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

[1-31-18]

OP may be comfortable living in a distant suburb in his home region around Chicago, but may find places 25-50 miles from the two North Carolina cities far less comfortable for a transplant than places closer in.

+1

Drive even ten miles north of Durham, south or west of Chapel Hill, or east of Raleigh, and you are in Dixie. Nothing wrong with that, if that's what you want. Would make sure I'm truly welcome before buying a home there.

 

[explanade]

Yeah I hear FL is like that too, not too far from the urban areas.

 

[simple girl]

I hear that.

Very true it is comfy indoors anywhere these days. Driving and shoveling snow are manageable, falls are an increasing concern. But most of all we love to be outdoors and be active, and absolutely hate being cooped up for months on end - been there, done that for 24 straight years.

I get the sense that you really want to try something new but are afraid of it turning out to be a mistake.

OK, so what would you regret more?

1) 20 years from now living in the same place and never exploring what it would be like to live in a warmer climate year round

or

2) moving but a year or two from now you realize you really don't like the new area and you wasted some $ and time moving

 

[kramer]

Allow me to help you ...
1) Sitting in an ice cold car waiting for the windows to defrost sufficiently to safety proceed
...
14) My executive parking lot where the wind blows like Arctic station zebra.

I fight the cold - my arsenal includes a very warm Eskimo parka and an assortment of very warm coats. Guess what? I still despise the cold.

Im sitting on my deck in the morning, its 80 degrees with the umbrella up and open and I have a cup of coffee in hand. My laptop, extra portable monitor and iPad Pro are open on the table before me. The sun is shining, there's a slight breeze, the birds are chirping and a hummingbird is back and forth at the feeders and best of all I'm at work. I have Pandora on and I'm listening to Frank Sinatra when I get bored I'll listen to a little Gershwin. The Mrs and I will sneak off for a quick lunch just before noon. Exactly why would I like the cold?

Wow, nice detailed post My criterion is even simpler ... can I have an early evening dinner on the patio or outside in a covered area in a restaurant comfortably most of the year. Even better if I can wear shorts to dinner. I can even remember working in Austin during the summer on a business trip and the days were hot but the summer evenings were amazing.

 

[Bestwifeever]

Complaining about cold winters when you live in a climate that gets cold winters really is a meaningless exercise. It's not like winter in the northern climates is a surprise or you can make it go away--you can only change yourself by either accepting it as W2R nicely suggested or going away yourself either temporarily or permanently.

 

[ivinsfan]

I get the sense that you really want to try something new but are afraid of it turning out to be a mistake.

OK, so what would you regret more?

1) 20 years from now living in the same place and never exploring what it would be like to live in a warmer climate year round

or

2) moving but a year or two from now you realize you really don't like the new area and you wasted some $ and time moving

I don't know about the OP time and money is important..but buying and selling houses, moving and all the stuff that goes with it is stressful...the stress and hassle would be my biggest issue with possibly making an error with the move..We thought for many years about just buying a place in Southern Utah, but everytime we looked I just got this "uneasy" feeling that has nothing to do with money. Renting on VRBO works out perfectly for us..everybody is different but perhaps the OP just has a "uneasy" feeling he is attributing to the money issue.

 

[Sittingduck]

Midpack,

We live in McHenry County (northwest of Chicago) so I empathize with your thoughts of more sun and less snow. My wife is into horses so the renting - snowbird thing is out for us. (They are like anchors made from meat).

Without rehashing all the ills of Illinois, don't you find the math will get steadily worse when the bills finally come due? This county is in the top ten of tax dollars per assessed value. Sounds like you are in Lake or Dupage Counties which are about as bad. When whatever plan is finally settled on to redress the financial deficit, I believe home values will suffer and tax bills will rise at the same time. If you are considering a move, sooner than later would probably be better or the $100K differential will be even bigger. I just celebrated my one year retirement anniversary and moving out of state is something constantly on my mind.

 

[RunningBum]

Complaining about cold winters when you live in a climate that gets cold winters really is a meaningless exercise. It's not like winter in the northern climates is a surprise or you can make it go away--you can only change yourself by either accepting it as W2R nicely suggested or going away yourself either temporarily or permanently.

But...the OP isn't just complaining! He's strongly considering going away from it, one of your options. The point of the thread seems to be to get other opinions on whether it's worth the cost. It's a judgement call that no one else can make, but it can be worth getting insight he might not have thought of. Not a meaningless exercise at all. Better to study it from all sides now than to uproot he and his wife only to find out he doesn't like it, for reasons others could have told him.

 

[explanade]

I don't even like having to bundle up, put on socks, in the winters here in Northern CA.

 

[Fedup]

I don't even like having to bundle up, put on socks, in the winters here in Northern CA.

I know quite a few people in my bridge class relocated from NorCal to SoCal. It's colder and rainier than SoCal.

 

[meierlde]

Re the no electrictity no heat issue. Of course if you have natural gas, you could install a gas powered generator to power the pumps and the furnace. If ice storms happen often enough it makes sense.

 

[Midpack]

Complaining about cold winters when you live in a climate that gets cold winters really is a meaningless exercise. It's not like winter in the northern climates is a surprise or you can make it go away--you can only change yourself by either accepting it as W2R nicely suggested or going away yourself either temporarily or permanently.

Yes. And if it was an even money decision, it would be a no brainer. It's the upfront AND on ongoing premium that gives us pause. But some good points have been made here, getting our thinking off dead center - and that was the objective. We do appreciate your thoughts, thanks everyone.

But...the OP isn't just complaining! He's strongly considering going away from it, one of your options. The point of the thread seems to be to get other opinions on whether it's worth the cost. It's a judgement call that no one else can make, but it can be worth getting insight he might not have thought of. Not a meaningless exercise at all. Better to study it from all sides now than to uproot he and his wife only to find out he doesn't like it, for reasons others could have told him.

EXACTLY! Getting input here has worked before, and will again. ER.org is a smart, thoughtful group overall.

 

[W2R]

Besides, this thread has been fun and we are all eager to hear what Midpack and his DW eventually decide to do.

If they can easily afford the costs of moving to NC, *PLUS* the costs of moving back if they don't like it there, then it sounds like a no-brainer. But otherwise, it sounds like a very difficult decision.

On the one hand, they'd be essentially jumping out of a plane at 30,000 feet and hoping for the best. This feeling could be lessened by renting, but still it is diving into the Great Unknown.

On the other hand, if they don't move to NC they'll always wonder what it might have been like living there.

Hmmm!!


(P.S. - - Thanks to those who explained to me what they feel are big problems of living in a cold climate. Not having lived in "snow country" for 40 years, I'm not going to say they are wrong although I guess you just have to live it to understand completely.)

 

[YeahNo]

Do it! My suggestion is to do monthly rentals first though. We've done it in Key West the last two winters and have fell in love with the place. Being able to go to the beach, go for a bike right, etc during the middle of the winter (homebase Minnesota), is absolutely life changing.

I use to tell myself that I 'enjoy the winters' because I enjoy winter sports like skiing and snowmobiling. I was delusional like most people that live here. As soon as you retire, you realize how lame the weather really is here as you have tons more time to be in it (vs sitting in an office cubicle).

Currently I am trying to arrange 2-3 months down there next winter...November is already booked. We are in our 30s with 2 little kids and we made it happen so you can too

Seriously...get the hell out of the north during the winter!

 

[calmloki]

Is it worth $100k? (or having the $100k in a different account)

Sure. You think the winters will get more tolerable as you get older?

St. George Utah was mentioned as an option - the land is beautiful in that area. My suggestion would be Prescott Az. It gets winter, but not winter as you know it, and has a huge number of sunshine days. Big rocks, good forest, good medical, and big weather. Summers are temperate, taxes are ok, big ol' town of Phoenix an hour down the hill. Airport hub in Phoenix as well, but you don't have to live down in the heat and ruck and dust and haboobs. If you want more cowboy and winter try Payson.

 

[meierlde]

My parents moved south when my father retired (from the Detroit area to the Texas Hill Country). My father guessed that the lack of serious winter added a couple of years to his life. (When it snows here, and you are retired you just hole up and wait a day or two and it has melted.) Basically if the weather is bad you just hole up and wait and it will change. Not like the north with 6 months of winter, and in the worst storms you still hole up (20++ inches of snow and drifting)

 

[Clone]

We have discussed the idea of snow birding in the future, but it doesn't seem like it makes sense for us. My folks became Florida residents, and enjoyed it for perhaps 15 years. Eventually they sold out and moved back north.

Our present thoughts are to take an extended southeast get-away during the January or February time frame. Maybe a two week cruise, a week or two on land at a resort, then head back north again. A couple weeks later maybe take a week to Las Vegas, Phoenix, or somewhere in the Southwest.

We are in a place where we can hire the snow cleared if/when we get to that point. It is much different now then when we had to drive to work through 20 miles of bad road every day, in the dark, in then morning. Then work the 9 to 10 hours, in a building, with no windows, inside a building, with no windows. And of course, that lovely 20 miles of bad road driving home, every day, in the dark!

 

[Jerry1]

I didn't read every post, but what I did read did not mention family. I've lived north all my life. I too, hate the cold. In my younger years, I thought retirement would certainly include moving south. Then my kids grew up and one of them had kids (my grandkids). All live very close and we get to be a part of their lives. The best I can hope for now is being a snowbird. I'm sure I could still be meaningfully involved in their life minus 3-4 months a year and still feel good on the family front. If family proximity is not a issue, then it would be a much more likely option to move south full time.

However, I will point out and it was said at least in one thread, the south has summer. Some places can be oppressively hot and or muggy. That might be more tolerable than winter, but it may keep you indoors more than you'd think.

Still - I'd take warm over cold for one main reason - cold can be down right painful.

 

[Ronstar]

One thing that may help in making the decision to move: Some expenses in a warm climate should be lower than those of a cold climate.

Cars should last longer where the winters are warmer. Maybe even eliminate a vehicle, since warm weather makes other forms of winter transportation viable

Utilities in a climate with warm winters will be less than those in a cold climate.

Maybe health care costs long term will be less in a warm winter area since it's easier to exercise (just IMO)

And there could be other expenses that are lower in warmer winter areas that could offset the costs of a move.

 

[iloveyoga]

I just booked the first part of our January get away to Florida in January. That helps a lot with our winters.

 

[rayinpenn]

"What good is the warmth of summer, without the cold of winter to give it sweetness."

John Steinbeck had it wrong, I just don't recall hearing a southern Californian saying "dam another day without cold and snow!"
I much prefer:

"Winter in New England is 9 nine months of snow followed by 3 months of incredibly bad sledding."

 

[misshathaway]

Allow me to help you ...
1) Sitting in an ice cold car waiting for the windows to defrost sufficiently to safety proceed
2) Even in my snug as a bug, in our well insulated, triple paned, draft free home feeling guilty about turning the heat up to 70 on the stoves because I am chilled to the bone.

... and more terrible, accurate items

I have been going back and forth on making "the move" for those reasons. This past winter in NE 'bout killed me. And it is still somewhat going on - had to wear a coat to the gym this morning. After some research on snowbirding, decided to try adapting next year. I bought a head-to-toe industrial insulated suit for snow shoveling and daily walks, which IS perfectly warm even at windchill below 0. It's a man's XS which is still too big. I am willing to look like an idiot to be warm. I am also doing wall and attic insulation this month so I can be comfortably warm in the house. Theoretically, if you can keep your body warm, the weather should not matter.

For me it has been really true that the older you get, the more you feel the cold. I'd pay the 100K if I could stay where I was and live under one of those climate controlled sci-fi domes that cover an entire metropolis.

 

[Car-Guy]

To me, as an outlier on this forum, it's a simple decision with 3 basic steps on spending.

1 - Can you afford it? If no, stop, until you can. If yes go to question number 2.

2 - Do you "really" want it? If no, stop. If yes, go to question number 3.

3 - Buy it. Rinse and repeat.

I spent well over 300k last year on non discretionary "stuff" using the above. YMMV. (Would have spent a lot more but couldn't get past question 1 or 2)

You only go around once. YMWV (Your mileage won't vary).

 

[Fedup]

"What good is the warmth of summer, without the cold of winter to give it sweetness."

John Steinbeck had it wrong, I just don't recall hearing a southern Californian saying "dam another day without cold and snow!"
I much prefer:

"Winter in New England is 9 nine months of snow followed by 3 months of incredibly bad sledding."

This Southern Californian is going to Hawaii in the winter. Even without the cold and snow, it's still too cold and depressing here in Dec and Jan.

 

[MRG]

Don't forget the costs of the physical move. We spent a lot more than planned.