We have six.Chuckle...we travel with three cats and sometimes the granddaughter and one of her friends. I just train the cats to be good and they toe the line!
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To paraphrase, we're gonna need a bigger motorhome...
Snowbirds
- Thread starter BillyClone
- Start date
To paraphrase, we're gonna need a bigger motorhome...
Yep, just one and sometimes on the shorter trips (in-state mainly) she'll bring along a friend. Sounds like you may need a 45 footer! Ours is a Itasca Sunova 33C, 35 ft with three slideouts, so it's just big enough for that load and no more.
One is seventeen, one will be eleven in a couple of months. The rest are between 3 & 8 years old. We don't plan to replace, so eventually the number will be more manageable.
Just one. What must that be like?
We have 15 of 'em (plus one grandson), spread from Delaware to Seattle. Again, our logistics would be different than yours.
No one has much addressed FL. We have BEACHES. (and Florida man and Florida woman for entertainment).
First year we stayed in a mobile home park. Those are huge and a good cheap way to get into the snow bird cycle. Anywhere from $20k on up and some quite nice ones. Downside is the monthly lot rent and risk of hurricanes. As far as hurricanes the season is basically late June to the end of October/early November so at least they don't happen when you're there.
Second year bought an ocean front condo. Up the coast a bit from West Palm Beach. Prices were more reasonable and the traffic during season is less bothersome. Really really like where we are. Far enough south it stays warm but far enough north you're out of the urban sprawl and traffic snarls of Miami/Ft Lauderdale and W Palm.
I go for 6 months which, along with registering to vote there and licensing a vehicle allows me to establish Florida residency. NO STATE Income tax.
I don't rent out for three reasons. 1. Not much demand for off season rentals. 2. I keep my clothes and personal possessions in there - it's my home. I prefer not to have others in there. You may not care about such things but I'm a bit picky on MY stuff. 3. The property is a residential property and as such it limits rentals to a minimum of 3 months. This keeps it nicer as you don't get weekly vacationers who don't give a crap about neighbors or facilities. So it's more pleasant for owner occupants and seasonal rentals.
Since it's more humid in Florida than the SW day/night temperature fluctuations are less. Where in AZ it might get into the 70's in the daytime it still can get down into the 40's at night. In Florida it may only fluctuate 10 degrees or so between day and night so you have better evening weather for outdoor activities.
Like others have said you get a lot of the same people every year, both owners and renters so a sense of community is definitely a big draw. Like others have said it can be tough to get a place as most come back to the same units year after year. There is a stronger East Coast New England/New York/New Jersey presence but most are still very friendly in a social setting versus driving or shopping wars.
Been doing Florida for 10 years. I plan to snowbird as long as I can do it. I always tell people, "I look forward to going south in the fall and I look forward to coming back to Iowa in the spring. So I must be doing it right."
If you or anyone else wants info on rentals in the area PM me. It would be cool to have more ISU fans in the neighborhood. I can send you contact info on the primary real estate group that does much of the rental stuff in the region.
First year we stayed in a mobile home park. Those are huge and a good cheap way to get into the snow bird cycle. Anywhere from $20k on up and some quite nice ones. Downside is the monthly lot rent and risk of hurricanes. As far as hurricanes the season is basically late June to the end of October/early November so at least they don't happen when you're there.
Second year bought an ocean front condo. Up the coast a bit from West Palm Beach. Prices were more reasonable and the traffic during season is less bothersome. Really really like where we are. Far enough south it stays warm but far enough north you're out of the urban sprawl and traffic snarls of Miami/Ft Lauderdale and W Palm.
I go for 6 months which, along with registering to vote there and licensing a vehicle allows me to establish Florida residency. NO STATE Income tax.
I don't rent out for three reasons. 1. Not much demand for off season rentals. 2. I keep my clothes and personal possessions in there - it's my home. I prefer not to have others in there. You may not care about such things but I'm a bit picky on MY stuff. 3. The property is a residential property and as such it limits rentals to a minimum of 3 months. This keeps it nicer as you don't get weekly vacationers who don't give a crap about neighbors or facilities. So it's more pleasant for owner occupants and seasonal rentals.
Since it's more humid in Florida than the SW day/night temperature fluctuations are less. Where in AZ it might get into the 70's in the daytime it still can get down into the 40's at night. In Florida it may only fluctuate 10 degrees or so between day and night so you have better evening weather for outdoor activities.
Like others have said you get a lot of the same people every year, both owners and renters so a sense of community is definitely a big draw. Like others have said it can be tough to get a place as most come back to the same units year after year. There is a stronger East Coast New England/New York/New Jersey presence but most are still very friendly in a social setting versus driving or shopping wars.
Been doing Florida for 10 years. I plan to snowbird as long as I can do it. I always tell people, "I look forward to going south in the fall and I look forward to coming back to Iowa in the spring. So I must be doing it right."
If you or anyone else wants info on rentals in the area PM me. It would be cool to have more ISU fans in the neighborhood. I can send you contact info on the primary real estate group that does much of the rental stuff in the region.
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Yikes! That's a lot of cats and kids! I guess I'm lucky. You'd probably need a 76 ft long motorhome or take two motorhomes on each trip! (just joking)Just one. What must that be like?
We have 15 of 'em (plus one grandson), spread from Delaware to Seattle. Again, our logistics would be different than yours.
This is important and it catches nearly everyone who visits by surprise. Phoenix is in a desert and it gets cold at night during the winter. Frost happens a fair amount and it will hit the 30s often in Dec/Jan. By 11am it will be comfy, but it will be chilly early.
Our winter days also aren't terribly long - 7am to 5:30pm for Dec/Jan. People know this but midwesterners who visit tend to forget, because if it's 70 degrees the sun should stay up awhile. It doesn't.
I've checked out your RV travel blog from time to time and enjoy it immensely. Probably time to check it out again! Happy Trails!
Exactly. Where we are it has not frosted in the 10 years I've been going. It HAS in the past and will again. I think it got down to 38 one time. People in parkas and mittens. Newscasts with weather charts that say "Bitterly Cold."
[Jensen Beach, in the early 20th century had some huge pineapple plantations. Then at some point a frost hit and that was the end of that run. Still lots of "Pineapple" named streets, stores, businesses in the area.]
I was looking at that Llano resort info. I thought it would be cool because we used to go play on the Llano river when I was a child (it's not far from my grandparents' ranch). I would be near family but not WITH family.
However, I didn't recognize the town name. Yeah. Nowhere NEAR where I thought it would be! We were near Kerrville. That resort is down between McAllen & Brownsville.
Yep the resort is right down on the border. Now when you are talking Kerrville that's Hill Country, God's Country, beautiful! You were lucky growing up there. It's on my bucket list. That's where kcbob79clone was this spring and maybe is still there (just checked his RV travel blog out a bit ago).
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kcbob79clone
Well-Known Member
With our medical issues and now coronavirus we have been in one place for a long time with very few blog entries
I didn't "grow up" there - my father, grandfather, greatgrandfather, etc did. I just was lucky enough to spend my summers there.
The town of Harper is named for my great-great-grandfather. And yes, it's gorgeous there. No humidity so the nights cool off and it really IS cooler in the shade.
kcbob79clone
Well-Known Member
The limiting factor for us right now is cats. No way we could keep them in a motorhome, so it would require a house/cat sitter. Two months is a loonnnnggg time. Plus, gots ta have muh basketball!
3 cats 400 Sq ft works for us
Just make sure you don't google 'snowbunnies'.
Googles 'snowbunnies'...........................
kcbob79clone
Well-Known Member
Still in the Hill Country for a while. We "plan" on heading north to KC & Iowa this fall.
My aunt and uncle rent a condo in Florida. I’m assuming at some point they’ll buy one and gradually move down there over time.
My goal over the next 10-15 years is to buy a condo in Florida and rent it out as a vacation rental, using it a couple of times a year. Have it paid off well before I retire and continue renting it to help grow the nest egg. Retire and snowbird 6 months and eventually just move down there.
My goal over the next 10-15 years is to buy a condo in Florida and rent it out as a vacation rental, using it a couple of times a year. Have it paid off well before I retire and continue renting it to help grow the nest egg. Retire and snowbird 6 months and eventually just move down there.
