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MSHappyCampers · 03-24-2015, 10:45 AM

Just paid almost $6000 to replace the heating & cooling system in our home!

Yeah, I know things can go wrong with the MH too, but unless the engine or tranny blows is should not be nearly this expensive!

Firebug5 · 03-24-2015, 10:53 AM

Ouch!

In the past 3 months, we have replaced the garage door, the well pump, had the exterior painted, added new gutters, and now while having the septic tanks pumped (we have 2) they discovered the oldest tank is beginning to collapse. Estimates are about $3,000 to replace the tank.

We tried full-timing for just under a year, but the wifey came down with cabin fever rather quickly. Hopefully, she will want to give it another go someday.

Good luck, Joe!

Bruce

hal1phx · 03-24-2015, 11:05 AM

I hear ya Joe ...... that and taking care of a huge yard, swimming pool, etc ... So glad we're done with it all ....... time to relax, see the country and most importantly, spend time with family we hadn't able to spend quality time with .....

easywind · 03-24-2015, 02:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MSHappyCampers

Just paid almost $6000 to replace the heating & cooling system in our home!

Yeah, I know things can go wrong with the MH too, but unless the engine or tranny blows is should not be nearly this expensive!

Spending time in a campground is torturous in some ways, just when you've finally settled in and mad friends with the neighbors some (moron,jerk,idiot, unaware person moves in and disturbs the tranquility. It's really a pain to move.

LeeSusan · 03-24-2015, 02:26 PM

I'm not sure I understand why replacing the heating and cooling system for $6,000 is something you consider a justification for buying a motorhome. In fact, it is from my personal point of view the opposite. A stick and brick home often retains or increases its value, with some exceptions, but motorhomes depreciate in value horrendously.

If it is a matter of being tight on funds, or living within a frugal budget, that is a different issue altogether and may be a justification for living in a motorhome or 5th or mobile home without owning a home.

I'm sure there are plenty of exceptions, but I find it very difficult to believe that most people having funds available to afford both a stick and bricks home and a full-time quality motor home would chose to not continue owning both unless it is an issue of being too tight on funds to do both. The home would continue to increase or maintain its value, could be turned into a rental property and professionally managed though a headache, and if properly located offer a great place to live for half, a third, or a fourth of the year.

I'm sure others will argue with me that I'm wrong and that's fine because this is my personal point of view that keeping a home is a valuable financial investment that a motorhome is not and the home can easily be sold to allow one to purchase another location if you want.

Also, if you decide you want to back off the road for awhile or permanently, it is a nice investment to have in your back pocket that the rv is not.

A swimming pool can be covered and a large yard can be modified to require minimal maintenance...or even with someone hired to keep an eye on things. I have a friend who is a veteran and rents homes for his source of income and I would have no problem paying him something to keep an eye on the home as well as putting in a good security system. But if one can not afford it then that's that.

There is just no way I'm gonna sell a paid off home and put the money all into a motorhome. Better from my view is a cheaper mh and keeping my home. But, this is a personal and financial decision and what is good for me may not be good for others.

Especially when you reach a point at which traveling may not be possible physically or mentally.

Mike and Cha · 03-24-2015, 02:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MSHappyCampers

Just paid almost $6000 to replace the heating & cooling system in our home!

Yeah, I know things can go wrong with the MH too, but unless the engine or tranny blows is should not be nearly this expensive!

Well at least your home will maintain it's value or increase due to your recent Heating and Cooling System replacement. If you have a $100,000 MH and just spent $6000 replacing the engine or transmission, it's still only going to be worth $100,000 (or less in a few months). We like taking long trips of a month or more, but we still like coming home to the main base and getting ready for the next trip. If you can afford it, being able to keep the house with it's equity is always a good back up to have as you never know what the future will bring.

MSHappyCampers · 03-24-2015, 02:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LeeSusan

I'm not sure I understand why replacing the heating and cooling system for $6,000 is something you consider a justification for buying a motorhome. In fact, it is from my personal point of view the opposite. A stick and brick home often retains or increases its value, with some exceptions, but motorhomes depreciate in value horrendously.

If it is a matter of being tight on funds, or living within a frugal budget, that is a different issue altogether and may be a justification for living in a motorhome or 5th or mobile home without owning a home.

I'm sure there are plenty of exceptions, but I find it very difficult to believe that most people having funds available to afford both a stick and bricks home and a full-time quality motor home would chose to not continue owning both unless it is an issue of being too tight on funds to do both. The home would continue to increase or maintain its value, could be turned into a rental property and professionally managed though a headache, and if properly located offer a great place to live for half, a third, or a fourth of the year.

I'm sure others will argue with me that I'm wrong and that's fine because this is my personal point of view that keeping a home is a valuable financial investment that a motorhome is not and the home can easily be sold to allow one to purchase another location if you want.

Also, if you decide you want to back off the road for awhile or permanently, it is a nice investment to have in your back pocket that the rv is not.

A swimming pool can be covered and a large yard can be modified to require minimal maintenance...or even with someone hired to keep an eye on things. I have a friend who is a veteran and rents homes for his source of income and I would have no problem paying him something to keep an eye on the home as well as putting in a good security system. But if one can not afford it then that's that.

There is just no way I'm gonna sell a paid off home and put the money all into a motorhome. Better from my view is a cheaper mh and keeping my home. But, this is a personal and financial decision and what is good for me may not be good for others.

Especially when you reach a point at which traveling may not be possible physically or mentally.

You are entitled to your opinion, and I respect that right, but I think you're making some assumptions here that are not true for most fulltimers!

I think you will find that most people that choose to live fulltime in a nice motorhome don't do that because of financial restraints, such as not being able to afford a home AND a motorhome. Most do it because they love the fulltiming lifestyle.

We are not wealthy by any stretch of the imagination, but our home is paid for, our motorhome is paid for, and we are totally debt free. We won't be selling our home to buy a motorhome, we've had one for some time now. In the next three months or so we will be leasing our home for a year to try the fulltiming lifestyle. If we find it is not right for us, then we will have a home to come back to. If we do love it as we think we will, then we will come back, sell the home and most of our "stuff", and keep on trucking!

If we were younger, then keeping the home for rental purposes would probably be an option we would consider, but at our age we just don't want to mess with it! We would rather use that money from the sale of the home to better enjoy what time the Lord gives us to remain on this old earth!

**TonyDi** · 03-24-2015, 03:03 PM

If you decide to full time, there are some things that make owning a S&B home undesirable. Taxes in some states are very high, and you are simply wasting money to maintain a residence where you won't be spending much time.

As MS stated above, most full timers do it for the life style, not because of financial necessity.

CampDaven · 03-24-2015, 03:19 PM

I was spending more to support my S&B than I am RVing fulltime. (Positive cash flow)

We will F/T until we cannot, or change our minds!
The house sale had no cap gains tax, and investing is doing better than the house value would have. The value of a house that you are pouring tax, utilities, repairs etc through does not look so well on the cash flow side either.
When we are done being F/T, we will rent, so we can very easily move! Almost like fulltiming: sometimes move just to change the outdoor wallpaper.
Happy trails

Eagles16 · 03-24-2015, 03:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MSHappyCampers

You are entitled to your opinion, and I respect that right, but I think you're making some assumptions here that are not true for most fulltimers!

I think you will find that most people that choose to live fulltime in a nice motorhome don't do that because of financial restraints, such as not being able to afford a home AND a motorhome. Most do it because they love the fulltiming lifestyle.

We are not wealthy by any stretch of the imagination, but our home is paid for, our motorhome is paid for, and we are totally debt free. We won't be selling our home to buy a motorhome, we've had one for some time now. In the next three months or so we will be leasing our home for a year to try the fulltiming lifestyle. If we find it is not right for us, then we will have a home to come back to. If we do love it as we think we will, then we will come back, sell the home and most of our "stuff", and keep on trucking!

If we were younger, then keeping the home for rental purposes would probably be an option we would consider, but at our age we just don't want to mess with it! We would rather use that money from the sale of the home to better enjoy what time the Lord gives us to remain on this old earth!

x2...thats exactly the path we are taking...everyone has different priorities and considerations. I am getting to the point where I don't need to be worried about maintaining two homes, if we change our mind it will not be a big issue to purchase a new home or rent...hopefully when the day comes that we can no longer enjoy the RV lifestyle then someone else can look after us

flaggship1 · 03-24-2015, 03:31 PM

Houses, schmouses...
https://youtu.be/uuMvkNDuOuQ

bruceisla · 03-24-2015, 03:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CampDaven

I was spending more to support my S&B than I am RVing fulltime. (Positive cash flow)

We will F/T until we cannot, or change our minds!
The house sale had no cap gains tax, and investing is doing better than the house value would have. The value of a house that you are pouring tax, utilities, repairs etc through does not look so well on the cash flow side either.
When we are done being F/T, we will rent, so we can very easily move! Almost like fulltiming: sometimes move just to change the outdoor wallpaper.
Happy trails

Yes sirree Dave ...and for those of us that own/owned homes in Florida, appreciation (as in making money) is definitely not a given.

LeeSusan · 03-24-2015, 03:37 PM

Like I said, these are personal decisions that don't have to make sense to me, many statements don't make sense to me, and probably never will.

And I don't think I have made any more assumptions that anyone else has. What I think I have learned is that there are quite a few people that fit into the full-timers category, that group is actually very diverse, and their finances are diverse.

Fortunately, we can state these opinions so we can talk about them and learn from them what we can learn relative to our individual needs.

What I have not found persuasive is that the cost of a repair or improvement to a home, doing maintenance on a home, the difficulty of holding a home when one is away from home, or renting a home, or paying real estate taxes is a justification for full-timing.

I do find persuasive that some may find living in a motorhome, on a saleboat, on an island, building a house in a tree, an air raid shelter, or in a simple hole in the ground as Saddam Hussein did at the end of his day to be persuasive of doing just that if that is what works for you and your family.

LeeSusan · 03-24-2015, 03:40 PM

Do the Florida homes depreciate in value like a MH?

Certainly, there is a good argument for selling the house and investing in low risk securities based on return or gains...unless you want to come back and spend some time in your sb home.

Friends and family are an issue. I know many couples that sell their home and buy a home where their son or daughter reside...sometime sharing the same dwelling successfully.

I would not have a problem selling my house and buying a house where my son-in-law lives, letting then rent to own from me, and big enough where my wife and I can go to live with them from time to time. A baby boy is soon to be delivered.

I might buy my difficult son a kayak to sleep in.