Snow Birds
 

So we are thinking of leaving Canada for the warmer climate of the USA maybe Jan thru to the first week of April

Anyone have any insight into this or experience snowbirding?

We are unsure if we should buy a place or rent a place? And would like to keep the cost down to a minimum so a trailer park would suffice for a starter snow birding experience :thumbup:

Re: Snow Birds
 

For the 1st time I suggest renting as buying property in some states for foreign owners differs. Which state(s) are you looking at as a recent article today shows most Canadians buy property in Florida, California and Texas.
Canadians Are Taking Over U.S. Real Estate At Record Speed

Lots of Canadians also choose Arizona & Nevada.

Numerous choices for Rent By Owner or Trailer Park Rentals as well.

Try this for basic info
CSA Publications - Canadian Snowbird Association

Re: Snow Birds
 

In my exoerience snowbirds are usually people who rant on about how wonderful Canada is then they eff off for the winter and live in another country

Re: Snow Birds
 

Lol, very helpful thanks Bats ;)

Re: Snow Birds
 

Go into joint ownership of an RV with Howefamily. You can have it for winter, them for summer.

Someone has it for crystal blue for the rest.
:)

Re: Snow Birds
 

For western Canadian sbow birds the Palm Springs area is very popular. My mom lives there and winter it becomes a mini Canada.

Those in Palm Springs area seem to own rather then rent or live in an RV.

In various areas of Arizona there are RV parks nobody uses most of the year, come fall and they fill with Canadians. Some are very random spots off interstate but basically middle of nowhere.

I am sure other California locales see snowbirds as well but not on the scale Palm Springs region sees.

Florida would be cheaper but not as nice. But I dont like Florida.

Re: Snow Birds
 

Paging Simon Legree

Re: Snow Birds
 

Some how I believed Florida would be more $$. I have been doing some research but it's hard to get an actual price online for rentals.

Also we just got back from touring the east of Canada (loved it BTW) this gave us the idea that if driving 4,400km is so much fun here then why don't we just travel away for winter, but this time stay away while it is winter here ! :huh:

Re: Snow Birds
 

Spending winters in Florida is something we keep considering. We would probably rent a condo first before buying. We usually drive down for several weeks...then book last minute cruises from Ft Lauderdale.

Re: Snow Birds
 

750$ a month sound good

http://www.villageflorida.com/pricing.html

Re: Snow Birds
 

You're welcome ;)

But it's true though. I see and hear much chest thumping and preening by "proud Canadians" about how wonderful it is to live here but those same Canadians own property in the US and head off from November to April. It annoys me. About a third of the people in our street are snowbirds. Florida, Texas, Arizona.

I don't get it though, you're young, you don't have too bad a winter in Ajax, certainly better than ours. I thought you liked all the toys and sports? Skidoos etc

Re: Snow Birds
 

I have an aquaintance who bought a house in Florida with her parents, her parents live there for 5.5 months a year during the winter and she has the use of it the rest of the year.

Pitfalls would be making sure you have sufficient health cover and that you don't inadvertently become liable for taxes in the US.

(It would appear that the parents of my acquaintance could be liable for US taxes, based on the amount of time they spend there - but I doubt it's occurred to them to file for one of the exemptions).

https://www.snowbirdadvisor.ca/us-re...bird-must-know

:)

Re: Snow Birds
 

It's something I could see me doing but it needn't be for 'the winter' just a part of it. Split in two. And it could just be taking a break and staying somewhere you don't have to think about it. Even if it was somewhere else in Canada :nod:

Re: Snow Birds
 

Summer toys, no winter toys :@(

Work for me dries up in winter, most quiet time is Jan to March, rather than scramble for the odd job to stop me getting cabin fever I thought why not just have a time out for them 3 months. Just browsing ATMo

Re: Snow Birds
 

My daughter's in-laws have gone to Florida (from NS) every winter for the last 10 or 11 years. They rent a mobile home in a park from beginning November to end of April, and book it for the following winter before they leave. They take 3 or 4 days to drive down and the same to drive back, and make sure they are not out of the country for too long (medical plan).

They love it, have a much more active life down there than they do in NS.

I did make the mistake of saying "trailer park" to them ............. oh boy!!! Were they ever mad at me :lol:

However, the park where they stay seems to be populated largely by snow birds (from Canada and northern US) over pensionable age

They get offers of very cheap cruises on flyers in the mail ......... $100 or $200 each for a 4 or 5 day cruise if they can leave "in 2 days", all found except alcohol. They abstain from drinking for the cruise

We have younger friends who retired early, and rented a cottage in Borrego Springs, CA .... they did that for about about 4 - 6 weeks 3 years running, and thoroughly enjoyed it. I believe they used it as a base for touring around AZ and CA.

Re: Snow Birds
 

as with anything involving the states, my first thought would be health insurance.
what would that cost?

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Oh I WANT to do this someday. Got about 13 years to go!!!

Haha, you know me too well Bristol :thumbup:

Re: Snow Birds
 

But why does it annoy you so much? Does it affect you? Why do you care so much to be annoyed? I am just curious.
I love Canada but come February I would give anything to be able to sod off to heat in Florida for Jan - May each year.

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:rofl::rofl:

Off the Christmas card list? :lol:

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Sounds a bit like "sour grapes" to me ! ;)

Re: Snow Birds
 

I often wonder what snowbirds do for healthcare insurance for approx 6 months. We are lucky we have US retirees healthcare from my husband's company.

Re: Snow Birds
 

There are insurance companies who specialize in travel insurance for snow birds.

Looking at one company (medipac) for a 61-65 year old non smoker, spending 166 days in the US the quote is 992.75 to 2,318 depending on level of coverage one qualifies for. All plans have a $99 deductible.

Re: Snow Birds
 

The company still covers that even though you live outside the USA?

Sounds generous. :nod:

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Yup. They are not bothered where we live. Obviously if we claimed for treatment in Canada it would be out of network...unless it's an emergency then we are covered 100%. We are covered by Ontario healthcare while we are in Canada too.

Re: Snow Birds
 

People going south to the warm for the winter doesn't annoy me as such. People who rant on about how ******* marvellous Canada is and how they don't want their way of life changed by immigrants and then sod off and spend their money in another country do. I know a few of those.

No not sour grapes. It just doesn't appeal to me. Come February I usually have cabin fever but as I no longer have to get up and shovel snow before work, or drive in nasty weather then I'm not so annoyed by it.

Re: Snow Birds
 

One of my sisters rented in Largo for a couple of years, then bought a trailer in Wilder's trailer park in St Pete's. She said they would have liked to buy in Largo because they were in a nicer neighbourhood, but price sent them south. I think their trailer was around $25,000.
Mobile Homes For Sale In Florida | Kijiji: Free Classifieds in Canada. Find a job, buy a car, find a house or apartment, furniture, appliances and more!
Some seem really cheap, even considering exchange. One I looked at in Largo for under $15,000 wasn't even cleaned up for the photos... "motivated seller".:lol:

Re: Snow Birds
 

Yes, this does make a difference.

I no longer need to make sure we must have access by a certain time and worry that no sooner have I done it than the city plow passes and prevents access again or it passes when we're already out and we can't get back in due to the wall of snow across the drive.

Nor do I have to worry about access to the rental now it's a thing of the past.

That, together with a not especially snowy winter, has made it a lot more tolerable. Even here!

But you never know, another bad one or one that drags on and on and on and on and on.....

Re: Snow Birds
 

Last winter wasn't fun because it was so grey.and miserable, like an English winter with added cold.

Magnumpi might want to look at the islands off Georgia, I've seen photos and they look gorgeous.

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I don't really mind that. Cold, grey, snowy, icy. More of the first, less of the last is fine by me.

I've just had a bit of an eye opener.

Just for the hell of it and using Westjet (for no other reason than they came up first) I searched on flights and accommodation for Moncton to Orlando for just after Xmas for around 7 weeks.

The cheapest was about $1800 and then it jumped to $2400 and up.

There were shuttles to the various sights and studios and the hotel seemed decent enough, but I can't imagine surviving 7 weeks there.

For four weeks it came to about $1200 and then $1500 and up. No food.

I looked on Expedia for Rhodes Town and there were quite a few places for 4 weeks between $1600 and $1800. I imagine meals would be a fair bit cheaper than Orlando, self catering likely much easier.

I've been to Rhodes Town a few times and it might be somewhere that one could take an extended break. Certainly no worse than Costa Blanca where UK pensioners could go for 2 or 3 months over winter.

Obviously it's not the whole winter but as I said earlier, just splitting into two would be enough I reckon.

It might even be doable in some other European cities but without the sea view.

Re: Snow Birds
 

Gosh it can be cheaper than paying for hydro etc here. No idea how much effect the current exchange rate would have in that balance, as well as health insurance.

Re: Snow Birds
 

When I lived on the East coast I had a beachfront condo (inherited) in Del Ray Beach. And I'd go down for Christmas, weekends and Easter and it was lovely. I'm not sure of foreign ownership rules but I can tell you that Canadian "snowbirds" were really looked down on and faced passive hostility. Even more so if they stayed in trailer parks. My recommendation would be fly down and rent a car that way it wouldn't have Ontario or Quebec plates.

Oh, and real Christmas trees are really expensive there.