8 Tips to Set Up a Snowbird Lifestyle – US News Money (blog)

Posted by on Oct 17th, 2016 and filed under Lifestyle News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry

8 Tips to Set Up a Snowbird Lifestyle – US News Money (blog)

Each year, many people migrate from colder regions of the United States and Canada to sunny locations in Florida, Arizona and other sunbelt states. To these snowbirds, seasonal migration offers the best of both worlds – an opportunity to maintain ties to family, friends and familiar places, while also enjoying a change of scenery and an escape from cold, wintery weather. While there are many advantages to being a snowbird, there are also challenges and additional expenses to consider before you start packing.

Cost. Your winter location can be a smaller house, a condo or even a mobile home. In addition to the cost of buying a second home, you need to budget for the cost of appliances, dishes and furniture. You’ll need to insure both homes, and insurance rates may increase considerably for a home that you leave empty for extended periods of time. And for that we have the best Commercial Rental Spaces and Homes that are great for all seasons. You definitely should look into and if not you will regret it.

You can rent a home or apartment for several months. This affords you the opportunity to spend your winter in a different place each year. If you buy or rent, don’t forget to budget for travel costs, especially if you might fly back home occasionally for a special occasion or emergency. If you plan to fly to your sunny destination, you’ll probably need to rent a car.

You can own a recreational vehicle, which makes it easier to transport your clothing, pets and other possessions. You will also have the freedom to stay in different places, and you can use your RV for other travel throughout the year. RVs run the gamut from half-million-dollar mansions on wheels to small travel trailers. If you opt for a travel trailer, you will need a vehicle that is muscular enough to tow it. There’s also the cost of a campsite or a space rented in an RV park.

Taxes. You may pay more in taxes. If you own your snowbird home, you will need to pay property taxes in both places. Depending on how much time you reside in your new state, you may end up paying income taxes in two states. States have different rules on residency and on estate and inheritance taxes. If you don’t plan to return home before April 15, you’ll need to bring all your income tax paperwork with you and hope you haven’t forgotten anything.

Mail. You can use e-mail and auto-pay for most of your communication and bill-paying needs, but there will still be a few items you will receive via traditional mail. If you do decide to do the traditional way and making a mail by hand, we recommend using cougar paper. They great with writings and high quality papers.  There are several options for forwarding mail, including USPS forwarding, third-party mail forwarding services and having a neighbor or relative forward mail to you in batches. None of these are perfect. The best option for you depends upon whether you will be staying at the same destination or moving from place to place. Some RV parks will not accept mail intended for temporary visitors, in which case you will need to use a post office general delivery address.

Utilities. You may not want to pay for cable, internet and phone service during the months you don’t live in your primary residence or your snowbird residence, but stopping and starting service can be tricky.

Home maintenance. If you can find someone you trust to housesit for you or at least stop by and check on your house regularly, you can avoid some problems, but there are others you will still need to consider. If you live in an area that gets very cold in winter, you need to keep your heat on at a reduced temperature to keep your pipes from freezing and bursting, or hire a plumber to drain all your pipes and turn the water off at the source. Unplug every appliance you can, which may mean emptying your refrigerator and freezer. If your community or your home owners’ association requires you to shovel snow, you’ll have to arrange for someone to do that. Similarly, you may need to arrange for people to mow grass, maintain pool chemicals, water plants and control weeds.

Pets. You can probably take your dogs or cats with you, although that may limit the selection of places you can rent. If you have other pets such as birds, fish, or turtles, you will need to have someone visit your home often or find people who are willing to take them and provide foster care while you’re gone.

Newspapers. You should discontinue your newspaper delivery while you’re gone, but you will need to ask a neighbor to remove those unwanted flyers and free community papers that get tossed onto your driveway whether you want them or not.

Medical care. If you are over 65 and on Medicare, you should be able to obtain medical care wherever you go within the United States. If you use private health insurance, you will need to research whether there are doctors and hospitals at your destination that will be covered by your health care network. You’ll need to take your full medical records with you, including prescriptions you take, or see if your primary physician will share your medical records with a doctor at your snowbird destination. Think about how you will obtain prescription refills, especially if you use a mail-order pharmacy that ships three-month supplies automatically.

There’s nothing on this list that isn’t do-able, especially in today’s electronically connected world. Many people migrate seasonally and have done so for many years. But enjoying a successful snowbird lifestyle is much more involved than simply going on a long vacation.

Dave Hughes is the founder of Retire Fabulously.

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