Does anyone winter in Florida?

[desertgal Member Find all posts View Profile Close desertgal]

While we were at a TS in Orlando last month, we met some Canadians who spend the winter there (3 months, I think). We didn't have time to ask them any questions, but I imagine they must get a special monthly rate. Now that we're thinking of spending more time in FL during the winter, I'm wondering how people choose ownership versus rental. And if renting, how do you ensure a good quality unit? (comfortable furniture, etc)

PS - the Clearwater area would probably be our first choice, since we have relatives there.

[chriskre Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close chriskre]

I winter, summer, fall and spring in Florida.

[bigfrank Administrator Find all posts View Profile Close bigfrank]

I have 2 close friends that do 3 weeks there and 3 weeks in NY.

[Nancy Platinum Contributor Find all posts View Profile Close Nancy]

We split our time between VA and FL. About 6 months each place. We usually spend 3 or 4 months in the Winter in FL; a couple of months in the summer and a month or so in the Fall. I live in the general Clearwater area. We purchased a condo here about 8 years ago. I like having my own place with my own stuff.

If you have any specific questions, I'll try to answer them.

Nancy

[desertgal Member Find all posts View Profile Close desertgal]

Nancy, do you think this is a good time to buy a condo in your area? (have prices come down?) I imagine it must cost considerably more to own than to rent, notwithstanding any changes in value. But it would be so nice to have my own stuff.

Does anyone know if TS exchange companies offer monthly rentals? Or would that be done through real-estate agents or the resorts themselves?

[rapmarks Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close rapmarks]

I spend 6 and a half months in Florida (Ft Myers/Naples area) and 5 and a half months in wisconsin.

there are a lot of monthly rentals in communities with lots of amenities. If you stay three months or less, I would rent. even at 6 months, you may find a good rental rate as it is difficult to rent other than Jan, Feb, March.

[JLB Please excuse me, I'm a Dick. Not a moron just a Dick Find all posts View Profile Close JLB]

We planned on it up until 1997, and still fight the urge every January when we vacation there, near Rapmarks. Several families from where we live have Florida places near where we vacation.

We love it, but, frankly, two weeks of Florida goes a long way with us.

We like the seasons.

Oh yeah, Clearwater would be well down our list. We fly into it and head further south.

[chriskre Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close chriskre]

If you are going to spend a few months you might want to consider doing a yearly lease. I had a tenant who was snowbirding in Ft. Lauderdale. She paid for the apartment all year but only used it from December thru April. It still came out cheaper for her to do that than to do a seasonal rental. She had it fully stocked with everything you could need. She even bought a used car that she left parked in the building all year. I know she bought alot of stuff on Craigslist instead of buying everything new and when she left north for the summers we gave her a discount on the rent since she wasn't using water. She did this for more than 10 years until unfortunately she passed.

She paid about $700 a month and the electric is minimal in the winter down in Florida unless we get a year like this one where you have to use the heater everyday. Usually it's not like that here. The condo wasn't in the usual beach front place but there are lots of nice places in senior communities and in regular communities that might work for a yearly rental in a decent less touristy area.

If you bought a TS that had day privileges then it wouldn't necessarily have to be on the beach. I know my Hollywood TS Enchanted Isle has day privileges, I'm sure there are others on the west coast that do the same.

[Nancy Platinum Contributor Find all posts View Profile Close Nancy]

Right now there are lots of bargains in Florida. Whether this is a good time to buy or not depends. We bought 8 years ago, so bought before units went up. People who bought 3 or 4 years ago are losing money if they try to sell.

Nancy

ps. We love the Clearwater area. Originally wanted Ft. Myers, but changed our minds and like it here.

[JLB Please excuse me, I'm a Dick. Not a moron just a Dick Find all posts View Profile Close JLB]

The fact that there are a lot of bargains now may make the buy or lease or neither decision even harder. The last two Januarys we have found golf houses for under 100K, some under 70K. But by the time you pay taxes, insurance, property management, etc. it makes something for 3 months more expensive.

Study all the expenses before you buy, but if you are likely gonna buy, now, or the near future is a good time.

& because there are a lot of distressed properties, it is a good time to lease, even short terms. I have found nice, newer 3 bed/2 bath pool houses for $500/week, down around Punta Gorda, Charlotte Harbor, Rotonda.

Stay at "Adorable 3/2 w/pool" by the week (Openings from May 1 - on)

Monthly condo near beaches and golf

Vacation Rental with Pool...close to the beach

*^* New Rotonda West Vacation Home

fort myers vacation rentals classifieds "englewood" - craigslist

sarasota vacation rentals classifieds "englewood" - craigslist

For our purposes we have decided it is still best just to timeshare, if we can get something. I haven't checked but I bet there are Last Calls available in Weston, Orlando, Titusville, and North Atlantic during the winter. Ray and Darlene Harper used to timeshare 26 weeks a year in Florida on 8 owned weeks.

Maybe do a mini-Ray Harper next Winter. Stay in TS or from craigslist a week or two in each area (Northern Gulf, Southern Gulf, Southern Atlantic, Northern Atlantic & Inland). See what you like and do some house-hunting in each area.

You will have to start that in December, early December, to get a couple weeks in Southern Gulf, which tends to be the most desireable (I have studied availability in the beach areas in January for 13 years).

For instance, for January, 2011, today there is nothing available in The Keys or Southern Gulf, but plenty everywhere else.

You can also find plenty of foreclosure and short sales via the Internet. Many of the sites you have to register for. There's a lot of sleaze going around in that business, and it takes patience.

[JLB Please excuse me, I'm a Dick. Not a moron just a Dick Find all posts View Profile Close JLB]

If you are going to spend a few months you might want to consider doing a yearly lease.

Englewood mobile home on canal englewood

This is an example of yearly v. monthly lease. Yearly it's $595/month and in season it's $1495/month.

Also, although we have never stayed in one, we have looked at mobile home parks. They are very common, popular, and trouble-free.

If you golf, or have similar activities like that, that may help determine where you should be. Many are where they are or go to where they go because of particular golf course(s). If golf is $29-49 in one area, and it is $100-150 in another, well . . .

[longtimer Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close longtimer]

I have friends that have a VERY tiny trailer and stay in FL from November until sometime in April. They love it. However, I couldn't stand to live in such a tiny place for so long. We are considering a vacation home purchase where we could go for about three to four months out of the year now and more often once we retire in about 10 years (HOPEFULLY!). What holds up the process is the concern about maintenance and upkeep during the months when we aren't there. How do those who split their time between two locations manage this (it would also be a concern for our main home, but we have plenty of friends and family who could be called on to help out for an emergency). Thanks for any advice you can give.

[Nancy Platinum Contributor Find all posts View Profile Close Nancy]

We live in a condo, so don't have to worry about outside maintenance while we are gone. (One of the reasons we bought a condo vs. standalone home or even mobile home.) We shut off what we can and have no problem. We have a building monitor who can check unit for us. Previous monitor checked them monthly. We have a friend that lives nearby and he checks for us. We keep a vehicle in FL, but for last few years have driven down anyway, but it's an option if we don't want to drive.

Nancy

[rapmarks Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close rapmarks]

Our southern home includes outside work: mowing, pruning, mulching, irrigation, trimming, pesticides, etc. (costs $100 a month). The neighborhood looks very nice because of it. Hard as it is to believe, it is difficult to grow grass this far south in Florida.A neighbor walks through the house in the summer, we have the water turned off, shutters up, humidistat on.
Up north, we have one acre of woods around our house, wildflowers stretching out to the driveway. so we don't worry about raking leaves or mowing, but the snow is an issue. a neighbor does some snow blowing for us, but many just leave it til they come back in May when it is gone.

[JLB Please excuse me, I'm a Dick. Not a moron just a Dick Find all posts View Profile Close JLB]

I'm on a foreclosure site right now. A couple of Bonita Springs condos in the 30's and a 3/2 house on 1.5 wooded acres near the Coconut Point Mall that last sold for $300,000 for $87000.

More than 5000 FL properties on this one site.

The property taxes are still high on all of them. I wonder if you can "grieve"/protest/adjust them?