Rv or condo for snowbirds?

[Props2]

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.

[magicbus]

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]

Florida in the winter that we really love?

NEW MEXICO............... I went there in Feb - I was blown away by its beauty.

[Props2]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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.

[2gypsies1]

Cats can certainly travel well in a RV - especially in a motorhome where the owner is right there. We know of various friends who do it successfully. Now if you put them in a trailer which bounces around a lot, that may be a different story.

Here's an excellent blogger full-time RVer who travels in a motorhome with cats and a dog. She gives some nice articles on the pets. By the way, after 8 years (I believe) of full-timing they just sold the RV and last week moved to France! They plan to get another RV there.

https://wheelingit.us/category/pet-corner/

[troubledwaters]

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.

[bukhrn]

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

X-2, a Condo is just another house that you're tied to, unless you're absolutely not interested in traveling & seeing anything, also don't try to make economical sense of an RV, there are too many intangibles that you can't put a price on, like having your home with you where ever you go, the memories made along the way, the option of moving as often as you wish without worry, nothing to pack up, no worries about selling the house.

[Props2]

Grit dog wrote:
Ha! Congratulations, you've made it!
Seriously, you're not looking for someone to tell you not to do it.
And I hate Chicago, not hate, I grew up near Mc Henry, but I wouldn't live there unless I had to.
Have fun, post some pics!

Yep, I was born and raised in Crystal Lake.I just haven't been smart enough to leave.Honestly,we have looked everywhere in Kentucky and Tennessee area for relocating and just have not found our calling.I think the rv does two things for us,see the country without time constraints(for the most part. Also to see if something completely off the radar smacks us in the face.