As we approach the dog days of summer, many of us are finalizing plans for Labor Day weekend and squeezing in a few more weeks of fun. For some, this means one last trip to their beach house, lakeside cottage, mountain cabin, or desert dwelling. Whether your vacation home sits atop a mountain in the Rockies, in the desert of Palm Springs, or in a seaside town in Mexico, you likely visit just a few times each year. In the off seasons, your vacation home either awaits your return — vacant and shuttered — or functions as a vacation…