Yep, and that’s just one of our many many problems here. We are working on getting out of here as soon as possible. We’ll be leaving our 3 adult kids and only grandbaby behind, but that’s their choice to live here. It’s no longer ours.

"Money doesn't by happiness, but it affords you a higher quality of misery..."

"Money doesn't buy happiness, but it'll buy a Cadillac, so you can drive around looking for it..."


-My late Father-in-Law

RV alternative
 

We’ve stayed in our RV in a RI campground during the summer. That has been economical.

Not AirBnB.
We rented a house.
Used this site, but there are others.

VH4R Home Rentals in The Villages Florida The Villages Rentals

SB
 

I don’t know if they really need more money, the ones near me go from house to house trying borrow everything thing from lawnmower to pots and pans!

Yes every individual would have to take into account mortgage costs if needed, but investing into a home usually always ends up being a wise choice, especially in a well desired location. I know for me it's definitely less expensive to own than rent for 6 months, even with expected repairs taken into account.

:agree:

"Money. You can't take it with you but you can't go very far without it."

"The more $hit you got, the more $hit you gotta worry about"

-My buddy's long late granddad.

I agree. Also, finding a rental every year is a hassle. Many rentals are owned by folks who ultimately plan on retiring and using their home for themselves. When that happens you are back to finding another place. Choice of area becomes tougher.

I had planned on just renting. There is the convenience of handing over the keys and not worrying about anything all summer long. But as my desire to stay in TV stretched from 3 months to eventually 7+, it made sense to buy.

The extra hassle of ownership is more than outweighed by the convenience of having my own furniture, (a good bed!), my own pots, pans, cutlery, and two golf carts ready and waiting for me.
It's a good life. I worked a few extra years so I could afford it. I'm glad I did.
As far as I'm concerned, the fact that the real estate will likely appreciate is gravy, and WTH, maybe as good an investment, or better, than CDs or bonds, or equities. Probably not a bad way to diversify.

Why so bitter? You do not know everyone's circumstances.

We'll be snowbrids soon. We bought a home in TV last March. Just downsized here in SW Indiana to get prepared for retirement. Our plan is to keep both homes for about 4 or 5 years until the grandkids get a bit older. My wife isn't ready to leave them yet. Plus we do love it here 7 months out of the year. lol.
Eventually we'll end up in TV full time. We planned for this, but we don't want 2 homes forever.

Everyones plan is different. It really isn't about wealth, but investing well and saving for retirement. Also not buying more house than you can afford is key. We're not rich by any means, but god willing we stay healthy and can live full and active life.

Not sure what your point is! There are multi-millionaires owning outright 1 house here in TV and/or owning outright multiple houses around the country. I know people that own multiple homes and they have multiple mortgages.

You can also say that owning multiple houses has been a very good investment that has generated more profit than expenses at the same time of being able to live where and when they desire

Snowbirds be like...

https://media4.giphy.com/media/YZGJc1WmUZPi0/giphy.gif

??? You have a Bull on your property that uses your toilet? 😂

Huh????

What's the point, people have the right to do with they want with their money?

On another thread I commented on how my brother is working to straighten out the finances of his 81 year old sister-in-law and her 89 year old husband who has developed dementia. They owned four houses, three in and near a mountain town in Colorado, and one in Tucson. They were snowbirds. One of the CO houses was a rental and the long term tenants recently moved out. When my brother got ahold of their finances they did not have sufficient cash to pay their income taxes! They had lived large (pun intended; they each are obese) for almost 25 years on two quite sizable pensions, but had not set aside any cash savings. Long story short: my brother sold the vacant rental and their $700,000 "cabin" for which they had paid $150,000 some years ago. He recently put their large CO home up for sale. So, their multiple homes will fund their last few years in Tucson along with their generous pensions. They lived quite high (pun intended, CO homes at 8,500; cabin at 9,500 ft. elev.).

You have to read 93 in it's entirety to get my humor. Primarily the ending.

don't forget Harry & Megan, :clap2:

agreed. what my neighbor earns is none of my business. if they can do things we can't afford, be happy for them. they earned it

I am happy to see good people do well and the more money they have, the better. I hate to see lawsuit millionaires who got their money by suing police departments for their own stupid behavior to begin with.

The more money hard-working, good, honest people have, the happier I am for them. They deserve it, and they earned it, IMHO.

This is the place for it. If you like to be busy and active, you'll love it here.

Bit of a stretch but understand it now

Way, way off original topic, but those who are against electrical vehicles now are probably descended from those who did not want motorcars in 1925 and those who did not want trains in 1825.

There goes the neighborhood!:p

Or....... They are the people who realize this whole climate change scam is bogus and the mining and disposal of lithium is far more damaging than any CO2 emissions that have virtually no effect on climate cycles that are driven by the power of the sun and Earth's axis variations. [end of run on sentence]

Which means they have huge multiple incomes.

Or it could simply indicate that mortgage underwriting standards have again become dangerously relaxed. Rewind to around 2007, when anyone with a faint pulse could qualify for a mortgage they had very little chance of ever repaying, which resulted in an inevitable nationwide housing market crash which rippled through to the stock market and the economy.

what could go wrong?

Did they not learn a lesson the last time they did this?

Oh yes. We're very active. Both in our mid 60's and very fit. I still ride my dirt bike and mountain bike. Plus I'm an avid runner. Lots to do outside the bubble as well.That's why we chose the Villages. Been there 3 times since we bought our house. We love it.

Wealth, I don’t think so. 2 homes yes but we bought Florida before I retired. My wife works and I collect a pension and disability. I was forced to retire when my cancer would not let me work at 56. We are only at our house 4-6 weeks a year. Will not sell our northern home as long as our grandson needs a place to live, just won’t happen. The homes are not huge. Northern home is 1872 sq feet bought 27 years ago, The Village home is a Villa at 1462 sq feet bought 3 years ago, small mortgage. Was only able to buy Florida home after collecting commissions from 2 huge jobs I sold before I went out sick and eventually retired.

2 tax bills yes bur both paid through the escrow accounts so we don’t really see them.

2 cars, yes but we have had 2 cars for over 35 years.

2 heating/cooling bills or 2 electric bills but the Florida bills are not bad since we are not there much.

1 yard maintenance bill as I do all the work up north, it is about all I can do.

Doctors up north only.

Don’t pay anyone to watch any house, daughter lives up north and our neighbors call call if the see anything and either a friend with a key checks it out or I fly down.

In addition to this we gave 2 campers, 1 on a seasonal site and one to travel with plus one boat that we keep on a lake near camp.

Mostly I blew through my 401k figuring my wife can sell everything she wants plus collect me life insurance and she will be good to go.

At best I have considered us as lower middle class.

Not true. 2 houses could be small.

Or, like me, they are mortgage free in their primary home and can put down over 30% on a new home to make getting a mortgage much more attractive to lenders... My current mortgage in TV is about the same as my property taxes up north...

In another year or two, when I can finally fully retire, we'll sell the big home up North and move down full time. Until then, we come and go as often as we can...

I come down 2 weeks every quarter and the Boss stays longer... Especially over the Winter...

you are rich and I resent it.

Define rich... :loco::p:wave:

anyone who might have more than I have?

Yeah, that seems fair.

Nothing is perfect yet people demand, expect perfection. I have a gasoline car and it is 11 years old. The batteries in an electric car do not last 11 years and are very expensive to replace.

Reality of solar panels and windmills. Again neither is perfect. I don't think you would be allowed to put in a wind turbine-I've not seen any. Solar panels? I do wonder how secure they are in a hurricane?

It is great that we have so many choices.

The list of top earners is published every year. Buffet, Besos, do not need to worry that I will replace them.

They're safe with me as well.