Here we are the day after summer officially begins in Canada. While there's still a long way to go before the heat sets in, Canadians have mentally slipped into summer mode.

The May two-four weekend, Victoria Day, falls on the weekend before Queen Victoria's birthday (May 24), and has become the weekend that cottages are open, cabins are revisited, camps are re-inhabited and gardens are awakened. This is also commonly launch time for boats and floating docks. All of this enthusiastic activity ignores lingering cold temperatures and everyone involved concentrates on the promise of summer warmth.

The May holiday weekend also awakens "gotta buy a cottage" urges that have laid dormant for months. If this is your year to become a cottager, where should you start?

Begin With a Reality Check.

If you plan to buy a cottage (cabin, camp or whatever you call a seasonal home), then talk to experienced cottage owners about the downside of ownership and the costs involved. It's easy to understand why you'll love the place in the great weather, but how will you feel when babysitting the vacant buildings over six months or more of winter? What can you expect each spring? What will you have to take care of in the fall to protect your property and the buildings? For instance, May is the time most owners commit to evaluating the toll another winter has taken on their property as they ask:

• How much damage have vermin and varmints done while they had the cottage to themselves?

• Which plants survived the winter and how many replacements must be hauled to the property and planted?

• What gear must be replaced on the boat and its dock?

• What problems will examination of the water, electrical and heating systems reveal?

• Who will fix the things that aren't easy DIY projects and what will that cost?

Seasonal Or Year-Round Fun?

"Seasonal" means properties that can only be used in summer months with some carryover to fall and spring because they are not winterized or winter access is restricted. These properties tend to be less expensive to buy for obvious reasons. Since many costs are still year-long, including insurance and taxes, make sure you carefully compare the advantage of seasonal over year-round real estate. Even winterizing a seasonally-zoned cottage may not enable you to use it during the winter. Real estate professionals know the patterns of use and access for the areas they trade in and can help you select the property that best suits your needs.

How Much of the Future Should Be Bought Today?

Many cottages are labours of love that have been transformed by decades of TLC -- tender loving construction. Real estate expertise is a useful resource when developing a practical, feasible ownership strategy. Finances may dictate location, but building condition may be a deciding factor. Is a "ready-to-move-in" cottage the most cost effective alternative or should you shop for a basic building on a great piece of land and spend summers on improvement? Should you buy alone or look for partners? Fractional ownership offers another affordable "have it all now" option. Instead of full ownership and responsibility, you pay for a few weeks of responsibility-free cottage fun every year.

These weeks may be eligible for swapping through international networks, so you won't be stuck vacationing in the same place each year. Check out the details and contracts carefully as each property offers different advantages and restrictions. The Canadian Resort Development Association can be a good resource to help get your bearings.

Fun Within Limits

Popular recreational areas come with their own sets of rules. Which lakes allow motor boats? Where can you build a new dock or add a permanent boat mooring? In some areas, summer fire and water restrictions may apply in dry months. Groups like Waterfront Ratepayers After Fair Taxation champion waterfront property owners who often pay higher property taxes for their preferred location. Local municipalities and cottage associations can fill you in on how things are done in their area.

Feed Your Imagination

Don't rely entirely on your own cottage and recreational experience. To expand your thinking on what a summer home should and should not offer you and your family search out other opinions and explore unfamiliar locations. You may even decide to rent in a few different areas before you buy.

Published: May 22, 2007

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Futurist and Strategist PJ Wade is "The Catalyst" -- intent on "Challenging The Best Become Even Better." PJ earned this title by translating the dynamic impact of Boomers and their multi-generation families into relevant insights that start people thinking and taking action—in business and in life. Author of 7 books and more than 1600 published articles, PJ encourages individuals to become their own futurist. PJ writes and speaks about the insight, knowledge and solid decision-making skills that professionals and their clients need to live and work in this vortex of change. For instance, since PJ knows that home is headquarters for the new decades-long "unretirement," she wrote the popular book "Reverse Mortgages: Best Friend, Worst Enemy... Your Choice! (CatapultPublishing.com), which is filled with suggestions and insight on protecting and using home equity. Her new business book, "What's Your Point?," which identifies 7 common mistakes professionals unknowingly repeat to their detriment, will be published in 2009. As The Catalyst, PJ provides strategic communication, client appreciation and advanced education services to the financial, tourism, lifestyle and service sectors -- and the clients they serve. A frequently-quoted financial and business commentator, PJ is a thought-provoking strategic speaker who offers practical, real-life suggestions on leaving "the box" behind and embracing Forward Thinking -- a talent she regularly demonstrates in this column. For more on blogs, books and topics, visit TheCatalyst.com.