For centuries, european royalty has kept country estates to complement their urban castles. In 19th-century America, Gilded Age millionaires built Newport mansions as getaways. And for decades, the wealthy have summered in places like Martha's Vineyard and wintered in Palm Beach, while less-affluent "snowbird" retirees have made annual migrations north and south. But as large numbers of baby boomers have begun buying second homes, trend watchers are starting to see the first signs that something new is going on. Today in vacation-home hotspots like Naples, Fla., you won't need binoculars to spy a new species of homeowner-one that some demographers are calling "splitters."
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