No. 1 town for vacation homes in the country is at the Jersey Shore

Ocean City tops the list for the second year in a row as the hottest real estate market for a secondary, or vacation, home in the country.

A.J. Smith, vice president of financial education for New York-based SmartAsset, said nearly 80 percent of mortgages in Ocean City are for secondary residences.

Smith says the average secondary home price in this Cape May County resort, was just over $430,000.

The average household income of people buying vacation properties here was $288,000, nearly three times the income of people who call the city home year-round.

Most secondary home markets in the top 10 were located in resort towns. Atlantic City and vicinity came in 10th on the national list, which ranks more than 400 metro areas.

"I think the big thing is we hope this gets people thinking and talking about buying homes and then the potential for even buying a second home as an investment property as something you could rent out or as just something to enjoy that will eventually increase in value," Smith said.

Joe Cutter is the afternoon news anchor on New Jersey 101.5