[Stu from NYC]

Originally Posted by STLRAY

Does anyone have a reasonable estimate of the portion of villagers who are full time vs. snowbirds?

I have heard it is about 60% full time but no idea how accurate that might be

[Kim Fowler]

I’ve heard the split used to be two-thirds permanent, one-third snowbird. But in recent years the permanent share has grown to 75%, with 25% snowbirds. My block of designer homes close to a square is about 85%/25% (counterintuitive). Renting for the summer sounds like a good plan.

[tophcfa]

Originally Posted by davem4616

ditto...when in FL my wife would worry about the house up north and vice versa...no matter how many times I said 'relax, we have insurance'.....and opening and closing both homes is a pain too. There's also the humorous element to it...every time we'd relocate to one or the other that first morning we had to pause and think about what cabinet the coffee cups were in.

there were years that we were 'snow bunnies' hopping back and forth every few weeks for elder care duties and work....often my wife would be looking in the freezer for an item she wanted to cook, only to realize that it was in the other house's freezer.

consolidating to one house certainly simplified our lives (of course we couldn't part with any of the kitchen tools...so we still have 2 of everything)

Airbnb and similar sites make it very easy to rent a nice house for as many weeks as we need when we decide to escape TV to visit family (we love them all but, prefer to have a little independence by staying in a rental)

Ditto again on the hassle of taking care of two homes. We have been doing it for 5 years now and it’s a lot of never ending work, worrying, and expensive. My wife will never not have a place up north near family so we eventually need to downsize from a house with a lot of land to a condo where we can pay a monthly fee and not have to take care of everything and easily take off for long periods of time with no worries.

[talleyjm]

Originally Posted by GreySkies

For those of us who “chose” to live in FL all year round we enjoy the summer to it fullest, the heat does not bother us, we welcome it.

Love summers in TV - can’t think of anywhere else I’d want to live and I’ve lived in a lot of places both in the US and abroad.

[charlieo1126@gmail.com]

I’m a different kind of snow bird , I usually spend jan , Feb and March alternating years between Miami Beach and Hawaii, not sure yet this year , but I’m actually thinking about Thailand if they open up its been very safe there and it’s been 4 years since I’ve been back

[JC and John]

Originally Posted by Krittermom

I think your body will also eventually get used to the heat & humidity. I’ve just started dressing for the humidity by wearing short leave tops and shorts. The first summer here, I was hot! Now, it only seems to bother me for a day here and there. And I feel chilly when the temps drop into the 70s! So I think my body has adapted!

Agree!

[jebartle]

I'd say, head north but it's hot there also!

[TimeForChange]

Originally Posted by tophcfa

We have a pool and AC in Florida, up north we have neither. This summer there were many days that were hotter up north than the Villages. I would prefer Florida. The only bad thing we have experience about summer in the Villages is the daily lightning. Our favorite things to do are swim and golf, both of which are not safe when lightning is always lurking in the clouds.

Always kills me. People don't like the cold or the snow up North then they move to FL and complain about lightning.

[Stu from NYC]

Originally Posted by TimeForChange

Always kills me. People don't like the cold or the snow up North then they move to FL and complain about lightning.

Well as they say, if its not one thing it is something else.

[doctorknow]

Originally Posted by skarra

I'm interested in hearing of peoples experiences in living in TV year round vs returning home wherever that may be in the summer months.

Do you continue with all your usual activities in the summer, or do you tend to remain inside where there is A/C? And how did things change once you made that commitment to live year round in TV.

Thanks for all replies.

I have lived in Florida since 1985 full time. Retiring to the Villages 8 years ago. The summer just is a change of pace and habits. During the Summer you do things early in the day and plan for less strenuous things in the afternoon. Yard work is always done early, swimming may be done later. Sunglasses and sunscreen are a must in the summer as is a wide brim hat. You adapt your lifestyle according to your interests around the heat. Some days you do stay in and catch up on reading or other chores. Other days you go out and have fun, but take gator aide and sweatbands or old packs to keep cool while you golf etc.. Your water intake should increase dramatically during the summer and it is a good idea just to get in the habit of having a bottle of H2O with you everywhere you go. Sometimes it is hard to make the transition back to cool weather when you have been here as long as I have....I miss the heat occasionally.

[Stu from NYC]

Originally Posted by Kim Fowler

I’ve heard the split used to be two-thirds permanent, one-third snowbird. But in recent years the permanent share has grown to 75%, with 25% snowbirds. My block of designer homes close to a square is about 85%/25% (counterintuitive). Renting for the summer sounds like a good plan.

How do you know permanent is 75%

[xkeowner]

Grew up in Indiana and lived in Virginia for 23 years. Summer here is like July and August there, it just last a lot longer and the cold weather is SIGNIFICANTLY shorter. Only rare frost and I have seen snow flurries one tome in ten years.