We found that it was much easier to prep our house for sale and move when we already owned the place where we were moving.
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I will second this! Itās much easier to know what we need to take/get rid of for our upcoming move because we know what we need/what will fit in the new place and how much storage we will have.
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We did this with this last move; itās not always financially feasible, but our lender let us put down 5% and then recast it when we received the $ from the sale. Our only OOP was the interest during the required 3 months before they re-amortized, but it allowed us to keep our lower % rate. It also ended up saving us $ on moving expenses because we could do it ourselves a little at a time.
Edited to add: the way we timed it, we only had to carry 2 mortgages for one month.
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We did this for our last house also. Not having 3 kids running around and keeping the place clean was a big bonus too.
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You thought of everything. I am taking notes! I would like to find a house that only needs 10-20% renovation. The view is the wild card in our search. Thatās why we start looking early.
Any short-term disability can make life difficult at this point. A hip or knee replacement, a broken foot, etc. at our age makes the steps and stairs seem insurmountable. I have friends who make multiple trips to their elderly parents to help out. My only daughter lives out of state, all my siblings and friends are of my age or older, I need to make plans to be self-sufficient.
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SNL just did a great skit on a tenantsā association meeting. Some of the participants reminded me of our neighbors. 
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When we moved from our apt to our house, we were paying rent and mortgage for several months at the same time. It was a luxury that was well worth it for us. During that time, we had the oak floor installed pretty much throughout the house. I was also able to carefully and methodically move my kitchen from our apartment to the house. We had a lot of picnics visiting the house while the floor was being installed.
If one can afford it, the overlap of having 2 places at once can be very helpful. If we ever move again, I plan to overlap again.
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We have done a lot of the things that you guys are talking about.
We lived for three winters on a houseboat in Sausalito. Pretty small. Two BRs (one for use as my office) and a bathroom upstairs and one room downstairs (K, LR area, DR area) all overlooking the Bay and an extremely small half bath. ShawWife had rented a studio nearby. We were impressed by how little we needed in terms of belongings and space to enjoy life.
We looked at buying smaller houses and end up, as Iāve said earlier, with a much bigger house in order to get an extraordinary view. The former owner had built an in-law suite and equipped the bathroom in it for aging. So, we decided to make that our Master BR so that we could have one-floor living (only my office is on the 2nd floor). Our house is designed to be a grandchildren magnet ā swimming pool, kayaking on the river, bike-riding, hiking, snowshoeing, etc. We are doing a big renovation and have been living just in the in-law suite (it has a small BR right on the river which I am using as an office) and enjoying ourselves. We had already built ShawWifeās studio before we started the main project. We would like a nicer and bigger kitchen.
The former owners bought a place in Key West, FL (for warmth and tax reduction) and lived in the in-law suite for half a year or less and one of their kids raised her family in the main part of the house. I can imagine us doing something similar when ShawD has a family. The town is a great place to raise kids.
Iām continuing to look in FL as we come every year to the Gulf Coast where my MIL has a small house. We would need to buy something that has room for a studio or where a studio can be built and has a view ā I like views of the lakes/lagoons/canals better than the ocean view (too windy). Weād also like the house to be big enough to accommodate grandkids but not too big. Just visited a friend on Longboat Key who has a 2nd BR for work and guests but if his children visit with grandkids as they get older/bigger, he can have the grandkids stay with them and rent a place across the street for the kids.
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Interesting Florida discussions! My FIL lives there and my husband really likes the warm weather and boat life (even not owning a boat - but being able to out on them periodically and stay outside on a porch drinking margaritas in January!).
My son has lived there previously though, and has no interest in returning. Iām more inclined (at this early stage in the investigative process) to be nearer to my son (same state as daughter goes to college - out west, not south).
A few folks have mentioned renting in FL for the months itās colder up north. I am really intrigued by that idea. But many people I know have permanent places in FL and spend time there part-time.
Does renting seem like a sustainable concept for years on end? Hub says the disadvantage is that you are not in a firm location, getting to know people, establishing a community.
I need a link to this!
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Thatās awesome! 
In our former condo building, there were plenty of renters who came for the season (approx Jan 2 - Easter) and rented the same unit every year. There was a minimum rental period of one month, but most stayed longer. Lots of owners were fairly local folks (lived an hour or an hour and a half away) who rented their places during the season to cover costs and then used it themselves for weekends the rest of the year. Definitely a sense of community among the snow birds who returned every year. Had happy hours every Friday in the party room, golf groups, Bible study groups, etc
Our church actually has a Sunday School class that only meets during the season and is specifically for those who return year after year.
No idea if that type of community among seasonal folks happens everywhere, but I do think if one rents in the same place year after year, community can develop.
Our new place has a six month (maybe a 1-year??) minimum rental. I really donāt know. This is a much smaller building (only 18 units) and no one rents out their units.
As someone who lived full-time in our first place down here, I appreciated the one-month minimum rental. Much less, āchurn,ā that way.
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LBK was the beach I always went to as a child. 
Please donāt come to Florida. Weāre full. 
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I believe that many landlords are happy to welcome return visitors, if the tenant gets along and leaves the unit in good shape. My mom had friends ho were snowbirds and would visit Honolulu for many months every year. They joined the country club and kept very busy in the community.
I say the same about Maine. Itās cold and miserable here. You donāt want to come. 
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Thanks for that detailed info, Hoggirl! That makes sense and does make me feel better about the possibility of renting for part of the year!
Haha we arenāt committed to FL! I hear you though - so many people I know have up and left for there recently (for a host of reasons) that I wonder the impact. With the āgreat reassessmentā people are figuring out their priorities. Mine donāt necessarily include warm, beachy weather but I have to consider my hub!
HI would be a dream snowbird place to me, HImom, and my son is super interested in living there someday. You never know!
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We live in Northern Florida and plan on doing the opposite. The summers are pretty awful so we plan on doing an airbnb in New England for August this year where a lot of family are. I have to say though we absolutely love the Florida lifestyle. Weāre not beach people but do live 2 miles from it. Just really donāt like being indoors during the winter. Right now its 42 degrees but people are out doing their sports and I can still take long walks and bike rides. Next week supposed to be 70
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My problem with living in the south is that itās hot for many months, not just one. I didnāt like leaving the house for a long time in that time frame. You can bundle up against the cold and run. Thereās not much you can do when itās 80.
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