For retired full time RVers, what do you do with your house?

[gfmucci]

If you are retired and RVing full time, tell me what you did or do with your house. Are you full timing only for a year or three, or permanently? Did you keep your house or rent it out during your absence?

 

[donn]

Sell it. Many full timers full time while looking for a place to settle down once the full time bug is satisfied.

 

[Oldgator73]

We were living on base at Lackland AFB, TX and decided to move into our 5th wheel fulltime. So didn’t have a house to sell. After I retired from the AF the government stored our household goods for 6 months and then we got a 6 month extension. After the year we let our daughter have what she wanted. When we moved back into a stick and brick we pretty much started over with furniture etc.

 

[donn]

Yea, for the most part storage fees could wind up costing more than selling everything and rebuying what you need 3-4 years down the road.

 

[gfmucci]

I've heard people do the following:

* Downsize "stuff" to the bare bones.
* Keep enough in their home so they can rent it fully furnished and equipped to rent either by the week, month or year.
* Theoretically, rental income would pay a small mortgage, maintenance, management services, and maybe a few hundred left for MH expenses.
* After a year or two of RVing, return to a fully furnished home.

 

[Ex-Calif]

We have a condo on the beach in Cartagena Colombia. We rent it out seasonally - i.e. when we don't wanna be there.

I am currently building a property with storage buildings for the RV in Florida. We plan to cross country in the RV for 3-4 month stretches and then split our time in FL and Colombia.

Everything paid for nothing financed.

 

[JudyJB]

I sold my condo because I did not want to worry about damage to it while renting it. I had had a very bad experience with a house my parents had rented out, and I was pretty sure even if I did not like RVing full time that I would not come back to that part of the country because I no longer had family in the area.

Keeping a house or condo empty is expensive, so I also did not want to leave it empty. Full-timing without the financial burden and concern of another home makes traveling a lot less expensive. I can rationalize high gas prices and camping costs because i no longer have property taxes to pay, or utilities in a home to worry about.

 

[Fastlane Tracks]

What’s wrong with going home once in a while?
Don‘t get me wrong I love traveling a lot but it’s nice to come home once in a while to change out seasonal clothing and take a really good shower in something large enough to bend over without hitting something with my head

 

[DonTom]

so I also did not want to leave it empty.

I was leaving three houses empty during my RV trips. I am now down to two, rather recently. One I recently sold only because of hassles with the HOA. I never rented any out. Everybody I know who has rented out a house has had problems and hassles. I don't like such problems & hassles.

I have security cameras at all my houses inside and out. So I can watch them all from anywhere I can get a web connection.

In some ways, I like the idea of fulltiming, in other ways I don't, so I just keep things as they are.

-Don- Reno, NV

 

[Laura & Charles]

Not sure what being retired has to do with your question. We’re not retired, but are full timing; so figured I’d answer anyway.
We rented our house out our first year just to make sure we could handle full timing (and really wanted to). After one year, we didn’t renew with the tenants (ie. kicked them out), moved back in to get it ready to sell, put it on the market and hit the road again. We were in Sundance, WY when we closed.

We have friends who rent their house out using a property management outfit. They keep it rented and take care of maintenance. They charge a low monthly flat fee (for when it’s not occupied—a fairly rare occurrence) plus a percent of the rent. They maintain an escrow account to cover maintenance and repairs. Seems to work well for them.

 

[SpencerPJ]

Keep in mind, empty houses have insurance implications. Check with your agent.

 

[Ernie n Tara]

We sold it lock, stock, and barrel after removing personal papers, erc. Including the tractor, five kayaks, and many tools, and all furnishings.

Ernie

We're still living in the mh parked in ft Myers as we appreciate being self contained and not having room to hoard stuff.

 

[Oldgator73]

Living in your RV has some great advantages:
-You can only collect so much junk before you run out of room
-It just takes a few minutes to clean house
-If you don’t like your neighbors pack up and move
-If relatives tell you they are visiting, pack up and move
-If it gets too cold/hot, pack up and move
-Hurricane coming, pack up and move
let me know what I missed.

 

[DonTom]

Keep in mind, empty houses have insurance implications. Check with your agent.

I wonder how they define "empty". Perhaps all houses are "empty" for a short while.

-Don- Reno, NV

 

[Kirk]

We sold the house and everything in it that didn't fit into the motorhome we lived in. We stayed on the road for almost 12 years. Had we stored things the fees would have been more than the stuff was worth. If you have a house and don't live in it, then you will have an anchor and never experience the freedom that comes with true fulltime RV life.

 

[DonTom]

Living in your RV has some great advantages:
-You can only collect so much junk before you run out of room

Some will consider that a disadvantage. Not enough room for all of the "junk" we want to own, such as my ten motorcycles, electric cars (& cannot be towed) etc.

Since I like to own a lot of toys, fulltiming is probably not for me.

That is if "fulltiming" is defined as owning no houses that are not on wheels.

-Don- Reno, NV

 

[gfmucci]

We sold the house and everything in it that didn't fit into the motorhome we lived in. We stayed on the road for almost 12 years. Had we stored things the fees would have been more than the stuff was worth. If you have a house and don't live in it, then you will have an anchor and never experience the freedom that comes with true fulltime RV life.

I guess "renting" your house while you're away for a year or more isn't quite the same. But I love your spunk! So, did you return to a home? Do you still RV or did you sell it?

 

[gfmucci]

Not sure what being retired has to do with your question. We’re not retired, but are full timing; so figured I’d answer anyway.
We rented our house out our first year just to make sure we could handle full timing (and really wanted to). After one year, we didn’t renew with the tenants (ie. kicked them out), moved back in to get it ready to sell, put it on the market and hit the road again. We were in Sundance, WY when we closed.

We have friends who rent their house out using a property management outfit. They keep it rented and take care of maintenance. They charge a low monthly flat fee (for when it’s not occupied—a fairly rare occurrence) plus a percent of the rent. They maintain an escrow account to cover maintenance and repairs. Seems to work well for them.

Thanks for your comments. An interesting transition...hanging on to your roots until you're sure you want to let go.

If I rented, like your friends, we have the ability to have a resident property manager who keeps a close watch on everything. Their fees would be very worthwhile.

Here is what retirement has to do with my plan:
1) I don't intend to work anymore
2) More free time
3) Less money coming in. This reminds me of one of my least favorite retiree expression: "We live on a 'fixed income.' When I was working my income was pretty well fixed as well. So this applies to most everyone.

 

[Gizmo]

We sold our home and most of our stuff 4-years ago and have not looked back.

 

[donn]

Be very careful. Laws have changed a lot in recent years. As I understand it from a RE agent friend once a house becomes a rental its very tough to get it back out. Add the taxes etc, there is no way I would ever consider renting.
Take advantage of the hot market, sell now, stick the money in an investment account. Who knows what the future may bring