[Tustin714]

We're working towards the "big move" but my wife (who's lived where we are her entire 60+ years and has her mother here) wants to consider doing a split between here and TV.

For those who live here year-round, do you actually make strong friendships with people who aren't around for a good part of the year? And for for snowbirds, how has your experience been trying to make friendships?

Thanks.

[tophcfa]

Originally Posted by Tustin714

We're working towards the "big move" but my wife (who's lived where we are her entire 60+ years and has her mother here) wants to consider doing a split between here and TV.

For those who live here year-round, do you actually make strong friendships with people who aren't around for a good part of the year? And for for snowbirds, how has your experience been trying to make friendships?

Thanks.

We are part timers, and although it’s a good problem to have, we have more people that want to do stuff with us than we have free time.

[rustyp]

Absence makes the heart grow fonder. Kind of fun when our neighbors at both ends throw welcome back parties for us.

Also if you are from the north and have no experience with Florida summer heat and humidity you need to do some time here in summer before making the decision to sell up north.

Another experience (maybe unique to myself) is I do not want to stay in anybody's house but my own - alone. If you have family up north especially an elderly parent you most likely will be spending some extended stays. Consider that before selling house #1.

On the flip side does it cost more to own two homes - yes - a bucket load more. If you can't afford it it will be a nightmare.

[LuvNH]

[QUOTE=Tustin714;2207322]We're working towards the "big move" but my wife (who's lived where we are her entire 60+ years and has her mother here) wants to consider doing a split between here and TV.

For those who live here year-round, do you actually make strong friendships with people who aren't around for a good part of the year? And for for snowbirds, how has your experience been trying to make friendships?


Thanks.[/QUOTE

It is just MY opinion, and we all know what an opinion is worth l think you are expecting an awful lot from her. To have lived a 60+ life in one area, add to that leaving her Mother, very difficult. You could end up with a house of cards that just collapses altogether. If you can afford it, do six and six and see how that works. From my perspective, there is no friendship which could replace the love and connection I have with my Sister, or for that matter, my children.

[coralway]

There’s probably a couple of dozen snowbird topic posting here. Search and read them all. It’s not all lovey dovey

[asianthree]

For those who post and don’t own more than one home, try to just ignore their lack of experience on how happy or unhappy many of us should be.

We started coming to TV in 07, and bought first vaca home in 2010. We snowbird until 2016, when one half retired, while I continue to work. We are on our fourth home in TV, and have maintained friends from each village that we lived at. To the point that sometimes we couldn’t get all the gatherings, parties, and golf to fit in when I came in for 6 weeks at a time, 4 times a year. We have only lost touch with a few, because they either moved from TV, or health became a factor

This will be the first year we will only have the lake house, and the family home up north. We will continue to spend long summers and early fall north. Our friend are dwindling up north, because when they visited TV, they bought and moved here.

[dnobles]

We’ve been great friends with a Canadian couple for 10 years. In addition to only being here in the winter, they weren’t here for almost 3 years. 2 because of COVID and one because of illness. Love them dearly.

[Tustin714]

These have all been great responses, and thanks. We have spent some time in Florida (Orlando area) during the depth of summer, and the heat/humidity didn't bother us (same for July in Nashville -- perhaps we're genetically immune :-).

As for "asking a lot" of my wife, she's very torn about having seen it all here and wanting some new experiences, while also being able to return rather easily if something comes up with her mom (and her brother and uncle on mother's side are here as well).

Anyway, this has been very helpful, knowing that if we split our time it won't be starting over when we return.

Thanks.

[Garywt]

We are not here much but we have nice neighbors on each side that we have had over for dinner and they have had us over. Plus we have friends from our home town that moved here before we bought. Also my wife’s cousins bought a place last year so when we are here for a week we are nonstop.

[seecapecod]

Originally Posted by Tustin714

We're working towards the "big move" but my wife (who's lived where we are her entire 60+ years and has her mother here) wants to consider doing a split between here and TV.

For those who live here year-round, do you actually make strong friendships with people who aren't around for a good part of the year? And for for snowbirds, how has your experience been trying to make friendships?

Thanks.

Yes! But we are the “birds” spending time between our home on Cape Cod in the summer and TV- we have many amazing friends on our street- a typical weeknight or weekend night we have 6-8 couple for dinner and game night! I’m still working and my husband is retired

[Villagesgal]

We were full timers for 15 years, now are snowbirds since we now have grand children. Own both homes free and clear so not that more additional expense. We have found friends here slip away since we're not here year round anymore, but reconnected with friends up north so it's really a trade off. We're glad we did it. We now have the best of both worlds.
Go with your gut feeling and not what any of us say since each situation is unique. Good wishes in whatever you choose. At this point in our lives we all deserve to be happy.

[GizmoWhiskers]

Originally Posted by asianthree

For those who post and don’t own more than one home, try to just ignore their lack of experience on how happy or unhappy many of us should be.

We started coming to TV in 07, and bought first vaca home in 2010. We snowbird until 2016, when one half retired, while I continue to work. We are on our fourth home in TV, and have maintained friends from each village that we lived at. To the point that sometimes we couldn’t get all the gatherings, parties, and golf to fit in when I came in for 6 weeks at a time, 4 times a year. We have only lost touch with a few, because they either moved from TV, or health became a factor

This will be the first year we will only have the lake house, and the family home up north. We will continue to spend long summers and early fall north. Our friend are dwindling up north, because when they visited TV, they bought and moved here.

"For those who post and don’t own more than one home, try to just ignore their lack of experience on how happy or unhappy many of us should be."

This is an interesting response as to the OP's ??. Seems one must check some type of box prior to input; own two homes to know about building relationships with others and what it's like to leave your mother and hometown of 60 years.

Guess many are disqualified to respond so should be a short thread.

Perhaps it counts if between siblings and parents a poster has 3 houses in T V and one elsewhere?

Stay close to mom. It is time you can't get back.

As for building relationships, pick those that are more friendly than the posters on TOTV and you will be all set.

You get out what you put in to all relationships. Some neighbors you really miss when they are gone and others you don't even notice they've left.

HOME IS WHERE THE HEART IS. Maybe mom can come to T V also?

[MandoMan]

Originally Posted by Tustin714

We're working towards the "big move" but my wife (who's lived where we are her entire 60+ years and has her mother here) wants to consider doing a split between here and TV.

For those who live here year-round, do you actually make strong friendships with people who aren't around for a good part of the year? And for for snowbirds, how has your experience been trying to make friendships?

Thanks.

I’m a frog—here ‘til I croak. I don’t make strong friends easily. However, there are several snowbird couples I’ve had fun with who I’ll be happy to see again next winter. I play in a lot of bluegrass and country jams, and now that the snowbirds have left, our jams are a third smaller. It will be nice to have them back, too.

[Mumsie]

We’ve made great friends both here where we live eight months of the year and “up north” where we spend our summers. Actually, it’s never too late to meet new folks. We did just that last summer when we decided to join a few golf leagues, and now, between playing golf three days a week and mahjongg twice a week, our lives are very full. Plus we get lots of summer weekend visits from the grandkids! Win, win!

[Bridget Staunton]

It’s really tough having 2 homes. Responding to false alarms up north & work that had to be done when we got there was really too much for me