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After reading a couple snow bird threads where it was said that many people end up selling one of their homes after only a few years...what are some other other options that have worked for people?
Motorhome?
Long-term rentals (in what would likely be "high season")?
Trailer home?
...I'm kinda reaching here!
I'm thinking it'd be nice to spend probably 3 months in Florida after the holidays - is there a relatively economical option?
Location: We_tside PNW (Columbia Gorge) / CO / SA TX / Thailand
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Originally Posted by reneeh63
After reading a couple snow bird threads where it was said that many people end up selling one of their homes after only a few years...what are some other other options that have worked for people?
Motorhome?
Long-term rentals (in what would likely be "high season")?
Trailer home?
...I'm kinda reaching here!
I'm thinking it'd be nice to spend probably 3 months in Florida after the holidays - is there a relatively economical option?
3 month rental ... Tough to do high season (FL - after the holidays, till 1 April); can be done for a price.
You can find 'park-models' for lease on a pad. (semi permanent by classification, but quite permanent in reality)
RV is pretty cheap ~$3500, but exposure is high (nightly rents / availability and daily / frequent repair / maint). Better to RV if you are on the move, or if you are exploring an area for potential stay. Might be a good option for FL and the Keys (one season). If LT RV, then get a Platinum membership in a resort park (must buy USED to get a good contract / unlimited days in park)
House / equity sharing... (that is a stretch for most 'conventional' thinkers)
House sitting / pet sitting (possible, but tough to find in high season).
Look up Younglisa. They have been doing 'flip homes' in FL as a winter 'retreat' from their NE TN rural home. I would certainly do that, as I can't see myself sitting around the house in FL. Profiting $10k - $20k for the trouble might enrich the experience... (but I greatly dislike FL & HI... so unlikely for me)
You can make it a second home / or investment property and get some handsome capital gain benefit.
or... you can just do a bunch of Hospitality stays or a workamper trip. (very inexpensive) http://wikitravel.org/en/Hospitality_exchange
I have also done a 'work-for-lodging' stay at a 'camp'... doing painting / cleaning remodeling for a summer youth camp.
Or a job on a farm (comes with house / lodging)
Last edited by StealthRabbit; 08-17-2015 at 05:40 PM..
We know a number of people who snowbird in rentals on the Florida panhandle. In fact there are a lot from one state that all stay together in one big apartment building. The Amish even have a big vacation area in Florida where they go down and rent for vacations. Rentals are more than for a full 12 month rental period, but the advantages have to be weighed and whether you rent in a high cost area like Orlando or a quieter area.
Location, size, amenities will all affect the rental price. Not all fall into the luxury category. But if you want ocean front, theme park, golf course on property, etc. you will find high prices.
3 month rental ... Tough to do high season (FL - after the holidays, till 1 April); can be done for a price.
Not really. There are tons of Florida condos that have restrictive covenants where you can only rent once or twice per year. My father (RIP) and stepmother own a place like that. Two rentals per year.
After reading a couple snow bird threads where it was said that many people end up selling one of their homes after only a few years...what are some other other options that have worked for people?
I'm thinking it'd be nice to spend probably 3 months in Florida after the holidays - is there a relatively economical option?
There are any number of short-term rentals throughout Arizona. You will pay more during the winter months (December - March) than if you rented 12 months at a time but that is the nature of the beast. I think that about 20% of the snowbirds come from some part of Illinois.
Personally, I would NOT own two homes. I did that last year for about six months and paying two sets of overheads gets expensive very quickly. Plus, you have to find someone to watch over both places when you are out of town.
As for driving an RV, it tends to get claustrophobic after a short while (I guess I don't want to be THAT close to my wife all of the time)and I wonder at times, how safe some of these RVers are when I see that they cannot hold a lane.
We know a number of people who snowbird in rentals on the Florida panhandle. In fact there are a lot from one state that all stay together in one big apartment building. The Amish even have a big vacation area in Florida where they go down and rent for vacations. Rentals are more than for a full 12 month rental period, but the advantages have to be weighed and whether you rent in a high cost area like Orlando or a quieter area.
I have a lot of family in the panhandle. Dec-Feb the average high is low 60s and average low mid 40s. Not every day is average of course. They get that average by having many days close to that, a few really nice days (I have had T shirt weather on a New Years visit before) and some that are bitter cold. So it isn't a total escape from winter; they just have less of it and what they have is less severe. The coconut palm line is roughly Sarasota to Cocoa. It's further north on the Atlantic side because of the difference in ocean current. Anyway, coconut palms are pretty intolerant of winter, so they are a good indicator of climate (though resorts with deep pockets will transplant them to areas where they won't last many seasons). I digress...
I go back and forth about whether or not the panhandle is far enough south for me. I would have more family nearby to visit and watch over a place if I am part time. When I am retired, it won't matter if all the nice days are weekdays.
I'm thinking a Eurovan camper will work best for me. (A newer version of the ol' VW camper vans.) The idea of mobility is appealing. Easy to move around visiting various places.
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Profiting $10k - $20k for the trouble might enrich the experience... (but I greatly dislike FL & HI... so unlikely for me) 
