Downsizing...can you really???

[Zee09]

Not sure what you'll be giving up in Maryland or what part of Florida you'll be in, but most likely you can expect...bugs (lots of them...I'm talking about roaches from hell), hot sticky weather (summer time...winters are pleasant), fire ants, spiders, lizards (maybe in your bed...don't ask), snakes, gators everywhere (in people's pools, too), red light runners, palm trees, the occasional hurricane and worst of all...tourist.

I have been going to Florida since the 80's and stayed at many places and it was not much different,
sure, every hole with water has a gator but that isn't so bad.

 

[CharlesInCharge]

Well, it wasn’t exactly according to plan.

My grandpa is on Hospice care, I’ve lived with him for some time to take care of him. He has 2 dogs and I have 1. My aunt had to move in to help me take care of him, and she has 3.

Then I had to adopt my younger sister (she’s a minor).

Do I wish it was different? Sure. But sometimes you gotta do what you gotta do.

You're a good person.

 

[Dave Hess]

So true- taxes were fine when I was younger, and I worked 24/7
Getting too old with other issues and have too much property and I need to dump all of it
and now live while I can. Florida will give me a few $$$ with the no state income tax.

That’s why I have stayed in Florida.

No smog testing, no inspections, no ice or snow, no crazy tax on car registration renewal, OK place to live.

 

[Zee09]

Well, it wasn’t exactly according to plan.

My grandpa is on Hospice care, I’ve lived with him for some time to take care of him. He has 2 dogs and I have 1. My aunt had to move in to help me take care of him, and she has 3.

Then I had to adopt my younger sister (she’s a minor).

Do I wish it was different? Sure. But sometimes you gotta do what you gotta do.

You and me.....
I would do it all over again.
But what saddens me is I think about the fact if my siblings helped my patents lives could have been 3 x better. Funny I have regrets for what others did not do. Hats off to you.

 

[Zee09]

That’s why I have stayed in Florida.

No smog testing, no inspections, no ice or snow, no crazy tax on car registration renewal, OK place to live.

You enlightened me on a few things...thanks!!!

 

[JeffKeryk]

Well, it wasn’t exactly according to plan.

My grandpa is on Hospice care, I’ve lived with him for some time to take care of him. He has 2 dogs and I have 1. My aunt had to move in to help me take care of him, and she has 3.

Then I had to adopt my younger sister (she’s a minor).

Do I wish it was different? Sure. But sometimes you gotta do what you gotta do.

I cared for my father the last 5 years of his life. We had a healthcare giver, who was incredible, as no one ever called my Dad a nice man.
I told my boss I would need to quit to care for him; he told me, "Not as long as I am VP of this company."
He just asked me to do the best as I could regarding a schedule.
So I was able to hold down my Silicon Valley job while caring for my father until he passed at home just after his 95th birthday.

I flat out love living here. Opportunity galore!

 

[Kjmack]

I would like a small house with a 4 car 24ft deep garage and 30 X60 ft shop in the middle of 50 acres chain linked fenced with razor wire on the top and some Pitbull type dogs . I talked to the guy across the street the other day and it didn't add much to my life.

I chuckled for 1 minute after reading your post . Didn't add much to your life . Lol

 

[Lubener]

I'm not sure I agree with that...I mean, if that were true, those that have garages, why don't they park in them? (Well, some do but many do not.)

Also, I bought a 2000 sq. ft.+ house before marrying and having a kid...thought I had plenty of space. For a single guy, yeah...but after marriage and having kid...barely can park in the garage and every closet is overflowing with 'stuff'. Yeah, yeah...probably have too much...but it accumulates fast before you know it.

I never lived in a house bigger than 1600 sq ft. I grew up in a 1200 sq ft ranch. There were five of us and we did not have any problem with space. Many have too much stuff, making things cramped.. Then people start putting the old extra stuff (old sofas, furniture, tires etc. which they will never use again but can't part with it) into the garage, now there's no room for a car anymore. Some make the garages into man caves. I keep two cars in the garage purposely so I do not fall into that trap.

 

[SwampSurvivor]

I never lived in a house bigger than 1600 sq ft. I grew up in a 1200 sq ft ranch. There were five of us and we did not have any problem with space. Many have too much stuff, making things cramped.. Then people start putting the old extra stuff (old sofas, furniture, tires etc. which they will never use again but can't part with it) into the garage, now there's no room for a car anymore. Some make the garages into man caves. I keep two cars in the garage purposely so I do not fall into that trap.

I ran into someone who grew up in my house after the 2nd story was added.

5 kids, 2 parents! 1100 square feet!

There are technically two bedrooms upstairs. The 3 boys got the 10x20 bedroom, the two girls had the 12x20 bedroom with a partial wall in the middle. And the parents had basically a small closet downstairs.

 

[supton]

And the parents had basically a small closet downstairs.

Maybe they should have taken the bigger bedroom, slept further apart, sleeping in a small space didn’t help them it would seem.

 

[Donald]

I think when you retire you aim for a simpler life. Downsizing is part of it, less stuff. Smaller house.

We are going through round two of looking over our stuff and determining is there more we can donate? For example, how many yellow golf style shirts do I need?

 

[JustinH]

The thing I miss about living in new york is having a basement.

It is a storage space that doubles your square footage.

Here in Texas my garage has morphed into a sportsbar/storage locker.

We grew up in a 800 sq foot house with 4 people and 2 pets.

My current house is about 1500 sq feet with two people. I don't need to go much bigger than that.

 

[Zee09]

I would be building in a development. New to me as I have always lived in the country.

I must say I stayed in the city in many places of Florida. It is far quieter there than here.

I don't have close neighbors but it is always noisy here. Military and mail fly overs and big trucks skirting expensive tolls and racing at night etc. Crazy loud in the burbs.

 

[zzyzzx]

Not sure what you'll be giving up in Maryland or what part of Florida you'll be in, but most likely you can expect...bugs (lots of them...I'm talking about roaches from hell), hot sticky weather (summer time...winters are pleasant), fire ants, spiders, lizards (maybe in your bed...don't ask), snakes, gators everywhere (in people's pools, too), red light runners, palm trees, the occasional hurricane and worst of all...tourist.

Summers are hot and sticky in Maryland. Plus not everybody who goes to Florida goes to southern Florida. That and given Georgia's 65K income tax deduction for anyone 65 or older that makes Georgia an alternative. The bugs and costs are my only real concern.

 

[alarmguy]

Because I am walking away from the multiple businesses and properties I have, and semi retire but still
be in a very small business at home. Now I am still going with tons of required machines etc. that I later will not need.

I know of one that is 2300 sq ft living space only with a 2-car garage which the builder and I talked about making that an extended 4 car garage so
I can run a business in the garage and another bay for a few machine tools that I will buy there and not move.
My car will have a garage too- once in my life. This builder builds up to 7000 sq ft and honestly the best value I have seen.
Below is the 2300 sq ft house I toured as it was a spec house but sold last year or so. Of course, Florida calls this over 3000 sq ft
but we don't include garages etc. in our number up north.

View attachment 84264

Hmmm ... ok, I understand your downsize ... I was not aware/cant agree right now and have to look into your sq footage statement.

Im not so sure of that, sq footage is typically (I thought always) heated/cooled sq ft as far as builders go. Im sure of that and will be floored if I am wrong. That would not include the garage or any space without HVAC, UNLESS you are talking only for tax purposes, a builder would not be listing a home that included unheated/ac space in sq footage.

Wife and I love these Spanish style homes but some time ago (and I agree with her, not sure if you thought about it) as nice as this home looks we are not fans of the garage opening sideways to the front door. Looks great until something is in the driveway. Wife pointed this out to me and I have to agree now. I dont want cars or company parking in front of my front door. Just a matter of taste.

Its great Florida doesnt have stare income taxes, kind of neat too, but we all know that is made up for in other ways, such as property taxes... I know its still WAY cheaper compared to northern and western states. I only say this because now living in SC and look casually at Florida their property taxes are way higher and we live in an already higher taxed area of SC which is still $8,000 less then our old home in NY that was half the size.. but the Florida homes, smaller are roughly double what we pay here...or more

 

[Zee09]

Hmmm ... ok, I understand your downsize ... I was not aware/cant agree right now and have to look into your sq footage statement.

Im not so sure of that, sq footage is typically (I thought always) heated/cooled sq ft as far as builders go. Im sure of that and will be floored if I am wrong. That would not include the garage or any space without HVAC, UNLESS you are talking only for tax purposes, a builder would not be listing a home that included unheated/ac space in sq footage.

Wife and I love these Spanish style homes but some time ago (and I agree with her, not sure if you thought about it) as nice as this home looks we are not fans of the garage opening sideways to the front door. Looks great until something is in the driveway. Wife pointed this out to me and I have to agree now. I dont want cars or company parking in front of my front door. Just a matter of taste.

As far as the garage they have options called "elevations" where you can spin the house and garage around to suit your tastes.

 

[alarmguy]

I have been going to Florida since the 80's and stayed at many places and it was not much different,
sure, every hole with water has a gator but that isn't so bad.

Got to agree with you one this too, been going there since the 60's with my parents visiting my grandparents and uncle/aunt and of course as an older adult still have some cousins WAY south in the Miami N?Miami area too. Used to have aunts also on the west coast... I LOVE the weather, SC gets a bit cold in the winter, thankfully the winters are short but once you get used to it, short seems long. *L*

Anyway, I dont see bugs and never have seen bugs as an issue anymore then any other warm state or heck even some cold ones.

We dont want to go that far south, northern Florida would be for us. Either the Gulf Coast or Atlantic closer to the GA border and a must have would be some larger bay areas off the main gulf or Atlantic. Not on actual waterfront but access to bays with your boat. Instead of just open water.
Chances are though we will end up living out our lives here but... its a thought.

 

[Zee09]

This is not the example that I mentioned above but another spin you see.
House will be listed on the prints or brochures as the total under roof.........
Very misleading to many new house buyers but not so much to us old fools.

How big is your house 3300 sq ft. Yeah-NOT This in Armstrong in Ocala Florida.
Y

 

[SwampSurvivor]

Maybe they should have taken the bigger bedroom, slept further apart, sleeping in a small space didn’t help them it would seem.

The 7 of them lived in an apartment before moving to the shamp shack

I can't even imagine the population density in an apartment!

 

[alarmguy]

This is not the example that I mentioned above but another spin you see.
House will be listed on the prints or brochures as the total under roof.........
Very misleading to many new house buyers but not so much to us old fools.

How big is your house 3300 sq ft. Yeah-NOT This in Armstrong in Ocala Florida.
YView attachment 84353

Excellent... yeah, you are right, wow, I can see young buyers "bragging" about their sq footage... and ... you ... know what??
Never say never but the building industry would love a way to use Total Under Roof ... as the standard just the fact that it is here makes you wonder, are we at the start of getting younger generations used to that number so one day it becomes a reality... hmmm... but most likely more a way for people to be able to say "well my total sq footage is 3300" ... instead of saying 2500 as we move more into a smoke and mirror society.
(Now that you posted it, I have seen that before, I think at this point we wouldnt be looking to have one built, did that here in SC and think I rather get something almost new in Florida... but haven't thought much about it since we are staying put for now or maybe forever)

One thing you personally WILL HAVE TO DO is make sure a new downsized home doesnt affect your health! You will no longer be walking and getting a lot of exercise in your huge Maryland home ... you will need to make sure to replace that walking and get to a gym or walk around your Florida community! *LOL*