This has to be a question that retirees have asked a hundred times in these forums.My wife and I retired last year, we are both 60.We have good health,good pension...life is good. But I cannot handle another winter in Northern Illinois. So that brings us to kick around the idea..do we do the condo thing like in south Florida? I have family in Cape Coral,I know the song and dance there.Love the weather,traffic is kind of a pain and ....we're too young.;) We are in our part of life where we now have the freedom. We have worked hard our whole life,raised and college'd the kids.The problem is we have never been able to see the country like its to be seen.So why not grab the two cats,lock the doors and go? Seems simple enough...or is it? We could roam the south states for 3 or 4 months,come back home for the summer and enjoy the boat.Maybe take a month in the summer each year to see the big parks out west. Yeah I know...first world problems.BTW,we are not wealthy,just your average middle class retiree who have done ok.I have done lots of reading on this and many other forums,all great information. I would be interested to hear from folks why they choose to go the rv route over a condo.

I don't know what kind of RV you have now, or if you have one, but if you do have one and you enjoy that lifestyle....TAKE OFF! If you don't have one, rent one and take off for a week or two and see if you like that lifestyle. You don't have to purchase a $250K motorhome to see the US. A nice gently used fifth wheel with room for 2, a good used 3/4 ton pickup truck will run you less than $60K. If you find after a year or two of seeing the world, you don't really like the lifestyle or you have family or other commitments that need to be filled, you can sell the RV and tow vehicle easily and you are done. If you don't buy everything new and expensive, if you decide after a couple of years down in FL that you really like going, then look for a condo or something to match your lifestyle.

Fewer and fewer new retirees are choosing the condo/ park model roots to tie them down to one place in the winter for the next 10-20 years. While a condo may be best for your desires, my personal opinion is that selling it if your plans / desires change will be difficult. An RV offers a lot of flexibility, and let’s you explore different areas. Unless you already have a favorite community picked out , I would strongly discourage a major real estate investment. One other thing. Many of us have made purchases thinking the kids and or grandkids will come and enjoy traveling / visiting with us. Bad decision. They will occasionally visit, but not enough to be worth investing in extra bedrooms in a condo or a bunkhouse RV. Get the best floor plan for you and the wife. If need be, the kids/gk can spent a night or two on a pallet/ quilt on the floor, in a tent or nearby motel.

Two cats may not work so well in a condo.

Because a condo is rooted to one place but my TT can (and does) go almost anywhere.

I vote for the camper! (I'm biased though!)

Rv or condo for snowbirds? | Good Sam Community

36 Replies

magicbus
Explorer II
Apr 05, 2018
fitznj wrote:
Florida in the winter that we really love?

NEW MEXICO............... I went there in Feb - I was blown away by its beauty.
It is beautiful, but I couldn't find the ocean. ;)

Dave
fitznj
Explorer
Apr 05, 2018
Florida in the winter that we really love?

NEW MEXICO............... I went there in Feb - I was blown away by its beauty.
Props2
Explorer
Apr 05, 2018
JAC1982 wrote:
I'm nowhere near retirement age, but why not do both? Do the RV thing first, you don't have to buy a tour bus to enjoy a few years of the RV lifestyle. Then, when you get tired of it, or your health makes it more difficult to travel, buy the condo. Or, buy a very small condo (smaller than you would live in full time, like a 1 bedroom or studio) as a landing pad, but spend most of your time RVing. That way if you ever want a break, you have a place to do it, but you aren't bogged down by a more expensive/larger place.

Your absolutely right, this is our ""go" years. We will still keep our home in Illinois,thats not changing for the foreseeable future.But who knows? Maybe we find another part of the country besides Florida in the winter that we really love?
valhalla360
Navigator
Apr 05, 2018
fitznj wrote:

2 - you get to hand the keys back and not worry about anything.

Yep, this summer I will not give a care what happens to our Rome apartment (not that I wish ill upon the owner but it's not my problem if something happens to it).

Another advantage is you can rent for your needs.
- Last year in Prague we were by ourselves so a small studio apartment was perfect for our needs.
- This year in Rome, 2 of the nieces came to visit so we got a 2 bedroom.
JAC1982
Explorer
Apr 04, 2018
I'm nowhere near retirement age, but why not do both? Do the RV thing first, you don't have to buy a tour bus to enjoy a few years of the RV lifestyle. Then, when you get tired of it, or your health makes it more difficult to travel, buy the condo. Or, buy a very small condo (smaller than you would live in full time, like a 1 bedroom or studio) as a landing pad, but spend most of your time RVing. That way if you ever want a break, you have a place to do it, but you aren't bogged down by a more expensive/larger place.
fitznj
Explorer
Apr 04, 2018
We were in a similar postion and I was really tempted to buy a plac in Florida but then a friend turned me on VRBO (this is back in 2010); We have since rented 6? times. I have since changed my mind about buying.

The 2 buggest advantages of renting:
1 - you get to see different parts of the country each winter
2 - you get to hand the keys back and not worry about anything.

I just returned from Florida and am glad I did not buy - it's got WAAAAAY too crowded - may not go back.
daveengstrand
Explorer
Apr 04, 2018
If you are going to look at some class A's in the Tampa area, go to General RV just east on I4. Ask for Ron Hendrickson. We have one on the way, purchased there when we were down in Jan to sell our Park Model in Zephyrhills. It's being delivered to their Huntley Il store from the plant, as that's 400 miles for us vs 1600. I'm not at all impressed with Lazy Days anymore.
Props2
Explorer
Apr 04, 2018
troubledwaters wrote:
You came to a RV Forum, I don't know what "objectivity" you expected. You heard all of the pluses and none of the minuses. Now might be a good time to go to a Condo Forum for an equally "objective" other side of the coin. That's called due diligence prior to making a major life decision.

Yes,the question was rather subjective....to get to the objective.I was on some other forums (city data forums)when we were looking at condos.So,yes that is where we started.Our final decision has yet to be determined but the rv is rolling further ahead than the condo.
PhilipB
Explorer
Apr 04, 2018
We currently have both. Had RV's for years. Been to 41 states with our kids. Now kids are mostly gone. In our case the condo is at Lake of the Ozarks (MO) and 1 hour away. Bought it 2 years ago. Kids can come enjoy boat and a cheap weekend get-a-way. Condo is probably more financially sound, in that it shouldn't loose value. You do have COA fees that are a sunk cost.

We chose a used RV toy hauler last year and still enjoy this kind of travelling. Have 2 small dogs, so hotels aren't a great option. Plus, we still have places to see.

BTW, we're mid 50's not retired yet, so still tied to job.
PawPaw_n_Gram
Explorer
Apr 04, 2018
RV and animals. It all depends on the animal. Our 16 year-oldcat adapted perfectly to our trailer. Except he kept wanting to hang his head out the truck window. Did great on a leash/ harness til a squirrel scared him.

Most RVers with cats have ‘indoor’ cats. Outdoor cats used to freely roaming around the neighborhood wouldn’t do well with being on a leash.