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[deleted] t1_j46m0aa wrote

  1. Be born in the period immediately after WWII
  2. Graduate high school, or not, if you don't feel like it
  3. Walk around town until somebody gives you a job
  4. Show up at the job most of the time
  5. Take time away from your sailboats and RVs to look at houses in Florida
  6. Buy the one your wife likes the most
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hardsoft t1_j494kfa wrote

Also have ave one car that's broken half the time, nothing for entertainment but a radio, and go to a restaurant once a year as your big family outing.

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[deleted] t1_j495hcg wrote

Bro what are you talking about. The boomers made restaurants stay open during the worst of the pandemic and didnā€™t leave tips when their food was delayed. They couldnā€™t make it for two weeks without sit down dining.

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irr1449 t1_j46sjdi wrote

I live in the White Mountains and Iā€™ve found winter to be much more ā€¦.. palatable as Iā€™ve forced myself to take up a number of winter activities. Skiing, cross country and downhill, hiking, snow shoeing. I actually look forward to winter now. The key is dressing right. I wear long underwear pretty much November through March. I hate being cold.

Maintaining a second home thousand of miles away is a nightmare unless you have enough money to pay a property manager. We had a vacation home for a few years and it was a constant headache. IMHO it just wasnā€™t worth it compared to taking a vacation or two in the winter. Itā€™s just such a waste of resources to have a house that only gets used half the year. You could have a much nicer house in NH and go to Florida for a few weeks on vacation. Unless money is no object itā€™s hard to really rationalize.

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coldnh t1_j48c5aj wrote

This would be sound advice if NH actually had winters... Instead were stuck in perpetual November. Might as well be new jersey... Too warm and rainy to partake in any winter activities..

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overdoing_it t1_j4b4q3i wrote

This year is a bummer but there will be more winters to come, and some will be very cold and snowy. It's just not guaranteed anymore.

Bad for those tourist industries, they'll have to figure out some way to attract summer visitors. Ski area zip lines or something.

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RemediateRemediate OP t1_j47bc05 wrote

I hear ya but man winter sucks here tbh. I got knee issues so can't ski anymore. Never did snow shoeing.

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irr1449 t1_j47dtja wrote

I was never a hiking or outdoors type. We moved to the mountains because of the views and relatively affordable real estate. When I started hiking it took me 10 tries to climb a mountain nearby. I was completely out of shape and had suffered a nagging ankle injury. Now (a few years later) I can climb the mountain in 45 minutes (3500 feet). I can easily climb Mount Washington. The key is you have to enjoy the outdoors. I put my headphones on and listen to music or books and just appreciate being alone out in nature. My wife absolutely hates hiking, itā€™s not for everyone. The key is to find activities that you enjoy.

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RemediateRemediate OP t1_j47qpv7 wrote

Hiking in the winter sounds next level lol. I respect it. But yeah I like the outdoors. I miss skiing.

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velopress t1_j46bpi5 wrote

I love that you (rightly) skipped right over spring. Thereā€™s no spring in NH.

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PoorManJohn t1_j46cv3c wrote

You need a good source of recurring passive income and healthcare, and not too many dependapotomi (plural form of dependapotamus). Iā€™m toying with that idea of snow-birding too but in an RV once my daughter finishes college in 2 years.

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-Codfish_Joe t1_j47r6g5 wrote

How do you have two houses? Money.

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Top_Solid7610 t1_j48seqr wrote

I have a 2br/2ba mobile home in a 55+ community with a marina and pool. You own the land (not a lease or coop). Last yearā€™s property tax: $49. $260 HOA includes cable tv, lawn etc. Nice / quaint coastal town, walk to restaurants nearby, beach is 15 minutes. $196k. The point is that it does not need to be expensive.

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norm-m t1_j4aspit wrote

This is my actual goal. My wife and I are Gen X, and see this as completely doable. For those complaining about not having enough opportunities for success, I have a few things to share. This is a long term goal that seemed unattainable when we were 20 yrs old. We lived in a crappy apartment and shared a shitbox car. But, stayed somewhat cautious with spending, maintained excellent credit and bought real estate in down markets. We sold our cabin in the north country for a 300% profit in 2021 and sold my long term rental property just yesterday for a nearly 600% profit. Real estate trends are cyclic. It is important to look at the long game, be patient and be ready for when the market comes back in your favor. It will happen. My wife and I are not extraordinary in any way. Some college, no money from our families, good jobs (not great jobs). The home we live in will be paid off in five yrs and we now have freed up cash for a condo in FL when the market works back around. If someone had told me 25 yrs ago that this would be a reality for me, I would have said that they had no idea what they were talking about.

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Glass-Vegetable138 t1_j46b1r0 wrote

Youā€™ll need a pretty good amount of money to start off.

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woodsbill t1_j46oy9j wrote

This will vary tremendously based on your income level and what you're looking for in a place in FL, so what's worked for some may not work for you.

Several folks I know who have done it opted to rent their primary home out for 6 months (Nov-Apr), and either had a fixed place down south or every year hunted down a different place to rent for 6 month.

However, and oddly enough this seems to be the more affordable route... Someone else I know bought an old liveaboard-sized boat for cheap (at auction it was cheaper than a car) did some minor repairs and now lives on it at a Florida marina when there and leaves it locked up when not. Many of these "liveaboard"-focused marinas are between $10-18/month/per-boat-foot which often includes electricity, cable, wifi, amenities, waste pumpouts, etc. Downside is insurance costs can be a killer depending on the boat and location. But hey, waterfront for cheap!

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DigTreasure t1_j486xkg wrote

Get a mortgage on a condo. 60 to 100k. Rent it for a decade. Sell it for 160k. Take rental money plus your profit and roll it into a nice home.

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overdoing_it t1_j4b49g1 wrote

Perhaps consider coastal Texas... Florida is getting very full and very expensive.

My great aunt and uncle have a 1920s beach house there on the gulf coast that's worth about $1M now, they paid $80k or so for it in the early 90s. Nice duplex with half they rent out and half they reserve for themselves and their guests (of which I have been one many times). The value is all in the land, if any investor ever buys it they'll demolish it and build condos or something. Kind of sad since it's such a nice house with a decent sized back yard but people want to cram into the beach and there's limited space to live there.

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FogeyShit t1_j46h3zh wrote

barf

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coldnh t1_j48cfvt wrote

barfing would be trying to do anything enjoyable outside with this winter we are having of rain, mud and darkness.

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Veritaste t1_j4zmmmt wrote

Wife and I work from home in Florida. We wanted a place in New England for winter and summer fun. I started exploring by drawing circles on a map, indicating areas with both a lake and ski mountain within close proximity. Lake Winnipesaukee proved to be the best option. The last hurdle was finding a home within price range. Thanks to a great realtor (and some great luck) it all worked out.

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billsatori t1_j46bd51 wrote

I know a couple of people that did it. One was musician (guitar/singer) that plays pubs and another was a food truck. In both cases, they ended up staying in Florida full time after a year as the money was better. I believe Covid played a factor as well as Florida remained more open during.

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