Two-House Pendulum Swinging Back to One

[48Fire]

When we were in our 40’s our retirement plan included relocating, but not with two houses. I observed MIL and FIL manage two homes, and sometimes three. They were always moving stuff around and travelling back and forth. Cars, golf clubs, and other items were often in the wrong place, and complicated their life and decisions.

One year prior to ER, we bought a townhome in Florida. Prices were good, and I wanted a clear understanding of the expenses prior to pulling the plug.

However, after ER, the Florida townhome never felt like “home”, so we kept our northern home. After a few years in Florida, we have now found a community, neighborhood, and single-family home on one floor that we are comfortable with all year. Half a mile from the Gulf of Mexico tempers the summer heat and humidity, although it is still hot and humid every day.

Just wondering if anyone has tired of the two-house scenario and transitioned back to one home?

 

[brucethebroker]

Yes. (Costs of two homes are the driving force). But, prices in most of FL (Gulf side in particular) are nearly back to pre-crash highs. The contrarian me finds that unsettling.....

 

[48Fire]

Yes. (Costs of two homes are the driving force). But, prices in most of FL (Gulf side in particular) are nearly back to pre-crash highs. The contrarian me finds that unsettling.....

True, the dynamics change. We were fortunate to buy at crash level in early 2012. We sold high this summer, but bought high as well.

 

[donheff]

We kept a house on the tidal Potomac River for 23 years and sold it, downsizing to our DC home last spring. The cost avoidance and infusion to our portfolio is reassuring but the primary appeal is simplification. A second home is a lot of hassle - yard-work, pool maintenance, repairs, etc. The rewards were great in the early years (windsurfing, water skiing, hanging with family and friends). In recent years we visited less and we and our friends made far less use of the amenities - yet the hassles continued and felt magnified. Selling it felt like tossing off a burden to DW and me. I gave all my water sports gear (including a low mileage jet ski) to my BiL and SiL who now maintain them at their Eastern Shore home where we can visit. Win, win.

 

[RunningBum]

I did for 7 years, though it was more for a family situation than anything else. I was happy to get down to 1. I only spent about 3 months at a time at a place so I felt like I never really settled in either place, always on the verge of coming or going.

 

[folivier]

We had a 2nd home when our kids were small. Nice modern 4 bd/4 bth farmhouse with barn and out buildings from 1860's. 180 acres total with a 10 acre lake and river frontage. We really enjoyed it until the kids became teenagers but when their activities didn't allow time to enjoy it (other than me spending hard weekends maintaining the place) we sold it for a tidy profit.
Actually I wanted to retire there but my DW didn't want to be so far from family.

 

[pb4uski]

We did the opposite.

We went from 2 homes to one in 2011 and that allowed me to retire... lower expenses and more money in the bank.

Fast forward a few years... we were regularly going south for the winter. Rented for 1 month the first year, 3 months the second year. Planned to rent for 3 months each year but we were having trouble finding a 3-month winter rental in the neighborhood where many of our friends own or rent, but a FSBO opportunity sort of fell into our lap so we bought.

Thanks to Mr. Market over the last 5 years we were able to pay cash for the winter condo and still have 15% more than when we retired... which easily funds the annual carrying costs for the winter condo (which are quite a bit less than 3 months rent during the season).

 

[Dawg52]

I'm almost 3 years in on a 2 location scenario. Not tired of it yet, but I'm sure I will as I age. I think I will keep both through my 60's, but if someone comes along with a good price I would think about it.

 

[48Fire]

I'm almost 3 years in on a 2 location scenario. Not tired of it yet, but I'm sure I will as I age. I think I will keep both through my 60's, but if someone comes along with a good price I would think about it.

That's basically what happened to us. We were planning on selling next spring. We texted someone we knew was interested, and 10 minutes later they said they wanted it

 

[phil1ben]

Only been retired for a month but we enjoy the multiple house scenario. We have three homes and have always found the change of location invigorating. Each time we switch homes it is like going on vacation. Since ours are all free-standing homes, there certainly is more work and expense. Condos would have made things easier but that is not our preference.

 

[Danmar]

I'm almost 3 years in on a 2 location scenario. Not tired of it yet, but I'm sure I will as I age. I think I will keep both through my 60's, but if someone comes along with a good price I would think about it.

We have 4 homes. 66 retired 10 years. Not ready to downsize at this point but I can see that at some point will need and want to. Expense is not the driving consideration but rather the time required to keep them all going. Use property management at 3 of them and this helps. Feel at home at them all and enjoy them a lot, agree with Phil that it's invigorating to move around. They are all very different. But eventually....... Would probably use any sales proceeds to upgrade the remaining properties.

 

[W2R]

Just wondering if anyone has tired of the two-house scenario and transitioned back to one home?

I have never had two homes for a significant length of time.

Still, I just had to say that the last thing that I'd want to be doing this morning is standing in a long TSA line at some crummy airport in order to spend the afternoon on a crowded, miserable airplane full of dirty, sick people and screaming babies, going to another home somewhere. We are all different, but for me this could never be invigorating at all!!! Try deathly boring and head-bangingly tedious. Honestly I think I'd rather have teeth pulled.

Each to his own! But gosh, I sure don't agree about that opinion that it would be invigorating. At least not for me.

 

[Philliefan33]

We can easily travel between our two homes. We like to say they are 60 miles but a world apart. It only takes an hour and twenty minutes to get from one to the other, and my commute used to be an hour at the end of my career, so it's no big deal.

We have what we need at each place so it's easy to just pack the perishable food and head to the other house. At some point we may want to sell one place but not in e foreseeable future.

 

[Souschef]

I had a slightly different situation. We married in November of 2007, and bought our home in Ventura. My DW had sold her house (finally), but I still had my condo in the San Fernando Valley. The condo was a lot closer to my office, so I lived there during the week and went home on Fridays, This got to be kind of old, so I retired in January 2009 right after I got my 7% profit sharing.
My DW was happy, as she had to drive me to the train station on early Monday mornings

 

[Ronstar]

We've had an Illinois house and Arizona condo since 2002. Eventually I see us swinging back to one house. Maybe when we're in our 70's or when we don't feel like snowbirding anymore. Or if I can convince DW on where I think would be a great place to live year round.

 

[Bestwifeever]

We've had an Illinois house and Arizona condo since 2002. Eventually I see us swinging back to one house. Maybe when we're in our 70's or when we don't feel like snowbirding anymore. Or if I can convince DW on where I think would be a great place to live year round.

I can't remember what sunshine looks like, it has been so gray in Chicagoland. Perhaps we need a little Arizona....

 

[Dawg52]

I have never had two homes for a significant length of time.

Still, I just had to say that the last thing that I'd want to be doing this morning is standing in a long TSA line at some crummy airport in order to spend the afternoon on a crowded, miserable airplane full of dirty, sick people and screaming babies, going to another home somewhere. We are all different, but for me this could never be invigorating at all!!! Try deathly boring and head-bangingly tedious. Honestly I think I'd rather have teeth pulled.

Each to his own! But gosh, I sure don't agree about that opinion that it would be invigorating. At least not for me.

That's why I have what I have. A 3 hour drive to the coast. Plus I'm not big on traveling via plane period. Hate airports.

 

[Sittinginthesun]

Just went from 2 to 1 and feel relaxed and happy about the decision. A couple of days after the cash cleared the bank 99% went into the portfolio but I did book a nice 2 bedroom suite at a resort in Mexico for the family in February. Will be nice to show up and not have to shop for groceries, do dishes, play handyman, etc. and actually have a vacation where the biggest decision will be to hit the beach or pool and what kind of cold beverage to order. That being said I will likely own another vacation home when I retire in 10 years and the kids are gone.

 

[harley]

Still, I just had to say that the last thing that I'd want to be doing this morning is standing in a long TSA line at some crummy airport in order to spend the afternoon on a crowded, miserable airplane full of dirty, sick people and screaming babies, going to another home somewhere. We are all different, but for me this could never be invigorating at all!!! Try deathly boring and head-bangingly tedious. Honestly I think I'd rather have teeth pulled.

Luckily, they have this new invention called "an automobile". One of the nice things about being retired is not having to rush anywhere. With our three dogs flying would be pretty much impossible, although staying in a hotel with them isn't much better. But if I can get somewhere in a car, I won't fly unless it's an emergency.

We're down from 4 houses to three, after I sold the one I inherited from my Mom. And the third one, where my daughter has been living, will be empty soon. We'll probably keep it for a couple years while we fix it up, and also to use when we visit with her. But it's going to be gone within a few years, anyway. We'll keep the other two at least while the dogs are still alive. Maybe after that we'll go with a condo in FL instead of a house. Maybe a condo up north too. But I don't see us moving from being snowbirds, at least until I get too old to drive.

 

[W2R]

That's why I have what I have. A 3 hour drive to the coast. Plus I'm not big on traveling via plane period. Hate airports.

That sounds perfect.

More than a 3 hour drive could make taking a plane sound attractive. For me, at least, a full day of driving always sounds like a whole lot more fun than it lives.

Less than a 3 hour drive, and perhaps the locations wouldn't be different enough to make it worth having two homes. For example, Baton Rouge is an hour away. If I wanted to hang out in Baton Rouge, I could do that from here and stay in the same home. (Same for Lafayette, which is 2 hours away.)

Well, if I wanted to hang out in Baton Rouge then I'd also know that I lost my mind. I used to live there so that's how I know.

 

[Persn]

We bought our second home in 2013, a short walk from the ocean in California. Our primary home was about 30 miles away. We planned to use it as a vacation rental when not using it ourselves. Shortly thereafter we decided we loved living at the coast. So we sold the primary home in 2015 and used to proceeds to fix up and expand the second home. We moved in to the finished home almost nine months ago and we are very happy with our decision.

For us, having two houses was inconvenient (we have cats) and expensive even though we could afford it. Still, I would consider a second home again in the future if it was someplace I really wanted to spend a lot of time. For now the only the only home that fits that description is the one I am living in.

 

[FreeBear]

More than a 3 hour drive could make taking a plane sound attractive. For me, at least, a full day of driving always sounds like a whole lot more fun than it lives.

Less than a 3 hour drive, and perhaps the locations wouldn't be different enough to make it worth having two homes. For example, Baton Rouge is an hour away. If I wanted to hang out in Baton Rouge, I could do that from here and stay in the same home. (Same for Lafayette, which is 2 hours away.)

Well, if I wanted to hang out in Baton Rouge then I'd also know that I lost my mind. I used to live there so that's how I know.

While w*rking, DW & I drove and flew somewhere every vacation. We never did a stay-cation because we resented dedicating our precious vacation days to ordinary hanging out. Now, airports and planes seem like such a hassle to me, and DW can't take sitting in a car all day. Where we live, it takes all day to get somewhere both "different" and interesting. In fact, we haven't gone on our annual short snowbird trip since retiring.

As for two or more homes, I'm too cheap and we have tons of hobby and sports stuff. We'd never have what we need when we have the itch to do something.

Actually, I'm surprised how much we've just settled in at home. We're quite active in the summer, although we stay locally. In the winter, we're just nesting...

 

[kimcdougc]

We purchased a condo in a good ski location. Had it for (6) years and sold. Got double what we paid. Would have kept the condo but DS moved in when he divorced and took a job near by. Big mistake. We found when we went to the condo we didn't enjoy it anymore because he was living there. Told him had to get out and we sold it.

Now we sold our primary home to our daughter and we are renting an 800 square house from her. House was totally done 3 years ago. We kind of think we might keep renting this house from her and find a secondary place on the east coast. Looking but just haven't found the right thing.

We are still in our 50's and I love all the history on the East coast. We do have and rv so if we find a secondary location, think we will sell the rv.

 

[check6]

We have had two very small homes since 2003. Although we would prefer one home we haven't found an area weather wise that we could live year round.

 

[brett]

We went the other way. From a 3600 sq ft home to a 1400 sq foot rental condo.

It was a lifestyle decision that turned out to be financially advantageous. Sold high and the investment returns have been good. If at some point we cut back on travel we may buy again. We certainly enjoy renting after 35 plus years of owning and renovating homes in several cities.