Every winter and spring, swarms of tourists show up in Phoenix, my neck of the woods. Many other parts of the country are popular in summer and fall.

Increasingly, savvy travelers - especially families - prefer to stay in furnished homes. They’re larger and more comfortable than a hotel. Private homes and condominiums are usually quieter, and they're generally a better value, too.

Could you make money renting your home to tourists? Keep in mind, you don't need to own a cabin in the Rockies or a cottage on the beach to play this game. Your home could fetch $200 per night or more if its close to a popular national park or a major tourist attraction. Cities such as Denver, Chicago, New York, Orlando and Washington, D.C., are magnets for summer travelers.

Is there a big music or food festival that temporarily swells the population of your town each summer? Or perhaps a major golf tournament or NASCAR races at certain times during the year? These can be excellent opportunities to make your home available.

There are once-in-a-lifetime opportunities, too. For instance, thousands of delegates from around the country will be flocking to the Republican and Democratic National Conventions in Tampa, Florida, and Charlotte, North Carolina, in late August and early September this year.