Renting verse Buying
 

Would it be better to rent than buy if I'm only planning on being at TV one or two months at the most?

Most sound advises said rent for a year after the move to a new place before you buy. But I'm only interested in getting away from the cold for month or two. I was looking into buying but want but occupying more than two months out of the year. If lap swim pool is accessible to renter, I wouldn't want the hassle of owning a home at TV since I don't want the hassle of renting out when I'm not there.

I was able to get to travel abroad during winter months but due to COVID, I wasn't able to travel in winter 2020. Then I started searching and found TV. I like that TV has lap swim pool, road bike path, and jogging path. It would be good place to continue the training during the winter months without traveling abroad. Also, I could drive down there from NYC.

You thought and suggestion is appreciated from both renters and landlords. Also, what's the best sites to rent in TV for a month or two months? Thank you.

No contest. Rent.

Do whatever fits you best. We bought but only get down for 4-5 weeks a year. We love it, having everything setup in our house with no worries about who has been there etc. we have 5 bills which we pay each month.

How old are you? How much disposable income do you have? I ask those questions because your birthday in Heaven may be coming soon !

Does anyone have any financial data on the costs associated with owning in TV and renting the home out for 6 months of the year? We love TV but my wife does not want to move away from the kids. I want to be in TV from Jan to April and two months in the Summer or Fall. I can afford a down payment and some monthly expense but not a full year of mortgage payments. Any ideas?

Better? In what way? Each comes with its own set of issues. Renting is almost certainly going to be cheaper than buying if you are only coming for a couple of months. However, you'll be living in someone else's house, set up for rental occupancy. We did it for 3 years. Were the beds, and living room furniture as comfortable as I would buy for myself? Not even close. But it was cheaper, and when I left to come north I didn't have to pay any of the carrying expenses, or particularly worry about the lawn, the shrubs, the bugs, or the weather.

We learned stuff about TV we'd have never known had we never rented. For example, I learned I didn't want to live in a house backing up a street like Canal, or Odell, due to traffic noise.
We learned a bit about what villages would suit us, and which would probably not.

We had friends who were very happy in their rentals, only to find out that the owners were retiring themselves and the unit would not be available, and they had to start the process all over, of finding a new rental. We learned that rental costs for the prime months were going up (surprise).

So we bought, but we had made the decision that we wanted to be in TV for 6+months/year, and that it made the decision to buy an easier one.

So when you ask what is better, you have to ask yourself what compromises you are willing to make, and how much hassle and expense you are willing to take.

Rent until you decide you want to live here multiple months a year.

One or two months, Rent.

There are way too many variables.
What’s your state income tax situation - will you re-establish residency in FLA (0% income tax)
What are the financial’s around the house you’ll buy (a $250,000 house vs a $450,000 house)
Will your kids come visit you in FLA (near disney, swimming all year, etc) - there’s an emotional benefit to that and a financial (2 BR vs 3BR)
You can make the monthly carrying costs low when youre not here (only landscaping, amenity fee, insurance, etc) - reduce internet costs to very little, get rid of cable.

No brainer, rent. You don’t know what you don’t know until you’ve lived here for a while. You can always look to buy a home while you’re down here renting. That’s what we did.

Why even consider buying a house and all the responsibilities that come with it if you are only staying for a couple of months?? Rent, and let the house owners be responsible for all the issues. Ok. So, the bed may not be as comfortable as yours. So? Consider it a long hotel stay since youre only there 2 months. Thats not even enough time to call it a second home. Its just a stop over

[QUOTE=Girlcopper;1963234]Why even consider buying a house and all the responsibilities that come with it if you are only staying for a couple of months?? Rent, and let the house owners be responsible for all the issues. /QUOTE]

Why??..............to get the house, a new house, in the neighborhood you want before it closes out.

We purchased our new construction house, knowing we would use it for only a few weeks per year for a few years. Did not rent it out. No regrets. Would do it again.

I have done the math. If you are here 3 months or less rent. If you are here 4 months buy.

One simple question, How Much Money Do You Have?

Homes in TV generally only rent for the winter. It that is when you want to be here then you will get very little income from the home. I have rented ours out for 5 years. This has been my experience. We have ours listed thru RE/MAX