Skip to main content

Is being a snowbird right for you? An Interview with me by Satisfying Retirement Blog

Is being a snowbird right for you?  I know that most retirees have toyed with the thought at one time or another.  I am a snowbird and live with my husband and a cat named RV in Oregon for 6 month and Arizona for 6 month.  I guess living the lifestyle makes me somewhat of an expert on both the daily living part put also the financial cost for owning two pieces of real estate.  So Bob Lowry over at Satisfying Retirement invited me to be interviewed and talk about the pros and cons of this way of living.

Being a Snowbird: Is it the right choice for you? was the title of the interview that contained 8 thought provoking questions.  Bob submitted the questions ahead of time and I wrote the answers at my leisure. Writing for an interview is one of those interesting experiences I wish everyone could have.  I think you learn a lot about yourself when you begin answering questions about your lifestyle and the world you live in.  And that was not even the best part.  When the comments began coming in, it turned out that people had other questions on their mind.

  • What do you do with your mail when you are gone 6 month?, 
  • Are people in Arizona friendlier than in Oregon?, 
  • How do you take care of taxes and do you pay taxes in both places?, 
  • What about licensing your car?, 
  • Will I be able to stand living in a small space with my husband and a dog?, 
  • How do I convince my "homebody wife" to travel with me?, 
  • Isn't having two places twice as much work?, 
  • Will you call me and have tea when you get back to Oregon?
...and so it went.

I wrote a response to each question and you can visit Being a Snowbird on Satisfying Retirement anytime.  I think you will enjoy it.

Oh, by the way, I love your comments or questions so don't hesitate to click on the comments and fire away.

b

Bob Lowry is a fellow blogger and has written a book called Building a Satisfying Retirement that is available on Amazon. (The ad in the sidebar will take you to the Amazon information.)  He is also included in a book called 65 Things to Do When You Retire, 65 Notable Achievers on How to Make the Most of the Rest of Your Life


Comments

  1. This a great post – thanks for publishing it. On a side note does anyone know about the A Bankers Life . I heard they have good products for life insurance & annuities and they have local agents who help in retirement planning. Any feedback about them is greatly appreciated.

    ReplyDelete
  2. I am not aware of it. Post a comment on Bob Lowry's blog (http://satisfyingretirement.blogspot.com/2012/03/being-snowbird-is-it-right-choice-for.html). His followers may be able to help you.

    b

    ReplyDelete
  3. Good article. There are so many mortgage insurance providers out there. I am shopping for quite some time, but having hard time finding out the right one. Found from bankrate that reliance first capital gives good discounts. Will it be good in the long run? Any thoughts?

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Leave your thoughts...I am interested.

Popular posts from this blog

Five Little Ducks...stories played out!

The children's song about the little ducks leaving the nest to fly away has always been one of my favorites.  Every mother has seen their babies fly away and rejoiced. Life comes full circle. Animals live that same cycle. Babies grow up. Birds leave the nest. Life goes on. So when the three ducks show up every year near my patio I am not surprised. But I am puzzled that it always seems to be the same three. Something just doesn't seem right. It appears the one did not fly away at all. Five little ducks Went out to play Over the hills and far away. The mommy duck went "quack, quack quack," Four little ducks came swimming back... And then Three Two and One. A drake, a female duck (a hen) and a not quite a drake but still not a hen gather here on the 5th green of the golf course. She leads and the other two follow along obediently. They eat, sleep, and guard each other. Each and every day this time of year they come.  I have not named them. Jinxing them would be very pos...

How to be a 12 Month Snow Bird

Vacation Rental in Mexico I live around snowbirds 6 months of the year. I have heard those people say that they all want to live the "snowbird" lifestyle when they go home. But it just is not possible. They are isolated and cold. Social activities with friends and beautiful weather are greatly missed when they return to the realities of their "real" life. One couple I visited with lately returned to Florida this morning where they own a home. The woman is a nurse and works in the summer. They are not going home until May this year. It is too cold in Michigan in the spring so they are hoping to extend their good weather season by simply staying away. Besides that they love their Florida lifestyle a lot. Last week I visited with a woman that lives the snowbird lifestyle year around. No going home to the Midwest in the spring. They essentially vacation 12 month out of the year. And I thought their solution for avoiding unpleasant weather and keeping their lifestyle in...

If You Build It, They Will Come...Maybe!

It all began with a antique window in front of a local shop. It had been painted yellow, the glass was loose and all of the hinges and latches were gone. My old friend Betty would have approved...she would tell me it was just broken enough and damaged enough for me to drag it home. When my dear husband saw it, he wondered what he was meant to do with it. Imagine his surprise when he was presented with the plan to build a small neighborhood library exchange. It wasn't the first time he had heard me ask "How hard could it be?" Now it is six weeks later and we mounted the darling little library exchange on two posts in our front yard. I love it. Now the question is, will they come or has the time passed when people actually read something made of paper? Our association president stopped by and admired the box but left after telling me that he only read books on his Kindle. We will see. Would you bring a book and take a book? b+