Mexico...
 

I have spent quite a few winter months in Barra de Navidad, Jalisco, Mexico (and other parts of Mx). Not many Americans. Popular with Canadians. I usually rent an entire 2 bdrm house with a pool for around $1,600/month. If you eat at the best restaurants in town (and they are good) you'll pay about $12 including good wine. A beer in a bar, like Negro Modelo, will be about $1. Not necessary to speak Espanol, but it makes the experience a whole lot better if you can speak a little...And during the summer you can hablar un poco de Español at El Jimador in Laconia. It impresses the wait staff!

And just an aside, it used to be difficult to get a burrito in Mexico. Not anymore. Their origin was in Texas.

Gary pointed out the desirability of the San Diego area; for something less expensive and on the water consider getting something on the Colorado River in So. Cal / Arizona / Nevada.

Snowbirds in the Pac NW flock south in winter, usually roosting near Yuma, Arizona on the Mexican border.

Basically focus on the Colorado River from Bullhead City, Arizona south to the border.

Needles has a lot of hot boats: love those V-drives!

see: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b4hAe0g5tHw

Anyone have experience with coastal SC or GA?
 

We've been wrestling with where to do our southern months of the year as we glide into that phase of our lives in a couple years. Neither of us like FL. We have friends in Daniel, (or Daniels'?), Island, SC, and they love it. We have also heard second hand that coastal GA is very nice as well, but GA has a big coast, so that's a lot of towns. Would love to hear any SC or GA recommendations. (I should also add that while we both play golf, we don't want to be in a golf community...ideally would like to be on some sort of coastal waterway, bay, etc) Thanks!

Puerra vida
 

When we were in Costa Rica, we learned that more Social Security checks go to Costa Rica than any other foreign country. My friend, sort of retired but won't admit it, bought a condo there a few years ago, west coast overlooking the ocean, pool, not direct shorefront, but close. He goes there a couple of times a year and the management company rents it out for him when he isn't there.
I hear Belize is nice for snowbirds, but I've never been there.

I do 6 on Lake Winnipesaukee and 6 in FL, best of both worlds!

but you gotta pick one
 

We chose FL. 7 mos there and 5 in NH BUT we still call NH "home".

Weird question, but has anyone read Tim Dorsey or Randy Wayne White? When I read these guys, I find myself longing for a small cove with access to open water or something. I think Sanibel Flats was the book that sounded amazing. Do places like that exist without giant marinas, overpopulated areas?

Sent from my SM-G950U using Winnipesaukee Forum mobile app

They do!

Just have to get out of New England and off the East Coast. Precisely my plan for early retirement.

One of my best friends that I've know for 50 years is a sales rep and travels the world. He said his favorite place to unwind is Captiva. He goes there every April.

If you want to go to Captiva we have some good friends that sell RE there.

http://resortpropertiesinternationale.com

Would love to wander through there, but it's an endless loop with no listings?

Sent from my SM-G950U using Winnipesaukee Forum mobile app

Try this:

http://northcaptiva.net

I've been to Captiva and loved it. Expensive...Because lots of people have discovered before us. Very hot in summer.

Sanibel & Captiva
 

Both are very nice. There is that aspect that they are like southern NH--everybody there is from a Boston suburb. Great beaches and weather, minimal tourist traps. Good bicycling. When we had the grandchildren at Sanibel, a local company rented us a wagon full of beach toys; dropped off at the condo and picked up when we left.

Some best memories in my brain...

When I worked for Litton Industries, we had a President's Club reward meeting at Captiva. All toys were paid for...Boston Whalers, jet skis, food, booze, etc. Other people (all male group) brought their wives. I brought my girlfriend and we all had an incredible time. I brought about 50 Lbs. of shells back to San Francisco that I found on a tiny island with the whaler.

This could be a good 6 months destination away from the BIG LAKE. Small lots and expensive though.

However, I'm starting to feel an urge to move "back east", and escape California before Nevada becomes ocean-front property in it's stead. Even thinking positive of snow and ice. Been watching the live cam from Portsmouth's Strawbery Banke skating rink with some envy, I'm not sure I understand.

You can dress for the cold, but can only undress for the heat to a certain limit.:)

I'd like to flood the ice in front of my place on Lake Winni, make a rink and ice skate.

Not enough years in life to do it all, just enough to make a dent.

Florida Has 1,300 Golf Courses...
 

It's kind of in the boonies, but there's an Arcadia in Florida. The Peace River runs nearby, the plentiful source of large fossilized bones—and Megalodon shark teeth! :eek:

Driving from Key West to Pensacola, it takes 13 hours to drive across Florida—if you don't stop. :(

Surely, there's some places that would appeal to you. :confused: A reminder...in Winter, the difference in temperatures can be 30 degrees between Miami and Orlando. :eek2:

Many times, a couple of Florida beaches make "The World's 10 Best Beaches" list. :coolsm:

We are in a condo with a dock in Tiera Verdi (St Pete ) and love it. Captiva is a dream location, small island, one main road, laid back. We take our fishing boat down a few times a year and stay at Tween the Waters or South Seas. Doc Ford books are fun and there ARE places in his books that exist. The island is Uber expensive real estate, however Venice Fl south on the intercostal is loaded with great spots that might be affordable, fyi the Gulf waters are clear and Carib like with no snakes or other stuff that will attempt to kill you other than a few sharks

30 degrees??? Night time lows?

Hey neighbor! We are on Tierra Verde too.

The boating there is great with access to the Gulf of Mexico, Tampa Bay and the Gulf ICW.

There are several great beaches nearby.

Going north into St Pete it gets busy with lots of traffic but one can hide out on TV and avoid all that.

Wifey and I took a ride down to Captiva and Sanibel Islands and it was beautiful.

The traffic in and out of there was crazy and took forever.

Once there it was worth it but going off island to get stuff would be tedious.

For reference, distance from Orlando to Miami is approximately the same as between the New Hampshire borders of Massachusetts and Canada. It then follows* that, just as weather is colder in northern NH than southern, it would also be appreciably colder in northern FL than in southern.

Here's some data from last month, that shows from north FL to Miami was up to high 20's degrees different, both in day and night temperatures... and some days were the same.


*Yes, I recognize the factors of weather, such as jet stream, are different in FL vs NH, and so I concede the comparison isn't just as simple as subtracting relative latitude.

We've lived in Florida for over 20 years and would come up "home" to NH for a few scattered weeks-months every year.

Florida is nice. Used to be nicer.

Florida is hot. Very hot. It gets old. We lived in Southwest Florida and I can tell you that there were windows in our house that had never been opened....ever since the house was built. Not to mention the ANXIETY every time a hurricane passes through and you have to get things fixed or rebuilt.

I hated the thought of losing everything as result of a storm; and no, insurance doesn't pay out like it used to. You can thank Hurricane Andrew (1992) for that.

The flat scenery gets old. As does the beach and the same strip shopping centers one right after the other. You can only shop so much.

If you're into fishing, it's great. Everyone has a boat. Everyone.

If you enjoy boating on Lake Winni on a 4th of July weekend, you’ll love boating in Florida year round.

If you're a golfer and not willing to join a club, be ok with golfing in the summer; winter is for those with money to waste. Public courses as well. Tee times are crowded as is the course....move along and play fast.

We couldn't wait to get back to NH for good. We can actually enjoy Florida now that we only "visit" for 5 or 6 weeks every year. We go when and where we want and enjoy the different parts of the state.

That's my two cents. Good luck!

Winni isn’t crowded and expensive?

It is yes but a quick search of Lake Tahoe lakefront properties show multiple for sale over 40 million. Winni is not that expensive.

Culture and Life in the Winter
 

So, my wife and I are now doing the two-house thing: waterfront in NH in the summers, winters in town, which is for us is Baltimore, DC, and occasional trips to NY and Chicago to visit kids (pre-COVID and ideally post). We love the Lake in the summer, but what to do in the winters if we decide to consolidate to one home in West Alton? Of course we can still get to NY and Chicago, but does anyone run to Boston for theatre, concerts, art and food? Overnights or roundtrips? How about Portsmouth and Portland? We love the small town feel of Winnipesauke, but wondering what folks do to keep things interesting over the winter.

Take Concord Coach or Lakes Region Limousine to North Station, Boston. A couple of nights at the Boxer Hotel. Dinner in The North End. Maybe a show or sports event (some day). Shopping in Chinatown for baby octopus to take home. Walk down Newbury St. Have a drink at one of the great hotels.

As a Granite Stater, I'm insulted by this post. I hope you will take my response in that understanding. Don't be such a prima donna. If you come to NH in the winter, learn to snow shoe, and ice fish, to ski and snowmobile. If you can't give up being a flauntcy, join the AMC and hike year round. There are so many other things in life beyond big city stuff where you sit in a seat with 1000 others and somebody "entertains" you. Come on up, sit with 250 and be entertained if you don't have it within you to join a theater group or an orchestra and be part of the program. From W. Alton, its an easy jog to Durham and UNH where there is an endless offering of concerts, plays, top quality sports, and you might take a class or two. To paraphrase Elon Musk, "Come here, but leave your culture/politics in the old place."

I love the winters in NH. It's beautiful. The snow remains pristine longer. It's not crowded. The ice is gorgeous and adventurous. It's getting too crowded during the summer, let's not encourage more of that in the winter also! Please!

Good advice, we've considered this. You suggestions are appreciated.

My dream is 30 or so acres up in NH, with a nice shop that I can build and sell a few hot rods out of during the year, a tractor that I can use maintaining the property, cutting trees for firewood, and just slowing things down. I can't get that with a property on the lake in my price range, but could slip a boat there and be much closer to drive there than from Mass!

I'm 37, really hoping I can retire around 58/59 or so when my wife hits her 35 years in the teaching system down here in Mass so I guess we'll see what life brings then! In the meantime I'm building my dream shop at least here in Mass and enjoying it while I'm here with a few weekly vacations at the lake!

Snowbirding?
 

This isn't really about snowbirding, but it's a nice dream. I think you need a longer horizon, i.e. start buying land now. I suggest contacting the NH Timberland Owners Association. Jason Stock is the Executive Director. It s not infrequent for somebody who owns land to do a harvest just before sale, so it could be another 20-25 years before the next harvest. You might get a few cord each year as you do some clean-up and maintenance. If you want to plant a crop of hardwood, it's not for you, it's for your grandchildren. Balsam
Frasier or Fralsam Christmas trees might get a crop in 8-10 years, but a lot of work each year. Along with a committee, I co-manage 130 acres in suburban Nashua/Manchester. We use Bay State Forestry for our experts. They may be able to help. Last I heard, they manage about 30,000 acres in MA and NH.
Whatever you do, start now. Good luck.

I guess it was more my idea for year round retirement. I don't see myself ever being a snowbird, I enjoy the seasons too much.

Yeah, I'm not entirely sure I want to be a snowbird, either, but I'm also not sure I want to be in a remote cabin in the woods full-time. My wife and I looked at land, almost buying a parcel just a few miles from Lost River, but then we got to thinking about what it would take to keep the kids entertained, etc.

Being near the lake changes so much—places to walk, ice skate, snowmobile, shop, etc. that I think I'd much rather be in that type of area for retirement.

I'm thinking/hoping as we grow older we'll end up doing something like above—a "regular" home in the Lakes Region or north (I love winter hiking) and Arcadia or selling Arcadia and finding a small association of houses that has close enough lake access to walk there easily. If so, maybe we'd only spend a few weeks in warmer weather.

Looking at my teacher retirement schedule, it looks like I've got 16 years to make a decision, so plenty of time to enjoy the ride first!

Sent from my SM-G950U using Winnipesaukee Forum mobile app

Just imagine if you were snow birding in TX right now. Go there to get away for the winter and it is colder there than it is here.

Yeah, it's not good right now. My cousin is a head nurse and her hospital's been on emergency since Sunday and another friend's worried he's gonna lose his home and pool piping. [emoji1696] Things work out.

Over lunch, my wife and I were discussing seaside condos 1.5-3 hours from Arcadia as an option. We love the ocean on the off-season, and it'd be nice to be there midweek here and there in the summer...

Sent from my SM-G950U using Winnipesaukee Forum mobile app

Sand Fleas...Worse than Black Flies?
 

I've lived in tropical or sub-tropical climates most of my life. I wouldn't have picked SW Florida to live. In a discussion with then-Governor Claude R. Kirk, I learned that the SW Florida coast wouldn't be developed because of "the sand fleas". Even today, sand fleas are a good reason to stay indoors all day--every month--in the A/C!

IMHO, Florida's best weather is found in Miami. (But it might be crowded there). :rolleye2:

Hurricane Andrew struck well south of Miami, in an area of heavy residential development.

From the 1970s, new houses were built "to code"; alas, individual builders kept defeating efforts to keep its code strong. One fatality (caused to a next-door neighbor :eek2: ) was blamed on a weak, but rebar-strengthened concrete roofing sill.

Following Hurricane Andrew's much-copied building codes, the same problems can be traced to SE Florida's municipal code inspectors! :eek:

After Hurricane Irma, I asked a neighbor why she was already replacing her new metal roof. She replied, "Because it had been struck by a chunk of her neighbor's metal roof".

From Rhode Island to West Texas, coastal hurricanes have been a fact of coastal life since the 1500s.

Since my birth, the US' population has more than doubled. Guess to which Eastern states that new population growth has been gravitating?

WOW ! A lot of Florida negativity. I don't see it that way.

This is my 14th winter in SWFL and I have yet to see a sand flea! I am fortunate to be able to do this and have Winnipesaukee to look forward to in the summer. After over 50 years north of Boston I have seen enough snow to last a lifetime.

Maybe I'll change my tune someday, but the thought of moving south and missing out on the winter doesn't work for me. Something pretty satisfying about dressing for the cold and getting outside, making syrup as spring arrives, and heading out to the island as soon as the ice is gone.

For me, a place in the south is like a snowmobile or a jet ski. It's a great thing for a friend to have so I can borrow it, but I'm not interested in owning any of the three. Retirement is a long way away, though. Maybe I'll change my mind.

I do enjoy reading this thread.

Sand Fleas...that's it!
 

From their 60's to their 80's, my in-laws had a condo in Bonita Springs, (in between Ft Myers and Naples, for those not familiar with the area), and we would go down for a week on either the Feb or April kids' school vacations. I would always come home with my legs bitten to sh** from my ankles to my mid-shins...itchy as could be. I could never understand where I got the bites, because I never saw or felt anything on my legs. That, coupled with the smelly, warm water out of the faucet and the endless strip malls, soured me on SW FL

This is where I find my thinking goes—I like New England in the winter, but I'm so...enchanted by the aqua-water-Caribbean-boating-sandbar lifestyle.

I wonder how long it would take me to "get my fill" of that. Like, could we road trip/rent a month in the keys and have that be enough?

Sent from my SM-G950U using Winnipesaukee Forum mobile app

So, the family has been on the lake since just after the war, built on Welch Island ~1960. Nobody would ever consider selling, even though total use might be 30-40 days a season. From 1970-2005, we had a condo in Pompano Beach. Although everybody had enjoyable visits there, when my folks moved to a retirement community in NH, nobody wanted it, and, Bang!. Sold without a second thought. If we could have done rentals, we might have held it for awhile, but the condo rules allowed only long term leases.

Although we might use it only 30-40 days a year, same a the camp, I feel ike if I had a southern place, I want it rentable when I wasn't there. That eliminates a lot o\f south FL where summers are hot, and leads to the panhandle or maybe Georgia, whee there is a summer rental market.
BTW, I mentioned earlier about my buddy who owns a condo in Costa Rica. He can fly in because he's a homeowner, but others aren't allowed in and getting back into the states this year is difficult at best. January and February, the best rental months, have been vacant.