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Old 01-17-2018, 07:29 PM
 
Location: State of Denial
2,480 posts, read 1,849,036 times
Reputation: 13490

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Quote:
Originally Posted by MrRational View Post
Funny.

Most snowbirds are those who fly south for the in-season expensive winter.
I was describing the opposite.

Resettle where it's nice in winter then fly north in summer.
Avoid almost all of the in-season resort expense.
At least you expand the possible destinations 100 fold.
That's what we do. We call ourselves "Sunbirds". We enjoy Florida in the stick-and-brick during the "livable" 7-8 months and then head for the hills in the RV for the really hot months. Those hills can be anywhere....as long as they are hills and/or cooler than Florida.
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Old 01-17-2018, 07:35 PM
 
4,522 posts, read 3,719,020 times
Reputation: 17386
Quote:
Originally Posted by jlawrence01 View Post
When we were ready to make an offer on our current home, my wife stated that we should keep our home outside of Chicago. That is when I said, "STOP." We are not owning two homes.

The problem with owning two places include:

1) You end up not being part of either community that you live in. Back home, life goes on so people start making plans without you ... even when you are going to be in the area. It is harder to join organizations because some need you to be there all the time. In the new community, you get lumped in with the snowbirds and short-term renters. People will be friendly BUT they are not going to invest time in making friends wit people that won't be around. If you do it every year, that changes a bit.

2) You have two overheads. You are paying rent in the warm location. However, very few of the expenses back home go away. If you own, you have two sets of electric, water and gas bills, HOA fees, property taxes and the like.

3) Then there are the income tax issues. States like California, NY and Illinois, among others like to go after part-time residents and retirees in low-tax states.
The internet age and sharing of info is easy between states. And they do share. There is no way to claim a Homestead exemption in FL at the same time you claim the STAR exemption in NY for property taxes. It is one or the other.

There are ways around it, illegally, but our FL county website has an anonymous tip line now to report neighbors that brag about scamming the property tax system. They are serious about getting money due to them.

NY wanted taxes paid on any days DH was working while we were there. He travels for work and rarely worked in NY. He also took a lot of vacation while we were in NY.

We closed our house in NY right before Christmas. We didn’t realize what a burden it had become, until it was gone. Loved it when we lived there and loved it even more after letting it go.
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Old 01-17-2018, 07:42 PM
 
37,315 posts, read 59,552,891 times
Reputation: 25335
Quote:
Originally Posted by dwnmo View Post
Trying to work through some budgeting forecasts for retirement in 3-5 years. We are thinking we will be snowbirds for the winter (4 weeks, 6 weeks, 8 weeks, more?) but not sure how much to budget for it. We are in the midwest and would likely go south from here (South Carolina and south of SC) or Arizona.

I would be interested in hearing about your snowbird experience. Where do you go, how long do you stay, and what is the approximate cost? How difficult is it to find rentals of 4 weeks - 12 weeks? Do you go the same place every year or do you like to move around?

Hubby is concerned about being able to afford this lifestyle and I am hoping to show him that it can be done depending on where you go.
We are both retired now---bought home in FL next door to our daughter and SIL right before their son was born--our first and so far only grandchild...almost 6 yrs ago..
We got a good deal since RE market was still sort of slow and the sellers had done upgrades on a late 70s house---
We were able to pay cash, have flood ins as well as homeowners and hurricane/wind--
Our house is about 2 mi as seagull flies from the Gulf coast but not right on the beach
The insurance costs are higher because not all has been upgraded to current code---
We dont' rent this out like some people do with their condo or house when they aren't using it so we subsidize all costs--utilities, cable, water, Lawncare and pool service--whether we are here or at our other house in TX
It is expensive to maintain two properties---but we don't like FL enough to move here full time--and we used to have a cat--still have a dog--
Finding a rental property that takes cat/dog is not easy--and the house next door to our daughter came up for sale at the right time/price so we couldn't resist...

IMO--if you are watching your budget this closely, you should just consider taking a long vacation vs trying to buy a property----unless maybe it is in area where you could rent it out--
Remember the tax laws are changing and you need to understand how you will be impacted if you are paying two sets of taxes but have only 1 primary residence--if you have rental income some months and run one house as business...

Right now I am worried about the cold spell in DFW area where our other home is--
Our friend who helps watch the house had to go over there last night and set the faucets to drip because temp was going down to 12 or so---
We don't winterize that house like people from the NE likely do when they come to FL for winter---
We will be here til early March and then go back to TX

There is book I saw recommended on AssetBuilder site about learning how to travel and house-sit to off set the costs
Maybe you can look at that site (about financial investing) and check out the book--it's on Amazon

Maybe you want to consider relocating permanently vs trying to be snowbirds
Maybe you might want to really downsize and use a motor home or trailer you pull as your home
There seems to be growing number of retirees who chose that route
It can be fairly inexpensive--depending on the vehicle you buy---but it takes a real life change and requires good health in that you don't need to see doctor fairly often or require special treatment
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Old 01-17-2018, 07:51 PM
 
10,599 posts, read 17,808,009 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by SportyandMisty View Post
New Yawkers?
Massachusetts and Kentucky. But yeah, the MA people are the ones putting their shoes all over the atrium and tying out the dog.

At least the Kentucky lady was nice when I told her she couldn't dry her mop out in the front atrium leaning up OVER MY CHAIR LOL (which I only use to hold my packages anyway).

Kentucky INSISTS on parking his car under our carport the OPPOSITE way (backing in) than the entire 200 home HOA. And both HE and Massachusetts keep an EXTRA CAR here in our visitor spots all year long even though they only come here 2-4 months a year.

Massachusetts said he won't be back for a YEAR ...yet he's taking one of our three visitor spots up with the spare car. Go figure.

Last edited by runswithscissors; 01-17-2018 at 08:07 PM..
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Old 01-17-2018, 08:17 PM
 
Location: Capital Region, NY
2,435 posts, read 1,495,123 times
Reputation: 3445
This topic is how I found cd. Thanks to the OP and all who have contributed to this thread. I have been thinking about how to make this work as well. People with rentals would love to have me as their client. I am bit OC. Let's put it this way: Your place would be cleaner and more organized after I had been there than before. That being said, I don’t know if I could stand neighbors like the ones described above. The place would have to be in excellent order. It bothers me to think that I wouldn’t be able to have all my “stuff” when or if I needed it. If one acquires new stuff what do you do with it when it is time to return home? The only reason I wouldn’t buy is because of the cost and hassle of owning two homes far from one another. My wife also doesn’t want to be stuck in one place. She wants to try numerous areas, perhaps even in Europe or elsewhere. An RV doesn’t appeal to me. But one thing I do know: I do not want to be here Jan-March anymore.
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Old 01-17-2018, 08:23 PM
 
Location: Wasilla, AK
7,448 posts, read 7,518,993 times
Reputation: 16456
Quote:
Originally Posted by jlawrence01 View Post
Then there are the income tax issues. States like California, NY and Illinois, among others like to go after part-time residents and retirees in low-tax states.

How is that? It doesn't affect me, but I am curious.
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Old 01-17-2018, 08:35 PM
 
Location: We_tside PNW (Columbia Gorge) / CO / SA TX / Thailand
34,609 posts, read 57,579,010 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by AlaskaErik View Post
How is that? It doesn't affect me, but I am curious.
Many 'snowbirds' from the 5 Income tax free states and from RV centric SD (one night per lifetime domicile requirement) have the High Tax States using their 'rules' that trigger domicile (beyond the 181 day resident thing) to gather tax 'cheats'.

Some states use property ownership... & monitor your Cell phone, Puchasing, (especially groceries) and CC transactions / any W-2's / 1099's / utility bills and connections...

They want MONEY... your money!
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Old 01-17-2018, 08:39 PM
 
Location: Wasilla, AK
7,448 posts, read 7,518,993 times
Reputation: 16456
Quote:
Originally Posted by StealthRabbit View Post
Many 'snowbirds' from the 5 Income tax free states and from RV centric SD (one night per lifetime domicile requirement) have the High Tax States using their 'rules' that trigger domicile (beyond the 181 day resident thing) to gather tax 'cheats'.

Some states use property ownership... & monitor your Cell phone, Puchasing, (especially groceries) and CC transactions / any W-2's / 1099's / utility bills and connections...

They want MONEY... your money!

If you live in one of those high tax states for over half the year, I get it. But do these rules kick in if you live there less than half the year?
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Old 01-17-2018, 10:49 PM
 
Location: We_tside PNW (Columbia Gorge) / CO / SA TX / Thailand
34,609 posts, read 57,579,010 times
Reputation: 46028
Quote:
Originally Posted by AlaskaErik View Post
If you live in one of those high tax states for over half the year, I get it. But do these rules kick in if you live there less than half the year?
If you trigger their individual domicile rules (varies with state). i.e. if the state has a rule about property ownership triggering Domicile... you may get ushered into their taxation for the portion of time they determine you are in their state (or any income they can assign their tax to.). Thus all my investment props, businesses, AND domicile / 1099's, w-2's, voting and ownership (personal prop and Real Prop) reside in Non-income tax states.

Pick out the states you will have 'residence' / LT stays (over 30 days) then find out what they consider 'Domicile'.

Friends that have significant income / internet businesses usually choose to domicile in a US Protectorate.
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Old 01-17-2018, 11:06 PM
 
926 posts, read 960,147 times
Reputation: 1449
Quote:
Originally Posted by runswithscissors View Post
You can live in beautiful Indian River County, FL on the Atlantic and Intracoastal much cheaper than that. And you don't pay international airfair for normalcy one month per year.

There must be a different reason you choose to live there for "decency". Where in the US isn't "decent"??
Yes, you can live in a comfortable way with all the amenities as a westerner is used to, here in a foreign land. And you can live here much more cheaply than anywhere in the US, just what level are you willing to accept. I found my decent level at about $1500 and that is my meaning of decent, it may not be yours. Some people consider squatting at a homeless shelter decent and that's fine with me also.
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