[bquin3]

I have been visiting this site for months & there is a lot of good information.

We have been on a lifestyle visit, month of February last year & a long weekend in June.

When we came home from our lifestyle visit we put our house up for sale & closed on it in August 2009. We are now living in our smaller retirement home upstate NY.

We have reservations for Feb & March in 2010 but are considering buying before then.

We love the Villages but not sure if we would be better renting vs buying since we will only be there for 3 months a year.

I would like to hear from other snowbirds if they regret buying or if they are glad they did it.
Thanks
Bill & Peggy

Medford, NY Brewster NY

[Barefoot]

We are seasonal residents from Canada. We are only permitted to stay in the USA 182 days per year.

Buying a home in The Bubble is the best decision we've ever made.

[njbchbum]

You might start off just coming for 3 months, but........

We snowbirds bought our home in TV in March of this year and figured we'd be back in Jan '10 because our permanent home is on the Jersey shore where we'd be all Summer; and we have another vacation home in Maine where we spend a lot of time in the Fall, so this house made it Florida for the winter! And we don't fly!

Well, who knows why - but here we are enjoying 3 warm weeks in Florida before we head north via Hilton Head [Disney Vacation Club stay] and NJ [an engagement party for our nephew] en route to Maine for Thanksgiving - talk about extremes!

We have found no reason to regret our purchase - and look at how we have helped the economy! The Villages is a fun place that you wind up not wanting to be away from for too long!

[ijusluvit]

We got lucky and found the perfect TV home 5 years years ago. Life being what it's been, we have yet to be able to spend more than three months a year in our place. When we're away, we rent our home through a terrific company (JD Management), and earn enough to pay most of the bills. Unlike the last five years, I think the near future will bring an escalation of home values, so I think it's a great time to buy. We love our place, and TV, and we're as excited as little kids every time we get back here. We just wouldn't feel the same if we were renting. Go for it!!

Oh by the way, you may be eligible for the new $6500 tax credit if you buy before May 1!!

[cologal]

I came on a Lifestyle Tour in Feb 2008 ....came back in Memorial day weekend to look and ended up buying. I have 5 years left to retirement so when I did the math owning was better for me than renting.

My trip south starts on Monday....and I won't head west again until May. We have late snows in Colorado.

[bquin3]

Thanks for all your input. Looks like no one regrets buying which I can understand. You go there once & you are hooked.

I will look into the tax credit but I don't think it applies to a second home.

Bill & Peggy

[ijusluvit]

The tax credit only applies if you buy a new primary residence. (new to you, that is). It sounded like you sold your primary residence in your first post.

Anyway, come on down!