WestUniversity
Full time employment: Posting here.
- Joined
- Oct 7, 2017
- Messages
- 717
No way. DW and I absolutely don’t want the hassle...
Anyone Else Desire The Two-Home Lifestyle?
- Thread starter mexexpat
- Start date
NorthNola
Dryer sheet wannabe
I have had 2 homes for 12 years and am partially retired. Have 3 years to go to be fully on my own. Pittsburgh is my main and New Orleans is the vacation/retirement home. I spend about 4-5 weeks in Nola now but plan to spend months at a time (all of carnival season which is Jan-March). Really looking forward to years where I can split my time although the freestanding house in Pgh will most likely get traded for a condo for easy pack up and go. I don't rent it so it is an expense however has appreciated considerably. I am still able to travel to other places, internationally and domestically. Will look forward to basing a period of time in Nola to explore the south.
Accidental Retiree
Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
- Joined
- Feb 17, 2012
- Messages
- 1,500
Yes, I have a hankering, but we’re trying to satisfy it via VRBO pet-friendly rentals for now.
arch57
Recycles dryer sheets
- Joined
- Dec 14, 2013
- Messages
- 110
2nd home 250 miles
We’ve owned a charming Lakehouse in Western Maine for 12 years now and it’s 250 miles from our primary home in CT. The travel time is 4.5 hours with one pee stop but traffic often plays havoc if there’s construction or an accident. We often grab lunch or shop to break it up but it then turns into a 6-7 hour trip. It was a real pain when we both worked and had only weekends as you spent most of the time on the road. The rest of our friends up there are from Mass so they have enviable 2 hour drives.
Once we retired in 2015 we would spend 2 or 3 weeks up there at a time but a year later my 93 year old mother-in-law needed full time care so she moved into an in-law apartment I created in our primary home. Now unfortunately we are back to shorter trips again and the whole two home question looms large in our discussions.
We’ve tied up a lot of time, energy and money in the place and we often feel like we lead a bipolar life, we get wrapped up in volunteer events in either place and our calendars are too busy to enjoy either location. Or social events in one place conflict with plans while we are at the other place.
While we love the magical Lakehouse and have countless fond memories but we are re-evaluating it this year as our daughter and son-in-law are expecting our first grandkid this August and they live in NYC so that will pull us even further from Maine.
We’ve owned a charming Lakehouse in Western Maine for 12 years now and it’s 250 miles from our primary home in CT. The travel time is 4.5 hours with one pee stop but traffic often plays havoc if there’s construction or an accident. We often grab lunch or shop to break it up but it then turns into a 6-7 hour trip. It was a real pain when we both worked and had only weekends as you spent most of the time on the road. The rest of our friends up there are from Mass so they have enviable 2 hour drives.
Once we retired in 2015 we would spend 2 or 3 weeks up there at a time but a year later my 93 year old mother-in-law needed full time care so she moved into an in-law apartment I created in our primary home. Now unfortunately we are back to shorter trips again and the whole two home question looms large in our discussions.
We’ve tied up a lot of time, energy and money in the place and we often feel like we lead a bipolar life, we get wrapped up in volunteer events in either place and our calendars are too busy to enjoy either location. Or social events in one place conflict with plans while we are at the other place.
While we love the magical Lakehouse and have countless fond memories but we are re-evaluating it this year as our daughter and son-in-law are expecting our first grandkid this August and they live in NYC so that will pull us even further from Maine.
Retired Expat
Full time employment: Posting here.
If 2nd home is far away...
My previous 2nd home was 97 miles away from my prime. Now it is over 4000. So likely We have one of the longer trips to 2nd home around at about 20 hours door to door. You folk complaining about a 4 hour trip just crack me up,
So key is to take only extended trips of 3 weeks to 3 months. We fly, (about 12 hours just in the air) rent a car at the airport to get home (a 2.5 hour drive), the next day drop off the rental near home and will use the car we are buying next trip. Previously we tried renting and would drop off the airport rental in exchange for a local rental. On a monthly basis saved about $500 a month Taxi or Uber to home doesn’t make financial sense usually.
My previous 2nd home was 97 miles away from my prime. Now it is over 4000. So likely We have one of the longer trips to 2nd home around at about 20 hours door to door. You folk complaining about a 4 hour trip just crack me up,
So key is to take only extended trips of 3 weeks to 3 months. We fly, (about 12 hours just in the air) rent a car at the airport to get home (a 2.5 hour drive), the next day drop off the rental near home and will use the car we are buying next trip. Previously we tried renting and would drop off the airport rental in exchange for a local rental. On a monthly basis saved about $500 a month Taxi or Uber to home doesn’t make financial sense usually.
brucethebroker
Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
We fly said:
We fly between GDL (Guadalajara) and TPA (Tampa). Each of our homes is within 30 minutes of these airports. We keep a car at each home. Our homes are in very walkable areas and we put few miles on our cars.
W2R
Moderator Emeritus
Just out of curiosity, will your car even start, if it is left parked and not operated for 6 months or more, not even being started once? I wonder if the battery might be pretty low by that time.
No way would I be even remotely interested in having 2 houses. One is enough. I don't mind paying for a VRBO or Airbnb if we want to stay somewhere else for a couple of weeks. And then we leave and never give it a second thought.
Ronstar
Moderator Emeritus
Illinois home is 1 hour drive to Chicago Midway airport. Scottsdale condo is 30 minutes from Phoenix Sky Harbor. Used to fly back and forth several times a year. Now drive 1 round trip and 1 round trip flight per year. Used to have a car at the condo. But the battery never survived the summer. So now we drive a car out to az to November, fly back to Illinois for the holidays leaving the car in az , fly back to az around Jan 1, and drive back to Il around April 1.
Retiree_Having_Fun
Recycles dryer sheets
Do you have any problem getting into the social scene and activities as you are a part timer in the Villages?
From 2008 - 2012 we had a home in Central Mexico and also in AZ. We drove up and back once a year (spending 5 to 6 weeks in AZ), in our only car (US plated).
At that time we both owned motorcycles in AZ. We had to use a gas additive as well as a trickle charger for the batteries.
Before we sold the AZ house and bought the FL house we sold our bikes.
W2R
Moderator Emeritus
Thanks for the explanations, everyone! I always wondered how people with two houses kept their car batteries charged (if the car was left behind), and now I know.
Crossing that off my list of Life's Greatest Unknown Mysteries....
Well, for me anyway.
Crossing that off my list of Life's Greatest Unknown Mysteries....
Well, for me anyway.
pb4uski
Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
What we usually do is to disconnect the negative terminal on the vehicle for the off season.... the battery can only leak power if both terminals are connected.... then connect when needed and it starts everytime in my experience. I then let it run at idle for 10-15 minutes to top up the change, put the code in the radio so that is working again and top up the tires with air and all is good to go.
Music Lover
Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
Be sure to get one that has smart technology. I don't have to store a car for months...I use it because it allows me to use the heated steering wheel and seats as much as I want and not worry about draining the battery. This is the one I have:
https://www.amazon.com/Battery-Tender-021-0123-Junior-Charger/dp/B000CITK8S
kcowan
Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
Yes we do that with one car north and 2 cars south. Never had a problem (other than the clocks). Also leave the cars with partial fuel full and top up right away. We have a battery operated tire pump to get enough air in the make a trip to the service station.
This is what I keep landing on. I had an apartment building with a property manager, and not that they were bad, but I am just much better, but if I cannot be close to the property its tough. In theory it seems like a good idea and could save on taxes in FL, but I keep saying the headache and expense of a remote property makes it more appealing to just book a few VRBOs and let the owners deal with Homeowner hassles. Turnkey, and leave!
