Move south or snowbird ? (mother-in-law, father-in-law, retirees, years)
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I would suggest renting a condo for 2-3 months, maybe in a 55+ community if you enjoy a variety of activities and other participants close by.
My parents did that for years and thought it kept them healthy and mobile. They golfed, walked, swam in the pool, and enjoyed lunch and dinners out with friends instead of sitting at home in an icebox.
You can winterize your home (plumbing, etc.) but it does help to have a neighbor or someone you hire to keep an eye out for issues. My parents lived in a close knit neighborhood where everybody knew each other so didn’t worry about break ins.
They did find the drive plus packing up all their items just too much in their 80s and stopped but did miss it. Renting is the way to determine where and how long you would like to stay in any area. We have friends who rent in AZ one year and FL the next for variety.
If there is a college near your home, you could rent a furnished home to the students going there for the season and travel the world using either www.extraholidays.com or there are snowbird condos in Myrtle Beach and probably other states.
3 or 4 weeks in a Florida hotel with a kitchen in the worst part of the winter is all the South I need. For the rest of the year the cost of living is lower than FL. I don't have to live in a crazy HOA neighborhood. The house is warm in winter and cool in summer. The winter roads are quickly cleared of snow. The wildlife is not dangerous. The mountain parks out west are closer
We live in Northcentral WI. When hubby retires next year-we plan to sell our house to our daughter. Rent an apartment-maybe in the north woods. Then travel as we please. If winter is getting to us-we will head to AZ for a month. Or take a cruise. Maybe hunker down and enjoy the snow as we will have no need to go out.
This year winter has been non-existent. The last few days 50 and sunny. No snow anywhere. We would be content to stay put when winter is like this. I have been out hiking everyday for most of Jan/Feb.
Hubby has not interest in owning a house anymore. Tired of cutting grass, worrying about snow in the driveway and on the roof. Condo doesn't really interest us either. So renting is a good option for us.
I live in SW FLA, and lots of peeps move here and w/in 2 yrs, thery're gone...for various reasons...heat, humidity, lack of healthcare, miss friends and family, cost of living. Sometimes they don't tell anyone why...they just leave.
If after you snowbird for a season and you likve it, rent a place for 4 months in the off-season to see wht Summer time is like. I'm 80% confident, that if you do so, you will not move to FLA full time. Maybe the Panhandle...maybe.
I've lived in FLA on and off for 25 yrs, and even I'm done staying here all Summer long.
I reverse Snow bird...I escape the Summer FLA heat by heading North to Western NC. The 1st year I did 6 weeks, & now I'm extending it to 2 months. I like being a FLA resident 8 months a year, & ai can gut out 2 hot months, but not 4 anymore.
The more years you are here, and the older you get, the less you want to tolerate "feels like" of 110 for weeks on end.
Location: Chapel Hill, NC, formerly NoVA and Phila
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My parents successfully snowbirded for 23 years until 2020 due to Covid and their age (early 80s at the time). They maintained a single-family home in an active 55+ community in suburban Philadelphia and had an inexpensive condo in South Florida that they went to for about 3 months (usually mid-December to end of March). They rented in Florida the first year and then bought because my mother really wanted to live with her own clean furniture and things.
It did involve some work "closing" up the PA house and setting up/cleaning up the condo when they arrived in Florida. But they got their systems in place. The only problems I recall were their PA security alarm going off a few times but they had a local contact (my sister) who took care of it. There was one other issue with their hot water heater which I don't recall the specifics, but overall they had no major problems. Arriving in Florida, my mother used to spend the first day cleaning the place due to it having been empty for 8-9 months (it got dirty!), but then they got smart and had someone do it for them before they arrived. They also had someone check in on their Florida condo once per month (condo rules) for a fee.
Then there are little things to think about like having mail forwarded and pausing cable (if you have it) or the landline phone (not as much of an issue anymore). If you have a regular doctor back home for something specific, you may need to find one down there, too. My mom, for example, had to find an allergist in Florida. They did, overall, try to plan doctors' and dentist appointments before they left for Florida and after they got back up North.
I'd say their snowbirding went very well from age 60-80. And then it became a little harder for them. They drove down each year and then drove back home (~17 hours each way). That got a little harder the last few years. They started out doing the drive in two days and then began doing it over three days. The setting up and closing up got to be a little much the last 2 or 3 years. And they did start losing some friends towards the end - either passed away or moved back North.
Overall, snowbirding in Florida was some of the happiest times for them. They loved the weather and not worrying about ice and snow, etc. They made great friends down there as well as met up with friends from their younger days who also retired there. Each of their kids would visit them once during the season. And we had such a good time with them. We all have great memories of that time period. It was very carefree and while they "lived" there it was also kind of vacation mode - they ate dinners out with their friends, played card games once per week, went to shows, hung out at the pool, etc. in addition to food shopping, cleaning, running errands, etc. My mother recently passed away after an illness and up until the last week of her life one topic that we could discuss with her that never failed to bring a smile to her face was talking about Florida.
Alternatively, they never would have wanted to move to Florida or the South year-round. Their life - friends, family, most of their children and grandchildren, etc. was up North. Going away for ~3 months was a good balance for them. My husband and I are planning to do something similar.
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.
I wouldn't be happy living in two places. I feel happier when I am connected to the people I live around. If I shuttled around from this place to that I would always feel temporary.
If there is a college near your home, you could rent a furnished home to the students going there for the season and travel the world using either www.extraholidays.com or there are snowbird condos in Myrtle Beach and probably other states.
I wouldn't be happy living in two places. I feel happier when I am connected to the people I live around. If I shuttled around from this place to that I would always feel temporary.
Great point!
The older we get the more we rely on our communities and friendships. You need to be around to develop them. A friend lost her husband recently. She's in a new house, in a new community, in a new state. She hasn't had time to establish communities/ties/friendship yet. She feeling very much alone.
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