DQOTD: Would you pay $100K to avoid winters?

[FIREmenow]

Oh, and to your OP, an emphatic yes.

 

[MRG]

I think it's worth 100k to get where you desire to live. If that's the spot and the financial situation is OK, why not?

 

[Alan]

If it was something we really wanted to do and didn't significantly impact our chances of the lifestyle we planned for then I would certainly do it. The extra $100k is a transfer from investable assets to real estate and won't affect the inheritance you pass onto the heirs. The higher cost of living you'll have to run the numbers on.

But I suspect that you are not completely sure you want to move. We recently moved to England but we were moving to a town and country where we have friends and family. Even so, the move has been 6 years in the making with several visits and 2 lengthy stays in rented houses before we were certain.

I know that it is a hassle, and more money spent, but I would want to do long term rentals in the place you want to move before deciding.

 

[RobbieB]

I did it when I was young, 24. I had a choice of 2 job locations, Kansas City MO and Southern California. I loaded up my car and drove to LA.

Before I left I had to replace the starter on the car. Which I did in the driveway on my back in January with snow flurries blowing by my face. Had to go in and warm my hands every 15 minutes. Hard to start bolts with gloves on ya know.

Used to be fun to play in the snow (when you're a kid) and it doesn't hurt so much when you fall down. You fall down when you're old it might be the end of you.

Most of my friends from there are still there. I notice them complaining about the winters more as they age.

Glad I'm here -

 

[W2R]

By the way, in answer to the original question, in 2015 I spent $92K just to move three miles, to a better house right next door to F, and to a better neighborhood.

OK, the price difference between the houses was less than $40K, but with closing costs, moving costs, repairs, fixing up the new-to-me house, and so on, it added up fast.

Moving anywhere is expensive. Moving to another state could cost more than one might initially think.

P.S. - - I don't regret spending that $92K, though! Value to me and my happiness is in the millions.

 

[RunningBum]

If it was something we really wanted to do and didn't significantly impact our chances of the lifestyle we planned for then I would certainly do it. The extra $100k is a transfer from investable assets to real estate and won't affect the inheritance you pass onto the heirs. The higher cost of living you'll have to run the numbers on.

Well said. It's not $100K flushed. I know most people, myself included, don't consider real estate as part of their portfolio, but it is an asset you could sell and downsize, or rent, if needed.

For those saying that moving to NC isn't escaping winter, it's true that you aren't totally escaping it, but compared to the Midwest it's quite a difference.

 

[exnavynuke]

If I still resided up north (lived in Crystal Lake near you for a while, and in upstate NY previously), I would move south when I retired even if it meant spending another $200k! By my 30's cold, snow, blistering winds, etc were down-right annoying. In my 60's, there's no way I would voluntarily subject myself to such conditions with other options available.

After I retire, my plan is to see snow and other similar conditions only if I'm on vacation to go skiing somewhere..

 

[rdy2go]

Chicago winters bleed the life out of people. I was there for a week and a half recently and didn't see the sun for days at a time. If I still lived there I would become a snowbird after mid-October until at least May 1st.

 

[pb4uski]

This is our first year snowbirding and we absolutely love it. It is like perpetual summer (although we have had a particularly nice winter here in Sarasota).

A friend of mine rents a beautiful 2 bedroom condo down the street for January to April for $11k a season.

My annual carrying costs are about $9k (taxes, HOA, insurance, electricity, monitoring, etc) so our cost is about $1,500/month for the six months that we are here... since I paid cash for the condo as long as the appreciation is about the rate of inflation I'm satisfied... no need to be greedy... the value has increased 6-10% over the past 11 months according to realtor.com and zillow, so I think we bought right and it will appreciate well.

 

[mystang52]

So, throw on your nice ski jacket and boots with YakTrax and mittens and hat, grab some ski poles if you have them, and go for a fast, intense, heart healthy powerwalk up the street and back every morning when you get up! That would get your blood moving and might well satisfy your desire to get outside. Sure sounds cheaper than $100K.

My concern is that you have a "rose colored glasses", idyllic idea of what it's like to live in a warmer climate. We get cooped up too, due to the heat, at least in maybe July through September. When you live in a place, it's not like taking a vacation even in that same place. We don't sit around outside all afternoon every afternoon drinking tropical drinks. At least, nobody that I know of in New Orleans would do that. That's more what tourists do here. We have places to go (in our cars), things to do, a life to live.

If you truly want to spend most of your time outside, I'd suggest Hawaii since the temperatures there are quite stable the year around. But, some people think it's too humid there. Go figure. When you live in a place like that, you become more sensitive to minor temperature changes. When I was in high school in Hawaii, we'd break out the expensive sweaters if the temperature got down as low as 73 or so. We felt pretty cold at that temperature.

Here in NJ it gets pretty darned cold in the winter. Maybe not like the mid-West, but we definitely get some bitterly cold days. Echoing the above, I embrace the cold and do my best to get outdoors year-round. Sure, I'll take a "day off" and stay in the house when the roads are impassable due to snow, but it's just that....one day. Then I'm back out there running, walking or cycling, or even just head out to the coffee shop. If what I just wrote is anathema to you, then yes the best solution is spend that extra $100,000 and seek out the better climate.

 

[Midpack]

Suppose you found a good place that was much less than $100K difference.
Then a year later you realize that actually it wasn't as great as you first thought and there's another place not far away that you would like much better.
Lather, rinse, repeat.

If I were you, I think I would want to rent long enough to be really sure of where I wanted to buy.

Renting first is part of our plan, but we'll still face the real estate premium. No point in renting if we're not willing to pony up the $100K.

 

[Midpack]

I would never live in Charlotte because of the cold winters (not considering other factors). I wouldn't consider living there escaping winter at all. I think because America is a cold country in much of the country for most of the year, most people fall into making relative comparisons on temperature. A quick check shows over half the year with a low below 50 (5 months with lows below 40) and about half the year with a high below 70.

Fair point, more specifically we'd be trading 40" of snow for 3" on average. And 10 degrees warmer in winter makes a difference to us.

 

[Dash man]

We bought a beachfront condo in Florida to snowbird to, so we obviously would pay the $100K. We have no regrets and have had no problem adjusting to the 1200 sq ft condo. Plenty of amenities to use in the building if we need more space.

 

[Midpack]

By the way, in answer to the original question, in 2015 I spent $92K just to move three miles, to a better house right next door to F, and to a better neighborhood.

OK, the price difference between the houses was less than $40K, but with closing costs, moving costs, repairs, fixing up the new-to-me house, and so on, it added up fast.

Moving anywhere is expensive. Moving to another state could cost more than one might initially think.

P.S. - - I don't regret spending that $92K, though! Value to me and my happiness is in the millions.

Good point, but we are moving regardless, so the initial out of pocket add would be essentially $100K. DW and I aren't happy with our current house, like you weren't evidently. Either we get a new house where we are for about $350K, or we get the exact same new house further south for $450K.

 

[rayinpenn]

Yes and I may... if I move from Penn my sons tuition becomes out of state meaning a $10k hit per year ... 3 years = 30k more. His cost getting home will increase to maybe another $10k for airfare...Then there's no 1 she's graduating and will need a place to live...I won't pay for the apartment but there will be start up cost $10k

At the end of the day yeah I'd pay $100 for no more snow. Yup I'll be lucky to escape with only $100k

 

[rodi]

I personally would look at more factors than just weather. I live in the best weather (some would say) in the country... no humidity... range of temps is pretty much 60-80 midday year round... Obviously that's a plus for me. But I'm here because this is where I grew up and this is where family was. (Parents have passed since I moved back). But once I was here... I was already embedded in the expensive area with high costs.

Since I live in a place that is super expensive... $100k difference doesn't sound like that much... But it's all perspective... and my perspective is that of someone with no mortgage and no plan on cashing out our equity.

 

[daylatedollarshort]

Since you seem unsure, If I were in your shoes I would rent different places in the winter until you find some place you have no doubt about. I'm not a snow or cold weather kind of person so I've never regretted moving out of the Midwest. Yes, I would and have in the past paid more than $100K to move for better weather (and scenery).

Also, don't forget to factor in appreciation potential. When we moved to California from the South, our home price doubled, but the old house has lost money to inflation and the current house has appreciated at about twice the rate of inflation over the years. So over the long run moving was the the better long term investment, plus there is more to do here and the weather is pleasant most of the year.

Here is one person's view of a pleasant weather chart you might find interesting:
https://kellegous.com/j/2014/02/03/pleasant-places/

 

[Midpack]

If it was something we really wanted to do and didn't significantly impact our chances of the lifestyle we planned for then I would certainly do it. The extra $100k is a transfer from investable assets to real estate and won't affect the inheritance you pass onto the heirs.

Good reminder, I know it but I lose sight of it for some reason.

But I suspect that you are not completely sure you want to move.

Sorta. We are sure we're going to move out of the current house. It's whether we stay in this area, or move somewhere warmer with much less snow.

 

[wrigley]

Good point, but we are moving regardless, so the initial out of pocket add would be essentially $100K. DW and I aren't happy with our current house, like you weren't evidently. Either we get a new house where we are, or we get a new house further south.

I'm sure I told you this before. I was born and raised in Chicago and lived there until I was 18 when I left and joined the Navy. That was nearly 40 years ago. My entire family still lives in Chicago and the surrounding suburbs.


I love Chicago and have very fond memories of it. I would never go back to that cold weather. If, by chance, I still lived there and had the opportunity and desire to move like you do, I would never even consider any place where it got cold enough to snow.


I have lived in Jacksonville Florida now for the past 24 years and if I ever decide to move again, I'll go further south.

Mike

 

[sengsational]

I would never live in Charlotte because of the cold winters (not considering other factors). I wouldn't consider living there escaping winter at all. I think because America is a cold country in much of the country for most of the year, most people fall into making relative comparisons on temperature. A quick check shows over half the year with a low below 50 (5 months with lows below 40) and about half the year with a high below 70.

The winters you can expect in the Carolina's are fairly short, you never have to shovel snow, but you'll need more than a tee shirt.

This post is just to give someone an idea about what the weather here is really like.

My buddy and I walked at lunchtime, scheduled every day, irrespective of the temperature, all year long. This was in our "w*rk clothes", so although the walk was somewhat for exercise, it wasn't strenuous at all.

Even when it was technically winter, I often walked, mid-day, in shirt sleeves. Maybe the night got down to 30F, but by the time noon rolled-around, with a little physical activity, you didn't need a jacket. That's not to say that I didn't wear a jacket sometimes during our walks in December, January, February, but it was probably less than 30% of the time. We'd cancel on days with significant precipitation, but surprisingly, there were very few days where that happened.

Summertime, it's hot and humid. As in, you walk out and you're wet already, and you didn't do any physical activity. A lot of times, zero breeze. So when it came to summer walks, those tended to be shorter because of the heat and humidity.

So for an outdoor person like the OP, there's going to be some long spring and fall months where the temperatures are great for being outdoors. The winters are not that long and not that severe. But unless you've got a water-based activity, being outside in the summer heat and humidity can be brutal. My solution is to ride a bike because with a small energy expenditure, you generate your own breeze.

 

[ShokWaveRider]

The simple answer is Yes, and we did, but there are better choices than NC. I would rather pay extra to live in a nice community than not, and other example of home premium. But Property taxes can be controlled. where we live is a good compromise.

 

[Surewhitey]

We moved to Cali in 07 (albeit for w*rk). I'd do it again if DD and DGD weren't in the pic now. Texas is not a bad place. Moved here in 99 and again a couple years ago. Good news is we have lots of friends to visit in SoCal pretty much any time of year. NC is a nice place for sure, but I would imagine SC or GA could be a similar experience. Almost moved to N Atlanta burbs and we love northern GA for the outdoors and into the hills pretty quickly or south to the white sands of FL...

 

[IMATERP]

Somewhere in the Triangle. We've been spoiled living next to (very) large metro areas all our lives, and we're not willing to give that up. Charlotte and the Triangle are probably the only options to us.

I relocated to the Triangle 16 years ago from Washington, D.C. It's no longer the South as traffic is increasingly getting worse and retirees keep coming down here from the Northeast in droves. Since we bought our retirement home a couple of years ago - we are staying.

If I were relocating to NC - I might look at New Bern or Asheville. Asheville is very trendy, but sort of pricey, though.

Michael

 

[bmcgonig]

God yes. Weather is very important to me and having spent three months in Chicago during the winter and two months during the summer, I'd really go anywhere else. It's huge to be able to go out during the winter months. I'm in the Bay Area and I'm thinking of getting away from winters there . Go for it.

 

[imoldernu]

Costing out our Florida community.

Up front cost for used 90s.f. (edited to change to 900s.f.) mfg home in a 55+ community $$25k.
Annual rent for lot $7200. Off season cost $80 mo. utilities and lawncare. 1/2 Full time, 1/2 Snowbirds.

Younger community of 325 homes. More activity than one can handle. 53 slip marina, large clubhouse, Billiards, bocce, shuffle, horseshoes, all card games, art, quilting, craft, cooking, computer (etc.) classes. Indoor exercise fitness center, tai chi, spinning classes, daily. Large screened pool, and whirlpool spa. Water exercise classes and pool parties.
Weekly parties during snowbird season, including dance band, dancing, beer, wine and hors d'oerves for about $6/8 person. Many pot lucks, parties for the different clubs, and travel groups, plus the "convertible" club which takes weekly tours every Saturday.

Contrary to many older "parks", the average resident age has stayed low.
Very friendly.

Central Florida 1 hr. drive to Daytona or Homasassa... East and west coast. One hour to Disney, and 35 minutes to the Villages. Much lower cost of living than either the east or west coast, and the humidity in central Florida isn't as wet as the coasts.

100K gets you there for about 8 years and likely to get your home price back when you sell.
Not good if one needs a 2000+s.f. home on a big lot, but it worked for us.

One other thing re; renting... You have to bring your "stuff" back and forth every year. When you own, all the comforts are already there.

Just sayin... there are options. Depends on what one needs.