Snowbirds

A large % of my clients spend at least a month down south. In talking to them the list of pros is long. The cons, they waited too long to start doing this. They didn't leave early enough. They came back too early.

Honestly, the only con I hear is traffic around Phoenix.

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Phoenix traffic is just like L.A. was in the 90's , nothing but track houses two feet apart. no thanks. Tucson is getting just as bad with the row houses and traffic.
 
I have about 20 more years but my wife and I have talked about buying one of our retirement homes already. Prices will probably be quite a bit higher if we wait too long. On the flip side the house will be 20+ years old when we move so not sure its a good thing to rush into.
Why not rent and try a different area every year?
Twice I was going to buy a vacation home and now looking back I'm glad we just rented, Those areas are no longer of interest, Also a mortgage, doubling property taxes, insurance, maintenance and utilities gets expensive.
 
That was one of the big things with FL - it was part of the retirement strategy due to lower cost and no income tax. It is no longer such low cost, but we don't have income tax.

It's funny about the length of daylight - right now it is light around 0630 and dark at about 7 pm here. My sis says it is dark by 530 where she lives. They get to ice fish tho, I have to take the boat out.

Ultimately, snow birding aint all that bad.
 
I like them , when they spend 1.2M on a 350,000 house. You gotta love them Californians. I'll bet they have made more Arizonians millionaires then any other state. LOL
 
Over half of Florida drivers have a continuous turn signal on. May be related to Daytona.
Your experience is different than mine. I find Florida drivers akin to squirrels, they have no idea what they're doing until last minute, give no indication as to which direction they're going, and then just give it hell regardless if they cause a wreck (and don't get me started on the No Fault insurance).
 
We (wife and me!) like to go to south Texas. Our youngest lives down there, so there are no rental fees, no RV's. We just move into our section of the house and enjoy the warmth.
1) I don't like leaving the comfort of my own home, even if I'm staying with my child.
2) I constantly worry about the condition of our home. Unused homes deteriorate rapidly.
3) Where the kid lives, we get to see deer almost every day, plus the exotic game as we drive through the King Ranch! Amazing!
4) I think the kid loves fishing as much as the old man does! 👍
5) there is a nilgai cow that hangs out across the high fence behind the house!

BTW!
I've been invited to go hunting several times, but Texas non-res tags are expensive. Especially when we're only there for a short time during hunting season.
 
would love to if I could. The winters get long up here. (But mom left 25 years ago to Phoenix and never came back.) 3 months of the year we have some of the best weather, but you pay the other months.
 
I hope to just leave the cold behind in the next five years and head south. Not even close to retirement and highly doubt I will ever be able to afford two homes so I am just picking the one that sounds the best.
 
I like them , when they spend 1.2M on a 350,000 house. You gotta love them Californians. I'll bet they have made more Arizonians millionaires then any other state. LOL
I’d wager they have made more Coloradans millionaires… then again we have to live with the idiocracy that accompanies them… funniest conversation I have heard was outside Prescott AZ actually, table full of Ex Cali folks talking about how AZ was getting ruined by CA liberals and all were saying… I’m not voting the same way we did in CA haha 😂
 
I hope to just leave the cold behind in the next five years and head south. Not even close to retirement and highly doubt I will ever be able to afford two homes so I am just picking the one that sounds the best.
There are alot of options besides owning 2 homes. RV's, rental cabins, etc, etc....
Might not be a bad idea to just pick one and try it. You might like it!
The thought of spending 12 months in south Texas is just more than I can comprehend! I'm a born and bred Texican! I love Texas. But I can't imagine spending 12 months away from Oklahoma! LOL!
 
There are alot of options besides owning 2 homes. RV's, rental cabins, etc, etc....
Might not be a bad idea to just pick one and try it. You might like it!
The thought of spending 12 months in south Texas is just more than I can comprehend! I'm a born and bred Texican! I love Texas. But I can't imagine spending 12 months away from Oklahoma! LOL!
What are the two things that come from Oklahoma?? :D
 
There are alot of options besides owning 2 homes. RV's, rental cabins, etc, etc....
Might not be a bad idea to just pick one and try it. You might like it!
The thought of spending 12 months in south Texas is just more than I can comprehend! I'm a born and bred Texican! I love Texas. But I can't imagine spending 12 months away from Oklahoma! LOL!
I think we will stay on the northern side of south if that make sense. I like winter, just want less of it.
 
I'm a few years off from the retirement gig yet(hopefully) but have been doing the Gulf Coast FL getaway the past five years. We time it for the Spring fishing, which works great. Get a break from the Michigan winter, avoid the FL spring breakers, and the weather is usually nicer by then. Even surprised myself at how much I've come to love that area. Getting close to turning a yearly pilgrimage into bi-annually at least.
 
Why not rent and try a different area every year?
Twice I was going to buy a vacation home and now looking back I'm glad we just rented, Those areas are no longer of interest, Also a mortgage, doubling property taxes, insurance, maintenance and utilities gets expensive.
Dont disagree at all. Doing that or even an RV is not off the table.
 
Following the seasons is my goal for the next year - south in the winter, north/higher elevation in the summer, KY in the spring/fall.
 
What are the two things that come from Oklahoma?? :D
1) Red River - actually originates in Palo Duro Canyon in the Texas Panhandle
2) egotistical OU grads*! 😖

* - know several OU grads! I swear they must make some of those guys take 12 hours of "Egotism and Arrogance" before they can get their diploma!

I say that, but my orthopedic surgeon is an OU grad!

Point number 2!
Ask any student. They attend "the University of Oklahoma". So, wouldn't it be UO instead of OU?
Do all the students have dyslexia? 🤔
 
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