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Wife and I have that option. We just bought our 'retirement home' in Washington state. We also own 3 homes in Phoenix area and a condo in Spain. I'm currently working but could retire at any time. We considered living in Spain over the winter and tried that last winter but it was a bit cool for the wife (not as warm as Phoenix winter). I would prefer to spend winters in a warmer sunnier climate than PNW but with grandson in Seattle, wife doesn't want to stray far.
Our primary residence is in northern Maine. Yes, it does get cold and snowy, but that's actually my favorite season! I have a snow plow hitched up to one of the pickups, and the place is landscaped to be plowed right up to the steps, so there isn't much to shovel. I love it!
Last year we bought some land in TN, and put a small modular home on it. That was my wife's idea, as she has family in the area. She and her brother go down there whenever they feel like it, but we're not snowbirds. We all enjoy Maine winters. I find TN too hot in the summer, so I won't go there then. I've been there every other season, however.
Both properties are very rural, so they don't need a lot of caretaking.
We are snowbirds who have spent winters in FL Keys in a motorhome, which has all the comforts of home. We enjoy being in our northern home in spring, summer and fall. We have been doing this for many years and have decided this will be our last trip. The main reason we did this was we have wonderful friends in FL and enjoyed being outside. Unfortunately, for us, FL, IMO is flat, lots of crime, hot and humid and has become very crowded. So unlike others on this THREAD, we will stay north after this winter.
We do--have one in FL and one in TX (our birth home). It is great in some ways--get to see our daughter and grandson in FL for long periods of time and we live right next door so it is ultimate convenience of privacy and togetherness.
But it is very disconcerting--have to travel back to TX at times not convenient just for dr appt for RX renewal...have had issues with toilet running after friend was checking our TX house and come back to find a $700 water bill...forget where light switches are and other issues of having two homes...
We don't have lot of friends in either place--just not that type of people--so it is not like we miss things more in one place...
Fl has no good Mexican food--a real trial to us both...
We aren't really beach people so that is not a lure and the weather is not always great--
But summers in TX are the pits anyway...
It is an expense--no two ways about that--we have yard men in both places and a pool guy in FL who isn't that $ but it is still a monthly bill. Double utilities even with thermostats set at minimum levels and cable bills...
We are lucky that right now we can afford this--but in another 10 yrs I don't know if that will be the case.
One good thing---both homes are paid for--
Would never consider this if we had a mortgage in either place...
To me, two homes is double everything, maint. taxes, insurance, utilities etc, and then you also have to worry about security on both. Twice the headaches. Forget it.
To me, two homes is double everything, maint. taxes, insurance, utilities etc, and then you also have to worry about security on both. Twice the headaches. Forget it.
yes, it sounds like fun, but you are right. I was stationed in Oklahoma but kept my house here in south Texas. We would come home maybe every two months.
Always wondered what I would walk into. AC out one time - had to stay in a hotel. It was something minor, but still.
Maybe renting a condo somewhere is the way to go, if you want a change of season.
Perfect timing! We just closed yesterday on a little condo in the Tampa Bay area. Looking forward to putting our mark on it and enjoying many winters there. Too many bad vacation rentals with 'surprise' smells and mold, things you can't see in a vrbo listing, led us to buying a retreat of our own.
Owned a home in the US and one in Mexico for 5 years, until we had to return to US fulltime in 2012 to deal with family eldercare issues. Sadly my FIL passed away late last year. We intend to buy another house in Mexico soon and expect to own 2 houses again. We are in our early 60s and found we got bored too easily being in one place too long. We still travel extensively in Europe and Central America....we figure we have at least another 15 years of adventure in us.
If you've never lived in a foreign country, I highly suggest you try it. It keeps you learning, not just language but customs, cuisine and history.
Location: We_tside PNW (Columbia Gorge) / CO / SA TX / Thailand
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'nuther option for us is to partner with a seasonal camp or at an overseas farmstead, and build / remodel extra living space in shop / barn and use it seasonally. But, fulltime owner / caretaker could use it for guests / staff while we are gone.
We are already associated with an organization with camps / PT summer schools in 28 international locations.
Friends on Vancouver Island have a FT RV retired couple that rent a 2500sf apartment above their shop each summer. They keep it furnished, and keep main household stuff is stored there, but owner uses apartment for a guest house, the 8 months that RV couple is gone.
Lots of options doing regular seasonal house sitting. Friends in Belguim house / pet sit same house in Japan for 2 - 4 months / yr for several yrs. I was browsing the options, and with more people as younger retirees, and ez and cheap travel, there are a lot of ads for longterm house sitting (and swapping).
It has worked very well to find singles / seminary couples that want to stay in our peaceful country home, small rents / boarding fees are acceptable and take care of utilities, insurance, ... Not always enough for taxes.
All of our primary homes now have LT mortgages to fund our investment props. The 2008 crisis proved how fickle banks can be with commercial lending, and call your loans on demand. That hurts. Several investment props are paid off, and we keep enough reserves to write a check to pay off primaries at any minute. 2.8% mortgages are handy leverage tools when you can capture 10 - 15% returns. Not the best or smartest option, but better than using term commercial lending, especially during retirement. Banks are not my favorite places to hang out and beg for money / terms.
Last edited by StealthRabbit; 08-06-2016 at 11:04 AM..
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