Still up north
This is our 4th winter in TV. Almost became full-timers a couple of years ago, but bought a small condo in a pretty, walkable suburb of Columbus almost 2 years ago. We spend about 4 mos. here in the summer, and come back for 2-4 weeks late Nov./early December, in part because of a charity to which my husband belongs - they have several fundraisers this time of year.
We also reconnect with friends and see family, although right now 2 of our kids live in NC - which is perfect for stopping over coming and going. I think that is making the difference for us.
This year, we've had much more snow and ice than normal for here - did not enjoy the "walkability part" of where we live. Neither of us enjoyed walking the dog 4 times a day and dealing with icy patches and snow everywhere. Yesterday it warmed up, snow mostly melted, but supposed to have torrential rain tomorrow. We do NOT come back in Dec. because of the weather, although it is nice to look out and see a pretty snowfall (once). Very different than having to drive to and from work in bad conditions.
We may not always come back in December, but we really enjoy the summers here. For us, transitioning to a condo was the key - no worries about leaving it to the elements, plus it is very secure, and relative to a house, inexpensive to own. We still like to travel, but only 2-3 times a year, and love having our own "nests" in both places. I would not be a good renter, need to make a place my own.
So - if you are up north and having a hard time making that decision, remember that it doesn't always have to be Here or There. There are alternative solutions for some. Just helped clean out my stepfather's home after he passed away - 40 years of stuff and a deteriorating house to deal with. If a house is getting to be too much for you, or too big, or whatever, maybe you want to consider a solution similar to ours. We may not keep our condo forever, but for now it's working for us. We think easier than owning (and worrying about) 2 places. Much easier to leave our villa in Florida for the summer (ease of finding reasonable caretakers, maintenance, etc) than it would be to leave a house up north all winter. Plus, we are Florida residents, which helps tax-wise.
Just something to consider. Have met several retirees both in TV and here in Ohio who do something similar.
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