How do you manage multiple homes, multiple states?

[Scuba]

Quote:

Originally Posted by W2R I'm going to be the one dissenting view here, and ask: Why is purchasing a home necessary, simply in order to be closer to your brother during the summers? People vacation near their relatives all the time without purchasing a house in order to do it. I'd just arrange a short term rental, or stay at an extended stay place when there. The amount you would be spending on purchasing and maintaining a second home (not to mention property taxes, insurance, and so on) will go a long way towards a short term rental. Then like magic, all of your concerns about maintaining two homes will vanish.

I agree, good question.

[pb4uski]

Lots of similarities here with our two places. We had moved as much as possible to paperless and autopay even before we bought our winter condo in FL. We use technology to monitor the properties and neighbors who can check in as needed but we try not to impose on them.

I have Blink camera systems at both properties where I can monitor temperatures and any movement in the property... like our neighbor watering DW's plants or DD stoping by to get something. While we are out the water is off... as is the water heater in our Florida place.

We also leave a zip-lock bag of ice cubes in the freezer... if it is still cubes when we return then we know the freezer stayed frozen... if it is a block of ice then we know that at some point the freezer was off long enough for what is in it to have thawed.

[RunningBum]

Staying in a rental or extended stay place does not make the issue of being away from the other home vanish. It only cuts the problem in half.

[beowulf]

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Originally Posted by Ronstar Wow - Almost identical situation. As to the water heater - our condo water heater is natural gas - yours must be electric. We listed our condo for sale recently, got an offer and its under contract. Plan was to sell Illinois home also and move to a new house in Az. But family issues have this plan on hold. I just got to the point where I only want 1 house.

Ours is electric. No gas in the condo, or at home. I'll probably wait to sell until prices crash again .

We leave a cup of water in the freezer. After it freezes, I put a quarter on top of the ice. If it's not on top when we get back, I toss everything in it.

[Stonewalker]

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Originally Posted by ivinsfan W2R, we came to that conclusion over 10 years ago and don't regret it for a minute. and not to be a Debbie Downer, what if something happens to your DB, or you or your spouse are unable to travel, or on and on I could go. We leave our home for 4-6 weeks in the dead of winter and even with my BIL living 2 miles away and checking our place daily, it's a real source of concern. That's just my personality.

OP here. You and W2R make good points. I'm pondering the whole thing, so thanks for the input. This was just the first stop for some input from experienced folks like y'all.

[ivinsfan]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Stonewalker OP here. You and W2R make good points. I'm pondering the whole thing, so thanks for the input. This was just the first stop for some input from experienced folks like y'all.

Have you tried looking for an extended rental? Some places are harder then others. Our getaway place has literally hundreds of rentals open for the season from Jan- March. If someone wanted to go to Florida it would be a different story.

[jj]

Quote:

Originally Posted by pb4uski We also leave a zip-lock bag of ice cubes in the freezer... if it is still cubes when we return then we know the freezer stayed frozen... if it is a block of ice then we know that at some point the freezer was off long enough for what is in it to have thawed.

Good tip

[ivinsfan]

Quote:

Originally Posted by jj Good tip

I stole this tips for our last snowbird drive. Something else I do is we have a larger freezer where we have meat, veggies and the like. starting late Summer/Early Fall I pay extra attention to the mean in the freezer and try to use most of it up before we leave home in Jan. A good way to rotate my food and it keeps minimal items in the freezer in case of power outage and spoilage.

[pb4uski]

+1 We eat down the freezer over the month or so before we leave to leave little in it over the off-season.

[calmloki]

A bigger stress point than when someone broke a glass french door in the La Quinta Ca house and did the robbery thing while we were in Oregon: I changed a couple addresses on some financial institutions so we could get statements as we are down south during March/April tax time and not all statements are forwarded. State of California decided I was a new resident and needed to pay taxes there. I hate letters from taxing agencies.

Now I try to get tax statements on line and if not have them sent to our rental business PO Box and have our manager open,scan,and send them to us.