Move south or snowbird ? (community, relatives, retired, friends)
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Rent for 3 months, in a couple of different areas that interest you. Many over 55 communites allow their residents to rent their homes. No one can tell you where the right place is for YOU. You have to do the work yourselves. Agood site is 55places.com.
My wife and I are retiring in a month
We live in northern Michigan. Please, anyone with an opinion. Should we snowbird or relocate? Thanks. Family is spreadout.
There were two recent related threads on the subject of second homes (which were both closed due to political conflict between victims and supporters of prohibitively high taxation of second (vacation) homes). You should be able to find a lot of input in those two threads.
I have many years of experience (even long before retirement) of dividing my time between two coasts. I did not have difficulty maintaining multiple places, because they were small condos rather than houses. I am a city type, and have an interest pretty much only in locations that are expensive, so owning the second home (meaning condo) made far more financial sense than any other arrangement for extended vacations. But it seems there is a trend towards higher taxation of second homes nationwide, with one city instituting taxes which are so high that they specifically aim to make it impossible to own a secondary condo there. For that reason, I would not recommend buying a second home at this time (although, for me, it was wonderful while it was possible).
I have ultimately come to the conclusion that Buenos Aires (Argentina) and Montevideo (Uruguay) are the best winter solutions for me (they are in the southern hemisphere, ie, their summer is from Dec to Feb). Both cities are inexpensive for an American, both are European in the way of life and demographics, and most central areas of both cities are safe for senior visitors. I will not buy the second condo there, because those places are cheap enough that a short-term rental in the winter should be fine (though it is nice to keep returning to your own place). My high choice was also Bangkok (where I plan to go if I ever need a nursing home), but Asia is VERY far, and thus less convenient as a place for frequent returns.
But if your question is whether to snowbird in the US or relocate, I would vote for relocate. As one poster here is doing with test-driving Pittsburgh, it seems the best course of action would be to rent an apartment (or house) in the place where you are considering to relocate, and see whether you really like it, before selling your home in Michigan.
Having lived in Florida for 15 years, I definitely agree. The term "Florida winter" means the peak of summer, because that is when everyone is huddling in their homes avoiding the elements. Also, it seems like many people consider moving to Florida or Arizona vs. snowbirding. There is a halfway path in which you move somewhere like Tennessee or Norther Carolina. Floridians use the term "halfbacks" to refer to people who move from the frozen North to Florida only to decide it is too hot, too flat, too humid, too hurricane prone, or for some other reason that Florida is not for them and move halfway back to where they came from.
Yep ^^ this describes me. I was born in NYC but my family moved here when I was 6. Left a few times and came back to Florida because of family. Now, after being back 25 years this go round, I am leaving again for the last time (hopefully). Never loved Florida but Hurricanes Irma & Ian plus the extraordinarily hot summer we had last year made me realize that I do not want to be here any longer. I want seasons, I want mountains and I went much less humidity.
Some people thrive in hot, humid weather. My stepfather was one of them. I am not. Before making the move here, rent for a year because you may realize Florida, at least south Florida, is not for you. My in-laws moved here and within 2 years sold their place and moved back to New York.
My wife and I are retiring in a month
We live in northern Michigan. Please, anyone with an opinion. Should we snowbird or relocate? Thanks. Family is spreadout.
We intended to Snowbird and bought a house in Phoenix to go along with our permanent home in Washington state. However, a combination of the pandemic, the Washington Governor's handling of it compared to Arizona, and the cost and work required to maintain 2 homes led us to sell the Washington house and stay in Arizona and we love it.
Our 2 sons moved with their families from Washington state to Phoenix after us and we live within 10 minutes of each other, and love it.
Location: We_tside PNW (Columbia Gorge) / CO / SA TX / Thailand
34,705 posts, read 58,022,681 times
Reputation: 46172
Since OP seems to like Upper Michigan home (a few months / year), Keep it for now, figure out how to winterize or have housesitter, then be free to visit their spread out friends and family for extended times during winter, eventually settling on a desirable winter hub (maybe NC?). Find, or create a cottage / accessory dwelling, or rent one from neighbors of grand kids. (I have a friend who rents 3 cottages, seasonally in areas he visits each yr.) ~$400/ month. (Furnished). Another elderly friend got tired of his rural 'snow home', and rented a VRBO for 5 months. Sounds like the owners really liked having a single tenant (daylight basement overlooking a nature preserve) and asked him to consider making it his second, or even primary home. It's 3 hours away from his snowbound home. But a very different climate, and not 3 hrs to shopping and medical needs. Only 10 minutes!.
Similar, we do both... Keep our main home (with separate living qtrs rented) then have other homes in nice destinations with very different climates. All are rural, view homes with separate living spaces, so we can go stay wherever the weather or events are suitable. Easy flights between, with cheap cars at each
home. (During Go-go years). We also travel elsewhere 50% of the time (at the
moment). During Slow-go yrs well consolidate.
Ideally, we'd have an easy to get to southern hemisphere winter home (with better medical care than USA)
Location: We_tside PNW (Columbia Gorge) / CO / SA TX / Thailand
34,705 posts, read 58,022,681 times
Reputation: 46172
Quote:
Originally Posted by stagman
Sounds like some people don't go all in on snow birding and instead take a long vacation. For those people how long of a vacation seems sufficient?
Long enough to enjoy the trip, and avoid the reason I'm gone. (Snow, rain, heat, crowds). Each of our homes has times that are not ideal.
I usually prefer at least a month in each location / vacation.
But really enjoy an entire year away from the USA every 4 years (election years).
Much depends on how long you feel safe leaving your home.
Full-time traveler domicile from income tax free South Dakota, and never staying long enough in one spot to trigger domicile elsewhere is my ideal plan.
I live on the Gulf Coast and have my entire life. While I haven't spoken directly to the many snowbirds here, I've gathered from some of the condo rental agency sites that many rent here for a few months during the winter and return. Since summer is tourist season (in my area), owners offer attractive monthly rates their properties in our off season. That would make sense as someone doesn't have the hassle of owning two properties, and if they have someone back at home to keep an eye on theirs, it would be significantly easier to snowbird.
Summers are brutal and I still never get used to the swamp humidity. I hibernate for our 5 month summers. Unless I'm at the beach, on a boat, or in a pool, I avoid being outside when it's extremely hot.
I live on the Gulf Coast and have my entire life. While I haven't spoken directly to the many snowbirds here, I've gathered from some of the condo rental agency sites that many rent here for a few months during the winter and return. Since summer is tourist season (in my area), owners offer attractive monthly rates their properties in our off season. That would make sense as someone doesn't have the hassle of owning two properties, and if they have someone back at home to keep an eye on theirs, it would be significantly easier to snowbird.
An aunt and uncle of mine used to do this. They spent part of the winter in Destin, FL. I recall the cost being quite reasonable, although the last time they went was perhaps ten years ago.
Sounds like some people don't go all in on snow birding and instead take a long vacation. For those people how long of a vacation seems sufficient?
Six or eight weeks is good - Jan 15 to March 1 or March 15. That way you can have a white Christmas (which can be fun, plus the real winters now seem to be starting later), then two weeks of excitement about vacation, then getting away for the most miserable second part of the winter. Then come back home and file your taxes.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
