Snowbird Lifestyle, Cuisine, Entertainment and Travel
Where to Find a Last Minute Snowbird Rental Two Rental Web Sites Specifically Cater to Snowbirds Seasoned snowbirds know the race to book a rental for the next season is very real. If you have never experienced losing out on a property because someone else …
Peach Park in Clanton, Alabama is a favorite pit stop that we purposefully build into our travel itinerary Road Trip Prep: 60 Days Out Two Goals, It’s Not Just the Mechanics of Prepping for a Trip The first few years my husband and I wintered …
Winter is months away, yet now is the time to get it together for the upcoming snowbird season. No matter if you've completed ten years, like me, or are just starting out, planning is absolutely essential. Organizing now will help you not lose your mind when it's time to depart and you are also dealing with holidays. That combo is a literal recipe for a meltdown.
So, where to start? Your own personal situation is the most obvious place. If you have not yet secured your housing, then housing priorities will be at the top of the list. If you have housing and dates locked down, then your list might begin with any number of things such as transportation or perhaps your own personal, pet/s or family needs.
Rather than taking a micro view, a broad checklist is key at this time. As it gets closer to your departure date, flesh in the details. As with moast any checklist, it's not typically a one-step-then-done situation. Usually there's layers and layers of sub checklists. Getting started and thinking through every aspect of your life will help get a head start to anticipate, adapt and adjust for a good season.
Business/Career/Job/s
Classes/Continuing Ed/Personal Growth
Entertainment/Dining Out
Family/Loved Ones
Financial
Fitness/Wellness
Friends
Goals/Objectives
Guests
Health/Prescriptions/Appointments
Insurance
Hobbies
Holidays
Housing: Primary Home
Housing: Warm Weather Home
Organization
Maintenance/Repairs/Upgrades
Religious
Social Events
Special Occasions/Events/Concerts/Festivals
Pet/s
Travel
Transportation
Volunteer Commitments
Wardrobe
Year-End Deadlines
Broad check list categories such as these are intended to serve as a springboard through the intertwining areas of your own and your spouse/partner and loved one's needs and objectives. I don't try to guess what anyone is thinking, I ask. Not only will you and they be able to synchronize plans, it might help avoid or deflect future conflicts by realigning priorities. Examples of helpful conversations include discussing who is doing what and when, what the November and December holidays will look like, which appointments need to be scheduled between now and departure and how much time will it take to plan and execute projects that remain to be done both at home and when away.
Examples for many snowbirds include anticipating the needs of changing and expanding families such as adult children, their significant persons/spouses and children. Grandchildren have a way of making a big impact, especially if they are brand new to the family or have special upcoming events and milestones. As snowbirds age, their health needs become increasingly critical, so making sure appointments are scheduled and year-end deadlines are met will reduce future stress. Tweaking security and other systems in the primary home tend to be ongoing from year to year. Perhaps you, like me, are installing new carpet, painting the exterior and ordering new furniture to be delivered before hosting Autumn and holiday gatherings. This is also a good time to reach out to guests who may want to spend time with you in your snowbird home. Getting an idea of whether they are interested, during what time frame they might visit and how long they will stay can make the rest much easier.
Travel to favorite Northern warm-weather destinations is important to me before I head south. This might include Lake Michigan or one or two Indiana lakes. Another goal is to visit snowbird friends while we are all in our primary homes before we meet up again in Florida. I've already enjoyed a great day in Indy with an Ohio snowbird friend and there are more snowbird friends on the list. If you have business travel before or during your time away, work out the general logistics of how it's going to happen.
Reach out to your closest friends to make sure you can spend time with them at least once or twice before you depart. All of it adds up to figuring out where your attention needs to be so you can let go of projects that will need to wait.
Keep your check lists wide ranging, think it through and get it going. Those are the goals to get to the next phase: honing and fine tuning the to-do lists.
[Snowbird Packing and Prep Four Week Timeline]
[How to Pack for a Weeklong Getaway in a Beach Bag]
--Steve Jobs, American businessman, inventor, investor and pioneer of the personal computer revolution, 1955-2011
HERE VS THERE: TOP QUESTION I AM ASKED MOST
WHAT TO LOOK FOR IN A SNOWBIRD RENTAL
HOW TO EVALUATE ONLINE RENTAL PHOTOS
The information contained in this website is for general information purposes only. We make no representations or warranties of any kind, express or implied, about the completeness, accuracy, reliability, suitability or availability with respect to the website or the information, products, services, or related graphics contained on the website for any purpose. Any reliance you place on such information is therefore strictly at your own risk.
In no event will we be liable for any loss or damage including without limitation, indirect or consequential loss or damage, or any loss or damage whatsoever arising from or in connection with, the use of this website.
Through this website you are able to link to other websites which are not under the control of Midlife Snowbird. We have no control over the nature, content and availability of those sites. The inclusion of any links or advertisements does not necessarily imply a recommendation or endorse the views expressed within them.
Sunbirds, like snowbirds, put much thought into location, housing options and affordability [Pictured: Santa Rosa Beach, Florida] Where Do Reverse Snowbirds Go? Sunbirds Escape Brutal Summer Weather Summer is officially here and no matter where you are located, it’s probably hot and humid. Southern states …
Seeking paradise in another country requires much thought and honest evaluation International Snowbirds Ten Considerations of Snowbirds in Foreign Countries The inspiration for this post are the numerous TV shows featuring international travelers who purchase property in another country. You know the ones: ex-pats who …
Housing has been and always will be the biggest consideration as well as expense of the snowbird lifestyle. Housing choices dramatically affect every aspect of every other detail of a snowbird's warm weather existence. Therefore, it's important to not only make the best choice for your own individual preferences, spouses and partners also need to be on board.
I've compiled and rewritten feedback regarding housing options from commenters on a popular online thread. Below are brief overviews from real people who expressed their likes and preferences for renting, owning and recreational vehicles (RV's).Of note are the snowbirds who combine two or more options for their winter escapes. The creativity of mixed housing options is fun to explore.
Following are actual firsthand accounts from snowbirds who have experienced various housing options. Their insights highlight the trade-offs, lifestyle considerations and personal preferences that come with renting, owning, or living in an RV for an extended period of time.
Many snowbirds appreciate the flexibility that renting provides because it allows them to explore different locations without long-term commitment. Renters often note the convenience of turnkey living such as furnished spaces that they don't have to maintain and the ability to simply “lock up and leave.” It's also less expensive to rent a few months rather than own a property and have to pay the expenses when it's not in use. However, drawbacks include rising seasonal rates and competition for the premium properties that results in limited availability.
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Type: Long term condo rental in Florida
Time frame: Typically Jan 1 through the end of March, or occasionally December through March 31. Reserve a year in advance.
Considerations: Makes better sense for us to rent than own year round. When not in use nine months a year it avoids the headache of renting it out
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Type: Primary home is in Michigan with an average of more than 100 inches of snow per season. Rental properties, typically in Arizona via third party web sites are typical housing with ocean cruises added into the mix. This year is a stay in central California flanked by cruises.
Time frame: Three to four weeks or more in a rental property and at least one or two ocean cruises. After the December holidays, the timeframe is to be away all but five weeks until late April. Bookings are made one to two years in advance for maximum discounts.
Considerations: The wife does not want a RV/camper, second home nor to be a host or landlord for a rental property. The couple uses strategic 0% interest credit cards, perks, points and air miles to obtain the best rates on travel, including hotels, cruises and airfare. They also choose to live in a modest home during the off season.
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Type: Based in Northern Virginia. Rent in Florida during the winter and in Cape Cod during the summer, usually through a third party booking site.
Time Frame: One month in Florida, one month in Cape Cod.
Transportation: Travel is by autotrain to Florida, and although pricey, it's less expensive than fuel, hotel, food, wear and tear plus hotel for a couple of nights. They stop to visit friends on the way to/from.
Considerations: Because owning a place in either Florida or Massachusetts is expensive, not wanting to be tied to the same place every year and feel obligated to use it, renting is the better choice. An $8,000 to $10,000 rental may seem expensive for a month, but a second home or RV would be more expensive with insurance, maintenance and so forth.
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Type: Rental properties via a third party web site. Usually go to Arizona, but occasionally Florida.
Time frame: Primarily in January. Holidays at home bring contentedness and then the snowbirds depart for a warmer climate.
Considerations: Every year is different on purpose. The math for a second home doesn't make sense with today's prices and the routine of the same place every year isn't appealing. Low stress and flexibility are the priorities.
For some snowbirds, owning a second or vacation rental home offers stability and familiarity that renting cannot match. Property owners enjoy returning to a space that feels truly their own and often customize it to suit their lifestyle. Many have friends and loved ones in the same area. Over time, ownership can also provide financial benefits such as appreciation or rental income when not in use. However, owners must determine how the property will be maintained with the logistics of being away for extended periods. Owners also should be comfortable with the concept of returning to the same place rather than exploring new areas.
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Type: Initially rented a property in Florida as a single man escaping Midwestern winters. Made an offer on a nice small home in a preferred location, but the offer wasn't accepted. Then purchased a townhome in a second location. Six years of ownership.
Cost: Financially, the owner recommends renting if staying less than three months.
Considerations: Now has a new life partner and she also likes the townhome community. They considered moving to a larger, nicer place, but don't want to leave their friends, so they plan to stay because it is a nice place to live.
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Type: Purchased a beautiful condo in gated community, Fort Myers, Florida. Two years of ownership.
Time frame: Rent to snowbirds for the winter which covers HOA fees and a portion of taxes. Owners also use it once or twice during the year.
Considerations: They bought their place when her parents were still alive, but after they passed there is uncertainty about keeping it because they don't really know anyone and are not planning to join social or sports clubs, so it seems "ridiculous to stay" for any length of time. We are considering selling because we can't make the emotional commitment.
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Type: Smaller, economical desert home in an Arizona small town with low maintenance landscaping due to no lawns, low water plantings
Time frame: Owners enjoy the winter there with many social activities such as dances, music, potlucks, community activities
Considerations: Located in a place that many snowbirds pursue community theater and artistic endeavors that they missed in their younger days
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Type: Duplex in unnamed warm weather college town
Time frame: Owners use one half of the duplex for the winter as snowbirds and a year round getaway. The owner's two children live in the other half of the duplex and maintain the entire property.
Considerations: One of the two now adult children decided to settle there and are now employed in the area and enjoy the social life.
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Type: Florida house, downsized primary home in Connecticut to a condo
Time frame: Late October to late April/May in Florida, Connecticut in the summers and early autumn
Considerations: Husband and wife snowbirds. He is within weeks of retiring and she is already retired. They still have parents, family and friends in Connecticut so they fly back and forth as needed. They like their area of Florida because it's near friends and there's plenty to do. Owning two homes is not the least expensive option, but they like being home and having what they need in each place.
Type: Arizona house, lake property and primary home is a condo with "no worries"
Time frame: Six months in Arizona, plus a recreational lake property in summer season
Considerations: We can "lock and walk away." The Arizona house appreciated five times the purchase price, so the winter home turned out to be a good investment.
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Type: Rented for a couple of years, then purchased a small Naples, Florida condo. Based in the Midwest.
Time frame: December through April in Florida, plus occasional visits for a week or two during the year
Considerations: The condo is a great option for cruises that depart from Southeast Florida, including an extended round trip cruise from Fort Lauderdale. After 15 years in Florida, they have a group of friends who are scattered throughout the Eastern US. When traveling, the stop to visit their winter friends at their primary homes and vice versa.
Type: Condo on the South Carolina coast
Time frame: Winter months
Considerations: The other owners are from the south and want to use the place in the summer only. We use it in the winter and drive there so we have a car. We also have a small storage unit for bikes, golf clubs, tennis and pickleball racquets and other items.
Snowbird RV enthusiasts are attracted to the freedom and mobility of the lifestyle due to the ability to follow the weather, easily change locations and hybrid benefits of owning their rig without having to maintain it from a long distance in the off season. Many RVers also value the camaraderie and close community of campgrounds and RV parks. However, this lifestyle requires adaptability to live in much smaller spaces, being able to drive your RV, ongoing travel planning, as well as maintenance of the vehicle and storing it in the off season. It is not especially inexpensive for lot rent and occasional hotels. Amenities such as laundry, fitness centers, pools, convenience stores and more are sometimes available on site.
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Type: Recreational Vehicle (RV)
Time frame: Winter months of the year "in the south"
Considerations: The flexibility of going anywhere when the "mood strikes" is appealing. Extended time in a RV is not necessarily bad, however, that much time in a campground is a turn off. Storage for the RV in the off season is problematic.
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Type: 35 foot camper
Time frame: Five months in Arizona and the remainder of the year in Kansas
Considerations: The contributor's buddy and his wife live in Arizona for the winter and enjoy the same campground slot every year. Full amenities including on site laundry, pool, wi-fi, off leash dog park and the same friends every year. They love it.
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Type: Small RV
Time frame: Two months in Florida, January and February
Considerations: Although the RV is small, they have a large clam (screened tent) that expands the living space. They occasionally stay in a hotel and spend approximately $60 per night for the campground and $200 a night for hotels, it's relatively lower cost and provides flexibility.
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Type: Small rented camper in Key Largo, Florida
Time frame: February of 2026
Considerations: This is our first time trying the snowbird thing. Baby steps to start...
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Type: Double wide trailer in Key West, Florida
Time frame: Mid January to early April
Considerations: One partner has been traveling to Key West for 30 years and has built a network of friends in an established park right on the water. The new partner has been going to Key West for three years and although not keen on being a snowbird or wintering in Florida, she's supportive of the arrangement. They drive down with their dog, split the rent, which makes it even more affordable and her man is passionate about boating and fishing with nearby boat storage. A relative stays in their Northern home while they are away and helps with mail and other things.
--Anne Frank, German author, historic figure
HERE VS THERE: TOP QUESTION I AM ASKED MOST
WHAT TO LOOK FOR IN A SNOWBIRD RENTAL
HOW TO EVALUATE ONLINE RENTAL PHOTOS
The information contained in this website is for general information purposes only. We make no representations or warranties of any kind, express or implied, about the completeness, accuracy, reliability, suitability or availability with respect to the website or the information, products, services, or related graphics contained on the website for any purpose. Any reliance you place on such information is therefore strictly at your own risk.
In no event will we be liable for any loss or damage including without limitation, indirect or consequential loss or damage, or any loss or damage whatsoever arising from or in connection with, the use of this website.
Through this website you are able to link to other websites which are not under the control of Midlife Snowbird. We have no control over the nature, content and availability of those sites. The inclusion of any links or advertisements does not necessarily imply a recommendation or endorse the views expressed within them.
Extended season snowbirds, as I call them, remain as the spring breakers arrive [Pictured: Pompano Joe's in Miramar Beach, Florida] Extended Season Snowbirds How Everything Changes After the First Week of March For snowbirds who wonder what goes on in their warm weather community after …
Low, Mid and High Rise Buildings A Look at Three Very Different Snowbird Housing Options Definition of Low Rise Building Merriam-Webster Dictionary: Having few stories and not usually equipped with elevators Mid Rise Building American Heritage Dictionary: Relating to or being a building of moderate …
The first year we became snowbirds, it was a deliberate choice from a longtime goal that became more realistic over the years. The true catalyst driving us from "goal" to "action" was our ten year wedding anniversary. Instead of traveling somewhere tropically exotic, such as a week on the Caribbean islands of Turks and Caicos, I calculated the same budget could purchase five weeks with a great view of the beach in Northwest Florida and we could bring our beloved Golden Retriever. Of course, for us, "The rest is history."
This past week, we celebrated wedding anniversary number twenty and our ten year anniversary as snowbirds. Not only that, but we are also celebrating our fifth year of owning a vacation rental. Yes, lots of milestones! Along the way, there's been a lot of changes. So many that it's impossible to remember all of them. It's been an evolution, not a revolution for the past ten years. But there's also much that never changes and it's that balance that keeps us coming back every year.
Like many snowbirds, my husband and I have experienced ups and downs through the years. Being able to roll with everything and adapt is a trait that will carry anyone through almost any situation. This is my look back at what has changed and what hasn't for my first decade of being a snowbird starting at the age of "forty something."
-- Margaret Peters, American educator, African American history specialist and author; 1936 - 2022
HERE VS THERE: TOP QUESTION I AM ASKED MOST
WHAT TO LOOK FOR IN A SNOWBIRD RENTAL
HOW TO EVALUATE ONLINE RENTAL PHOTOS
The information contained in this website is for general information purposes only. We make no representations or warranties of any kind, express or implied, about the completeness, accuracy, reliability, suitability or availability with respect to the website or the information, products, services, or related graphics contained on the website for any purpose. Any reliance you place on such information is therefore strictly at your own risk.
In no event will we be liable for any loss or damage including without limitation, indirect or consequential loss or damage, or any loss or damage whatsoever arising from or in connection with, the use of this website.
Through this website you are able to link to other websites which are not under the control of Midlife Snowbird. We have no control over the nature, content and availability of those sites. The inclusion of any links or advertisements does not necessarily imply a recommendation or endorse the views expressed within them.
HERE VS THERE: TOP QUESTION I AM ASKED MOST
WHAT TO LOOK FOR IN A SNOWBIRD RENTAL
HOW TO EVALUATE ONLINE RENTAL PHOTOS
The information contained in this website is for general information purposes only. We make no representations or warranties of any kind, express or implied, about the completeness, accuracy, reliability, suitability or availability with respect to the website or the information, products, services, or related graphics contained on the website for any purpose. Any reliance you place on such information is therefore strictly at your own risk.
In no event will we be liable for any loss or damage including without limitation, indirect or consequential loss or damage, or any loss or damage whatsoever arising from or in connection with, the use of this website.
Through this website you are able to link to other websites which are not under the control of Midlife Snowbird. We have no control over the nature, content and availability of those sites. The inclusion of any links or advertisements does not necessarily imply a recommendation or endorse the views expressed within them.
How to Solve Your Live Plants Dilemma Set Up a Self Watering Irrigation System Definition of Dilemma: “A situation in which one has to choose between two or more… plans that are equally unsatisfactory: a difficult choice.” Source: https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dilemma To have live plants at home …