Where do you snowbird - and why?

[jitterbug]

(I hope snowbird is a term known everywhere - I know it as the term for us winter weather people who go someplace warm in the winter.  Typically as a retiree).

My husband are in our mid-50s and planning on early retirement and the ONLY thing on my bucket list is to be a snowbird!  Not so much to get away from the cold, but because I view it as an extended vacation, without always being on a limited time schedule.  Our intent is to winter someplace different each year, so we can use our rental as a base to see new parts of the USA.

So if I was starting my list of places to land as a snowbird, what do you suggest?  Be specific, as even when I have a general area, it'd be nice to drill down to a specific suburb if someone had a suggestion!  I already have the Phoenix/Goodyear area, Gulf Shores, Alabama area....but I'd like to try Texas some year.  Probably Florida, of course.  Carolinas?

And do you have other suggestions?  My in-laws always rent in a regular neighborhood, but then they don't meet anybody.  I think I'd prefer to rent in a 55+ neighborhood, so we could maybe have a social life, too.  Should you rent with extra bedrooms, as your children use you as a mostly free vacation 

[swamp]

Bradenton, FL.

My sister is there, my parents are there in the winter, and I can stay in her rental for free.

When I'm older, I will probably snowbird near her just so I have somebody I know there.

[justme]

My parents hate that I call them snowbirds now. They live and are residents of central Florida, but they're in Canada every May to September. Definitely snowbirds!

[Value Buy]

We are across the river from Fort Myers in North Fort Myers. We are five minutes from the growing downtown restaurant area of Fort Myers, and thirty minutes from Fort Myers beach.
With a car, you are 45 minutes away from about anything you want to do in any direction, as a senior citizen. Tons of nature parks and wildlife too.
As far as being hot in the summer, we are back north in Indiana and the temp this week has been warmer here than there.....

[Blonde Granny]

We did the snowbird thing after we sold our motor home.  Since DH is now gone, I doubt I'll do it on my own.  The places we did were: Scottsdale, AZ., Gulf Shores, AL (too cold for me), St. Augustine, Fl. (spent 3 years going to St. Augustine.)

If you want warmth, and to be in Florida, you need to be south of I-4 and the further south you go, the warmer it will be.

[jitterbug]

Jun 14, 2016 8:47:11 GMT -5 Blonde Granny said:

We did the snowbird thing after we sold our motor home.  Since DH is now gone, I doubt I'll do it on my own.  The places we did were: Scottsdale, AZ., Gulf Shores, AL (too cold for me), St. Augustine, Fl. (spent 3 years going to St. Augustine.)

If you want warmth, and to be in Florida, you need to be south of I-4 and the further south you go, the warmer it will be.

I'm actually okay with wearing jeans and a long sleeve shirt! And Gulf Shores is just close enough to the casinos in Biloxi to be fun - and far enough away to not be trouble!

[imawino]

So many choices!!

You mention the Carolinas. They can still get fairly wintry, but I'd think Charleston would still be a nice place to visit in the winter.  Myrtle Beach would probably not be terribly pricey, but you're not going to want to spend time at the beach.

As for Florida, I'd suggest Naples/Marco Island for the west coast and New Smyrna Beach for the east cost. 

But really, I'd lean towards the Caribbean!  Puerto Rico, St. Maarten, any of the US Virgin Islands, Aruba, Curacao.....okay, almost any of the Caribbean.  Hey, you could even go to Cuba next winter!

[Tiny]

I'm not a snowbird - but my older siblings have bought homes/condos in Fort Myers, FL. I bought a condo there, too, during the housing bust, but it's always been rented out. My impression of the area is exactly what Value Buy said.    Fort Myers is recovering from the housing bust and  is more 'middle of the road' price wise (yeah, there's million dollar homes and then 20K trailers... but the majority are 100K to 300K condos and SFH).  Cape Coral is near by (I did look at houses to buy there), Bonita Springs, and then Naples, FL which is the pricey-ist.    Remember, I tend to look at real estate that's 100K or under.  I don't have the income/money to buy a 500K condo.    So temper what I say with that knowledge.   

Another of my siblings is considering moving to the Lexington area of Kentucky. He has some friends retired near there and one of his kids lives there.

I know of some retirees on the other side of Florida in Vero Beach they aren't really snowbirding - they spend a lot of time sailing their boat up and down the coast (and such).

I know of other retirees near Phoenix, AZ (don't know the 'burb name).


One of my 'part time' weight watcher leaders has a condo in Guadalajara, Mexico. She has cultivated a whole flock of other 'snow birds' as friends that live in the same complex in Gaudalajara. They do house swaps and timeshare swaps and other stuff together.

There's lots of different 'retired' lifestyles to choose from.

[Tiny]

Meant to add that I think my Sibs (and their in-laws) have moved to Florida because of the tax laws. Their pension/retirement income goes further down there - not necessarily because housing/other daily expenses cost less - but because taxes don't take such a big chunk of their income.

[Value Buy]

Jun 14, 2016 11:57:09 GMT -5 Tiny said:

Meant to add that I think my Sibs (and their in-laws) have moved to Florida because of the tax laws. Their pension/retirement income goes further down there - not necessarily because housing/other daily expenses cost less - but because taxes don't take such a big chunk of their income.

We are considering this, but have not done it yet.
Indiana does not tax social security payments, so unless you have $50,000 income from other sources, our state income tax payments are not out of hand for us. Once we are forced to take minimum distribution from retirement accounts we might make the move to Florida residency.
Plus with all family members still in Indiana, we would need a place up here anyway.
As far as your previous post, we are not anywhere near the $300,000 price area either.
It is gated, but runs from $150,000 condos to homes in the low $200,000 to $450,000 range for new construction. We bought a house built in 2005.
We cannot pay cash, have a 30 year mortgage and just think of it as renting our winter home, with a possibility of price appreciation down the road.

[Value Buy]

Jun 14, 2016 8:42:50 GMT -5 deminmaine said:

Well I already am. I spend my winters in southern Maine.

My sister and family live in Delray Beach FL (have for many years) and we visit here occasionally.  But if we were to really snowbird, I think it would be in the Fort Myers area.  We like vacationing there, it is less crowded, and of course the Red Sox do the Grapefruit League there.

I can see that I would have to NOT talk politics with VB though.

There are a ton of far rightwingers down there. 
Most migrated south from democratic strongholds and were dems up north.
They switched after moving down here and could voice an opinion without being run out of town

[Value Buy]

Jun 14, 2016 10:36:31 GMT -5 jitterbug said:

Jun 14, 2016 8:47:11 GMT -5 Blonde Granny said:

We did the snowbird thing after we sold our motor home.  Since DH is now gone, I doubt I'll do it on my own.  The places we did were: Scottsdale, AZ., Gulf Shores, AL (too cold for me), St. Augustine, Fl. (spent 3 years going to St. Augustine.)

If you want warmth, and to be in Florida, you need to be south of I-4 and the further south you go, the warmer it will be.

I'm actually okay with wearing jeans and a long sleeve shirt! And Gulf Shores is just close enough to the casinos in Biloxi to be fun - and far enough away to not be trouble!

We visited my parents who wintered if Gulf shores a few years. Loved the beaches there. Better than FMB, imo
They liked it, but it was too cold at times for me, especially at the winter rates they charged.
If I am paying big bucks, I want to be warm.

[weltschmerz]

Cuba.

[bookkeeper]

DH and I bought a home on the very SE corner of the Phoenix metro. The east side has hiking, boating and 4 wheeling within minutes of our house. We bought in 2011 when the bubble popped. I bought the house as a winter escape and an investment. As an investment it has done very well. As a snowbird location, we have really enjoyed it.

We live the rest of the year in a very rural location, so we enjoy being close to the city and all it has to offer.

[milee]

Florida is horrible. You should not waste your time in that hellhole. There are mosquitos the size of cats and they carry the Zika virus, which is in the process of mutating into a more virulent form that imitates Ebola.  You should stay far, far away and tell your snowbird friends to stay away, too.

[wvugurl26]

I think milee is trying to scare the snowbirds away. I've been to Panama City Beach in January. It was warmer than up north but still 50-60s during the day. Myrtle Beach is hit or miss and sometimes it gets cold. They don't usually have much snow. Which sounds good when I'm shoveling 3 feet of the damn stuff!

[Miss Tequila]

Jun 14, 2016 8:03:44 GMT -5 justme said:

My parents hate that I call them snowbirds now. They live and are residents of central Florida, but they're in Canada every May to September. Definitely snowbirds!

Are you from Canada? Or do they just like it up there?

[justme]

Jun 14, 2016 20:23:45 GMT -5 Miss Tequila said:

Jun 14, 2016 8:03:44 GMT -5 justme said:

My parents hate that I call them snowbirds now. They live and are residents of central Florida, but they're in Canada every May to September. Definitely snowbirds!

Are you from Canada? Or do they just like it up there?

My mom's family a century ago lived in Rochester N.Y. Apparently somehow a group of friends there learned of a fishing company that was selling property. Our family still owns and a family across from us. Not sure if there's more?

So I grew up going there, still do, but am native Floridan - everyone just thinks I'm Canadian.

[Value Buy]

Jun 14, 2016 19:43:14 GMT -5 milee said:

Florida is horrible. You should not waste your time in that hellhole. There are mosquitos the size of cats and they carry the Zika virus, which is in the process of mutating into a more virulent form that imitates Ebola.  You should stay far, far away and tell your snowbird friends to stay away, too.

We were down there four and a half months this winter. Never saw a mosquito.
The geckos are out of control. Can't keep them out of the house or garage.
There are a lot of rats in the bush areas. Big ones. Scary size ones. And lots of snakes on the lanai......
As far as zika, no known carriers there.
All the cases are people traveling to the Carribean and coming back covered in mosquito bites.

[Miss Tequila]

Jun 14, 2016 20:29:14 GMT -5 justme said:

Jun 14, 2016 20:23:45 GMT -5 Miss Tequila said:

Are you from Canada? Or do they just like it up there?

My mom's family a century ago lived in Rochester N.Y. Apparently somehow a group of friends there learned of a fishing company that was selling property. Our family still owns and a family across from us. Not sure if there's more?

So I grew up going there, still do, but am native Floridan - everyone just thinks I'm Canadian.

That's cool. And they are definitely doing it right. Im from NE PA so I can assure you that the place to be in the winter is not in the north!lol

[justme]

Jun 14, 2016 20:32:55 GMT -5 Miss Tequila said:

Jun 14, 2016 20:29:14 GMT -5 justme said:

My mom's family a century ago lived in Rochester N.Y. Apparently somehow a group of friends there learned of a fishing company that was selling property. Our family still owns and a family across from us. Not sure if there's more?

So I grew up going there, still do, but am native Floridan - everyone just thinks I'm Canadian.

That's cool. And they are definitely doing it right. Im from NE PA so I can assure you that the place to be in the winter is not in the north!lol

The cottage that got passed down to my parents was built in the 1930s (other one is older) and built for summer so it's insulation is basically tinfoil. Not winterized in the slightest! And water comes from the lake!

Their return date is usually moved to them being cold lol.

[Knee Deep in Water Chloe]

We live on the west coast. My parents spent several springs in Arizona to be warm and watch MLB spring training. They would take their camping trailer. They came close to buying a space for it, but my dad got too sick before that could happen. 

[irishpad]

Jun 14, 2016 12:54:46 GMT -5 weltschmerz said:

Cuba.

I thought of going even further south.... as in Argentina.   Might as well get the long daylight along with the warm weather.   

The other extreme I've thought of:  live in a ski resort area for the winter.    I love skiing but only get a chance to ski for just a couple of days a winter.   Of course, by the time I can retire, I'll probably be too old to ski.   

[Miss Tequila]

Jun 14, 2016 8:42:50 GMT -5 deminmaine said:

Well I already am. I spend my winters in southern Maine.

My sister and family live in Delray Beach FL (have for many years) and we visit here occasionally.  But if we were to really snowbird, I think it would be in the Fort Myers area.  We like vacationing there, it is less crowded, and of course the Red Sox do the Grapefruit League there.

I can see that I would have to NOT talk politics with VB though.

I have one house left in Cape Coral...I will save it for you!lol

[yogiii]

Jun 14, 2016 20:29:57 GMT -5 Value Buy said:

Jun 14, 2016 19:43:14 GMT -5 milee said:

Florida is horrible. You should not waste your time in that hellhole. There are mosquitos the size of cats and they carry the Zika virus, which is in the process of mutating into a more virulent form that imitates Ebola.  You should stay far, far away and tell your snowbird friends to stay away, too.

We were down there four and a half months this winter. Never saw a mosquito.
The geckos are out of control. Can't keep them out of the house or garage.
There are a lot of rats in the bush areas. Big ones. Scary size ones. And lots of snakes on the lanai......
As far as zika, no known carriers there.
All the cases are people traveling to the Carribean and coming back covered in mosquito bites.

Ok, I'm convinced.  Will never go to Florida.

[Anne_in_VA]

Me either!  I hate snakes and rats.  Not going there!  Nuh nuh!

[Chocolate Lover]

Jun 14, 2016 20:22:26 GMT -5 wvugurl26 said:

I think milee is trying to scare the snowbirds away. I've been to Panama City Beach in January. It was warmer than up north but still 50-60s during the day. Myrtle Beach is hit or miss and sometimes it gets cold. They don't usually have much snow. Which sounds good when I'm shoveling 3 feet of the damn stuff!

Nope, she's right, it's just horrible. Don't go there ever again. 

I am amused at some people thinking a couple of places are still too cold. No matter how "cold" it's warmer than home and you'll never shovel snow there.

[weltschmerz]

Jun 15, 2016 9:58:02 GMT -5 Anne_in_VA said:

Me either!  I hate snakes and rats.  Not going there!  Nuh nuh!

Snakes, rats and geckos don't bother me in the least. I've been to Florida many times.

[Miss Tequila]

Damn you florida bashers...don't drag down my property value in florida until I sell dem my house!

[alabamagal]

I grew up in Miami and may parents still live there.  If weather was the only consideration, I would live as far south as possible!

I probably have 10 more working years before I can retire.  The industry that I am in has very few jobs in FL.  So I have lived in S. Georgia and now central Alabama.  I think it is likely we will move somewhere on the west coast of FL.  There are some places we have found, mostly older houses that are on a canal (for my boat that I don't have yet) that leads to the gulf for reasonable housing costs.

Of course I am not a snowbird, I have never lived anywhere that it snowed (well maybe once a year here).