Snowbirds

[ImJustKCClone]

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.

I hate the heat far too much to ever move back to the south on any permanent basis.

 

[GMackey32]

I hate the heat far too much to ever move back to the south on any permanent basis.

I thrive in the heat. My wife, not so much. I just can’t stand the bitter cold of Iowa.

 

[ImJustKCClone]

I thrive in the heat. My wife, not so much. I just can’t stand the bitter cold of Iowa.

I used to. Not so much any more. I keep telling him we need a summer cabin in Northern Saskatchewan...maybe Nunavet...

 

[BCClone]

We have six.
To paraphrase, we're gonna need a bigger motorhome...

Couple more and you can just get a pull type pulled by a posse of cats.

 

[84 grad]

In various threads I've read of people spending their winters in the South.

How does that work from a living arrangement standpoint?

Do you buy a condo and only live their for 3-4 months? Do you rent? Timeshare? RVs?

This is something my wife and I might look into in another 10-15 years. Thanks for any insight!

I rent for 4 month in Florida and love it.I stay about an hour north of Tampa. It's quite and has great golf courses.

 

[Clone Head]

We retired in 2011 and visited my wife’s sister and BIL in Tucson Arizona for a couple of weeks in 2012. We decided to rent for January & February from 2013 thru 2016. Rentals were running between $2,800 to $3,200 per month. In 2016 rentals were becoming very scarce so we bought a house in 2017.

We are located in an active adult community about 30 minutes north of Tucson, Az. There are approx. 5,000 houses in our community. There are 63 holes of golf available and the rates are very reasonable. I can play unlimited golf after 1:30 PM for $200 a month. There are also over 100 clubs / activities we can participate in.

We started off staying 4 months a year there and this year we stayed 7 months. When I was 45 I knew this was the retirement life I wanted to live, so I structured my finances so we could afford two homes. It has worked out very well and I enjoy spending my winters in Arizona.

I would suggest renting before buying. Retiring baby boomers are driving the prices up, the value of my house has increased about 40% over 3 years.

 

[aauummm]

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.

Wow, that's some very interesting history. Hill Country has been on my list for a long time but it just hasn't fit into our schedule yet. We have always ended up staying in San Marcos or San Antonio on our trips up and down I-35, so we come close.

 

[ImJustKCClone]

Wow, that's some very interesting history. Hill Country has been on my list for a long time but it just hasn't fit into our schedule yet. We have always ended up staying in San Marcos or San Antonio on our trips up and down I-35, so we come close.

It's kind of out of the way for direct visiting, but there's some rustic camping around the area...on the Llano, Guadelupe & Pedernales rivers. You can still find hookups, but it's state park type camping on gravel "pads", not the glam camping in resort areas. If you're looking for a quiet place to spend a couple of days & like hiking, I recommend Pedernales Falls.

 

[Cyclone27inQC]

Any more suggestions on a top notch RV resort in the south during January for "younger" active seniors??

 

[ISUATC]

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!

I'm interested in this blog,.What is the site name? Just turned 50 and have recently started planning for my future winters. We have some friends that stay at Pharr South in the Mission Texas area. Not sure if I want to settle on one place or move around the country each winter.

 

[kcbob79clone]

I'm interested in this blog,.What is the site name? Just turned 50 and have recently started planning for my future winters. We have some friends that stay at Pharr South in the Mission Texas area. Not sure if I want to settle on one place or move around the country each winter.

http://bobandjotravelblog.blogspot.com/?m=1

Not been updated lately but a good 10 years of blogging about travel, food and tips.

Enjoy,

 

[aauummm]

I'm interested in this blog,.What is the site name? Just turned 50 and have recently started planning for my future winters. We have some friends that stay at Pharr South in the Mission Texas area. Not sure if I want to settle on one place or move around the country each winter.

Kcbob79clone has posted a link to his blog in his previous post. We've stayed at three different RV resorts in the Rio Grande Valley, each one for a different winter and have enjoyed them all. Those three were from San Bonito at the east end of the RGV to Palmview South/Mission ( Retama Village RV Resort) at the west end. We didn't get tied down to one place as we wanted the flexibility to stay in other areas of the country each winter. So we have also done winters in Southern California at (The Springs at Borrego RV Resort), etc.

Good luck on planning for the future, it's a very fun part of the whole adventure!