Agree- I think some people have worked hard enough at jobs that may not have offered much flexibility in terms of being able to travel or do things during the day, that a “permanent vacation” might be EXACTLY what they want!
My husband and I are less than a year away from retirement. Requirements were… no more snow/ice, accessible to an airport, good medical, easy access to physically engaging activities (golf, swimming, kayaking, biking), near college, artsy activities, preferences include a view, no or minimal state income tax, multi-age community with diverse/liberal political views.
Found most of this in Savannah (compromises with politics likely, but expect we can find some like-minded folks). Itching to move. Whereas we’re unlikely to be near our kids, we’re somewhere i think they’d enjoy visiting!
@jasmom I know this sounds strange but I look forward to our first freeze to kill our mosquitos which are then gone October to May and no more Deet. The West Nile Virus scares me as we have had several friends affected. The daytime warmth is nice here in the winter sun. Other than that, your list is pretty much where we live. I did notice that the kids do enjoy visiting here because of our location and outdoor activities in all seasons. I remember not wanting to go back home ( steel mill town) and H (rural TX) was the same with nothing to do other than to visit.
What do you all think about renting vs buying a home?
We are pretty set on Hilton Head, but I do not want the stress of trying to sell house in MD and simultaneously buy in another state. We also have yet to agree on condo vs detached house. I like everything condo - beachfront, amenities and no exterior maintenance. DH is more concerned about neighbor noise and lack of control in a condo and wants a house.
I have also read articles where people think they know what they want - move to their retirement dream destination - and are not happy. We have friends that moved from MD to Bluffton SC - and 2 years later are selling that house and moving to HH as they were in a 55+ community that was really mostly people in their 70s and 80s.
So, I think it makes sense to relocate to a rental for 6-12 months and make sure we like the area before buying. That also gives us ample time to see many properties and buy a home we are really happy with rather than feeling rushed to make a decision.
@rockvillemom I agree that it makes sense to relocate and rent for 6 months to a year prior to purchasing a home. It lets you experience a variety of locations during different seasons , etc without being formally locked in.
@rockvillemom, I don’t know why you are asking, but your plan is good.
If home prices are increasing at double digit rates, maybe, maybe it makes sense to buy. But that assumes the price increases are going to continue and the process of buying and selling multiple times is worth the trouble and cost.
We rented for 6 months after selling. I am happy we did that because of the reasons you stated plus we enjoyed the rental.
I think it is a great idea to rent for a few months. If we make a move, it will be quite a distance and I really want to be in the approximate area to figure out where to finally buy. I don’t want to be in the situation of making a wrong choice and wanting to move again.
@rockvillemom - I would also be quite happy with a condo or nice apartment. My husband likes to garden so that may be difficult for him, though our acre is getting very Hard for him to keep up with - maybe a huge balcony and lots of pots would do the trick. I do worry a little about neighbor noise though, we live out in the country in a subdivision with each house having an acre so it would be really different. We lived in an apartment for 6 weeks in Houston when he was having radiation at MDA and really enjoyed it (other than the whole chemoradiation thing) despite the elephant who lived above us (who turned out to he a tiny little Asian lady!)
The thought of the actual moving I dread. I moved offices at work last week. Just across the hall but i was exhausted!
If your H could get a community garden plot that would help satisfy his desire to garden without dictating where you live too much. That would introduce him to a community of like minded people too.
I am a cautious person so when we’ve made big moves we’ve tended to rent to familiarize ourselves with the area before buying.
If the area becomes “really hot”, if anything I tend to get more cautious because there’s a good chance there will be a bubble and then a crash. I won’t get into a bidding war. Ever. It’s irrational even for me who falls in love with stuff. I can fall in love with another house before I’ll bid from emotion.
Conversely, right now Miami condo real estate has just had a bubble that burst (due mostly to the strong dollar and overbuilding-google bloomberg business week and miami for the article) , and prices are predicted to decrease about 2% next year. So I’d be in no hurry to buy there, either.
Renting and not having to sell a house puts you in a good position to buy when the right house comes up, also. It takes some of the pressure off and lets you make a more rational decision (at least it has for us).
Usually 6 months is plenty of time to know if you’ll like an area, but landlords don’t like to do such a short term rental. You can usually negotiate a lease that ends without penalty if you buy a house, but you have to know how to word it right. Consult your attorney.
You can also rent AirBnB houses and spend lots of time there before you actually move to get a feel for the neighborhood. We’re planning on doing that for the next house.
RVM
I am sure you know this, but when considering living fulltime in a vacation town, be sure to check how many unite around you are rentals vs fulltime residents. (we used to check for mailboxes, LOL).
- units, not unite. Arggg for autocorrect.
Waiting for that to hit Broward or Palm Beach counties so I can buy a little condo that way. Hadn’t heard about that so thank you @MotherOfDragons!
Usually this would be true but not in Hilton Head. It actually may be challenging to find a six month rental, let alone a one year rental. Owners who rent out their places there will make more $$ by renting them weekly and they almost always want to have access to the unit for certain weeks each year.
jym626 makes an excellent point. Many/most of the communities on HH allow for short term rentals. When we bought our place, we specifically chose communities that did not.
@rockvillemom Have you changed your mind about wanting a 55+ community?
Not sure. Our friends were in Sun City HH in Bluffton and moved out. I like the idea of amenities and activities, so 55+ appeals to me if we end up in the Bluffton area, but not one that skews too old. We could rent in Bluffton initially while we explore the area more. Still 2-3 years away.
I do agree about the vacation rentals issue - would only look at condos on HH that do not permit short term rentals. Another reason DH prefers a house - he likes the HH Plantation area.
Hoping to go back in March and look some more.
S likes living in condos vs apartments because most units are owner-occupied. It creates a more permanent feeling than an apartment building where everyone is coming and going.
Condo complexes, even the ones with restrictions on renting units out, can be as much come and go places as apartments or even worse because of VRBO etc.
I guess you’re right and S did his homework and also lucked out. He’s happy and it’s mostly owner occupants.
That may be true in many places but not in Hilton Head. It is a very popular vacation destination and most owners are not full-time residents.
@rockvillemom, your H may prefer HH Plantation but there are definitely short-term rentals there.
All the more reason to rent first! I think it is too difficult to purchase in an unfamiliar area. I know a whirlwind trip where you visit a number of homes and make a quick decision works well on HGTV, but not for me.
I’m sure every area of HH has some short term rentals, mostly trying to avoid the areas that are the most tourist intense. We definitely prefer quiet to bustling.
And while we think we are set on HH, probably should consider some other southeast coastal beach/golf locales.
Maybe Amelia Island, FL?