Snowbird question

[Happy Gourmand]

We just bought a home in FL and will be selling our home in Nashua and "snowbirding" between our places in Meredith and FL. The question for anybody with snowbird experience is which state should we claim residence? Is it cheaper to register and insure vehicles here or there? Pro's and Con's of each? I was searching for a website that might help but can't seem to find any with good and current information. Any other snowbirds willing to share info?

[phoenix]

for what its worth I have a friend also lives summers in Meredith and winters in Florida. They have registered as residents in Florida( and voters) and the car that goes back and forth is also registered in Florida. I know that NH does not allow cars registered in NH to leave the state over any extended period

[Guiness]

I believe being a resident of Florida has a big impact on your property taxes in FL and rate they can increase. I'm not sure there is a similar advantage in NH. My parents experience not mine directly.

[bilproject]

My wife and I are going through the process right now. Florida does not have an income tax. NH taxes dividends and interest. Car will be about the same after initial change over. If you and the wife are over 60 you each get a $25,000 homestead exemption on property tax. Assessment minus 50K times tax rate. Sales tax in FL no matter where your residence. Auto insurance is a little less home owners a little more. Biggest factor is how much property you intend to buy and if you have substantial investment income.

[Kamper]

My aunt and uncle had homes in NH MA and FL. They settled on FL and sold the MA location.

[Paugus Bay Resident]

I believe being a resident of Florida has a big impact on your property taxes in FL and rate they can increase.

We have a homestead provision that essentially caps your property tax increase. You have to have residency to claim it.

In terms of auto insurance, considerably more expensive. When we first moved here (6 years ago), we paid almost 3X. We were able to get that down to 2X with Geico.

Interestingly, most of the snowbirds in our neighborhood keep their our of state residency.

[8gv]

Another consideration is health insurance.

If you have a plan that charges more or doesn't pay at all for "out of coverage area" health care visits.

[Happy Gourmand]

Originally Posted by 8gv

Another consideration is health insurance.

If you have a plan that charges more or doesn't pay at all for "out of coverage area" health care visits.

This could be an issue for my wife, I will be on Medicare, she will not be. Any idea if the private insurance rates are higher in NH or FL?

[Dad sold the C * C]

One of my neighbors splits residency with his wife, one in NH and one in FL. His main reason is so they can have a vote in each place they live. At least you can go to Town meeting and say your piece if your town has that form of government.

Not sure what that does for taxes?

[TiltonBB]

Originally Posted by phoenix

for what its worth I have a friend also lives summers in Meredith and winters in Florida. They have registered as residents in Florida( and voters) and the car that goes back and forth is also registered in Florida. I know that NH does not allow cars registered in NH to leave the state over any extended period

That is an interesting NH State law. Since no other state can write tickets for violation of a NH law your chances of being cited are pretty slim.

I changed my residence to Florida to take advantage of the real estate tax benefits. However, when buying a new car it may make sense to initially register it in NH to avoid the sales tax and transfer it to Florida after a year has gone by.

If you have a NH registered car in Florida don't worry about inspections. Florida does not have vehicle inspections and the Florida police cannot write you for violating a law that they don't have.

[Marauder]

Originally Posted by TiltonBB

That is an interesting NH State law. Since no other state can write tickets for violation of a NH law your chances of being cited are pretty slim.

I changed my residence to Florida to take advantage of the real estate tax benefits. However, when buying a new car it may make sense to initially register it in NH to avoid the sales tax and transfer it to Florida after a year has gone by.

If you have a NH registered car in Florida don't worry about inspections. Florida does not have vehicle inspections and the Florida police cannot write you for violating a law that they don't have.

We spend nearly half the time in FL but housing is cheaper than in NH, so we don't do the homestead in FL, we prefer NH and it seems easier! Hope to always maintain NH residency vs FL! Best of both worlds!!

[P-3 Guy]

Originally Posted by phoenix

I know that NH does not allow cars registered in NH to leave the state over any extended period

How does that work out for New Hampshire residents who are active duty military with a duty station out of state? Are they not allowed to have New Hampshire plates on their car(s)?

[8gv]

Originally Posted by Happy Gourmand

This could be an issue for my wife, I will be on Medicare, she will not be. Any idea if the private insurance rates are higher in NH or FL?

HEALTH INSURANCE

I am about to find that out now.

My individual group plan (all us folks buying for ourselves and not through a job) was $1,360/month plus a $11,000 deductable. We have four people, ages 57,56,22 and 18 on the plan.We have yet to have a year when we did not spend all of the deductible (HSA account that is). The insurance company gets us their low negotiated rates for the bills so that helps.

This plan is based in CT. Next year it will be in NH. I will look in to health insurance in FL but only if the company pays for services in NH as well. We will be in NH most of the year and wifey prefers to have local doctors.



CAR INSURANCE AND REGISTRATIONS:

We have two cars in FL. Both are registered and insured in FL. We have two registered and insured in CT. After the first of January they will be registered and insured in NH.

I have had Met Life for all of them. Their rates kept creeping inspite of zero claims and no tickets. We just recently changed the FL cars to Progessive. For the same policy limits, Progressive charges 60% of what Met Life was getting.

[TiltonBB]

Originally Posted by TMI Guy

How does that work out for New Hampshire residents who are active duty military with a duty station out of state? Are they not allowed to have New Hampshire plates on their car(s)?

That is only for "non resident registrations". In other words, if you have a Florida driver's license (or any other state) and a New Hampshire registered vehicle, NH will put "non resident" on your registration and tell you that it cannot be out of state over night. If you get licensed in another state NH will tell you that you are no longer a NH resident. I presume that someone from NH who is in the military would retain their NH license.

[Paugus Bay Resident]

"but housing is cheaper than in NH"

Totally depends on where you live Prices here are above where they were in 2006 - 2007, so the Homestead has been a great benefit.

[tis]

There is a homestead exemption in NH??

[Paugus Bay Resident]

I was referring to the FL one, which limits how much your assessed value can increase each year.

(there is one in NH that allows you to protect up to $100,000 of equity in your home)

[tis]

Ok, I misunderstood. Thought you were talking about NH. Guess when you said here I thought you meant NH.

[P-3 Guy]

Originally Posted by TiltonBB

That is only for "non resident registrations".

Ah, thank you. That is an important qualifier that was left out of the earlier post.

[Joebon]

At least in NY, if you buy a car in NH (or anywhere) and then go to register it in NY, you have to pay sales tax on the fair market value of the car.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[brk-lnt]

Originally Posted by phoenix

I know that NH does not allow cars registered in NH to leave the state over any extended period

Do you have a source for this? I've never heard about this, and couldn't find any references.

For a vehicle registered in NH you have to get it inspected annually at a NH certified inspection station, so in theory you couldn't have it out of state for much more than 1 year. But I've never seen or heard anything about other restrictions on vehicles being out of state for a long duration. How would the state even know? Why would they care?

[Descant]

Car registration: When I was in the insurance business in Manchester, NH, I had a non-NH client bring in a NH registration that was stamped boldly in red "Valid only in NH". If you got stopped out of state, you were driving an unregistered vehicle. There have also been statements you sign under penalty of perjury attesting to NH residency for car insurance purposes. This was to prevent people living in say, Chelsea, MA, from registering and insuring in NH when rates could vary by thousands of $$ per year.

Interest and Dividends Tax. You pay on the federal level no matter where you live. Capital gains too. Interest and dividends are taxed in NH above $2400 per person. HOWEVER, the law on trusts was changed a couple of years ago to encourage trust business in NH. NH is now the place to be, along with Delaware and Nevada, I think. NH does not tax capital gains. Interest and dividends earned in a NH Trust are not taxed. You get taxed personally when the funds are distributed to you. There is no requirement to be a NH resident to have a NH Trust, but you need a NH attorney to set it up. I have no financial interest in them, but I know Cambridge Trust set up a NH company to take advantage of the new laws, and they now have several NH offices focused on this market.

This thread has raised many questions, and the answers are very much individual. Spending a few $100 on a tax attorney familiar with all your states, or other qualified financial advisor is probably well worth the price to address how your investments are structured.

[P-3 Guy]

Originally Posted by brk-lnt

Do you have a source for this? I've never heard about this, and couldn't find any references.

For a vehicle registered in NH you have to get it inspected annually at a NH certified inspection station, so in theory you couldn't have it out of state for much more than 1 year. But I've never seen or heard anything about other restrictions on vehicles being out of state for a long duration. How would the state even know? Why would they care?

Presumably he's talking about residents of other states who register a vehicle in New Hampshire.

http://www.gencourt.state.nh.us/rsa/...261/261-46.htm

[Kamper]

Originally Posted by brk-lnt

... For a vehicle registered in NH you have to get it inspected annually at a NH certified inspection station, so in theory you couldn't have it out of state for much more than 1 year. ...

My stepson is a licensed inspector. It used to be you could not get your car pre-inspected but now you can do it up to 3 calendar months in advance. You also need a -valid- registration not the new one. Many shops are not aware of this and will give you push-back. Ask them to call the Dept of Safety for clarification if they can't find it in the handbook.

Also... Many years ago my father told me he knew someone who was doing extended travel and missed his inspection date. He wrote an explanation letter to the Director of the Dept of Safety explaining the situation and received a waiver that was good for so many days after his estimated date of return. I do not know if this is something they will still do and my father used to know a lot of folks with 'connections' so it my not be possible for us regular folks.

[P-3 Guy]

Originally Posted by Kamper

Also... Many years ago my father told me he knew someone who was doing extended travel and missed his inspection date. He wrote an explanation letter to the Director of the Dept of Safety explaining the situation and received a waiver that was good for so many days after his estimated date of return. I do not know if this is something they will still do and my father used to know a lot of folks with 'connections' so it my not be possible for us regular folks.

I was a New Hampshire resident and active duty Navy, stationed at various times in Maine, California and Florida, with at least one vehicle registered in New Hampshire wherever I was. Shortly after my last active duty assignment in Florida, I was driving in New Hampshire on I-93 north, slowing down to leave the highway at Exit 22. There was a New Hampshire state police officer there for a construction detail, and he waved me over when he saw my extremely overdue inspection decal. I told him that I had just left active military service, showed him my new reservist ID card, and explained that the vehicle had been out of New Hampshire for an extended period of time. He thanked me for my service, asked me to get the vehicle inspected when I next had a chance, and sent me on my way.

[Newbiesaukee]

I am not an attorney, but you cannot just choose which state is your legal residence unless you can comply with the state requirements for legal residency. This does vary from state to state. On the surface, the idea that one spouse can be a NH resident and the other choose to be a FL resident makes no legal sense,assuming the couple lives together.

As with many things, you can do it, but you would not be able to defend it if push came to shove.

I have been a legal resident of FL for,many years, I worked there , I vote there, my cars are registered there. It is my home. Yet, I have personal knowledge of individuals having to prove where they lived the most days of the year to establish residency. Usually, this is the case in which a resident of a highly taxed state purchases property in FL and claims FL residency. FL does not care but the state losing th revenue does.

As with the IRS your chances of getting caught are slim, but it is not pleasant if you are.

There are gray areas in all this, but to claim legal residency in a state, you do need to be a resident.

[trfour]

And, I always thought snowbirds were exempt...

[Kamper]

Originally Posted by Newbiesaukee

... you cannot just choose which state is your legal residence unless you can comply with the state requirements for legal residency. ... the idea that one spouse can be a NH resident and the other choose to be a FL resident makes no legal sense,assuming the couple lives together. ...

The last time I had any legal involvement with legal residence I was told L/R is a place where you have clothing and sleep there once a month. Compared with a domicile which is where you normally intend to be. For practical purposes I'm sure no one cares unless some kind of fraud is being committed.

As for the split residency, NH law used to be that a married woman's legal residence was the same as her husband's. Doesn't that sound a bit archaic? It was challenged about 15-20 year's ago under the NH equality law/amendment and over-turned. Given that our Supreme Court Justices can be quite creative with terms, they may have just rephrased it to 'married couples have the same legal residence.' I don't remember.

[brk-lnt]

Originally Posted by TMI Guy

Presumably he's talking about residents of other states who register a vehicle in New Hampshire.

http://www.gencourt.state.nh.us/rsa/...261/261-46.htm

Yes, but your comment and the one by Descant above both appear to relate to vehicles registered for exclusive use in NH. EG: they are not valid outside of NH for any amount of time.

The original comment by Phoenix that raised my question was about a standard NH-registered vehicle not being allowed to leave the state for "extended periods", which would be a different scenario entirely.

Phoenix may have been confusing the two registration types.

[TiltonBB]

Originally Posted by Kamper

Also... Many years ago my father told me he knew someone who was doing extended travel and missed his inspection date. He wrote an explanation letter to the Director of the Dept of Safety explaining the situation and received a waiver that was good for so many days after his estimated date of return. I do not know if this is something they will still do and my father used to know a lot of folks with 'connections' so it my not be possible for us regular folks.

The state will issue a letter that gives you an extension to get an inspection upon your return to the state. It is date specific so you will need to know when you wll return. Florida has no state inspections and they won't care about your NH inspection.

The words "non resident" are stamped on the registration of anyone who has an out of state drivers license. Even if you own a home in NH and file your taxes from NH and vote in NH, the deciding factor is what state you are licensed in.

[P-3 Guy]

Originally Posted by brk-lnt

Yes, but your comment and the one by Descant above both appear to relate to vehicles registered for exclusive use in NH. EG: they are not valid outside of NH for any amount of time.

I don't believe that I made any direct or indirect comment about exclusive use in New Hampshire. Perhaps you could quote the language you are referring to.

The original comment by Phoenix that raised my question was about a standard NH-registered vehicle not being allowed to leave the state for "extended periods", which would be a different scenario entirely.

Does "standard NH-registered vehicle" mean a vehicle registered by a New Hampshire resident? Again, I presume that Phoenix was talking about a vehicle registered in New Hampshire by a non-resident, even though that was not made clear. The law says that such a vehicle must be garaged "exclusively" in New Hampshire. This doesn't sound like it precludes short day trips out of state, but anything for a longer period of time might be problematic.

[brk-lnt]

Originally Posted by TMI Guy

I don't believe that I made any direct or indirect comment about exclusive use in New Hampshire. Perhaps you could quote the language you are referring to.

*You* didn't state that, but the link you provided has the following text:
"Notwithstanding RSA 261:45, a nonresident who garages a vehicle exclusively in this state may register such vehicle in this state as a nonresident. "

Does "standard NH-registered vehicle" mean a vehicle registered by a New Hampshire resident? Again, I presume that Phoenix was talking about a vehicle registered in New Hampshire by a non-resident, even though that was not made clear. The law says that such a vehicle must be garaged "exclusively" in New Hampshire. This doesn't sound like it precludes short day trips out of state, but anything for a longer period of time might be problematic.

Ultimately his post isn't that clear. However I interpreted his comment as a NH resident with a NH-registered vehicle couldn't have that vehicle out of state for "an extended period of time". That does not seem to be correct. The other interpretation would be a FL resident with a NH-registered vehicle, in which case you couldn't technically have the vehicle out of state for any amount of time, which would be different than an "extended period".

I think the general advice would be: register your vehicle in whichever state you claim residency, and it doesn't matter how long the vehicle is in or out of a particular state, though you may need to take things like annual inspection dates in NH into account from a convenience perspective.

[P-3 Guy]

Originally Posted by brk-lnt

*You* didn't state that, but the link you provided has the following text:
"Notwithstanding RSA 261:45, a nonresident who garages a vehicle exclusively in this state may register such vehicle in this state as a nonresident. "

I don't equate "exclusive use" with "garaged exclusively." If the legislature had wanted to say "you can't take the vehicle out of the state," there's a better way to say that than using the phrase "garages a vehicle exclusively."

Ultimately his post isn't that clear. However I interpreted his comment as a NH resident with a NH-registered vehicle couldn't have that vehicle out of state for "an extended period of time". That does not seem to be correct. The other interpretation would be a FL resident with a NH-registered vehicle, in which case you couldn't technically have the vehicle out of state for any amount of time, which would be different than an "extended period".

You're right, his post isn't clear. But several posts before you made your first post asking for a source, TiltonBB clarified that this is only for non-resident registrations. I would think that would clear things up for you.

[tis]

None of this registration argument really matters if they are going to live half the year in Fl and half the year in NH. They can register their car in the place where they decide to be a resident. The interest and dividends taxes and the tax break on houses are the biggest argument for Florida. I believe your house taxes can only go up 2% a year and you get the 25,000 exemption each. I think you can have insurance in either state except if you are on Medicare your part D has to be in the state where you are a resident and Part D is a little bit cheaper in NH surprisingly. I don't know about supplemental. You pay sales tax on cars and if you bring a car from another state to register in Fl. you do have to pay a fee equal to a sales tax charge. But the registration is a lot cheaper in Fl. than NH so it makes up for it some. I guess that depends on how many years you keep your car and how expensive a car you buy. And as said, you don't have to inspect in Fl. Also there is no inheritance tax or income tax in Fl. And that's all I can think about that.....

[phoenix]

Yes that is what I meant . If you are not a legal resident of New Hampshire ( out of state drivers license) and you register a car in New Hampshire you are told when you register it that it can not be garaged out of state for any extended period of time . How do they catch you who knows. Maybe through insurance if you get in an accident. I was just referencing that . One can do what they want of course. I have two cars registered in New Hampshire and go away a week at a time out of state and don't worry about it. When I registered the second car this summer at Moultonboro town hall , they made it clear that I was agreeing with this .

[Bob M]

I have been a snowbird for 15 years now and a Florida resident for about 10 years. I changed residencies solely for property tax reasons. Florida has a program called "Save our Homes" that limits the rise in the taxable value of you home based on the higher of two indices up to 3%. During the housing bubble my evaluation sky rocketed so that I was paying three times in taxes as a neighbor two doors down withe a similar house and real evaluation.

Homeowner insurance in Florida is typically much higher in Florida than in NH. And the closer you are towards the coast the higher it will be due to the threat of hurricanes. Your insurance could easily be ten or more times higher on the coast for the same coverage than inland. That was immediately after the three hurricanes hit the state. They are still higher near the coast but I don't know if they have abated any. Once I became a Florida resident my property taxes dropped significantly due to the homestead exemption and the save our homes program. My taxes continued to drop while my neighbors continued to rise until they equaled out on the valuations.

Auto registration is considerably cheaper in Florida. There is an initial one time charge for the plate itself, maybe $100, plus the registration but in subsequent years you just pay the registration. You do pay a sales tax when you purchase a car but I believe that it may be cheaper in the long run than paying the annual registration in NH. That won't be the case if you trade cars often.

When you transfer a car previously registered in NH that you have owned for at least 6 months you are not required to pay a sales tax to register the car.

I have found that automobile insurance in Florida is more expensive than in NH. I previously had a Florida car, a NH registered car, and one that we used to travel back and forth that was registered in NH. I moved from Laconia to Gilford several years ago and when I went to register my NH cars in Gilford I was presented a form to sign saying essentially that under penalty of perjury, being that I was a non resident, that the cars would essentially be back in their place of garaging every night. Rather than sign the form for my traveling car I just registered my NH car. When I got to Florida I registered my travel car in Florida. I saved on the registration but my six month Florida insurance premium with the same coverages was more than my annual premium in NH.

As for a husband being a resident in one state and a wife being a resident in another state, assuming that they are living together in the same household, that is illegal in Florida. I know because I inquired about it as I knew others that were doing it. I guess it is only illegal if you get caught. In order for me to get my homestead exemption I was required to get an official letter from the Laconia City Clerk verifying that I was no longer receiving my veterans property tax exemption.

[Music Man]

Originally Posted by Kamper

My aunt and uncle had homes in NH MA and FL. They settled on FL and sold the MA location.

I've lived in NY, NJ, VA, FL, AZ, TX and NH. Retiring to NH was an easy decision.

[tis]

registered in NH that you have owned for at least 6 months you are not required to pay a sales tax to register the car.

Bob, we had friends who moved to Florida from MAine and they had to pay a "sales" tax on their car although I am not sure it was called that.

[Kamper]

Originally Posted by tis

... we had friends who moved to Florida from MAine and they had to pay a "sales" tax on their car although I am not sure it was called that.

I believe Maine calls it "Use and Sales Tax." Non-residents who purchase something out of state for use primarily in Maine can be subject to this tax even if the item is not registered in Maine.

[tis]

Originally Posted by Bob M

Tis, your friends moved from Florida to Maine. My reference is from NH with no sales tax to Florida with a sales tax.

No, they moved TO FLORIDA FROM Maine and had to pay what they felt was a pretty hefty tax on their car to register it in Fl. I don't know if it is actually called a sales tax when it is transferred but that is what it amounts to based on the value of the car.

[upthesaukee]

Most jurisdictions, but not all, who have a sales tax will charge a sales tax on a vehicle from another jurisdiction when registering in that new state. What happens often is that if the new state (FL let's say) has a higher sales tax than the original state (say ME), they charge the difference in tax between the old state and the new.

When we moved from MA to NY, Saratoga County had a higher sales tax than MA, by about 2%, and when we registered our vehicles in NY, in addition to the standard registration fees, we also had to pay the difference in the two sales taxes. I believe it was based on the cost new of the vehicle, but can't remember. Too many acorns have fallen off the oak tree to remember that far back.

[Bob M]

In my original post I said there would be no sales tax due if you had owned the vehicle more than 6 months. Less than 6 months you do owe a sales tax. Below is what I just copied from the Florida DMV web site.

New Resident Vehicle Sales Tax
The state of Florida may charge sales tax, use tax, and local discretionary taxes on your vehicle when you register it for the first time in Florida. Whether or not you pay the taxes depends on how long you have owned your vehicle.

Vehicle owned less than 6 months:
Owner is responsible for 6% Florida sales or use tax and any local discretionary taxes your new city or county might require.
Florida sales tax will be pro-rated based upon any taxes you paid in another state.
Example: You already paid 3% tax in previous state so you subtract that from the 6% tax owed to Florida. This means you owe 3% sales or use tax.
Vehicle owned more than 6 months:

No sales, use, or local discretionary taxes will be charged for vehicles that have been owned and registered in another state.
Your out-of-state title and registration will need to verify that you have owned the vehicle more than 6 months.

[Happy Gourmand]

Originally Posted by Bob M

I have been a snowbird for 15 years now and a Florida resident for about 10 years. I changed residencies solely for property tax reasons. Florida has a program called "Save our Homes" that limits the rise in the taxable value of you home based on the higher of two indices up to 3%. During the housing bubble my evaluation sky rocketed so that I was paying three times in taxes as a neighbor two doors down withe a similar house and real evaluation.

Homeowner insurance in Florida is typically much higher in Florida than in NH. And the closer you are towards the coast the higher it will be due to the threat of hurricanes. Your insurance could easily be ten or more times higher on the coast for the same coverage than inland. That was immediately after the three hurricanes hit the state. They are still higher near the coast but I don't know if they have abated any. Once I became a Florida resident my property taxes dropped significantly due to the homestead exemption and the save our homes program. My taxes continued to drop while my neighbors continued to rise until they equaled out on the valuations.

Auto registration is considerably cheaper in Florida. There is an initial one time charge for the plate itself, maybe $100, plus the registration but in subsequent years you just pay the registration. You do pay a sales tax when you purchase a car but I believe that it may be cheaper in the long run than paying the annual registration in NH. That won't be the case if you trade cars often.

When you transfer a car previously registered in NH that you have owned for at least 6 months you are not required to pay a sales tax to register the car.

I have found that automobile insurance in Florida is more expensive than in NH. I previously had a Florida car, a NH registered car, and one that we used to travel back and forth that was registered in NH. I moved from Laconia to Gilford several years ago and when I went to register my NH cars in Gilford I was presented a form to sign saying essentially that under penalty of perjury, being that I was a non resident, that the cars would essentially be back in their place of garaging every night. Rather than sign the form for my traveling car I just registered my NH car. When I got to Florida I registered my travel car in Florida. I saved on the registration but my six month Florida insurance premium with the same coverages was more than my annual premium in NH.

As for a husband being a resident in one state and a wife being a resident in another state, assuming that they are living together in the same household, that is illegal in Florida. I know because I inquired about it as I knew others that were doing it. I guess it is only illegal if you get caught. In order for me to get my homestead exemption I was required to get an official letter from the Laconia City Clerk verifying that I was no longer receiving my veterans property tax exemption.

Thanks for the comprehensive information, I appreciate it.

[Happy Gourmand]

We are getting closer to becoming snowbirds, our house in Nashua is under agreement with a closing date of Jan 29. It was on the market for less than a week, never even actually made it to MLS....the listing agent is buying it! Holy crap! That moves our plans ahead a couple months as we will have to move out and the Meredith house is uninhabitable because of some construction going on there.
A hectic couple months coming up for us, we are leaving next Wednesday to spend the Holidays in our new FL home, then back to wrap things up here in Nashua, then, I guess we'll go back to FL until about May 1st.
Planned retirement date is now March 1st, then I guess it will be official....we'll be snowbirds!
I'm actually quite apprehensive about retirement....what will I do with myself for the hours in the day that I am/was employed? Any insight from current retirees is appreciated.

[Winnisquamer]

Originally Posted by Happy Gourmand

We are getting closer to becoming snowbirds, our house in Nashua is under agreement with a closing date of Jan 29. It was on the market for less than a week, never even actually made it to MLS....the listing agent is buying it! Holy crap! That moves our plans ahead a couple months as we will have to move out and the Meredith house is uninhabitable because of some construction going on there.
A hectic couple months coming up for us, we are leaving next Wednesday to spend the Holidays in our new FL home, then back to wrap things up here in Nashua, then, I guess we'll go back to FL until about May 1st.
Planned retirement date is now March 1st, then I guess it will be official....we'll be snowbirds!
I'm actually quite apprehensive about retirement....what will I do with myself for the hours in the day that I am/was employed? Any insight from current retirees is appreciated.

Enjoy yourself you've earned it!

[camp guy]

One comment that retired people frequently make is, "I am so busy now that I don't know how I ever had time to work".

I am sure that you will have plenty to do if you own two homes. There is always work to be done around a home - clean the basement, clean the garage, fix up something outside, fix upsomething inside, help a neighbor, by then it is lunch time. you might get into the routine of going to a coffee shop and meeting with some people to, as they say, 'solve the problems of the world'.

If you have family in the area of either of these homes, and there are grandchildren involved, then this presents a whole opportunity for things to do. As soon as people realize you are retired, you might get requests to help on a committee, or a project, or something.

Now, and I don't want to sound like a wise old man, but there is always the business of being retired to attend to. You will want to organize your personal paperwork, make plans for the future.

Also, you will want to enjoy yourself, treat yourself. Sometimes, the best days I have are when I actually do nothing, and I try to do it very well.

Seriously, I had a lot of these same questions when I first retired, but I soon found out that keeping busy was the least of my concerns.

[8gv]

Originally Posted by Happy Gourmand

I'm actually quite apprehensive about retirement....what will I do with myself for the hours in the day that I am/was employed? Any insight from current retirees is appreciated.

As has been mentioned, you will be very busy!

First, your spouse has been waiting for years to enjoy the supervision and scrutiny you can now provide. Go ahead and ask for explanations for every task she performs. They like that! Extra points are awarded for revealing inefficiencies and suggesting better methods.

Next, set yourself a firm standard for the amount of your daily activity. My standard is "one thing a day". That isn't a minimum, it's my maximim. There's always tomorrow or next week to get another thing done.

Finally, reaquaint yourself with the activities you enjoyed in your youth. Skills such as dirt bike riding are never forgotten and now that you have plenty of time for recovery, just do it!

Not that I have had any personal experience with this in my seven years of retirement...

[Flylady]

All great advice. Almost two years into retirement and I have no regrets. Pursuing all the things that were moved down the priority list when you were working should be moved up to the top. Everyone has diferent interests. Thats OK as long as you find your interests. One thing I found very helpful is establishing a better exercise routine. Helps burn off the excess calories from better home cooking and more dining out with the added traveling. I want to ensure maintaining my health will provide me with many more active years. Enjoy!

[winni83]

Originally Posted by 8gv

As has been mentioned, you will be very busy!

First, your spouse has been waiting for years to enjoy the supervision and scrutiny you can now provide. Go ahead and ask for explanations for every task she performs. They like that! Extra points are awarded for revealing inefficiencies and suggesting better methods.
D

I highly recommend the above. A few years ago while laid up at home with some broken bones, I decided to use my organizational skills to improve how the house was run. My wife was just speechless, among other very interesting reactions, and I went even further and took the opportunity while she was out running errands to write little notes so that she would not forget. In fact, these efforts were so well received that my wife told me that all this help contributed to my speedy recovery and rapid return to the office. I can just imagine how much I could help her out if I were retired (and lived to survive the consequences).

[Happy Gourmand]

Originally Posted by winni83

I highly recommend the above. A few years ago while laid up at home with some broken bones, I decided to use my organizational skills to improve how the house was run. My wife was just speechless, among other very interesting reactions, and I went even further and took the opportunity while she was out running errands to write little notes so that she would not forget. In fact, these efforts were so well received that my wife told me that all this help contributed to my speedy recovery and rapid return to the office. I can just imagine how much I could help her out if I were retired (and lived to survive the consequences).

I will definitely try these suggestions. Will you be willing to visit me in the hospital? LOL

[winni83]

I'd be happy to visit you if you make it that far!! My wife is a nurse and if you and up at her hospital and tell her you followed and even improved on these suggestions I am sure she would see to it that you get extra special care.

[Kamper]

Be careful your spouse doesn't reduce your role to 'romantic advisor.'

That is to say... When she wants your (loving) advice she will (loving) ask for it!

[Lakegeezer]

With only days to go for the Obamacare open enrollment period, the question of multi-state coverage is still bothering me. Do those that spend months at a time out of state (and need to buy their own health insurance) buy the way more expensive options with nationwide in-network coverage?

[wifi]

Here is a thread about it from a few years back:

http://www.winnipesaukee.com/forums/...ead.php?t=9572

[Not to Worry]

Please do not blast me if I repeat something that has been said since I did not read the whole thread.

I am a snowbird. I spend 6 months + in FL. I became a resident because the tax burden is lower in FL than NH and the homestead exemption is an added benefit, your situation may be different than mine but it should be easy to figure out if FL helps or not.
I bought insurance in FL that allows me to go anywhere in the US and pick my own docs. Is it expensive? Sure is but the cheaper option were not realistic for anyone who is out of state for awhile AND even if I was living just in NH I sure would want the option to go to Boston if I needed or wanted to.

RE: My car is registered in FL. I do have a small car that lives in NH and that is registered in NH and it can be driven anywhere but it is suppose to come home after 3??? days or some other nonsense but regardless the car is insured and I will not lose any sleep about driving it out of state.

So....IMHO....FL residency is a no brainer if that is where you will spend 6 months per year.

[Kamper]

If your insurance is not valid anywhere in the USA, you are getting cheated.

If your agent charged you "more," I would want to shop around.

For those folks who want to drive in Canada or Mexico, that's when you want to talk to your agent. You can usually get a free rider for short visits.