Where to buy a warm weather second home?

[Koolau]

Our retired friends in Asheville are rethinking their decision...lucky we visited them 3 weeks ago.

Yes, I can hear the conversation now:

"Dear, it's your turn." "No, no, no. It's my turn."

"Okay, you go first. You kick me in the rear and then I'll kick you in the rear."

 

[Deuce]

I live on the Outer Banks of Virginia in Virginia Beach. We have the ocean and the bay, boating, water and jet skiing. We normally get just brushed by hurricanes. Virginia Beach has been named the safest city in the USA!

 

[Retired Expat]

We prefer to own rather than rent as we like to go for extended stays and it is great to be able to leave your stuff and travel light. Also our vacation home gets rented out when we aren’t using it so it costs us nothing to keep and maintain it.

Primary home is in Uruguay which is LCOL for the most part, safe and secure with few natural disasters or major risk factors and not too hot/not too cold climate. Only negative is the 24 hour door to door travel required to our 2nd home, but we blow the dough on Business class so not terrible!

 

[rembrandt]

I would take the odd Hurricane over the barrage of Tornados some states get. There is always something no matter where one lives. The areas with a better quality of life are the ones most prone to something or another.

Move to FL and you can get both!

 

[Ian S]

If ocean adjacent isn't a requirement, what about Yuma, AZ? Winters there are sunny and pleasantly cool but summers are HOT! Other than the summer heat, natural disasters aren't really a factor. San Diego and Phoenix are an easy 3 hrs away via I-8 and Los Algodones, the Mexican border town that caters to dental tourism, is about 20 minutes away. Real estate is fairly cheap. Yuma, with its farming, has a senior claim on Colorado water. That said, desert landscaping is the norm.

 

[Koolau]

If ocean adjacent isn't a requirement, what about Yuma, AZ? Winters there are sunny and pleasantly cool but summers are HOT! Other than the summer heat, natural disasters aren't really a factor. San Diego and Phoenix are an easy 3 hrs away via I-8 and Los Algodones, the Mexican border town that caters to dental tourism, is about 20 minutes away. Real estate is fairly cheap. Yuma, with its farming, has a senior claim on Colorado water. That said, desert landscaping is the norm.

Just looked to see if Jack and Rosie's restaurant is still there. It is. Spent a week in Yuma many years ago. I think I could live there though it's not the entertainment capital of AZ.

What do you think of Parker? Spent time there as well. Close to Phoenix and CA and Mexico. YMMV

 

[Mansderm]

We’ve looked for condos in Florida, Myrtle Beach and the Gulf shores. High HOA’s and pending assessments turned us off on these locations. Any recommendations?

I recently moved back to Ohio from the North Myrtle Beach area. When I looked for a place, I told the agent I do plan to live there in retirement and don't want a different neighbor every week. She steered me away from condos due to that reason. So any place that is "touristy" will likely have the issue of condo owners purchasing purely for investment and therefore you could have neighbors for a week at a time that are undesirable. With a second home, you or someone has to check on it, so I preferred something drivable in one day. My drive to South Carolina was 10 hours but I did it every 2 months for 10 years before I made the move. I really didn't want to pay someone and I ended up buying a house that banned short term rentals so letting someone rent my home for a year wasn't for me.
Lastly, being near the beach was a dream and great at first. But there are pros and cons to living everywhere. I owned my property for 15 years. Sand and salt and water are in the air so you have to deal with that....anything metal will rust in the garage, anything fabric or synthetic fabric will get moldy. Your house gets mold on the exterior and roof. I power washed the whole house every year. I power washed the large lanai every week. Then there's pollen ..

I recommend renting at least over a year during different times of year to see if you like the area. If there is a tourist season, you may need reservations anytime you want to go out to eat and it will be crowded. How is traffic? Where will you get car serviced? Look into the medical community reputation. Can you get into a doctor? And make sure you read the HOA rules cover to cover!!! There will be someone who feels the need to be the HOA police and they can drive you nuts! And find out what your insurance options are.

 

[kcowan]

Our friends have returned home (from Atlanta) when their water sewer was reconnected.

Even their favorite pub is operational.

 

[Koolau]

We've looked around and realized quickly that there is no perfect place. The warm places have all kinds of natural issues (as mentioned above - like mold, salt damage, sun damage, maybe hurricanes/tornadoes, HCOL, etc.) You just learn to live with them or move someplace "cold."

Heaven is perfect - but I've never been yet.

 

[lem1955]

I would take the odd Hurricane over the barrage of Tornados some states get. There is always something no matter where one lives. The areas with a better quality of life are the ones most prone to something or another.

How about tornados with your hurricanes?

 

[Ian S]

Just looked to see if Jack and Rosie's restaurant is still there. It is. Spent a week in Yuma many years ago. I think I could live there though it's not the entertainment capital of AZ.

What do you think of Parker? Spent time there as well. Close to Phoenix and CA and Mexico. YMMV

The problem with Parker is its size: ~3000. Yuma OTOH is just shy of 100,000. Yuma has an airport with commercial flights (American Airlines) connecting to Phoenix and Dallas-Fort Worth. Yuma has a hospital (Level III Trauma) while Parker's is Level IV Trauma. Yuma has a nearby casino and apparently has an up and coming regional Arts scene. If you're only looking for a place to escape cold winters, it would seem to fit the bill. We pass through Yuma frequently to visit family in San Diego. Over the twenty plus years years we've been doing that, it certainly seems to have grown especially as a snowbird haven. We have our dream home in Sedona so we won't be moving there but for others it might be a good option.

 

[Koolau]

The problem with Parker is its size: ~3000. Yuma OTOH is just shy of 100,000. Yuma has an airport with commercial flights (American Airlines) connecting to Phoenix and Dallas-Fort Worth. Yuma has a hospital (Level III Trauma) while Parker's is Level IV Trauma. Yuma has a nearby casino and apparently has an up and coming regional Arts scene. If you're only looking for a place to escape cold winters, it would seem to fit the bill. We pass through Yuma frequently to visit family in San Diego. Over the twenty plus years years we've been doing that, it certainly seems to have grown especially as a snowbird haven. We have our dream home in Sedona so we won't be moving there but for others it might be a good option.

Thanks. I guess it's been too long since I've been in western AZ. Forgot Parker was so small.

 

[jayanu]

We’ve looked for condos in Florida, Myrtle Beach and the Gulf shores. High HOA’s and pending assessments turned us off on these locations. Any recommendations?

A thought - if the vacation home is for 3 months only then you may want to think about three months of cruise ship travels - no hassels of home ownership, cheaper, better, and fun! We have taken 42 days trip - we are doing 56 days trip now - we did 14 days trips and have lined up another 30 days trip! Use Vacationstogo.com to find deals.

 

[audreyh1]

I think it simply comes down to: some folks want a second place that already has all their stuff and maybe friends there too. Others aren’t interested in returning to the second place all the time and prefer to visit different places when they travel even if they have to bring their stuff with them. We fall in the latter category.

 

[Involuntary Retiree]

Heaven is perfect - but I've never been yet.

But have you been to Oklahoma?

 

[Jerry1]

But have you been to Oklahoma?

They tell me I was born there . . .

 

[ERhoosier]

Great advice to thoroughly read any HOA/condo covenants before considering purchase, but that is NOT enough. Demand to see financials too. An association in poor financial health (including inadequate reserve funding) is highly likely to be raising dues &/or levying significant assessments. (DON'T ask me how I know that ). Any Association not willing to share its financials with serious buyers (sometimes required by local law &/or real estate market regulation/ethics) should be viewed as highly suspect. Also- covenants and fees (dues/assessments) can change RADICALLY over time. IMHO- Anyone owning a property covered by an HOA/Condo assn should remain closely informed in its operation- including regularly attending meetings....and considering serving on its committees &/or Board.
Case in point- One local HOA here in Midwest was in the press recently for almost doubling its dues in 1 year, and its dues were on the high end to start with (for similarly valued properties in the area). Not surprisingly, property values declined significantly relative to comparables in the immediate area.

FWIW- DW & I have been considering moving South, but for now are settling for extended visits to break up those winter blues. With the prolonged record heat in Phoenix & multiple hurricanes in the Southeast, sometimes the boring Midwest don't seem too bad

 

[Koolau]

But have you been to Oklahoma?

Sadly, yes.

(But never to Spain. Apologies to Three Dog Night and Hoyt Axton.)

Oklahoma was the first place our eldest moved after university. She and our first Grand were located there. Heh, heh, only reason to go.

 

[imnontrad]

Consider other countries also. But eep in mind that you cannot use Medicare outside the US unless you are hospitalized in an emergency.

 

[Falko]

Our friends have returned home (from Atlanta) when their water sewer was reconnected.

Even their favorite pub is operational.

For them, the choice was obvious

 

[tryan]

I'ld be shopping the hurricane ravaged areas for a dime on the dollar. Rehab it as needed. Don't bother insuring it. Expect to loose it in 10-20 years. But yeah .... you bought it cheap cheap .... no worries.

 

[Music Lover]

It should go without saying that if someone needs to ask "where should I buy" then they shouldn't even consider buying. Rent until you find a place you like.

 

[threeonesix]

I'ld be shopping the hurricane ravaged areas for a dime on the dollar. Rehab it as needed. Don't bother insuring it. Expect to loose it in 10-20 years. But yeah .... you bought it cheap cheap .... no worries.

Historically, prices go UP after natural disasters. Not sure how insurance companies abandoning entire states have affected that historical truth.

 

[ncbill]

I'ld be shopping the hurricane ravaged areas for a dime on the dollar. Rehab it as needed. Don't bother insuring it. Expect to loose it in 10-20 years. But yeah .... you bought it cheap cheap .... no worries.

Here that land is being seized under eminent domain to replace the roads that used to be next to the river but are now part of the river.

 

[kgtest]

We’ve looked for condos in Florida, Myrtle Beach and the Gulf shores. High HOA’s and pending assessments turned us off on these locations. Any recommendations?

Same reason I decided not to go into RE near warm weather and beaches. Too high of an "aloha" or "sunshine" tax to pay for me... vs what I could do for my quality of life right now. I have been renting a lot via AIRBNB, VRBO, VACASA and that has worked out well.