[Moderate Guy]

Thanks, guys, for all the kind responses.

I think people often oversimplify the issues involved - not that these are insurmountable - in maintaining and caring for two homes far apart. Certinaly there is more involved than just locking the door and leaving. I'm also the kind of guy who would worry about having a home thousands of miles away - thus I would be worrrying year-round - alternating my worries between the Florida home and the NYC home when I am at one or the other.

I guess for someone like me it would be best that a second home be more of a weekend home than a faroff vacation home. I'll just throw in the towel here in NYC and move down to the Tampa area. As a writer I'll be traveling frequently to Canada, the Caribbean, NYC, Puerto Rico, etc. - it probably would make better sense not to have to worry about a home in another stste or to be obligated to use it often to justify its costs and responsibilities.

Maybe I'll do Tampa and a weekend home with a view of the water in the same general area. It would double as a writer's office/retreat and eliminate the issues of securing and caring for a home that needs to be locked up for months at a time. Of course, I then have to deal with Tampa's oppressive heat/humidity in the summer - solution = airconditioned car to airconditioned malls and back again....but my dream of no snow, sleet, slush, wind chills, winter apparel will become a reality.

Thanks again for highlighting some of the issues involved in closing up a vacation condo in the off season.

[gypsychic]

Originally Posted by Moderate Guy

Thanks, guys, for all the kind responses.

I think people often oversimplify the issues involved - not that these are insurmountable - in maintaining and caring for two homes far apart. Certinaly there is more involved than just locking the door and leaving. I'm also the kind of guy who would worry about having a home thousands of miles away - thus I would be worrrying year-round - alternating my worries between the Florida home and the NYC home when I am at one or the other.

I guess for someone like me it would be best that a second home be more of a weekend home than a faroff vacation home. I'll just throw in the towel here in NYC and move down to the Tampa area. As a writer I'll be traveling frequently to Canada, the Caribbean, NYC, Puerto Rico, etc. - it probably would make better sense not to have to worry about a home in another stste or to be obligated to use it often to justify its costs and responsibilities.

Maybe I'll do Tampa and a weekend home with a view of the water in the same general area. It would double as a writer's office/retreat and eliminate the issues of securing and caring for a home that needs to be locked up for months at a time. Of course, I then have to deal with Tampa's oppressive heat/humidity in the summer - solution = airconditioned car to airconditioned malls and back again....but my dream of no snow, sleet, slush, wind chills, winter apparel will become a reality.

Thanks again for highlighting some of the issues involved in closing up a vacation condo in the off season.

That's exactly why we got rid of the NC home. We knew we were never going to move into it, and it was a lot of headaches, money, worries and maintenance to be so far away. I, too, was always worrying about that house. Much better to have a home base and just visit the other place.

Good luck!

[Moderate Guy]

Originally Posted by gypsychic

That's exactly why we got rid of the NC home. We knew we were never going to move into it, and it was a lot of headaches, money, worries and maintenance to be so far away. I, too, was always worrying about that house. Much better to have a home base and just visit the other place.

Good luck!

Gypsychic...we seem to think alike on some matters....once again, I thank you kindly for sharing your valuabe insights and perspectives...they all add up and mean a lot in my proceeding with my alternatives..thanks again, gypsy...

[annerk]

Originally Posted by Moderate Guy

Thanks, guys, for all the kind responses.

I think people often oversimplify the issues involved - not that these are insurmountable - in maintaining and caring for two homes far apart. Certinaly there is more involved than just locking the door and leaving. I'm also the kind of guy who would worry about having a home thousands of miles away - thus I would be worrrying year-round - alternating my worries between the Florida home and the NYC home when I am at one or the other.

I guess for someone like me it would be best that a second home be more of a weekend home than a faroff vacation home. I'll just throw in the towel here in NYC and move down to the Tampa area. As a writer I'll be traveling frequently to Canada, the Caribbean, NYC, Puerto Rico, etc. - it probably would make better sense not to have to worry about a home in another stste or to be obligated to use it often to justify its costs and responsibilities.

Maybe I'll do Tampa and a weekend home with a view of the water in the same general area. It would double as a writer's office/retreat and eliminate the issues of securing and caring for a home that needs to be locked up for months at a time. Of course, I then have to deal with Tampa's oppressive heat/humidity in the summer - solution = airconditioned car to airconditioned malls and back again....but my dream of no snow, sleet, slush, wind chills, winter apparel will become a reality.

Thanks again for highlighting some of the issues involved in closing up a vacation condo in the off season.

Why not just your air conditioned house?

[Wwanderer]

There's an older thread with a fair amount of information in it. I asked a lot of questions last spring before closing our place up here in Dunedin for the first time:

https://www.city-data.com/forum/flori...se-summer.html

We emptied the fridge, left the A/C on at 85 or something like that, put plastic wrap over all the drains and toilets/tanks. Left the closet doors open (all the internal doors, actually.)

I also bought a bag of charcoal briquets and left bowls full of them around the place, along with bowls of powdered carpet cleaner--I do this at my northern cottage and it helps the mildew problems I think. This time I'm also going to get some odor and mildew prevention products and leave them in the closets and around the place.

We also have gotten onto a schedule of getting the air/heat unit serviced every fall when we arrive.

BTW, the place was in good shape last fall--a couple of dead roaches, and that's about all.

[Moderate Guy]

Originally Posted by annerk

Why not just your air conditioned house?

airconditioned house to car to shopping, etc. and back...in the months when it's oppressive..

[Moderate Guy]

Originally Posted by Wwanderer

There's an older thread with a fair amount of information in it. I asked a lot of questions last spring before closing our place up here in Dunedin for the first time:

https://www.city-data.com/forum/flori...se-summer.html

We emptied the fridge, left the A/C on at 85 or something like that, put plastic wrap over all the drains and toilets/tanks. Left the closet doors open (all the internal doors, actually.)

I also bought a bag of charcoal briquets and left bowls full of them around the place, along with bowls of powdered carpet cleaner--I do this at my northern cottage and it helps the mildew problems I think. This time I'm also going to get some odor and mildew prevention products and leave them in the closets and around the place.

We also have gotten onto a schedule of getting the air/heat unit serviced every fall when we arrive.

BTW, the place was in good shape last fall--a couple of dead roaches, and that's about all.

Thanks wwanderer...yes I briefly recollect your thread - it was somewhat amusing to me as someone mentioned that when they returned to their vacation home in Florida, they found that the elastic on their panties had become brittle thus placing them in jeopardy. Another poster responded that he had gone "commando' to avert forementioned scenario...and he subsequently explained what going commano meant. LOL.

Quite apart from the issue of tattered undies and a not too desirable "commando" alternative, there are some considerations that make me less inclined now to do a faroff second home. But i do thank you kindly for your input. Much appreciated.