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Post by WDWGoof on Jan 27, 2023 14:01:00 GMT -5
Here at Disney right now. Although enjoying the trip, it just has confirmed what we have been thinking for a while. Disney is not the same. A whole bunch of small things adds up to it not being magical anymore for us. So instead of staying onsite in the winter for however long, we are going to try to sell DVC again and put that money towards a vehicle that will allow us to travel all over the country comfortably. We have three years to figure it out as I’m retiring in 2026.
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wdw72
Waiting on ROFR
Posts: 3
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Post by wdw72 on Feb 7, 2023 10:16:12 GMT -5
Retired 2+ years ago at age 70. Still have enough points for a spring and fall 1BR at the GF and BLT for a total of 15-16 nights. Also, we had looked into retiring to Florida, but will be staying in Maryland, particularly because we are in a great area and, as others have said, all of our doctors are here. We did sell OKW, having been owners since 1992, during the "pandemic".
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Post by jnoel on Feb 7, 2023 11:00:30 GMT -5
We were planning on a second home to start snow birding from NH. We were actively looking at homes in Celebration in late 2019 and then held back due to the pandemic We have so many friends that do this and frankly is stresses them out a lot. Always worried about the home down there, esp during hurricane season, emergency last minute flights back and forth to deal with more minor issues that cannot wait, etc etc etc.
We really just want to get away from the cold in the winter so we are are leaning now toward the idea of getting enough extended OKW points to spend 6-8 weeks in January/February with 4 weeks in a 1 bedroom and maybe a couple/few weeks with a 2 bed to let people come down and visit. Do a long term car rental, and work from there in the dead of winter. Plus Disney is a client of mine so would be helpful in that sense. The dues would be pricey but by the time you add in utilities, landscaping, HOA fees, management co fees, taxes etc, they don't really seem too bad and the initial costs of buying the points on the resale market would be a drop in the bucket compared to an actual house down there.
Hmmmm
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Post by jnoel on Feb 7, 2023 11:09:51 GMT -5
One of our DVC point retirement uses will be to stay places that cost a lot of points, like the SSR Treehouse and the CC Cabins. The CC Cabins would take 2 years worth of our points but it might be worth it... maybe. LOL We stayed in those cabins for a week and I must say it was absolutely wonderful. We loved it. |
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Post by a1000monkeys on Feb 7, 2023 14:06:23 GMT -5
We were planning on a second home to start snow birding from NH. We were actively looking at homes in Celebration in late 2019 and then held back due to the pandemic We have so many friends that do this and frankly is stresses them out a lot. Always worried about the home down there, esp during hurricane season, emergency last minute flights back and forth to deal with more minor issues that cannot wait, etc etc etc. We really just want to get away from the cold in the winter so we are are leaning now toward the idea of getting enough extended OKW points to spend 6-8 weeks in January/February with 4 weeks in a 1 bedroom and maybe a couple/few weeks with a 2 bed to let people come down and visit. Do a long term car rental, and work from there in the dead of winter. Plus Disney is a client of mine so would be helpful in that sense. The dues would be pricey but by the time you add in utilities, landscaping, HOA fees, management co fees, taxes etc, they don't really seem too bad and the initial costs of buying the points on the resale market would be a drop in the bucket compared to an actual house down there. Hmmmm I don't want to deal with the hassle of second home or boat ownership, though friends that own these things and invite me to use them are most welcome.  I'm sure you can find much cheaper extended rental options close to WDW. |
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Post by Goofy's Pal on Feb 7, 2023 14:33:16 GMT -5
Following along to gain other's insights. I'm about 4 years away from retirement - thinking retirement will bring 2 or 3 trips a year. Maybe driving from NH rather than flying and stopping at various places along the drive route to enjoy them.
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Post by MinnieMom on Feb 8, 2023 9:51:50 GMT -5
Congrats on enough points to snowbird for a month at WDW in retirement!! That's awesome.
We sold our BC and SSR points a few years back. We kept our Poly points and plan to hang onto them for the long term because the MFs are not terrible on less than 100 points. The AP discount is a big deal and I really like the perks like Epcot lounge and member magic nights. But I can't really see us ever picking up enough points for a month. I'd rather put the money other places. For example, I'd rather have my own place in FL. I loved the townhouse we had there. While the new adventure with the campground is awesome and totally the right move for us, I still miss our FL place.
I'm thinking that long term, rather than trying for another condo or townhouse, I might go for one of the cabins in the campgrounds near WDW. Those are more like $30 to $60 to buy used and the monthly lot rent is around what we paid in monthly dues for the townhouse. For that matter, And if DH gets into building the tiny house park models like we plan, he could build us a really nice custom one in that $30-$60 price range to leave in FL. There would be less room for guests, but that may well be ok in retirement. ~$6 in lot rent for a year versus ~$3 for MF for a month seems like a better plan to me, although I fully acknowledge the theming, access and guest relations advantages for Disney.
Washer/Dryer & full kitchen are a must for me for anything over a week. Even for short weekend trips, if there is not much difference between an extended stay (Homewood Suites) and regular hotel, I'll opt for a room with kitchen.
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Post by henrycpa on Feb 8, 2023 11:07:40 GMT -5
I am really doing some research now. I thought we had our plan but this assessment at the condo has me jittery. How do you plan and pay for unexpected assessments when you are managing on a fixed budget? The only way would be to hit your principle and reduce your future annual cash flows.
So, Really looking at The Villages in FL. Just over an hour from Disney. 3 Championship golf courses (tough to get tee times) and from what I understand about 30 other courses (Regular and executive) available for no additional charge than your monthyly $185 fee. What I am unsure about is the bond debt on the houses and other expenses and also is an hour to far to accomplish our drop in desire for Disney.
The 750 points we have now are nice and give us a month. I would not need all those if we bought a house. Between my existing home and the Condo I probably have over $300K in free equity and that is before selling any DVC points so likely could find a home debt free.
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Post by BWV Dreamin on Feb 8, 2023 12:26:31 GMT -5
I am really doing some research now. I thought we had our plan but this assessment at the condo has me jittery. How do you plan and pay for unexpected assessments when you are managing on a fixed budget? The only way would be to hit your principle and reduce your future annual cash flows. So, Really looking at The Villages in FL. Just over an hour from Disney. 3 Championship golf courses (tough to get tee times) and from what I understand about 30 other courses (Regular and executive) available for no additional charge than your monthyly $185 fee. What I am unsure about is the bond debt on the houses and other expenses and also is an hour to far to accomplish our drop in desire for Disney. The 750 points we have now are nice and give us a month. I would not need all those if we bought a house. Between my existing home and the Condo I probably have over $300K in free equity and that is before selling any DVC points so likely could find a home debt free. I can tell you everything you need to know about the Villages. We have been looking into it for over 10 yrs LOL. A good couple to watch on you tube is Jerry and Linda’s Newcomers. They are a wealth of info and have about 4 years worth of YouTubes. Here is their latest; henrycpa |
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Post by Eeyorelover22 on Feb 8, 2023 14:16:51 GMT -5
I’d for sure look at the routes from The Villages to Disney. Last I knew, they were adding thousands of houses (from a friend of DH’s so I don’t really know). Depending on where the house is, the distance & traffic can change dramatically. There are a couple spots on our route that are very congested and one is The Villages. We pick up a lot of traffic in the Minneola/Clermont area as well. We have learned when to leave home and when to head home to help our travels back and forth to Disney, but we have explored many interesting areas trying to avoid major accidents on the Turnpike and 429.
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Post by BWV Dreamin on Feb 8, 2023 14:27:40 GMT -5
I’d for sure look at the routes from The Villages to Disney. Last I knew, they were adding thousands of houses (from a friend of DH’s so I don’t really know). Depending on where the house is, the distance & traffic can change dramatically. There are a couple spots on our route that are very congested and one is The Villages. We pick up a lot of traffic in the Minneola/Clermont area as well. We have learned when to leave home and when to head home to help our travels back and forth to Disney, but we have explored many interesting areas trying to avoid major accidents on the Turnpike and 429. There is planned development not related to the Villages right next to the current new construction down by the areas around the Village of Deluna and south ( does south of 44 make sense?) The Villages is NOT a gated community, anyone can go to the squares, shopping, etc. Only amenities not open to general public are the pools and golf. A lot of people rent their home during snowbird season, and those that stay gone outside of the Villages for recreation, etc due to the crowds. One big concern for residents right now is the home owner insurance. Even though roofs are warranted for 20-30 years, the home owners insurance will not insure your home with a roof older than 12 years old. Couple that with price gouging from the roofing companies, well it has become a major issue. |
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Post by tomandrobin on Feb 8, 2023 17:11:31 GMT -5
Anyone else thinking about a partial stay model at DVC when they retire? Other plans for use of it in retirement? We have several plans/options......We should get together one day and talk. |
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Post by sawickipedia on Feb 8, 2023 17:15:34 GMT -5
I am really doing some research now. I thought we had our plan but this assessment at the condo has me jittery. How do you plan and pay for unexpected assessments when you are managing on a fixed budget? The only way would be to hit your principle and reduce your future annual cash flows. So, Really looking at The Villages in FL. Just over an hour from Disney. 3 Championship golf courses (tough to get tee times) and from what I understand about 30 other courses (Regular and executive) available for no additional charge than your monthyly $185 fee. What I am unsure about is the bond debt on the houses and other expenses and also is an hour to far to accomplish our drop in desire for Disney. The 750 points we have now are nice and give us a month. I would not need all those if we bought a house. Between my existing home and the Condo I probably have over $300K in free equity and that is before selling any DVC points so likely could find a home debt free.
And something like the highest rate of STD's per capita in the country! The Villages is apparently one heck of an active community!
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Post by Eeyorelover22 on Feb 8, 2023 19:59:23 GMT -5
I am really doing some research now. I thought we had our plan but this assessment at the condo has me jittery. How do you plan and pay for unexpected assessments when you are managing on a fixed budget? The only way would be to hit your principle and reduce your future annual cash flows. So, Really looking at The Villages in FL. Just over an hour from Disney. 3 Championship golf courses (tough to get tee times) and from what I understand about 30 other courses (Regular and executive) available for no additional charge than your monthyly $185 fee. What I am unsure about is the bond debt on the houses and other expenses and also is an hour to far to accomplish our drop in desire for Disney. The 750 points we have now are nice and give us a month. I would not need all those if we bought a house. Between my existing home and the Condo I probably have over $300K in free equity and that is before selling any DVC points so likely could find a home debt free.
And something like the highest rate of STD's per capita in the country! The Villages is apparently one heck of an active community!
Don't tie pom poms to your vehicles either! |
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Post by BWV Dreamin on Feb 8, 2023 20:50:20 GMT -5
And something like the highest rate of STD's per capita in the country! The Villages is apparently one heck of an active community!
Don't tie pom poms to your vehicles either!   |
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