Snowbirding

[HuskyHawk]

It's off season, despite the ongoing pace of portal activity, with a couple of huge signings this week. That said, I've been meaning to pick the minds of the best and brightest on the Boneyard about splitting living across two locations. It seems we are about to take that plunge. We've decided to get a place in Bluffton, SC and plan to live at least six months and a day there and the rest in Mass (will downsize/move in Mass later).

For anybody who has done this or who has friends or family that does, any tips, suggestions things to think about? That can range from expenses to logistics of filling two houses with clothes and furniture etc. How you manage cars: 2? 3? Also, how you manage leaving a house essentially empty for 5-6 months (security, other issues). I have a good sense of the tax implications and how to best manage those, and Beaufort County SC has some unique wrinkles on property taxes. Things like Doctors came to mind as well. I'd welcome any information anyone has to share.

Looking forward to maybe watching UConn storm through the 2025 NCAA tournament outside on a screened in porch.

 

[storrsroars]

Call me Ed you scare me with Edward I think I did something wrong

Only used Edward as it's your screen name. But on my bucket list is Key West, the only corner of the continental US I haven't hit. And one of these days, Ed, you're gonna meet me there, and we're gonna toast Hemingway multiple times.

No bar hopping... pfft.

 

[UConnJim]

I would talk to your accountant. It seems Massachusetts is becoming tougher enforcing the rules of residency and they will make sure you are actually domiciled at your new residence and have no intention of moving back to Massachusetts. They look at bank accounts (move them to the new location), organization memberships, voter registration, car registration, driver's license, ...

 

[mussels]

One spouse.
One house.
Rent your getaways.
Rent your toys.

Saves headaches, and gives you more options.

 

[husky429]

Then rent for a while in places you think you might like.

That's what my grandparents did. Every year they'd rent somewhere for 3-4 months. Rome, Tuscany, Granada, Seville, San Fran, etc. Worked well for them.

 

[HooperScooper]

I know people from up here in MA who bought houses in South Carolina and North Carolina. Serious question, what is the attraction? They still have winter down there but obviously it's much less severe and much shorter than up here. But December through February, the major amount of time you're down there for the winter, isn't exactly beach weather.

One of my best friends retired 5 years ago and bought a house on Cape Cod and one down near Charleston, SC. He just texted me last month that they're selling the SC house because it really wasn't what they expected. He said, "It's kind of Third World down here." It's just much different than what we've experienced around here and in CT our entire lives. As an example he was telling me how everyone litters down there and the side of the roads and highways is gross. That would bother me. He said there are days during the winter where it starts out chilly but then warms up into the 70s. But if I'm going to go somewhere in the winter I don't want to wake up and it's in the 30s or 40s. I also want more consistent warmer weather. Not a high of 75 one day and then 53 2 days laters.

I'm trying to talk my wife into renting some place in Aruba for 3 months during the winter to see what it's like. 80s and sunny everyday and at night it's in the high 70s. That's more my speed if I'm trying to escape the Northeast winters. Plus Aruba is safe and doesn't really have poverty. I have a friend whose sister-in-law owned a house in St. Thomas but that also comes with some issues since some Caribbean islands like that aren't the safest places and can feel Third World also.

 

[HuskyCane]

We bought a house in Venice Fl and downsized to a condo in CT, it was stressful but feel we are in a good place. This was our first full season in Fl and we loved it. We came down mid October, went back for a week at Thanksgiving and Christmas, and are heading back to CT next week for the summer. There is definitely more complexity to deal with having two homes but we are homebody's so it works for us. We keep a car in Fl, a car in CT and drive the SUV back and forth. In Fl we moved near some friends from CT so had an immediate social circle which helped the transition.

Good luck with you plan, there is a reason why so many people are Snowbirds so don't over think it!

 

[uconnfan68]

We bought a house in Venice Fl and downsized to a condo in CT, it was stressful but feel we are in a good place. This was our first full season in Fl and we loved it. We came down mid October, went back for a week at Thanksgiving and Christmas, and are heading back to CT next week for the summer. There is definitely more complexity to deal with having two homes but we are homebody's so it works for us. We keep a car in Fl, a car in CT and drive the SUV back and forth. In Fl we moved near some friends from CT so had an immediate social circle which helped the transition.

Good luck with you plan, there is a reason why so many people are Snowbirds so don't over think it!

Where is your legal residence?

 

[HuskyHawk]

We were looking at the Charleston area for a while but settled on Florida. We are buying on Amelia Island which is north of Jacksonville on the Florida/Georgia border. A lot of the feel of the low country you get in SC with the benefit of Florida taxes. Only a 30 min drive to Jacksonville airport from the island.

That was honestly our second choice. A friend of ours is there. We loved Fernandina Beach. But it’s a little more expensive and doesn’t really have the communities. I want to join the pickleball groups and meet people. Also, my parents are 45 minutes from Bluffton and are getting older now.

 

[HuskyHawk]

I would talk to your accountant. It seems Massachusetts is becoming tougher enforcing the rules of residency and they will make sure you are actually domiciled at your new residence and have no intention of moving back to Massachusetts. They look at bank accounts (move them to the new location), organization memberships, voter registration, car registration, driver's license, ...

I’m a lawyer and former accountant so yeah, all of that will be addressed. Everything will be in SC. But I’ll keep a house in Mass.

 

[HuskyHawk]

I know people from up here in MA who bought houses in South Carolina and North Carolina. Serious question, what is the attraction? They still have winter down there but obviously it's much less severe and much shorter than up here. But December through February, the major amount of time you're down there for the winter, isn't exactly beach weather.

One of my best friends retired 5 years ago and bought a house on Cape Cod and one down near Charleston, SC. He just texted me last month that they're selling the SC house because it really wasn't what they expected. He said, "It's kind of Third World down here." It's just much different than what we've experienced around here and in CT our entire lives. As an example he was telling me how everyone litters down there and the side of the roads and highways is gross. That would bother me. He said there are days during the winter where it starts out chilly but then warms up into the 70s. But if I'm going to go somewhere in the winter I don't want to wake up and it's in the 30s or 40s. I also want more consistent warmer weather. Not a high of 75 one day and then 53 2 days laters.

I'm trying to talk my wife into renting some place in Aruba for 3 months during the winter to see what it's like. 80s and sunny everyday and at night it's in the high 70s. That's more my speed if I'm trying to escape the Northeast winters. Plus Aruba is safe and doesn't really have poverty. I have a friend whose sister-in-law owned a house in St. Thomas but that also comes with some issues since some Caribbean islands like that aren't the safest places and can feel Third World also.

My parents have been in the Beaufort, SC area since the 90s. So I'm familiar with the weather. I don't want hot. I want a mix of short sleeve, long sleeve weather. I want to be able to be outside almost every day and I hate winter. 60's and 70's is fine for walking, tennis, golf, pickleball. In winter up north I'm inactive and it is unhealthy. I don't want hot summer in winter, I just want our fall/spring. There are tax and other reasons not to stay in Mass full time. We've been in our house 20 years, but most friends have moved away or will soon. So we won't keep this house much longer.

As for "3rd world" I don't know where that comes from. Beaufort, Charleston and Savannah are all lovely old cities/towns. Bluffton is mostly brand spanking new except the old downtown. Vastly more modern than anything in New England. Roads that actually work, my wife was amazed by the "infrastructure". As for littering, you seem some in rural areas, but Bluffton is made up of perfectly manicured communities for the most part. If anything the complaint might be that it's too clean. The Lowcountry area is gorgeous with live oaks, palmetto trees and water everywhere. The food is tremendous too. @Storrs South many places have stay packages where you come check it out for a week. Go look on YouTube lots of stuff there. Savannah is actually a little more affordable, could check it out at the same time.

Another plus for us is obviously my parents being 40-45 minutes away to the north. But when we picked Bluffton it was also because Hilton Head is 20 minutes away for beaches and even more stuff to do, and downtown Savannah is 20-25 minutes away to the south. We love Savannah, so having it as an easy day trip is appealing. We considered Amelia Island, which would be a bit warmer in winter and more beach focused as well as doing something in Orlando, which is certainly warmer if not Miami warm. But I think we'd be bored there.

 

[huskeynut]

The wife and I are not snowbirds but we have neighbors who are. One couple, neighbors across the street go back home to Wisconsin, I beleive. The other couple, our next door neighbors, go back home to CT.

We live in a 55+ community in central Florida. Both couples leave around this time and come back around late September.
In our community. There are people who check on your home when you are away. Fairly decent income. So taking care of the house while away is not a problem. Both couples drive up. Wisconsin couple have a house in a community. Fully furnished. The CT couple have a large 5th wheel camper as their home. Both couple claim Florida as their primary residence.

 

[WillB4]

Been in Venice, FL for 7 years now. Snowbirds for the first two. Changed residence and car registration immediately. When in FL my daughter lived in my CT home, no worries there. Kept one car in CT as my wife’s mom was in her 90s and if need be had a car. Sold the house and saved quite a bit of money, between taxes, insurance, oil and power it came to thousands, however CT charged a 1% exit tax at the closing. We do go back for a bit in the summer and Christmas. Mostly daughters and families come down here, why not!

 

[HooperScooper]

My parents have been in the Beaufort, SC area since the 90s. So I'm familiar with the weather. I don't want hot. I want a mix of short sleeve, long sleeve weather. I want to be able to be outside almost every day and I hate winter. 60's and 70's is fine for walking, tennis, golf, pickleball. In winter up north I'm inactive and it is unhealthy. I don't want hot summer in winter, I just want our fall/spring. There are tax and other reasons not to stay in Mass full time. We've been in our house 20 years, but most friends have moved away or will soon. So we won't keep this house much longer.

As for "3rd world" I don't know where that comes from. Beaufort, Charleston and Savannah are all lovely old cities/towns. Bluffton is mostly brand spanking new except the old downtown. Vastly more modern than anything in New England. Roads that actually work, my wife was amazed by the "infrastructure". As for littering, you seem some in rural areas, but Bluffton is made up of perfectly manicured communities for the most part. If anything the complaint might be that it's too clean. The Lowcountry area is gorgeous with live oaks, palmetto trees and water everywhere. The food is tremendous too. @Storrs South many places have stay packages where you come check it out for a week. Go look on YouTube lots of stuff there. Savannah is actually a little more affordable, could check it out at the same time.

Another plus for us is obviously my parents being 40-45 minutes away to the north. But when we picked Bluffton it was also because Hilton Head is 20 minutes away for beaches and even more stuff to do, and downtown Savannah is 20-25 minutes away to the south. We love Savannah, so having it as an easy day trip is appealing. We considered Amelia Island, which would be a bit warmer in winter and more beach focused as well as doing something in Orlando, which is certainly warmer if not Miami warm. But I think we'd be bored there.

Sounds perfect and it's evident you have knowledge of the area and have thought through everything. My friend lived in Ravenel, SC, which seems too far from Charleston and probably why he got the "Third World" feel. I've been to Charleston and it is very nice. Just not warm enough for me. Friends of ours live on the west coast of Florida, Punta Gorda, and even that weather is too up and down in the winter for me. Another friend who lives in Florida during the winter joked that I need to live on the equator. Lol

 

[jibsey]

One thing about Florida taxes. It was surprising that my home in Florida has higher fees and taxes than my bigger home in Ct. Taxes, HOA, CDD and yard maintenance are much worse in Fla. depending on the situation. If you are in a condo the HOA’s can be $500-1000 per month or more. My brother‘s 2 bedroom 1200 sq ft condo in Tampa is $600/mo.
No state income tax OK but wait until you buy home insurance down here, OMG. Ct. is a bargain. Florida is not cheap anymore like it was in 2010.

 

[NJHusky]

One thing about Florida taxes. It was surprising that my home in Florida has higher fees and taxes than my bigger home in Ct. Taxes, HOA, CDD and yard maintenance are much worse in Fla. depending on the situation. If you are in a condo the HOA’s can be $500-1000 per month or more. My brother‘s 2 bedroom 1200 sq ft condo in Tampa is $600/mo.
No state income tax OK but wait until you buy home insurance down here, OMG. Ct. is a bargain. Florida is not cheap anymore like it was in 2010.

U are correct on the insurance. But I’d rather spend and extra 2k on insurance and save the income tax

 

[Hoophound]

One thing about Florida taxes. It was surprising that my home in Florida has higher fees and taxes than my bigger home in Ct. Taxes, HOA, CDD and yard maintenance are much worse in Fla. depending on the situation. If you are in a condo the HOA’s can be $500-1000 per month or more. My brother‘s 2 bedroom 1200 sq ft condo in Tampa is $600/mo.
No state income tax OK but wait until you buy home insurance down here, OMG. Ct. is a bargain. Florida is not cheap anymore like it was in 2010.

Cost of living in the Naples, Sarasota, Miami, Palm Beach area is obscene these days. I feel like everything is on sale when I go back north now. However, I still like the lack of income taxes, taxes on cars etc. and the general lack of red tape regarding most things. It also helps that the economy is good and opportunities are ever expanding rather than contracting. We've seen a lot of growth in tech and science jobs which help drive things forward in addition to all of the tourism and construction money.

I can definitely see the pull of the Carolinas. Its temperate, somewhat affordable and offers a wide range of landscapes and activities.

 

[jibsey]

U are correct on the insurance. But I’d rather spend and extra 2k on insurance and save the income tax

$6000 for what was 2K a year ago, yes it can be that bad.

 

[Excalibur]

Sounds perfect and it's evident you have knowledge of the area and have thought through everything. My friend lived in Ravenel, SC, which seems too far from Charleston and probably why he got the "Third World" feel. I've been to Charleston and it is very nice. Just not warm enough for me. Friends of ours live on the west coast of Florida, Punta Gorda, and even that weather is too up and down in the winter for me. Another friend who lives in Florida during the winter joked that I need to live on the equator. Lol

Not wanting to be in a place that's hotter than the surface of the sun is why I probably won't bother with trying to change my domicile when the time comes. During the winter I just want it warm enough to do things outside. No need for it to be 90 degrees every day. That eliminates any desire to be in the south outside of December - mid April. Because of that we'll probably do long-term rentals during the winter and downsize our house in the Northeast.

But LOL at the idea that coastal SC is somehow "third world . . ."

 

[Edward Sargent]

I would talk to your accountant. It seems Massachusetts is becoming tougher enforcing the rules of residency and they will make sure you are actually domiciled at your new residence and have no intention of moving back to Massachusetts. They look at bank accounts (move them to the new location), organization memberships, voter registration, car registration, driver's license, ...

When we first started snowbirding between Mass and FL there was a NY Times article about northeast states enforcing residency between their state and Florida. In Florida to establish residency you need to own property, pay property tax, register your car in FL, have a FL drivers license and a FL voter registration card. In the Times article the three states that were doing the most enforcement were NY, NJ and MA. Also in the article they reported that Derek Jeter's FL residency was being challenged as he had homes in both NY and FL. The IRS tried making the point that Jeter worked for the NY Yankees. Jeter won the challenge by pointing out that the NY Yankees are a FL registered company.

 

[Edward Sargent]

Sounds perfect and it's evident you have knowledge of the area and have thought through everything. My friend lived in Ravenel, SC, which seems too far from Charleston and probably why he got the "Third World" feel. I've been to Charleston and it is very nice. Just not warm enough for me. Friends of ours live on the west coast of Florida, Punta Gorda, and even that weather is too up and down in the winter for me. Another friend who lives in Florida during the winter joked that I need to live on the equator. Lol

Charleston has become a bit of a traffic nightmare

 

[Edward Sargent]

We bought a house in Venice Fl and downsized to a condo in CT, it was stressful but feel we are in a good place. This was our first full season in Fl and we loved it. We came down mid October, went back for a week at Thanksgiving and Christmas, and are heading back to CT next week for the summer. There is definitely more complexity to deal with having two homes but we are homebody's so it works for us. We keep a car in Fl, a car in CT and drive the SUV back and forth. In Fl we moved near some friends from CT so had an immediate social circle which helped the transition.

Good luck with you plan, there is a reason why so many people are Snowbirds so don't over think it!

Your timing is good. Start watching the humidity levels in Florida on your weather app around October 1. Somewhere in the first couple of weeks the temps remain high but the humidity starts dropping. That's when we make our southern migration. Florida gets a bad rep for heat but its the humidity in August and September that really get me

 

[HuskyHawk]

One thing about Florida taxes. It was surprising that my home in Florida has higher fees and taxes than my bigger home in Ct. Taxes, HOA, CDD and yard maintenance are much worse in Fla. depending on the situation. If you are in a condo the HOA’s can be $500-1000 per month or more. My brother‘s 2 bedroom 1200 sq ft condo in Tampa is $600/mo.
No state income tax OK but wait until you buy home insurance down here, OMG. Ct. is a bargain. Florida is not cheap anymore like it was in 2010.

Yes, this was part of our research as well. Income taxes? Florida is great of course. But property taxes aren't that low. In South Carolina income tax is 6.4% (at the top) but has exclusions for seniors that effectively lower it. In retirement, property taxes are a bigger concern than income taxes. In South Carolina, once you file a full year of income taxes as a resident, property taxes go down. Seems to be about 1/4 of what I pay in Mass (in a lower tax town). HOA fees exist, but that's a choice I'm making about the community and amenities I want, so they vary widely. I pay more in landscaping in MA than my HOA would be in SC (and I get no amenities). I want a smaller lot, lower maintenance. Home insurance cheaper in Bluffton too, because it's just inland enough not to be in a hurricane flood area.

 

[HuskyCane]

Where is your legal residence?

Florida

 

[HuskyHawk]

Sounds perfect and it's evident you have knowledge of the area and have thought through everything. My friend lived in Ravenel, SC, which seems too far from Charleston and probably why he got the "Third World" feel. I've been to Charleston and it is very nice. Just not warm enough for me. Friends of ours live on the west coast of Florida, Punta Gorda, and even that weather is too up and down in the winter for me. Another friend who lives in Florida during the winter joked that I need to live on the equator. Lol

Yeah, I don't like it hot. Hence why cape cod appeals in summer. We prefer the look of the live oaks with palmettos and salt marshes to the aesthetic of southern Florida. But I get why others prefer different spots.

As for Ravenel, I drive through there going from my parents' house to Charleston. That is a strange choice. Cheap I imagine. That stretch of RT 17 is littered with fast food joints, truck stops, tire and car dealer lots and dollar stores. You'd think that eventually Charleston would spread out there it would become an updated suburban town, but it hasn't. Instead Charleston grew north and northwest. It's even cut off from the coast a bit. You could get down to Kiawah from there, or Edisto.

As for third world, this is one of the two communities we're considering (probably #2).

 

[Drumguy]

I am a NH resident who spends just under 1/2 year in CT working from my office in Westport. We've owned the NH house since 2000. Btw, I claim all my income in CT so it's not a tax avoidence scheme - I'm a CPA. We don't rent either house out, so I can hop in a car and be at my other home in 4 hours without packing anything. I keep a small Jeep Wrangler 2 door at the house in NH, so we always have 2 cars available, and registered my wife's car and our Sprinter camper van in NH as well. I have one car registered in CT, so I don't have any issues with CT DMV and can get a beach sticker.

If you want to get out of MA residency, do the things that make you a SC resident - change your driver's license, voters registration and register a car in SC.

We have multiple Nest cameras on the exterior of the houses and we use Nest thermostats so we can monitor the heat/cooling remotely, especially since we go back and forth every other week or so. SInce both houses are in winter/snow areas, we added a generator in each house so we don't have to worry about power outages - you may not need that. We keep a full set of clothes, toiletries etc in each house since we can drive back and forth, we do that often. If you close up a house for a long while you can get by with less stuff.

It's great if you can find a maintenance person to check the house out and snowplow when needed. Have an electrician and plumber and HVAC person on speed dial for both places.

Just saw you added the lake community. Having a boat and water sports as a lot to the complexity, we have a jet ski and motor boat as well as s sups and kayaks. Everything requires maintenance and licences etc. first world problem!

Happy to continue this offline or on a call. It's a challenge but not insurmountable.

 

[Stinger92860]

Make sure you turn off the water when you leave...a leak is why we did our latest kitchen reno...

I have 2 homes and I use an internet connected main shut off in both locations. I have a Flo by Moen in one house, and a Fortrezz in the other. The Flo will notify you of any unusual usage and will automatically shut off. For example, toilet running, broken pipe, etc. I am considering swapping out the Fortrezz for the Moen.

And I‘m with Drumguy, I do not rent out either house (CT/Jersey Shore). Crazy question: Anyone have 3 houses? I have a friend who did this (CT/MA Lake, and now FL). He rents out his small house in CT. I will be going the FL Jupiter route.

 

[Edward Sargent]

Yes, this was part of our research as well. Income taxes? Florida is great of course. But property taxes aren't that low. In South Carolina income tax is 6.4% (at the top) but has exclusions for seniors that effectively lower it. In retirement, property taxes are a bigger concern than income taxes. In South Carolina, once you file a full year of income taxes as a resident, property taxes go down. Seems to be about 1/4 of what I pay in Mass (in a lower tax town). HOA fees exist, but that's a choice I'm making about the community and amenities I want, so they vary widely. I pay more in landscaping in MA than my HOA would be in SC (and I get no amenities). I want a smaller lot, lower maintenance. Home insurance cheaper in Bluffton too, because it's just inland enough not to be in a hurricane flood area.

Property tax isn't as big an issue with homesteading. Insurance and HOA fees/assessments are becoming a really big issue in Florida. That and we have some really bad elected officials. The collapse of the condo in Miami and hurricanes have had a big impact with all condos required to do a financial and engineering audit. Also if you are moving into a condo check the board out carefully. I wouldn't buy into a condo situation that is less than 75% owner occupied. Thats what happened in Miami as the owners didn't spend the money needed to protect the infrastructure

 

[Edward Sargent]

One spouse.
One house.
Rent your getaways.
Rent your toys.

Saves headaches, and gives you more options.

Simplicity is good

 

[NJHusky]

I have 2 homes and I use an internet connected main shut off in both locations. I have a Flo by Moen in one house, and a Fortrezz in the other. The Flo will notify you of any unusual usage and will automatically shut off. For example, toilet running, broken pipe, etc. I am considering swapping out the Fortrezz for the Moen.

And I‘m with Drumguy, I do not rent out either house (CT/Jersey Shore). Crazy question: Anyone have 3 houses? I have a friend who did this (CT/MA Lake, and now FL). He rents out his small house in CT. I will be going the FL Jupiter route.

Thx. I saw that a few weeks ago. Will def install in NJ when we get back as it will allow the heating system auto fill to work

Can u bypass the auto shut off when u r home? I saw some comments that it cut off a shower if it was at an unusual time. So being able to not engage the auto shut off would be a necessity

We had a ski cabin in Vt before we moved to Fla. kept it as a ski season rental.

 

[Chin Diesel]

That actually sounds like a community I'd love. Only thing is, we'd want to downsize considerably to a ranch on a small plot for gardening & dog. Not ready to go condo, and really don't want to dump our entire profit from selling our current place into somewhere we'd only be half a year. Our idea is to travel a ton. Not liking our options.

Bluffton and Beaufort South Carolina are great areas. Plus, 45 minutes to Savannah and an hour to Charleston.