Ever regretted moving south?

[uncledrz]

It's cold (19 degrees F) , it's snowing, got up at six this moring to snowblow the drive (thank goodness for electric starters!), in other words, winter is here. So I got to thinking, I know family, friends, hometowns are all up north, but has anyone, RE or not, who moved south where it's warmer ever regretted it? If so, why?

 

[Sam]

Not me. I left Boston for Houston in 1991. Not a single regret. Alright, may be just a little and for a very short time, when the temperature hits 100 and humidity at 95%. Still heaven compared to clearing the driveway at 7AM in 20 degree.

Short answer: No contest. The south wins hand down.

 

[pfpelican]

I left WI, MN, NY, IN for Houston in 1980. You don't have to shovel humidity.

 

[Cut-Throat]

There are lot of stories of folks that retire to Florida (especially one tht have not traveled alot) and end up moving back up north in a couple years. It's not about the weather, but more of the friends and family and familar haunts that they got homesick for.

I'd never move anywhere now until I spent a winter or two at the destination renting first. Maybe even spend a full year there renting a furnished place, before commiting to selling and moving all your stuff.

 

[tednvon]

Hi..we are starting 3rd year of Jan, Feb, March in central florida about 2 miles south of Disney World...lots of places for rent. We love the 3 months and enjoy going back in April. We hang just long enough to do Christmas with family and away we go.

I work at golf course about 15 hours a week...we do Disney a night or two a week and really enjoy digging into the the corners of Disney with some great shows and entertainment.

We would not stay year round...family, friends, etc still in Iowa...

We vote for best of both worlds right now....Ted

 

[Andre1969]

Hey Ted, what do you do with your place in Iowa for the 3 months that it's vacant? Do you have friends or family that can look in on it? When I do finally get to the point that I can retire, that's one idea I've toyed with...keeping my home base here, but then going south someplace for the winter. Just wondering about the logistics of it, though.

 

[astromeria]

No regrets. I could wish for a bit more warmth in winter and a bit less humidity in summer, but that's what travel is for. After 4.5 years here, if I moved away I'd miss the Spanish moss dripping from the live oaks and crepe myrtles, the beach and the tidal creeks, the human-scaled city, the nice people hereabouts.

 

[unclemick]

Wellll

This will be my second winter in Northland after thirty years in New Orleans. Eleven degree's on the front porch this morning.

Circa 1974, when I was young in greater Denver - I was contemplating taking up cross country/winter camping whereupon I received a transfer to New Orleans versus posible layoff.

Last winter - Mexican cruise in Feb. So far Thanksgiving in Pensacola - youngest nephew/wife(Navy) miss Whidbey(Pac NW) and the wife still thinks Kansas City(no place like home) is best.

When I was in New Orleans - they had group travel to ski resorts in winter.

Sooo - does anybody like winter stuff - sking, snowmobiles, camping, , etc.

Heh heh heh heh - maybe winter is for the young. I didn't mind heading for the ski lodge on weekends but driving to work in winter sucked.

Any lurking winter o philes out there? Philes not phobes?? Right?

 

[Martha]

Used to be a winterphile. Cross country skiing is wonderful in my neck of the woods. Many trails right here in town, some lit at night. We used to cross country ski all the time and then somehow we got out of the habit. Should go back to it.

Otherwise, ice fishing is an option. Greg has some spear fishing pole spears if you want some. And a wood stove for your ice house.

 

[dumpster56]

Heh heh heh heh - maybe winter is for the young. I didn't mind heading for the ski lodge on weekends but driving to work in winter sucked.


That was indeed the problem, a 55 mile trek down a limited access interstate highway hills and all with 18 wheelers and bumper to bumper cars.

Then the drive back home hours on the road not worth the stress.

Slip sliding away

 

[tednvon]

Hi...
We do the condo route...just close it up...turn off the water, the heat at 55, water heater at super low and have the neighbors check once a week or so just to make sure the heat is working...Condo makes it much easier than the old house as no worry about snow removal.

Mail is forwarded to our new address, cable TV cuts our bill from $100+/month with highspeed internet to $15/month maintainance fee, and we probably pay about $100 bucks less a month in heating with 55 degrees, so I rationalize I am really saving about 200/month by going south!!!

I can call our home phone and get messages with a code, and we each have a cell phone which serves as phone in Florida. We take a laptop and the house we rent has wifi, so we are set.

Hope this helps...Ted

 

[jdw_fire]

Hi..we are starting 3rd year of Jan, Feb, March in central florida about 2 miles south of Disney World...lots of places for rent. We love the 3 months and enjoy going back in April. We hang just long enough to do Christmas with family and away we go.

I work at golf course about 15 hours a week...we do Disney a night or two a week and really enjoy digging into the the corners of Disney with some great shows and entertainment.

We would not stay year round...family, friends, etc still in Iowa...

We vote for best of both worlds right now....Ted

What do you spend on housing in FL? It is furnished, right? How did you find it?

 

[DW]

who moved south where it's warmer ever regretted it? If so, why?

I have lived in the Phoenix area for many years, but before that lived in Washington/Oregon/Idaho. Yeah, winters are nice (75 F and sunny today)...but the summers are BAD. It's not so much the intensity (up to 122 F) as the length of summer: 5 full months of heat. I've seen it over 90 F every month except January.

1-2 years to FIRE, then permanent retreat to a more reasonable climate.

 

[unclemick]

Youngest nephew's wife.

Heh heh heh heh - dat's the wedding last July in Kansas City I bought the suit at Salvation Army to attend.

Heh heh heh - still single.

 

[Khan]

There are lot of stories of folks that retire to Florida (especially one tht have not traveled alot) and end up moving back up north in a couple years. It's not about the weather, but more of the friends and family and familar haunts that they got homesick for.

I'd never move anywhere now until I spent a winter or two at the destination renting first. Maybe even spend a full year there renting a furnished place, before commiting to selling and moving all your stuff.

I don't remember if I told this before:


My parents moved from Upstate NY to the Gulf Coast in '71. They didn't regret it. But Mother told me of many people who (after spending several winters there) decided to buy. Many of them sold and moved back north (Michigan/Ohio/Illinois) after one summer.

Definitely rent for a year before The Big Move.

 

[Khan]

Wellll

This will be my second winter in Northland after thirty years in New Orleans. Eleven degree's on the front porch this morning.

Circa 1974, when I was young in greater Denver - I was contemplating taking up cross country/winter camping whereupon I received a transfer to New Orleans versus posible layoff.

Last winter - Mexican cruise in Feb. So far Thanksgiving in Pensacola - youngest nephew/wife(Navy) miss Whidbey(Pac NW) and the wife still thinks Kansas City(no place like home) is best.

When I was in New Orleans - they had group travel to ski resorts in winter.

Sooo - does anybody like winter stuff - sking, snowmobiles, camping, , etc.

Heh heh heh heh - maybe winter is for the young. I didn't mind heading for the ski lodge on weekends but driving to work in winter sucked.

Any lurking winter o philes out there? Philes not phobes?? Right?

I rather like winter, especially now that I can simply stay home when weather is cold or slippery.

 

[califdreamer]

No regrets at all. Moved from the frigid winter days in Northern California... highs around 60. Here in San Diego more like in the 70s

OK I'll cut it out.

 

[Dawg52]

Well it's currently 35 in good old Meridian, MS and suppose to dip to 18 tonight. So much for the warm south. Of course just 2 weekends ago I was wearing shorts.

On the flip side, I hope to move up north for a few weeks during the hot humid summer months here. Maybe Montana, Colorado, Idaho, who knows. Love to experience a different lifestyle for a few weeks a year. 8)

 

[samclem]

I grew up in SoCal, was stationed in the SE for about 8 years total. DW and I really didn't like the weather in Dixie--too hot for too long. Southern Ohio is great--yes, it snows, but not an incredible amount. Summer is hot, but it ends soon enough. Beautiful in the spring and fall. We appreciate each season because it is here only briefly. It's still magic to look out at an entirely changed landscape after a nighttime snowfall, and to go out and experience the incredible silence as the snow comes down.

I think people generally crave different weather than they grew up with. My Dad grew up in NJ, never wanted to see snow again after he left.

 

[Rollie]

I grew up in the midwest and moved to Texas in 1976...was transferred to Chicago...then Detroit for a year each in 1997-1999...my family and I realized there is no place like the south...I was lucky to be able to transfer back to Houston. I sure did not like getting up at 4:00AM to shovel my driveway so I could go to work. Go South!

 

[Cut-Throat]

I grew up in the midwest and moved to Texas in 1976...was transferred to Chicago...then Detroit for a year each in 1997-1999...my family and I realized there is no place like the south...I was lucky to be able to transfer back to Houston. I sure did not like getting up at 4:00AM to shovel my driveway so I could go to work. Go South!

A couple ways around this problem.

1.) I live in an Association so while I'm sleeping at 4:00 am, our Snowplowing company is doing the job for me.

2.) when you are retired, you don't have to go to work, so you can wait for the snow to melt in the spring.

 

[AltaRed]

A couple ways around this problem.

1.) I live in an Association so while I'm sleeping at 4:00 am, our Snowplowing company is doing the job for me.

2.) when you are retired, you don't have to go to work, so you can wait for the snow to melt in the spring.

And on top of being retired, buy a 4 wheel drive so you know you don't have to shovel the drive ever(?)

 

[OkieTexan]

I have never regretted moving to SE Texas.

I grew up in NE Oklahoma and remember wallking to school in 5 degree weather with a 20 mph north wind in my face. Not fun!

I finished high school and went to college in SE Texas (near Houston).

From December 1 to June 1, the climate down here is great. Mild temps, not too much rain, no hurricanes, lots of sunshine & clear sky.

From June 1 to December 1, well............. that's another story! When the dew point hits 65 degrees F, it can be pretty uncomfortable. Mosquitos love it!

 

[Khan]

2.) when you are retired, you don't have to go to work, so you can wait for the snow to melt in the spring.

I've noticed the snow is always gone by May. 8)

 

[dlhanson]

I am originally from Wisconsin and DW is from Malaysia. She prefers tropical so it is even too cold for her in South Carolina. She liked Houston much better (we lived there several times but we kept getting transferred away by my Megacorp oil employer). We last lived in the Chicago area before moving here in 2001. She was so happy to get out of the north.

We lived in Gabon in Africa for three years in the 80's. We were only about 40 miles south of the the equator and dw was in her element there.