What are your thoughts about people who have more than one house?

[SKL]

I share a house with 2 other unmarried adult women.  We bought it about 30 years ago and it's been paid off for a long time.  We've all worked a lot and have what most would consider reasonable savings.  We're approaching retirement age.

Our friends moved to a cool neighborhood after buying a fixer-upper and fixing it up.  They informed us that the 100yo+ house next door to them was being sold at tax auction after being abandoned for some years.  It was in really bad shape, but supposedly the structure and the roof are sound.  (It's a brick house.)  The location is really cool.  We bought the house and are fixing it up (i.e. we're designing the reno and paying professionals to do the hands-on work).  Due to the location and the current cost of renovations, furniture, etc., this is not a cheap project at all.  It's probably going to end up costing at least 3x what we paid for our original house.

We don't have plans to move out of our current house, for various reasons (for one, it's much bigger than the recent purchase).  We plan to use the "new" house for "staycations," entertaining guests, and possibly one or both of my kids (now 17yo) may want to call it home someday.  It can also be a decent investment, given the value of liveable homes in that area.

We went to a party at the home of our friend/stb neighbor, where we were introduced to some of their neighbors/friends.  People asked when we were planning to "move in" and comments about leaving our old neighborhood.  I commented that I'm not going to move out of my current home, that the new house is for "staycations."  People seemed taken aback by that.  I should note that these folks are not low-income, given they have expensive homes themselves and/or are generally in high-earning professions (i.e. they met my friend in the course of her career as a doctor).  I know a number of people who have "lake houses" etc., so it didn't strike me as something that folks would find strange.  Even coming from a very down-to-earth background, I don't think it's strange for professional adults to pool together for a "lake house."

How far off base am I?  Should I pretend I don't have more than one place to hang my hat?

ETA I should clarify that this "new house" is roughly a half hour drive from our current house.  The reason we bought it is because the view from the backyard is great.

Edited April 30 by SKL

[wintermom]

Personally, I don't know anyone who has two homes in the same city, with one being designated as a 'vacation home.' I know many people who have vacation homes in a different location than their city home. And there are several farming families I've known who build a house on the farm for their children (or as a retirement home). 

I think your idea is really great, especially as a 'starter home' for the next generation. 

[Miss Tick]

Maybe it is just an unusual thought for them that someone might have a second home that is in their primary home's neighborhood. When I would tell people we homeschooled sometimes people would blurt out silly things as their brains tried to come onboard with this surprising concept. I wouldn't try to police what you say, just shrug if they seem surprised. Presumably you all could theoretically still decide to sell or rent or move in or all sorts of things.

As to what I think about people who have more than one house - more housework to be done, and I think I would feel uncomfortable spending vacations elsewhere, so the idea is not for me.

[Pawz4me]

Depending on local laws it's possible the reactions were mostly due to concern that you might use it as a short term rental. I suspect that would be my first thought if someone told me they'd bought a second home in the same general location for "staycations."

[Annie G]

What they might be worried about is you turning into an Airbnb or a rental. Some folks don’t like that (though if THEY did it, they would be fine w it)   I wouldn’t worry about it.  It’s good to have your friend next door to let you know if any u usual activity goes on. 
 

[mommyoffive]

8 minutes ago, Annie G said:

What they might be worried about is you turning into an Airbnb or a rental. Some folks don’t like that (though if THEY did it, they would be fine w it)   I wouldn’t worry about it.  It’s good to have your friend next door to let you know if any u usual activity goes on. 
 

This is what I bet they were thinking giving you negative reaction. 

I don't really have thoughts about people with 2 homes.  We thought about it for awhile but didn't want to take care of 2 homes and enjoy traveling to new places not going to the same place all the time.  So I don't think it would have fit for us.

[SKL]

12 minutes ago, wintermom said:

Personally, I don't know anyone who has two homes in the same city, with one being designated as a 'vacation home.' I know many people who have vacation homes in a different location than their city home. And there are several farming families I've known who build a house on the farm for their children (or as a retirement home). 

I think your idea is really great, especially as a 'starter home' for the next generation. 

To clarify, this isn't in the same city ... it's in the same county, but roughly a half hour drive between houses.  The "new house" has an amazing view from the backyard, which is why we like the idea.

But you make a good point - the proximity is unusual.

[Faith-manor]

We own two homes. One is for our daughters son in law, and grandsons. There was no way they could afford a home in Huntsville with a decent yard for the kids. The prices were going through the roof, well beyond any pay raises he received, and living in a small apartment with kids was getting very old. We had money we could afford to invest. So we bought a lovely home with a 2 acre yard and fruit trees, a suite for us for when we visit, or if we retire there, and they pay less to us in rent than they were paying for their apartment.

Originally, we really did think we would retire to that house. Having experienced more than one summer there, we have decided we certainly would not spend all year in that house! Michigan see bodies don't do 100 and 85%-90% humidity. They just don't. I can hardly breathe. Son in law is also struggling with the heat due to a couple of major health issues he has. So it is entirely possible that in a couple of years, he will begin looking for jobs back up north, and we will sell it. It has gone up a ton in value, so we will walk away with a tidy sum, and can afford to give a nice amount to the kids to help them buy their first house.

None of our other children want to own a home. The youngest two live very simply, and do a lot of camping, hiking, nature communing. They do not want this interrupted by maintenance, yard work, and all of the responsibilities of home ownership. They are not into accumulating a lot of stuff. They have a 3 Bedroom apartment, so they have a guest room/office. Our other son and his wife do not want to own a place either not unless they write the great wealth accumulating novel and can hire all the work done. Ds is permanently disabled from our car accident. He is 27 and now 100% dependent on a cane. All home maintenance and repairs would fall totally on our daughter in law. They feel that renting a handicap accessible condo/ground floor apartment is the best option for them.

So we are two-home owners. It is kind of common in my family. My parents bought a four room cottage for my brother when he got his high school girlfriend pregnant, and they were forcing him to marry her. (didn't end well) They didn't pay a lot since it needed work, and they made him help do all the work on it. He paid a very small amount of rent each month for he and his family. When he graduated college, they gave him his rent money back, let him sell it and keep the money. This allowed him to buy his first regular house. My aunt and uncle did the very same thing for their son who also had the same circumstance. They had just inherited a house, so they let son and his new family live in their home, they moved to the inherited house, and eventually they gift the rent back and let him sell the other home which gave him enough money to get into a really nice place.

As for the judgment of others, it is a thing. The housing market is insanely tight and priced well beyond what most people can afford. The lack of inventory for middle class and low income folks is a crisis. They shouldn't make comments, but people don't think twice about letting the things that should stay in their head come out their mouths.

[Dmmetler]

I think that having it available for the kids sounds awesome. It's so hard for young people to get started now!

[SKL]

15 minutes ago, Annie G said:

What they might be worried about is you turning into an Airbnb or a rental. Some folks don’t like that (though if THEY did it, they would be fine w it)   I wouldn’t worry about it.  It’s good to have your friend next door to let you know if any u usual activity goes on. 
 

I should have thought of that before I flapped my jaws.  😛  I said "staycations" but they could have thought I meant staycations for other people, right?

[HomeAgain]

I would not be pleased if I was your new neighbor.  Realty is scarce here, made worse by people buying up homes to airbnb or be here once a year.  It's a pretty selfish thing in the grand scheme, but also I'd rather it go to an individual than to a company doing the same thing.  I just want laws limiting the number of vacation homes with deterrents like very high taxes.

 

The general scenario, though, I'm not entirely opposed to. My next-door neighbors don't live here.  30 years ago they bought the land, designed their house, and had plans to move from their current home once they had children.  Her sister lived in the neighborhood, her mom lived here, they had close friends....but they couldn't have children.  It was something they realized much later.  Mom went to an assisted living facility.  Her nieces and nephews grew up and left.  Their friends moved on.  They have the house, and opted to stay where they are at until retirement before moving here full time.

So I'm not against people buying a home and not moving in, but I do have a feeling most people do it and don't think about the impact on their potential community.

 

[Pawz4me]

Just now, SKL said:

I should have thought of that before I flapped my jaws.  😛  I said "staycations" but they could have thought I meant staycations for other people, right?

Possibly they thought you would use it for staycations, but rent it out other times. That's what many people do who have second homes in tourist areas.

I don't have a strong opinion on the morality (or whatever you want to call it) of owning multiple homes. One is more than enough for me to take care of. I'm a born minimalist and don't want any "stuff" to take care of that I don't truly need. Less material crap is almost always better as far as I'm concerned.

[SKL]

6 minutes ago, HomeAgain said:

I would not be pleased if I was your new neighbor.  Realty is scarce here, made worse by people buying up homes to airbnb or be here once a year.  It's a pretty selfish thing in the grand scheme, but also I'd rather it go to an individual than to a company doing the same thing.  I just want laws limiting the number of vacation homes with deterrents like very high taxes.

 

The general scenario, though, I'm not entirely opposed to. My next-door neighbors don't live here.  30 years ago they bought the land, designed their house, and had plans to move from their current home once they had children.  Her sister lived in the neighborhood, her mom lived here, they had close friends....but they couldn't have children.  It was something they realized much later.  Mom went to an assisted living facility.  Her nieces and nephews grew up and left.  Their friends moved on.  They have the house, and opted to stay where they are at until retirement before moving here full time.

So I'm not against people buying a home and not moving in, but I do have a feeling most people do it and don't think about the impact on their potential community.

The house has been empty and deteriorating for years.  We're fixing it up.  It's a good thing for the neighborhood.

Between the 5 of us, we'll be using it, just not 100% of the time.

[Arcadia]

I think it is the proximity and not the two houses that gets people wondering. I guess you could say you are fixing it up bit by bit and have no immediate plans to move in. 

[SKL]

4 minutes ago, Pawz4me said:

Possibly they thought you would use it for staycations, but rent it out other times. That's what many people do who have second homes in tourist areas.

I don't have a strong opinion on the morality (or whatever you want to call it) of owning multiple homes. One is more than enough for me to take care of. I'm a born minimalist and don't want any "stuff" to take care of that I don't truly need. Less material crap is almost always better as far as I'm concerned.

Yeah, if it was just me and my kids, I probably wouldn't have done it.  But right now, I spend about 95% of my time in my bedroom in our shared house.  My view is the street 95% of the day.  While I like this location, I don't think it's greedy to also want to spend some time looking at another (shared) view from another backyard in my declining years.  😛  It's not like having two whole houses.  But, I know various people who do have two whole houses, and I judge them based on how they behave, not what they have.  The ones who are generous with their time and space, the ones who are self-centered and stingy ... these don't vary by assets IME.

[MEmama]

I don't "think anything" of people with two homes. There are lots of reasons it can make sense, and plenty of ways it just happens (inheritance and so on).

I do, however, take exception to furthering the severe housing crisis. (Affordable) homes are nearly impossible to come across anywhere, and seeing property not being used full time during a crisis is baffling to me. Every living space not used is a real life (lives) being affected negatively. Personally I would struggle with that, but it's not a judgment on your decision.
 

I do understand wanting to help our young adults, though your kids are too young to know where they will land. That said, we've seriously considered purchasing a space for DS during university, but argue ourselves out of it for being part of the problem. He can't know he'll stay where he is after he graduates, and currently there is almost nothing to buy for people who are already settling there. 10 years ago we would have made the leap, but now it doesn't feel right. 

[SKL]

1 minute ago, MEmama said:

I do understand wanting to help our young adults, though your kids are too young to know where they will land. That said, we've seriously considered purchasing a space for DS during university, but argue ourselves out of it for being part of the problem. He can't know he'll stay where he is after he graduates, and currently there is almost nothing to buy for people who are already settling there. 10 years ago we would have made the leap, but now it doesn't feel right. 

I have a friend who bought a house in the city where her daughter is attending college, because she wanted to make sure her kid had someplace safe to go (and she could afford it).  The original idea was for the daughter to find friends on campus who would be good roommates, and then share the space; and to sell the house after graduation.  Not sure how the cost of that plan would compare to the cost of just renting an apartment or using the dorm during those years.

[Innisfree]

I’m in favor of older homes being fixed up, especially if the renovations are sensitive to the original design. I’m in favor of older neighborhoods being maintained. I’d far rather see people do what OP has done than see more land developed for vacation homes or timeshares.

Deleted personal information 

I appreciate neighborhood concerns about AirBnBs, and needs for young people to have affordable housing. On balance, though, I think restoring a deteriorating house is an absolute good. The costs of fixing up an old house can be daunting, so that project might be more suitable for the generation that’s financially stable. Then that house can be available for another fifty or hundred years, during which time it may house lots of people. @SKL’s young adults, and someday probably others, will have a secure home. Win/win.

Edited April 30 by Innisfree

[MEmama]

3 minutes ago, SKL said:

I have a friend who bought a house in the city where her daughter is attending college, because she wanted to make sure her kid had someplace safe to go (and she could afford it).  The original idea was for the daughter to find friends on campus who would be good roommates, and then share the space; and to sell the house after graduation.  Not sure how the cost of that plan would compare to the cost of just renting an apartment or using the dorm during those years.

Exactly. Rent for DS is more than twice our mortgage; buying--though expensive--would make financial sense, especially since he could have roommates to help offset the cost. But again, housing is in such short supply I feel we've made the right decision.

In a different city and a different time, it's likely we'd have the same choice as your friend.

[SKL]

5 minutes ago, MEmama said:

I do, however, take exception to furthering the severe housing crisis. (Affordable) homes are nearly impossible to come across anywhere, and seeing property not being used full time during a crisis is baffling to me. Every living space not used is a real life (lives) being affected negatively. Personally I would struggle with that, but it's not a judgment on your decision.

Well for one thing, this house is not realistically available to anyone with low or moderate income.  Otherwise it wouldn't have been sitting there vacant for so long.

For another thing, we don't have a housing crisis in my neck of the woods.  The population in our county has been decreasing throughout my lifetime; it's maybe half of what it was when this house was built.

I understand the concept of not hoarding housing, but given that we're basically 3 households living under one roof, I don't think it's awful for 3 households to have a second roof if they want to do the work.  And while it's true that my kids could potentially end up elsewhere, it's pretty likely that at least one if not both will stay local.  (They will be attending a local university.

[marbel]

I think people were just confused by the wording of "staycation" and the idea of having the staycation home only 30 minutes from the primary home. And, some people just have a knee-jerk negative reaction to anyone having a second home. 

I think it's great to fix up an older home in an established neighborhood. When we moved here 17  years ago, there was a vacant house around the corner. One of the owners (son of the residents, by then deceased) would go there a few times a week to hang out, but he died and the house fell into disrepair. Finally someone bought it and it's being fixed up now. I don't know if anyone is going to move into it anytime soon, and I don't really have an opinion on that one way or another.  I'm just glad the house is no longer falling apart.  And, someone will likely live in it one day. 

Edited April 30 by marbel

[mommyoffive]

1 minute ago, marbel said:

I think people were just confused by the wording of "staycation" and the idea of having the staycation home only 30 minutes from the primary home. And, some people just have a knee-jerk negative reaction to anyone having a second home. 

I think it's great to fix up an older home in an established neighborhood. When we moved here 17  years ago, there was a vacant house around the corner. One of the owners would go there a few times a week to hang out, but he died and the house fell into disrepair. Finally someone bought it and it's being fixed up now. I don't know if anyone is going to move into it anytime soon, and I don't really have an opinion on that one way or another.  I'm just glad the house is no longer falling apart.  And, someone will likely live in it one day. 

I agree if you told them both of these things they would give a negative reaction and be confused. 

[SKL]

Hmm, I thought that was what a "staycation" was ... a vacation close to home?

[Arcadia]

Just now, SKL said:

Hmm, I thought that was what a "staycation" was ... a vacation close to home?

I have friends who love staycations but they stay in hotels, usually the resort kind.

[Brittany1116]

My thoughts are that it is usually none of my business. 

I wonder if the response you got was due to an expectation that one or more of you would take an opportunity to move out on her own.

[SKL]

3 minutes ago, Arcadia said:

I have friends who love staycations but they stay in hotels, usually the resort kind.

This house's backyard reminds me of one of our vacations in another state.  It's just so nice.  And our retired friends live next door.  The community is building a scenic walking path.  There are seasonal outdoor festivals within walking distance.  I'm hoping this will be a nice, peaceful change of scene that is cost-effective over the long run.

[Laura Corin]

9 minutes ago, SKL said:

Hmm, I thought that was what a "staycation" was ... a vacation close to home?

I take it to mean a vacation in your own home. 

[regentrude]

13 minutes ago, SKL said:

Hmm, I thought that was what a "staycation" was ... a vacation close to home?

No, a staycation is staying in one's home instead of lodging elsewhere. Typically means folks can't afford a vacation where they stay elsewhere.  So saying you bought another house for staycations comes across as really odd .

Edited April 30 by regentrude

[regentrude]

38 minutes ago, MEmama said:

That said, we've seriously considered purchasing a space for DS during university, but argue ourselves out of it for being part of the problem. He can't know he'll stay where he is after he graduates, and currently there is almost nothing to buy for people who are already settling there. 10 years ago we would have made the leap, but now it doesn't feel right. 

But plenty of people might want to RENT a home. For various reasons. You could rent it out once he's graduated. That's giving someone a place to live. Not everyone can, and wants to, buy.

[Pawz4me]

1 minute ago, regentrude said:

No, a staycation is staying in one's home instead of lodging elsewhere. Typically means folks can't afford a vacation where they stay elsewhere.  So saying you bought another house for staycations is really odd .

Staycation to me means taking vacation time from work but staying home.

I've never assumed it means the person couldn't afford to go somewhere. I'm sure that's true of some people, but I know quite a few people who choose to spend a lot of their vacation time at home. They can easily afford to travel but for whatever reason(s) don't want to--they really want to relax and can do that best at home, or don't enjoy traveling, or have fun projects they want to get done, etc.

[Alice]

I don't have strong opinions. I know quite a few people who own more than one home, usually the second one is a vacation home that is at a destination farther away than what you are describing. Or something that has a specific attraction...like there is a lake here about 45 min away that people have houses at or there is a ski area/lake I know people have houses at. But those are usually in vacation communities where many of the people are doing the same thing as opposed to a neighborhood. My SIL owns several properties for the real estate investment, she rents two of them out (they are condos). 

 I think though that if I was at the party you describe and had the interaction with you I might have acted taken aback. Mostly just as it's an unusual out of the mainstream thing. Your whole living situation is out of the mainstream....not bad, just different. I think whenever someone is out of the mainstream people tend to react with surprise. Sometimes that also comes with judgment but sometimes it's just surprise. I'm sure many of us have experienced that as homeschoolers. 

 

[SKL]

Per Dictionary.com:

stay·ca·tion

noun

noun: staycation; plural noun: staycations; noun: stay-cation; plural noun: stay-cations

1. a vacation spent in one's home country rather than abroad, or one spent at home and involving day trips to local attractions.

    

    

[SKL]

8 minutes ago, Pawz4me said:

Staycation to me means taking vacation time from work but staying home.

As another indication that we're weird ....

We really never take vacation from work.  We work wherever we go.  One nice thing about the "new house" is that it's close to work and close to my kids' university.  We'll bring our laptops and be available to zip off and deal with the unexpected, but still enjoy the resort-like view.

So to me, vacation is really just a change of scene for when we're on work breaks.  😛

[MEmama]

20 minutes ago, regentrude said:

But plenty of people might want to RENT a home. For various reasons. You could rent it out once he's graduated. That's giving someone a place to live. Not everyone can, and wants to, buy.

That’s true, and in some places that could make sense. In our situation there is the added complication and uncertainty of it being overseas. The whole “foreign investor” dislike is real and makes me uncomfortable. Regardless, housing in Dublin is essentially non existent, renting or buying. We were lucky to find him a safe (no mould!) flat, and that he has friends who can afford to share the exorbitant rent. It’s painful, but short lived. I’m working essentially to pay his housing. 🤷‍♀️

Given the housing crisis everywhere, we do expect we’ll be helping financially for quite a long time. It seems like an unavoidable reality now. 

[annandatje]

I have a few clients and friends who own downtown condos in addition to their “regular” homes which are about half hour away.  Some of reasons for the condo are so they can attend downtown events and not have to drive back to regular home afterwards and they do not have to hassle with parking downtown.  

[Pawz4me]

10 minutes ago, SKL said:

As another indication that we're weird ....

We really never take vacation from work.  We work wherever we go. 

Unfortunately that’s norm in the computer/smart phone age. The vast majority of people I know who still have to work never truly get to take a vacation. 

[marbel]

19 minutes ago, SKL said:

Per Dictionary.com:

stay·ca·tion

noun

noun: staycation; plural noun: staycations; noun: stay-cation; plural noun: stay-cations

1. a vacation spent in one's home country rather than abroad, or one spent at home and involving day trips to local attractions.

    

    

Interesting. I've never thought of it as a vacation in one's home country, but just as vacation time in one's own home. Probably I've gotten that impression from ads for swimming pools and patio furniture, you know, to make one's own home more like a resort.

One year we were on our way to a vacation in another state when our car broke down about 100 miles out. We had it towed to our home mechanic and ended up having a nice week doing day trips. We called it a staycation because we were home but not doing our normal home stuff.  As it happens, the repair was minor (though it didn't look like that from all the transmission fluid on the road) and we could have gone the next day, but by then we were committed to our staycation! 

 

[marbel]

2 minutes ago, Pawz4me said:

Unfortunately that’s norm in the computer/smart phone age. The vast majority of people I know who still have to work never truly get to take a vacation. 

Yeah, I know a lot of people who work pretty much every day, though not necessarily all day or for their regular working hours. It's really not all that unusual now. For some it's not by choice, of course, but for many others I know, it's just their preferred lifestyle. 

[Spryte]

I wouldn’t think twice about you buying a second home with your housemates. (And seriously, you are still using less resources and housing for your three households than if you all bought separate homes!)

Is it possible that the new neighbors were happy about having you move in, and somewhat disappointed that you/your household won’t be a permanent neighbor? My mind would not immediately skip to the potential AirBnB scenario — though that would be a disappointment if it happened — but I might be pleased to see a long-vacant house being fixed up, with a nice new family/household moving in, and then might feel a bit surprised/saddened, in the moment, to learn that they would not be there permanently after all. Not upset or judgmental, just surprised, with a need to adjust expectations for the neighborhood. My face is transparent, so someone could easily misconstrue any expression I make while trying to think of what to say. Not sure that’s a possibility, but throwing it out there.

[Faith-manor]

1 hour ago, SKL said:

The house has been empty and deteriorating for years.  We're fixing it up.  It's a good thing for the neighborhood.

Between the 5 of us, we'll be using it, just not 100% of the time.

In a lot of ways, this is not different than a multi-generational home in which multiple families pool resources to survive and get ahead. It's a foreign concept to most Americans who have spent he past few generations in single family dwellings. But given the state of wages vs. cost of living, it is going to be necessary for younger folks to get ahead.

[SKL]

I guess it also might have seemed like by "staycation" I meant once or twice a year.  But what I really mean is, any weekend or holiday that has nice weather and a little bit of free time ... and maybe more than that.

Isn't that a nice aspiration, to "staycation" frequently while in semi-retirement?

My kids are also hoping to use this as a hangout for entertaining their friends ... but I'm not quite committed to that plan.

 

Edited April 30 by SKL

[ScoutTN]

I am thankful that several of my friends who have vacation homes invite us to visit or let us stay at their place for a minimal cost. 
 

Your plan sounds good to me. 
 

Maybe the negative reaction, in addition to possibly thinking AirBnB, was offense that you don’t love their wonderful neighborhood enough to move there? 😉

[SKL]

1 minute ago, ScoutTN said:

I am thankful that several of my friends who have vacation homes invite us to visit or let us stay at their place for a minimal cost. 

This is one of the things we plan to do.  It just seems like it will be more comfortable for visiting families.  And, our loud dog is not friendly to strangers.  If we have houseguests, we generally need to send our dog to board elsewhere.  Plus, he has left bite marks etc. on every piece of furniture, scratched the window frames, eaten holes in the carpet, leaves his toys and drool everywhere ... and we're not replacing anything until he is no longer a factor.  So having a "new" place for entertaining will be nice.

[Catwoman]

Well, we have owned 3 houses for decades now, and no one has ever said anything negative to us about it.

If anyone has a problem with it, it's their problem, not mine.  🙂 

[fairfarmhand]

Read this as “people who have more than one HORSE.”

And I thought…of course you have to have at least TWO horses. They dont like to be alone, so yes of course more than one makes sense. Hmmm…SKL getting another horse. How nice for the original horse. I’m sure it’ll be much happier. 😜

[Heartstrings]

I would be surprised big you explained that to me in conversation but more because it’s unusual than to be negative.  

[Garga]

If it’s two mansions, I’d think, “Yowza, they’re rich!” 

If it’s two regular homes and there are three adults later in their careers who have bought the two houses, I’d think, “Sure, I can see being able to afford that,” and wouldn’t blink twice. 

When you first tell people, they might be processing what you’re telling them and working on reframing their little worlds. When people do that, they often look confused or blurt out silly things.

Edited April 30 by Garga

[Faith-manor]

35 minutes ago, fairfarmhand said:

Read this as “people who have more than one HORSE.”

And I thought…of course you have to have at least TWO horses. They dont like to be alone, so yes of course more than one makes sense. Hmmm…SKL getting another horse. How nice for the original horse. I’m sure it’ll be much happier. 😜

😂😂😂.Yes!!!! All the horses! Anyone who judges another for multiple horses is terrible.

🐎🐎🐎🐎🐎🐎🐎🐎🐎🐎🐎🐎🐎🐎🐎🐎🐎🐎🐎🐎🐎

[Ginevra]

I wouldn’t think anything about it. And FTR, I am not opposed to Airbnbs at all. 
 

In your shoes, I would probably not say “staycations”; I would say, “as an investment.” If they don’t like that, 🤷🏻‍♀️

[Lecka]

We have what sounds broadly similar with a house on my street.  They bought the house for the wife’s mother, and she has passed away, and now they are keeping it for guests.  
 

I have had thoughts of thinking they neglected the flower bed.  But they have hired a service!  Yay!

 

I think it would be better for our street to have someone live there full-time, but I am happy because they aren’t letting the house get run-down.  
 

My Mom has a neighbor who has bought a house, but still is living in their old house.  The house has been in disrepair for 2 years.  It’s a nice house and the new couple is nice, but they are not getting the work done on the house very quickly at all.  
 

So honestly my thoughts are along the lines of, I hope you aren’t going to let the house get run-down or lose track of the flower beds, just from not seeing it very often.  
 

If it’s a house that needs a lot of work, I would wonder if it was going to be a slow project and take 10 years to get the house renovated.  
 

If what is visible to the street looks good, that would be great to me!  I would not like it if that took forever to get done, or there was no lawn service and needed to be one, or things like that.  
 

For my Mom’e neighbor, are they out of money or what?  They used to come to check on things every weekend or at least twice a month.  Now nobody has seen them and nobody has seen any evidence of work trucks or anything.  The fence is down and there are stacks of lumber visible in the back yard.  The front door is boarded up in a way that would look fine if it hadn’t been that way for at least 6 months.  It is neat, it’s not trashy, but it’s just not having any work done on it.

 

Edit:  we lived for 3 years as year-round residents of a place that had summer residents and second-home owners.  Every one liked them.  They were rich or they were spending money on vacation.  They kept the town going and provided jobs.  They also seemed like generally nice people.  It wasn’t a party destination or anything like that.  I never heard a complaint.  

Edited April 30 by Lecka