription fee is credited towards your exclusive right to purchase the home, should you decide to become the homeowner at any point within a 3-year period. Think of it as getting to try, before you buy. Your subscription fee also earns you access to any home within the Summer network— from coast to coast, and everywhere in between.
Immediate ownership
You purchase and own the property. Through a rigorous underwriting process, our acquisitions team is able to provide you with a data-backed financial breakdown, including estimated annual revenue. This assessment takes into account everything from interior design to seasonal travel patterns.
There are two types of payments in the Summer trial period:
Initiation fee
This is a refundable, one-time payment equal to 20% of the home’s purchase price. 100% is credited towards the purchase if you decide to buy. If you choose to walk away, Summer refunds 100% of the fee.
Subscription fee
Your monthly subscription fee is calculated based on your home’s average short-term rental rates and your expected annual usage. Summer offers a 3 tiers of subscription plan, based on 40, 60 or 90 days of annual usage. If you choose to purchase the home, Summer will credit 50% of your subscription fees towards the purchase price of the home!
You purchase and own the property. Through a rigorous underwriting process, our acquisitions team is able to provide you with a data-backed financial breakdown, including estimated annual revenue. This assessment takes into account everything from interior design to seasonal travel patterns.
You can easily book your stay on the Summer website or app. So long as no one else has the place reserved on the days you’re after, last minute bookings are welcome.
When you open the Summer member app you will see your current subscription balance, as well as the nightly rate of the Summer home. As you book your days, you will see your subscription balance decline (think of it like minimum spend on the platform).
The exact number of days you get with your subscription balance will depend on what days you choose to go, as some days are more expensive than others. Summer subscription plans are based on 40, 60 or 90 days of blended annual usage. Of course, if you exceed your subscription balance you can always pay à la carte for additional days.
Yes, you are welcome to use your subscription to book any home in the Summer network, from Miami to Park City (and one day, Japan.)
Summer ensures your home is professionally designed and furnished. You choose one of our custom design collections, and our design team takes it from there. We invest an average of $45,000 per home.
Yes, every home includes a dedicated space for member storage. Some obvious limitations to this space apply, but in most cases, we can work with you to ensure your belongings are secured for your exclusive personal use.
Once you own the home, you are of course welcome to make any changes you wish. Summer can even help you finance improvements to the home using short-term rental revenue. If you wish to make improvements to the home during your trial period, they will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis by our team.