<p>No, we love our home. I’d like to rent a place in Naples, FL a month or two each winter someday, but no, no plans to move permanently.</p>
<p>My family loves VRBO. We have been renting the exact same condo unit in FL every year since I was a baby. Many people do the same in the complex, and my parents have friends they meet up with every year who remember seeing me in diapers. This past year my BF and I went to visit and it might have been the best trip yet, and mom looks forward to us bringing the grandkids someday. I’m not sure there’s a downside to going that route. Each year she books an 8 week or so trip and ends up adding more and more weeks onto it as her time runs out… this past summer she didn’t come back until nearly October, when she had a second trip planned for her anniversary!</p>
<p>Personally I’ve decided if we ever get a second home, I’d want it to be in Olympia, WA. Near BF’s sister and the most beautiful place I’ve ever visited. Don’t care if it’s cold.</p>
<p>We have a second home–but it’s in the same state as our primary residence (MA). Love the second home (on an island), but it’s not a place one wants to go in the winter. In fact, we close up the house from December to April. When we get the urge to get away from the ice and snow, we usually go someplace warm for 7-10 days. Works well for us. </p>
<p>If I were going to get a second home in a warmer part of the country, I’d consider Sedona or Scottsdale in Arizona. Visited a few years ago and really liked both of them.</p>
<p>The weather in SF is terrible in July. If you go across the Golden Gate Bridge into Central Marin County. the weather is fantastic in July. 15 minutes from the bridge maybe? I will have to time it someday. Lol</p>
<p>Hayden, you were in the wrong place in July. The best months for SF weather are Sept and Oct.</p>
<p>Shawbridge, I don’t quite get what you are saying. You can’t buy anything nice in SF, or Berkeley for 900,000 or less? Might be true.</p>
<p>I want to spend less than 900,000. Probably closer to 500,000 which means SF and Berkeley are out. That is ok because I can be in either
one of the places in a very short amount of time. 
I do like both places quite a bit. </p>
<p>Oakland doesn’t do it for me except for maybe The Rockridge area.</p>
<p>I have thought about Tucson, which is affordable, but I hear mixed
things. Sounds like you and your wife are mixed. :)</p>
<p>Anxiousmom1, the weather was much better today. No need for a second place today. Walked for hours today. Went to Miller’s in San Rafael and I enjoyed lunch there. :)</p>
<p>Poetgrl, so are you keeping where you are moving a secret?</p>
<p>I like Sedona. Is there enough to do there? I am not sure about Scottsdale. The place is soooo flat.</p>
<p>VRBO looks interesting. Thanks.</p>
<p>Dstark-- We are moving to the research triangle. Weather was a huge factor! :D</p>
<p>Ok…I was wondering because you mentioned Philly. :)</p>
<p>Weather is huge.</p>
<p>That’s great, Poetgrl.</p>
<p>Congrats. A new adventure…</p>
<p>*Then there was the catch of going to the same warm place every time (much as we loved it). *</p>
<p>this is where VRBO can come in. You can list this home and rent it out on days/weeks that you won’t be using it, and then rent elsewhere…or better yet…TRADE days with another VRBO owner. I’ve done that before…a lady contacted me wanting to rent my VRBO, but asked if we could just trade days…she has a fab place in the Smoky Mountains…so yes!!! </p>
<p>It helps if you have a closet that you can lock that holds your personal items.</p>
<p>I just went on a walk with my wife. It was kind of cold and I brought up buying a second place.</p>
<p>“How about buying a second place in a warmer climate?”</p>
<p>“No”.</p>
<p>“How about Palm Desert?”</p>
<p>“No.”</p>
<p>“How about Hawaii?”</p>
<p>“No”.</p>
<p>“How about…?”</p>
<p>“No. The only place I would want a second home is if it was in NYC. Are you going back to work?”</p>
<p>My wife did like the VRBO idea a lot. Wants to do it at some point.</p>
<p>It sounds like you get a lot of certainty with your wife.</p>
<p>dstark, you always make me smile. Love the conversation with your wife!</p>
<p>Snow snow snow snow snow.</p>
<p>Alwaysamom, thanks. :)</p>
<p>“It sounds like you get a lot of certainty with your wife.”</p>
<p>My wife likes to get right to the point. ;)</p>
<p>Dstark, I hope your wife never meets my husband, they’d really get along. Actually, I agree with both of them also, NYC would be where I’d want that second home, so, not gonna happen. </p>
<p>We have second homes all over the world, totally free. We exchange our house. Works like a charm, the families come to our home, we go to theirs. We’ve even done two in a row, 2 weeks in say, Spain, followed by 2 weeks in France. Best vacation ever. Back when the euro/dollar exchange was in our favor, I think we saved $ by going to Europe instead of staying home!</p>
<p>I like the concept, sopranomom92.</p>
<p>You don’t worry about damage to your place?</p>
<p>We all agree about NYC. :)</p>
<p>Dstark, not at all, after all, they know you are in their place as well. Really precious stuff is locked in the safe. The site we use is homelink.org. </p>
<p>BTW, everyone all over the world wants to go to San Francisco. So, if you sign up, chances are you’ll get dozens of offers right away. You’ll feel like the most popular kid at the dance!</p>
<p>:)</p>
<p>I am going to check that web site out. Thanks.</p>
<p>I have to agree. SF is everyone else’s favorite city, but not mine. NYC is. </p>
<p>I would be concerned about doing a house exchange. But the real problem with having a second home is if you have pets. We have cats and while we leave them for 2 weeks at a time and our Cat sitter does daily visits, I think they would really miss us if we were gone longer.</p>
<p>Don’t forget that Florida in addition to sunshine has no personal income tax. Maybe make Florida primary residence to take advantage of tax benefits, and make present home state second home.</p>
<p>I admit I havent read all of this thread. I second those who suggest renting first. vRBO or other sources.
I have friends who find great fully furnished condos in Laguna Woods, CA. It’s a large retirement development in a great area with lots of activities for those over 55. Short term rentals are allowed to younger people but they might not find anything to do at the rec centers. So what, it’s very close to the beach.</p>
<p>Before you buy a second home somewhere, make sure you have a primary care physician lined up first. We live in a coastal resort area popular with retirees, but they never envision that most of the physicians in town limit their Medicare patients. And it is getting worse.</p>