I really think that this is the question that so many people grapple with. There are a LOT of snowbirds in The Villages. I have never seen a definitive percentage, but I think it's higher than many estimate.

I talk to my wife about this all the time. CT is slightly cooler in the heart of the summer, and starting in September it goes from slightly to much cooler for a couple of months. And our friends and family are here, this is where we are from, and all that.

Yes, we would save a LOT of money by having one house in The Villages. It's not insignificant....no more state income tax....no more high property tax on our home AND our cars...no double utilities, home owner's insurance, and the interest that could be made on the proceeds from the sale of the property....it adds up to a sizeable number.

However, we can't take it with us, and money will not be the deciding factor. But the same things you talk about in your post we think about all the time. I got a call in the middle of the night from the Villages Community Watch saying my garage door was up. Sometimes remotes are on the same frequency....ughhh...thank goodness I was able to get ahold of our home watch services first thing the next morning and thank goodness they are outstanding. When we are down there, I have to make sure our home in CT is visited, plowed if it snows, the pipes don't freeze, even dealing with the post office and mail order pharmacy is a challenge...and any number of other things. Driving 20 hours in one shot with dogs in the back seat is not fun, when we came back in early May I drove 21 hours straight. I don't know how long we will do this for, but we are talking about moving full-time to The Villages more often and more seriously than ever before.

I have successfully subscribed to the "happy wife, happy life" theory and it worked for me for 24 years and hopefully many more to come and I think my beloved wife is pretty much on the same page with me now that we should reduce to one home and that home should be in The Villages. This is perhaps not the right thread, but I would love to read others thoughts on this decision, I know that many people are in this situation. Good luck to all.

I think many folks grapple with this question....I'm sure some have enough resources to permanently have multiple homes, but I think many folks have the two homes for a transitionary period when they first retire, knowing that later on they will reduce to one. It also gives you the opportunity to make sure you will love the Villages and it's easy to reverse the decision if you find out you don't.

We discuss when to reduce to one home all the time, but we have never contemplated keeping two homes for the duration....it's not a matter of if we will go to one home, but when.

Does anyone ever consider global warming as an issue when they decide to become a snowbird?

Our numbers are similar:
Amenity fee with water during dry season (including trash, etc) $310
Internet $30 (Centric fiber vacation rate)
Some home watch service. $60. (Relax Home Watch llc)
Lawn mowing: $60
Weed spraying, fertilizer: $67
Gas if you have natural gas appliances: $27
Electric: $51 (budget plan)

Another Relax Home Watch customer....they are so excellent that I really am able to have peace of mind when I'm not there. I know if I need to reach them, they will either pick up the phone or get back to me immediately. They are wonderful.

We're kind of hijacking the thread, but... everyone is entitled to their opinion. So, would purchasing a weekend getaway place be "such a waste" because it is only used 2 days a week?

For us, the reason we purchased a retirement home in FL and snowbird is to avoid dealing with the cold winters in MN and basically having to be inside all winter. We kept our house in MN so that we don't have to deal with the heat and humidity of the FL summers. If a person can afford it, why not have the best of both worlds?

It's very sad that a business that returns calls is considered wonderful.

You could always rent it for the 6-8 months that you are not using it. Then it would pay for itself.

No, no, no, they are excellent in every aspect of this service. They contact me every single week with an update. They help us out in a variety of ways. Relax Home Watch is reliable and do every single thing they represented they would do. They are very nice people. And yes, they are easy to reach. I highly recommend them, I know that anyone who needs this service will happy with them.

I am going to start a separate thread for Snow Birding in general...this is a broad topic that impacts a lot of people. My first question will be whether there is a reliable estimate of what percentages of Villagers are snowbirds.

Not only do I agree with this, I don't see it as a "waste" ever. While one might ride the ups and downs of short-term transiency, one is not really "Spending" the money or "buying" a home.

IMHO, what one is doing is simply parking the money while still able to use it and enjoy it. While the overall rate of return may not be what one may get in other investment vehicles, there reaches a point in one's life where that is no longer the end game.

My life's job is neither to create wealth for children I do not have nor to give it to nieces or nephews who only occasionally visit (no fault of their own- they lead their own busy lives working and raising families). No, my life's job is to create wealth so that I reach a point of comfort where Mrs. EDJ and I can start to spend and enjoy that wealth.

Having spent our lifetimes in SoCal, moving to the southeast was a financial and philosophical "no-brainer." However, we have learned that we do not always enjoy the winters, mild as they are. When the winter becomes longer and darker than we like, and the boat and jet skis are put away for the season, it is nice to have a nearby landing pad to go and enjoy sunnier and warmer weather that is already packed with our conveniences, comforts, and preferences (our furniture, our decor, our other car, etc.). It helps that landing pad is only a day's drive or a 2 hour flight away.

So, "buying" a winter home in my mind isn't spending the money, but rather parking it into a lower yield long-term investment that I get to enjoy now while not freezing my derriere or shoveling white crap.

If I need it for medical bills or nursing homes decades down the road, it can be liquidated - probably at some profit gain.

"One Stop Shops" that Do-It-All
 

Could I have the name(s) of the 1 Stop Shops you mentioned today?

So few yard companies do all the services and I'm fed up with the extremely poor service we've gotten with several groups & we've lived in TV for 3 years!

JMPate'

yea, it’s unbearable here in the summer. Go to the pool until lunch, go to the house have lunch hang out in the A/C, take a nap and head back to the pool late afternoon. Unbearable!

I used to be stressed out about my home when I left it, but having smart thermometers that I can control online and security cameras, I don't stress anymore. I highly recommend having a north and south home. Avoiding extreme weather is what I'm after, and it's not a big deal to leave either one with smart technology. If you can afford it, it's the best way to go!!

We bought 10 years ago and are still snowflakes as we come a total of 5 months a year. I figure when we can get to 6 months and become Florida residents it will save us about $10,000/year. Here is what I've learned:
-Maintaining 2 homes is a major pain but we have never regretted it. Buying was the best decision we ever made. Our home's value has more than doubled in 10 years.
-When not there, you can vacation hold the internet (unless you have security cameras, then it is discounted).
-You can also put on vacation hold the golf trail fees.

In addition to other costs already stated:
-Pool $150/mo.
-Grass cutting- $55/mo.
-Insect and weeds spraying- $75/mo.
-Trees, weeds and bush maintenance- $25- 50/mo.

A MAJOR HEADS UP IF YOU RENT. MONEY FROM RENTING IS INCOME ON THE FEDERAL RETURN AND TREATED AS SALES AND THEREFORE HAS SALES TAX BY THE STATE. (At least this was the policy a few years ago when we rented our home out.)

Final advice is have a great relationship with your neighbors as you will find they will also look out for you, e.g., one of my great neighbors called and said I had an outdoor faucet dripping. He was terrific in helping to get it fixed.

We have been snowflakes for 9 years and spend a little under half the year in the Villages. When we first bought, we were the youngsters on the block, didn’t mind taking care of two homes, and the long drive back and forth never bothered us. Like you, we are dog people, so flying isn’t an option unless one of us flies down for a couple weeks while the other stays up north with the dog (which we each do at least once per year). Now, we aren’t as young as we used to be and taking care of two homes (especially the northern home) and frequently traveling back and forth is growing both old and expensive. At three times per year we are approaching 30 round trip drives of about 2,700 miles each time, while staying in flea bag pet friendly lodging.

I would absolutely like to simplify life and sell the northern home, but as you stated “happy wife, happy life”. As much as I try, dragging her away from the kids, grandkids, and longtime friends is not going to happen without her being totally miserable. Don’t underestimate how lucky you are to have your wife on board with a single Villages home.

The only reason I can justify keeping a northern residence, besides keeping the wife happy, is to continue to have access to world class health care. That being said, I’m getting real close to selling our beautiful log home up north, on several acres of land surrounded by a state forest. It’s just becoming too much work to maintain at our high standards. A condominium with central air conditioning, where everything is taken care of by a management company, is definitely in the future up north. That way, much more time can be spent at the Villages without the burden of what will await me when returning north.

It's my money and I will spend it as I wish. That's the beauty of having lots of it.

Easy. They sell their Orange Co. CA home they bought for $250K for $1M after a decade, then buy another house for $1.5M and sell that a decade later for $3M. Sell that house, then they buy a house in TN for $1M, A house in The Villages for $500K, and then they invest the remainder. In the meantime, for the next couple decades, both the TN and the FL house continue to appreciate in value as does the remainder being invested.

See, Easy.

Can I borrow 20 bucks

That would be your wish.

Move in. Make friends with your neighbors, or at least be on friendly terms with them. All of them - front and back, each side, across the street. Learn which one (or two) you can trust the most with a key to your home, and leave them a copy in case of emergency (like if your water heater springs a leak) They can be your home watch, and it doesn't cost you a dime. Also leave at least one of them with a list of contact names/numbers. Yours, your landscape people, pesticide people, and an emergency contact in case you can't be reached. Also include your expected return date.

Keep your thermostat set to 84 when you're not home.

I don't know about all of them, but some internet services let you put your service on hold while you're away, and you don't have to pay for service or there might be a minimal charge just for continuation of the contract during that period of time.

Yard maintenance is mandatory, so you'll need someone to keep up with the lawn, shrubs, weeding, tree-pruning right before hurricane season, and outside pesticide.

Shut off the water inside your house, but don't cancel the service since you still have to water the lawn. Replace the batteries on your doorbell (if needed) and smoke/co2 alarms a month before you leave for your summer home.

It appears that you are not including the cost of "lost interest on your investment." If your house has a value of say $400,000 and it's just sitting unused, then it's costing you $16,000 per year (at 4%) just by having your money tied up in the house.

This "loss of interest" cost is in addition to all your other costs like taxes, maintenance, utilities, insurance, bond payments, etc. The only consolation is that your house MIGHT be appreciating in value at a rate that MIGHT offset your costs, but this is certainly not guaranteed.

Buying a house as a place to live and provide shelter for your family is a "no brainer" for most people. However, owning two houses and living in only one at a time is like having one sit empty all the time even if you move back and forth between houses. The only "saving grace" is if both houses continue to appreciate in value.

If we have a housing recession, which does happen from time to time, it can get quite expensive carrying the costs associated with having your money tied up in two places PLUS the cost of maintaining both places. With all the inflation we've had in housing in the past several years, a housing recession soon is certainly not out of the realm of possibility.

.

Having a summer home and a winter home is not an investment in finances to some people. It provides an increased quality of life. Just as you would spend money on a trip or a vacation and not expect a financial rate of return from it, you can invest in a second home and not look for a rate of return on it. In my case the annual cost of my TV home is less than what I have spent regularly on winter vacations. Except I can actually live here.

And the question comes up, why the constant interest in making more money? Is it not that you get to spend it on a better life? Well, the better life for me is being in TV - this is what I have been saving my money for. I have been in many places in the world (perhaps too many) and this place happens to be my choice.

I am convinced that the aim of quite a few posters, who seem to have a never ending passion for investment, returns, house values, is to be the richest person in the cemetery.
Personally, I hope I die owing a fortune to the banks and taxman, with absolutely no assets.

Hell yeah!
My thoughts exactly. I joke with our kids that I hope the last check I write bounces. lol
We're not rich by any means but we have enough to live a fun and full life, which is exactly what we're doing. Making more money is nice, but not high on our list.

Snow birding for us was strictly a quality of life decision. Now becoming fulltime villagers will be the same.

snowbird life
 

Have been doing it for 14 years now, still enjoy best of both worlds. We are Florida residents so get homestead benefits but car insurance more in FL. Condo up north and courtyard villa (no grass) makes it easier. We make a vacation of it driving back and forth and also visit kids that we probably wouldn’t see as often otherwise as our kids are scattered. Lots of interesting towns in between that we make a point of searching out. Sometimes one or both make flying trip in between

Have you considered bifurcating your residency? One of you remains a Florida resident and enjoys all the benefits to which that permits, whilst the other remains an Ohio resident and avails you to lower car insurance and any other benefits. Just a thought...

If only smart devices could do the little things like plow a long driveway and shovel snow, mow lawns and fields, rake and blow leaves, cut up blown down trees, re-grade a washed out driveway, clean the septic system filter and have it periodically pumped, winterize and re-open all exterior plumbing, pull weeds, clean gutters, tune up oil burners, change the oil filter, and bleed the forced hot water heating system, split wood and clean out wood and pellet stoves, change whole house water filters, re-stain a log home every 5 years, power wash decking, put in and take out screens and window A/C units, fix/replace appliances, constantly fight to control pesky mice, chipmunks, carpenter ants and bees, skunks, porcupines, raccoons, etc…, trim landscaping, winterize vehicles and then clean out mice nests and dead mice from the HVAC system each spring, juggle getting mail between homes, maintain a tractor, zero turn mower, push mower, chain saws, leaf blowers, weed wackers, ATV’s, etc…. Thats just quickly off the top of my head, the list goes on and on and is never ending, and that’s just for the northern home. The Florida home maintenance is a piece of cake in comparison.

That’s why you downsize to a townhome or condo up north.

To steal a comment I heard somewhere (perhaps Ocean's 13 :smiley:) I plan on having my last check bounce!

O.o

In my opinion anyone who wants to saddle society with their own irresponsible financial practices thinks like an irresponsible spoiled child. Who do you think will pick up that debt you want to leave behind? If you don't pay your share of tax who picks up your share?

Some of us want to pay our way, leave no debt and help our children, other close relative or worthy cause out in life. But maybe that just me, crazy me thinking of someone other than myself.

That is noble of you and it sounds like an altruistic idea. However, many of us have spent a lifetime in the service of others and now finally retire to a bit of me time to enjoy the fruits of our labors. So hell, no! I don’t feel guilty having a bit of fun.

I think you misunderstood me or I misspoke, I didn't say I'm not having fun or that anyone else shouldn't have fun. Infact if you read some of my posts it's all about having fun with your few remaining days. I have 3 houses and 1 of them is in the villages. I vacation full time. But I'm not looking to leave any debt, I'm planning to leave my 3 children as much as I can (without me or my wife having to do without). So yes, absolutely enjoy your short remaining time, but please don't glamorize leaving a bunch of debt in your wake.

I agree with Velvet. Spend it while you can and live the dream. Lifes short and we all choose our way to live it. There's no right or wrong. But I think the statement about taxes and debt was tongue in cheek.

I hope it was.

TMI but.... My mother in law is proud of the fact that she has 3 major credit cards maxed and she plans to pass with them maxed. I think it's despicable and I can barley hold my tongue when she brags about it. Several times after leaving her house I've had to express to my kids what I think about it. She is a very liberal, former college professor, that thinks the world owes her a living. She came from a family that gave her everything and she squandered it. All the while I started with nothing and through hard work have done well for myself and carry no debt whatsoever, I've event had to bail her out in the past (at my wife's insistence). I'm proud of my accomplishments and manner of living fiscally responsible but hate the way she chose to live her life.

TMI is code for I'm on my 3rd or 4th beer and you fine folks have to suffer for my over indulgence.

I mostly agree with Velvet, but to me the game is not to be, as someone else aptly stated, "The richest man in the cemetery." The game is to leave as little on the table as possible. To use, spend, and enjoy as much of my life's earnings as I can while leaving just enough leftover to bury me. I do not believe in leaving any debt, and certainly am not prideful of it as LeRoy has related of his MIL's.

Nope, the goal is to spend as much as you can, while leaving just enough for the funeral.

I have no kids, I don't care to leave ANYthing behind.