[zendwa]

@harry - Renting for a year is in the plan. That should tell if our Hopes (not dreams) are realistic. I've been to Vermont enough to believe that my expectations are reasonably accurate. Time will tell. Thanks for the response.

[nebloke]

I always enjoy reading these VT retirement threads. We live in NJ and have owned property in Plymouth VT for the past 18 years that we use extensively year round. We are in our mid-50s and also love the outdoors and outdoor activities. Skiing was the initial main draw for us along with the natural beauty and rural population. When we purchased there, we were in our late 30’s, had 3 young kids and retirement was the last thing on our minds. Now with less than 9 years left in the rat race, we think about it all the time and are strongly considering retiring to our place in VT, for at least most of the year, but have a serious reservations about it for a variety of reasons. We also own a condo on the Gulf coast which we intend to go to from about mid to late March until about early to mid-May and then again from about mid-August to around mid to late September whether we retire in VT or here in place in NJ. We are 4 season loving people but love summer the most and look forward to extending it as much as possible, especially in old age. We could never live in VT in retirement full time without having the ability to leave it for a warmer and sunnier climate for about 2-3 months a year. Winter in VT is just way too long and way too gray for us. That being said, Summer in VT is glorious. Coming from the west, where you are used to 300 plus sunny days a year, the many gray days of VT will likely wear on you. As an avid skier and snowmobiler, I enjoy cold and snow, even hope for it in winter, but the gray skies day after day would wear on me especially in late winter and early Spring.

[tkln]

We saw the sun yesterday for the first time in over a week.

[squarpeg]

Now with less than 9 years left in the rat race, we think about it all the time and are strongly considering retiring to our place in VT, for at least most of the year, but have a serious reservations about it for a variety of reasons. We also own a condo on the Gulf coast which we intend to go to from about mid to late March until about early to mid-May and then again from about mid-August to around mid to late September whether we retire in VT or here in place in NJ. We are 4 season loving people but love summer the most and look forward to extending it as much as possible, especially in old age. We could never live in VT in retirement full time without having the ability to leave it for a warmer and sunnier climate for about 2-3 months a year. Winter in VT is just way too long and way too gray for us. That being said, Summer in VT is glorious. Coming from the west, where you are used to 300 plus sunny days a year, the many gray days of VT will likely wear on you. As an avid skier and snowmobiler, I enjoy cold and snow, even hope for it in winter, but the gray skies day after day would wear on me especially in late winter and early Spring.

I here that! I head for Florida after the leaves are off the trees, return sometime in the late spring. It has been a good plan so far. My friends ask how can I afford it? I tell them it is actually no more expensive then remaining year round in VT. I just shut my house down, drain the pipes. No heating bills, electric bills, plowing, or car destruction, put the cable TV on vacation mode and just find some cheap way to winter in FLA. For me it was about an even $ swap, and no shoveling. Although I choose to retain my VT residency.... if you can stomach being a Florida resident, you will have tax benefits to doing that too.

[jdhpa]

Originally Posted by squarpeg

I here that! I head for Florida after the leaves are off the trees, return sometime in the late spring. It has been a good plan so far. My friends ask how can I afford it? I tell them it is actually no more expensive then remaining year round in VT. I just shut my house down, drain the pipes. No heating bills, electric bills, plowing, or car destruction, put the cable TV on vacation mode and just find some cheap way to winter in FLA. For me it was about an even $ swap, and no shoveling. Although I choose to retain my VT residency.... if you can stomach being a Florida resident, you will have tax benefits to doing that too.

Do you get mail forwarding? Thinking about bills that come to the house, especially annual / irregular ones.

[squarpeg]

I tried that initially with mixed results. Now I just have someone collect it for me and send it down every couple weeks.

[zendwa]

I've done the bi-state summer/winter travel, and that's just not for us. I want to stay in one place, even if it will never be "perfect" (no place is). A good 4 seasons -- even if some are challenging -- are wonderful.

(But then, maybe a month vacation in Havana during New England mud season doesn't sound too bad either.)

[harry chickpea]

Originally Posted by zendwa

I've done the bi-state summer/winter travel, and that's just not for us. I want to stay in one place, even if it will never be "perfect" (no place is). A good 4 seasons -- even if some are challenging -- are wonderful.

(But then, maybe a month vacation in Havana during New England mud season doesn't sound too bad either.)

I've been to Havana Florida. The smell from the nearby papermill alone would have kept me from wanting to stay a month, but just as concerning was that it was a run-down poor town where the biggest activity was front stoop sitting.

Surely you didn't mean Havana Cuba. Castro's brother is reputedly more hard-a** that Fidel. Straight from a neighbor in Florida that was from there.

[zendwa]

Cuba is a nice country with wonderful people and an awful government. The Miami Cubans rightly hate anything Castro- and communist-related, but they have tainted our impressions of the country itself.

For me, I'd actually prefer Trinidad, Cuba, to Havana, as I still have friends there.

[Ulysses61]

Originally Posted by zendwa

I've made several visits to Vermont, and have decided that is where I want to finally retire.

You said you're from the west, so you'd better take into consideration the darkness of the winters. I'm a native Californian and lived off and on in Vermont for several years, including three winters. It's not just the cold, it's the dreariness of not seeing the sun for basically 2-3 straight months. Then you have to deal with mud season, which is as bad as the dreary days with no sunlight.

I would never advise anyone to retire to Vermont and live there F/T unless you have spent an entire winter living there. I mean December through April, then make your call. You've indicated you'll rent for that period, that's the wise move.