Why are Snowbirds so despised?
 

I honestly don't get it, why are TV snowbirds so despised? Can you explain it to us and help us understand what the divide is all about? Thank you.

One guess would be congestion, on the roads, in the pools, on the golf courses, in the restaurants…. During the summer months around my place it is so quiet, full timers have gone traveling or visiting. All you hear most of the time is the sound of nature. And you have all these well looked after properties all around. It is like being at a high end resort.

But if a full-timer was occupying my house, you'd have more congestion all year long. Snowbirds don't impact your summertime peace and quiet, they're up north. And in my case, in a locale where it's just as hot and nearly as humid as it is in TV. I pay someone to look after my grounds while I'm away in order to keep it looking high-end. I too love that resort-like look.

Yep, me too. I was a Snowbird for years, now more like Snowflake, come whenever I want.

It's only going to get better as more people become full time residents and once the Southern half really gets going.

Yes, the angst directed at seasonal residents makes no sense. We pay amenities year round, and use them only part of the season. That makes us bad?
People who reflexively denigrate seasonal residents seem to conveniently forget that if we hung around year-round, as they do, then the winter congestion they so despise would be the status quo 12 months per year.

Sure, I'd love to live someplace where 70% of the expenses are paid by people who aren't using the facilities. That would be great. I wouldn't complain about if they wanted to show up and use the facilities for which they pay, a few months of the year, so I could enjoy them traffic free the other 9 months.

Me too, I'm footloose and fancy free to visit TV whenever I want. It's only my children/grandchildren that cause me to return to Ohio.

But why are the non-full time residents so despised by the TV full-timers? I sincerely don't understand. Do they think we're not as invested in our properties? That we have so much money we can afford to not care? Are they envious that we have 2 homes? That we can escape TV and have another home to go to? I just don't get it.

It's just tribalism. They are not part of the tribe.

I grew up in S. Florida (Ft. Lauderdale) and growing up we "hated" snowbirds. No real reason, just because they were not part of us.

Can you explain why it will be better as more become full-time residents. please?

Because it is human nature to despise anyone who is different from us.

It won't be any better.

It will just increase the number of people despising snowbirds.

sarcasm.

Been here 16 years fill time. Have never despised, hated or any ill will towards “snowbirds”.
What good does the nasty talk really accomplish?
I could go on with a list of good things but………..it has all been hashed over & over on here before.
Have a good summer and welcome back in the fall

oooofff!!! Yup, totally missed it. :icon_wink:

I'm feeling a bit, let's say, put-out. Recently hit on this forum with an attempted insult because I'm a snowbird. Certainly not the first time I've been exposed to that feeling, but it got me to thinking why is that, why am I looked down upon because I don't reside in my TV home year round. I love my TV home, I've invested many thousands to purchase and make her mine, inside and out. I look in on her several times a day (cameras & wifi thermostat). I pay someone to routinely check her safety and maintain her outside appearance. I've not seen any threads on this issue since joining, admittedly I didn't search for earlier threads. I'll do that now, I'm really interested in gaining some insight.I do thank you for tolerating my part-time residency and want to assure you, I care as much about my TV home as you do yours.

As long as my Villages friends like me I don’t care what the snowbird haters think

You've been either misinformed or have some nasty friends. I don't despise them any more than I despise the idiots that feel that way.

They arrive...not unlike the "love bugs"....then they leave...I have no animosity towards either. As a matter of fact I get to renew friendships...that part is not like the "love bugs".

Perhaps if the "snowbirds" had to wear a badge, tattoo, hat, colored shirt, etc. to let us(the non-"snowbirds")easily differentiate between us and them and could then direct my displeasure at some action they take(rolled through a stop sign, golfed slowly, made every place seem crowded...well you know). But I would not as I've lived lots of places from Japan to Scotland...they all have snowbirds only they are usually called " tourists". *GRIN*

Snowbird “owners” are part of this community. Snowbird “renters” are not. They have no vested interest here and use it like a resort. Those are the snowbirds I resent.

Snowbirds are lucky enough to have a place to go where it's generally cooler and more interesting than living in The Villages year round. So there may be an element of jealousy in the mind of the snowbird hater.

Snowbird haters are imo a very small minority of full time residents. ToTV is like any other forum or social media…a small number spew their venom far more than the people who are comfortable with a situation or topic.

Get used to it. I got hit with insults (often veiled in syrupy sweet "friendly" advice) when I was looking for help in deciding where in the Villages we wanted to live. They were because I didn't live here yet, so I shouldn't be concerned about anything, everything is perfect, this is a wonderful place to live, and basically every concern I had was either dismissed entirely, or "advised" with veiled insults about my ignorance.

Then, we found a place, and I was insulted some more, because I hadn't actually moved yet, so obviously my concerns were invalid.

Then, we moved in, and I was insulted some more, because I had only just arrived, and therefore my opinion on things I didn't like about actually living here were invalid.

Then, we lived here for a year (not snowbirds), and I was dismissed and insulted some more, because I hadn't lived here long enough to have a valid opinion.

It will never end. If those people (yeah that's right I said "those people" - I can dish it out too, but I dish it out like a true northerner) hook onto anything they don't like about you, they'll be relentless.

There are a few homes in my immediate neighborhood that rent throughout the year. Most of them are seasonal rentals - meaning a single season, 3 months at a time. A couple of snowbird seasonal, and a couple are long-term with tenants who have lived there for over a year.

With very few exceptions, we've had some pretty decent tenants in the neighborhood. The nice thing about part-time tenants is - the ones you DON'T like, will be leaving soon enough.

But mostly all our neighbors get along with each other just fine, whether they're here all year or not.

So here's my 2 cents. I think 90% of all full-time Villagers do not resent or hate snowbirds. It's the other 10% who have nothing better to do than complain about a number of things that makes it seem that way. No, I can't "prove" the % I used. It's a gut feel after living here (fulltime) for 9 years. I occasionally will have a conversation with someone who disparages snowbirds, but those discussions are extremely rare. I have been the leader for 2 large groups (150 people plus each) that have included both fulltime and snowbird residents. I've never heard of anyone in those groups who have not been excited to welcome our snowbirds back. So take the complaints with a grain of salt, and remember if you are basing your thoughts on what you read here and on other social media, you are getting an extremely small sample size, and one that in my opinion tends overall to be slanted toward the negative about such topics.

I kind of miss snowbirds, The pickleball courts I play at are lacking players, when snowbirds are we have fun. I also miss my snowbird pool player. Why? When I miss I usually don’t get another shot. That makes me concentrate more.

Haters be hating, they hate everyone especially themselves. Days are numbered always in a hurry to get nowhere. Not everyone is like that, some are just having a bad day. Enjoy yourself!

I don't like the extra crowding during "the season" either, but I don't despise snowbirds. Lord knows they are absolutely essential to the Florida economy, but as other have said, even in TV, they're helping to pay the costs of all this stuff and aren't here but a few months a year at most. Needed.

Not really despised, but here are some reasons they may not be cared for.

This is not their HOME, its their 'play time' away from home. This is home for full timers.

They're usually relying on one or more full timers to watch over their properties and do things for them while they're gone.

They're in groups while here, leave for months and expect to return to the group when they return. Things change and the dynamics of the group changes and new permanents join.

Many people lose touch during the long absence. For many you can't really be a 'friend' if you're gone half the time. Relationships don't always do well with long term separations.

Permanents are concerned with what's going on HERE, many snowbirds seem to be more concerned with what's going on at their other home.

Then you need to get the rental practice stopped, and good luck with that.
Wife and I have been among the despised 'Rental Snowbirds' since 2000, and have never met any open resentment to our face in all those years.
We treat everything and everyone with the same respect as we would like ourselves to be treated, and have never seen in all the years, people behaving as if the place were some wild resort.

I am guessing you have snowbird experience, about how “friends” react while they are gone. And apparently those who can afford to maintain multiple houses, only care about one home, eluding to TV is a throwaway home for them. To think that someone who owns multiple homes doesn’t care or take pride in their investment is wrong.

Out of 14 years we snowflaked for 10 of them. Our “friends” never wavered, (otherwise I am guessing they were never a friend) neither have the groups we have committed to for all these years. For the last almost 2 years you couldn’t have group gatherings, go out with friends. Did your “friends”abandon you, or groups change upon returning? Yes they did.

In all the years we have been here the only change of being a snowflake was people moved, they become ill, or just die. TVs dynamics changes everyday, for snowbirds, snowflakes, or frogs.

Wow, i didn’t realize “Villagers” felt that way about snowbirds? I thought it was only the locals from Leesburg and the other surrounding towns.( due to traffic is the only reason I know of, not necessarily the people themselves and i say this because i have friends who live there) I’m a full timer and when I tell people that, A, they seem surprised but B, they never say anything negative about part timers. I think it’s the minority, not the majority.

Our thrice-a-week tennis group (over four courts) gets around 20 players in the winter and six or seven in the summer.

Winter play is far more sociable and fun. Plus you get some new conversations!

What a sad life haters must lead.

You can tell when the snowbirds are starting to come back because the gate arms start falling off

I am a native Floridian, I have heard complaints about snowbirds since the Forties. Until political correctness, I think in the seventies, Northerners that moved here permanent were called yankees part timers were called damn yankees. Let it go, live in love for God is love.

I heard snowbirds are the reason everyone has their name on their golf cart and house, so everyone remembers their names when they return

It's a perception created by having to divide the pie into smaller pieces. Seasonally, when you have to share all that The Villages has to offer with a lot more people, unhappiness results. If you think about it, all of Florida has this problem in the winter. If it weren't a nice place, it wouldn't get crowded in the winter.

On this site you will find many threads on Snowbirds that are not so favorable. They are blamed for traffic, accidents, downed gates, overcrowded classes, Golf Courses in disrepair, disrespectful of anything, and anywhere, trash on the roads, although it’s seems with many unoccupied homes in 2020, trash is more evident (maybe the birds where the ones who picked up after others):a040:

There is not a separation of Snowbirds, who only use their home, and Snowbirds who rent. Although I am guessing 90% percent of residents had to rent something while they were trying TV out, building, or buying a home.

You will see the subject on social media, but not usually in person. Why, because the birds are usually younger. They have the ability to come and go as they please, enjoy life wherever they choose. So yes, you will find those who really don’t like snowbirds.

I have always wondered how do people know you are a snowbird, and it’s their fault no matter what happens. A frog can be just as rude, drive like a crazy person, (I back up to a road, Florida plated cars can be just as scary).

On this site you will find those who truly place all blame of what is wrong in their life, on a snowbird.

snowbirds
 

Snow birds taste like chicken. Not all but ALOT are pushy, rude, drive too fast, are NOT courteous. You can't get into a restaurant when they are here. We FROGS ( we're here until we croak) celebrate when they fly back to the Great White North.

Bye Bye

The Villages are just a small representation of our country. Hate and negativity is now the new normal. It doesn't matter if you are a snowbird or not. The statement " because snowbirds are different from us", take out the word snowbird and you got the mindset of anything or anyone that is different is looked at in disdain.

I think you are trying to stir some kind of pot. Snowbirds have a place in TVs. Snowbirds pay their fees and support the businesses. Where do you get your feelings. Why don't you explain yourself before asking others to comment on your bias.