Multiple Residences

I have a place in Chicago & a small cabin in Wisconsin.

Yes. San Francisco and Palm Springs.

Mountebank and Fort Lauderdale.

No. And I doubt most of you have money for all you claim.

Chicago and Wisconsin? Why? Why not a second residence somewhere warmer so you can be there at any time?

We're considering it.

Thinking of buying a house in Palm Springs, but no way in hell we'd stay there all summer, so thinking we'll either buy a small condo somewhere or rent for a few months in summer.

[quote] Chicago and Wisconsin? Why?

I'm not R1, but I know northern Wisconsin is very beautiful, as is western and northwestern Michigan. They all get snow in the winter, of course, but having a cabin is a nice getaway in summer.

I love me some Saugatuck!

What is the appeal of Palm Springs in the summer?

R8 People claim "it's a dry heat."

So's an oven, but I don't want to crawl inside of that, either.

There are alpine environments that are close by Palm Springs, if you need a break from the heat.

Manhattan apartment and a small cottage in the Hamptons.

Manhattan is my primary residence. Of course.

NY and Maine

[R11] How many square feet is your place in Manhattan? It might be difficult to go from small space to small space.

Palm Springs and Big Bear Lake are a good mix for different seasons..

House in London and, like R1 above, a cabin in northern Wisconsin.

Key West in winter and Nantucket in summer

Rich bitches everywhere

When I retired a few years ago I sold my house in the country and the city condo. I was finished with the hassle of owning property and invested the equity. Once both sold I was then free to live where I want and to travel. One of the best decisions I ever made. Perhaps when I get older I'll probably settle on a few places to live and move between those cities.

You don't necessarily have to be rich to have two properties. It depends on where those properties are.

You bitches are making shit up! I bet you're all in Bellevue right now... in a padded room.

R20 Yes, people can afford multiple homes, if they save money, handle their finances correctly and make wise decisions on when to buy or sell.

[R15] which London?

Three: NYC, NYS and Pittsburgh.

[R21] sounds boring.

We have a flat in London, and a cottage in rural Norfolk. Both my husband and I are freelancers and usually can work from home, so we're back and forth as and when we please.

We're not rich, by any means. The only reason we were ever able to afford it is because my husband's entire family is dead.

[R23] Sounds like the tour de fatso.

Yep - San Diego and Palm Springs.

R26 types fat.

R8 - there is no appeal for PS in the summer, but there are good moments of the day. From sunup to 11am it's fine, then from 6pm to midnight, it's glorious. Just after the sun goes down behind the mountains.

But 11am to 6pm though is a bitch and a half - need to go into your coffin and close the lid. Stay indoors, close all the shades and hibernate for 7-8 hours. That's from end of June through mid-Sept.

Still beats the reverse of being in the cold when there literally is no salvageable time of the day - you just stay in 24/7.

[quote]What is the appeal of Palm Springs in the summer?

What's the appeal of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Wisconsin, Illinois, New York... in the winter?

My husband and I have our primary residence just off Amsterdam Avenue in a pre-war classic with doorman and roof garden. We have a country cottage in Greenwich on Belle Haven Peninsula. We also both love the mountains, and purchased a ski-in/ski-out lodge in Whitefish, Montana in 2017.

Not yet, but I'm thinking of getting one in Peru.

[R31] Those all sound very small. I’m pretty sure that country cottage is code for “under 700 square feet”.

R31, are you the Evening Punctuationist? I don’t think he and his assistant Randolf are married, though. He comes from old money, I understand. Like, 5th century. He has multiple houses, he’s said in the past.

I'm in the LA suburbs and have always thought about getting a second place in Palm Springs, but there's no bad weather in the winter where I live from which I need an escape, and I'd rather have a place to escape the summer heat-- which Palm Springs is most assuredly NOT. So I've decided to just rent a place on VRBO or AirBnB for a month or two during July or August to get away. I did Carlsbad (San Diego County) one year and Healdsburg (Sonoma Co.) another. Thinking of Monterey/Carmel for next year.

Our house is paid for but we've been talking about getting a separate weekend/vacation place. Not sure if I want that payment though.

Ranch in Dallas, downtown condo in Boston. That's diversity.

New York City and Vermont. The best of both worlds.

Truth be told, most people come into a bit of a windfall when their parents die. They get insurance payouts and/or property that’s likely paid for. So it’s actually pretty common for people to either have a second property...or have the proceeds from the sell of said property.

Boston and Rancho Mirage

R2, are you David & Sean?

We have two residences - only one is owned. My partner and I have a rent stabilized one-bedroom in Brooklyn and we own a house in the reviled town of Hudson, NY.

I pay the mortgage, which aint much (we bought over ten years ago) and he pays the rent on the apartment.

We're actually thinking of selling the house, investing the proceeds and putting the focus on traveling while we are still young enough to enjoy it. We both love the Hudson Valley. Just not sure I want to be an old gay fart up there down the road.

We just sold and are renting now, considering what our next move will be.

We did not inherit anything, nor are we rich. But we did luck out a bit, buying low after the 2008 crash and selling high last year, so we were able to have a nice return on investment, for which we are very grateful.

NYC, London, Paris

I have a cardboard box that I use for shade down by the beach in the summer, does that count?

[quote] a small cottage in the Hamptons.

LOL. We used to laugh about that phrasing in high school. (I grew up with a lot of people whose parents had 18 room "cottages" out East.)

Oh honey, OP, this is data lounge. Everyone has at least 2, plus the pied-à-terre (London, Paris, Madrid or Tel Aviv)l, and the shared family homesteads at the beach and in the mountains.

[quote] my husband's entire family is dead.

I envy this more than I do your second home.

Yes, R20, but I have TWO padded rooms.

Primary residence in Pacific Heights (bought 23 years ago before the real estate market went berserk) and from our weekender’s back deck we can see the Russian River in Monte Rio (just west of Guerneville.) We did get a nice chunk of change when hubby’s mother passed in 2015, which we used for the purchase and renovation on the Russian River property.

NYC and Litchfield County, CT

NYC and Maine. Will ultimately divide my time evenly between them.

Maman's basement and then in the summer we move to the garage,

Hooterville for now, but I'pm saving up

The gutter and the grave.

Sonoma County and condo in Palm Springs. When I lived in San Francisco, I liked the occasional summer weekend in PS to get away from the foggy SF weather.

NYC and the Berkshires. Family Chalet's in Chamonix and Bagnères-de-Luchon.

House in LA, Smaller house in PS.

I have two houses (one inherited), but the second one is a rental, so that doesn't count.

What's so great about Palm Springs? Aside from Coachella?

Old gay men can still get sex in Palm Springs without having to pay. It's a gross place. It's for the generation of gays who never assimilated. 56 & up.

A Federal style townhouse in Philadelphia built in 1806 and a Dutch Colonial log farmhouse in Upper Bucks County.

I loved Palm Springs. A friend had a house there for years. I used to go to the White Party at Easter, and went in Jan once for my friend’s 40th birthday.

I feel like I need to clarify that hotel rooms, extended stay or not, do NOT count as a second residence.

*Looking at you NYC NYC NYC.

Primary residence is a cozy 1800 sq foot Craftsman within walking distance to Main Street in Laguna Beach. Second home is a townhouse in Cathedral City. I get a day pass for the CCBC and have access to the trails, pool, and sauna.

Bravo, [R65] , for indicating area at your Laguna Beach residence.

R60 - good architecture, fantastic weather (9 months out of the year), fabulous scenery and a good restaurant and bar scene.

A lot of wealthy people and stars live in the Palm Springs area - although many are further out in Indian Wells or LaQuinta.

Dallas and Santa Fe.

My friend liked to play a game called “Dead or Desert Dweller?” In which he’d name someone famous, and you’d have to choose one.

I think this is a fair question, if everyone is so wealthy and has these amazing lives, why are we wasting our time on Datalounge?

Afraid so R47: West L.A., Washington, DC and (a pied-à-terre) in Paris.

Winter in Kansas City Missouri, summer in Kansas City Kansas.

Darfur and Dark Harbor, Maine

I'm too poor and busy for that. At least my house is paid for, and I can pay my way. I don't much like driving long distances or driving.

Atlanta in the fall-winter, the low country (near Savannah) in the spring-summer.

R57 bothers with the è but bungles a plural.

R22, London, UK. I grew up in MN and the cabin in Wisconsin is one inherited from my family. I spend a month there each summer and the rest of the year in the UK where I live and work.

London, UK, where I lived 13 years before work sent me to Asia. I’m renting out my London flat, and bought another one in Bangkok, a city I adore. I’m based in Saigon.

Another rule that should be enforced here, your family’s house doesn’t count as a second residence. You must actually own it.

[R53] Probably the most accurate one.

NYC - October thru December

Provincetown, MA - May thru September

Ft. Lauderdale, FL - January thru April

My studio apartment and the muthafucken Free Clinic

We (husband and I) moved to Barcelona 4 years ago and found a wonderful unit in Barri Gotic with a roof terrace. Our weekend place in Sitges is a rental, but extremely reasonable as it is owned by my husband’s colleague. We basically pay is taxes and upkeep!

My Mawmaw’s trailer in West Virginia is my main residence, and the county jail is my second home.

[R81] Might I find you on rentmen.com?

Palms Springs and Traverse City, MI area. Honestly , I was in P.S .this past summer for a couple weeks in July and I didn't find it completely unbearable as opposed to Kansas City in July

Lol I love traveling whores on rentmen. They’re always so busy too. If I could, I would travel back to my late teens and make hundreds of thousands of dollars before I could even drink.

Lol r85. You won’t find me there. Lucked out with good investments, good buys and being in the right place at the right time.

Pretentious thread! Only middle class Boomers could afford a second home.

Palm Springs. Embalm Springs, more like.

[quote] Pretentious thread!

What's so pretentious about it? Do you expect those who can afford multiple residences to lie or poor it down for the sake of people like you who apparently are angry that others can afford more than they can? I say to you, if you can't afford it now work even harder and maybe one day you can.

[R89] It’s part of the fun, I’m assuming that most of these people are either telling the truth or sitting in a home for the psychotic.

No one has said, “NYC and the Poconos”. Why?

How do you manage multiple properties? Where does your mail go? Who takes care of the house when you’re not there?

"Do you expect those who can afford multiple residences to lie or poor it down for the sake of people like you"

On Datalounge, the answer is yes. If you mention in a discussion about retirement that you have a little money set aside but still have any concerns at all about it being enough, you'll be torn to shreds for humblebragging.

Palm Springs Fort Lauderdale Provincetown Russian River

Could you be more stereotypical or fucking boring? The site is obviously for gays over 55 that are scared of straight people. Hanging around all gay people is boring as fuck.

For a quick minute I thought about buying a small mountain getaway, but I don't want the responsibility of caring for two properties. So, I think I'll rent first. I own a home on the sun (Vegas). Also toying with the idea of renting for two months in Italy during July and August. FYI - cannot imagine wanting a place in PS during the summer.

Cocktails cocks and ass ..My interests haven’t changed since 1981 therefore I must buy properties that are exclusively gay! Yawn!

“Exclusively gay” plus a few fag hags are what I prefer. No judgement from straight people, and complete freedom and relaxation. I vacation in Ft. Lauderdale, Guerneville, WEHO, Key West, Mykonos, Palm Springs and PTown. Why not spend my gay dollars where I want them to go?

^^^^ oh and I left my favorite, Puerto Vallarta out 😊

What’s the deal with Puerto Vallarta? I’m not Into Latinx, so maybe I don’t get it for that reason.

Boston and Newport.

R99 Yawn!

[R102] Ok, Edith. Are those places where corsets are still acceptable?

I lived in NYC and wanted a weekend home. I didn't want to have to deal with two places so I just moved to the leafy suburbs and work in NYC.

Life is grand!

I was born in 1950 and I never socialize with any straight people ever ever ever ever. If I never see another straight person as long as I live I’ll be happy. I live in a realistic world.. NOT! You old gays bore me

Bodrum, Beirut, Berlin, Genève,

San Francisco and a cabin in Tahoe.

R104, they're practically mandatory.

I tried hanging out with straights a few years back. I realized I was being used as their token “fabulous gay friend” who knew all the trendy restaurants, exhibits, and happenings. They wanted to show me off to their other friends and I got tired of being a “show pony.” I started refusing invitations from straights and now am free of them.

R89, not if you consider another property abroad! Depending on where you choose, that opens up a whole new world of opportunity.

Connecticut (60%) and Maine (40%).

I have a small place outside of Washington DC, and a home in North Carolina. I drive back and forth every two to three weeks and telework most days. I will retire next year and move back to NC permanently.

When we retired, we bought a unit on The World. It’s a cruise ship that has units for sale. We sail about 6 months a year, and spend the rest of the year in our Nantucket cottage. On “The World,” we as the homeowners get to vote on the ports of call, anything from Greece, France, Spain, and the Balaeric Islands. We have no children and no helpful nephews, so we’re going to spend the money we have!

[R112] You should mix it up a little, sell the CT place and find somewhere further South. Life is more than cable knit sweaters, pilgrims and preserves.

[R113] When you “telework” do you use your Rolodex?

I bet Madame would have been on the World, seems like a something she would have loved. Ever see Jennifer and Jonathan Hart?

R101 - I do t get PV either. I thinks it’s a lot of Canadians escaping the cold. I find it meh and sketchy. I don’t get the hype.

I think the ideal is a small apt in the city - cheap - and a rural house - also cheap. As a middle class gay who can’t afford a million dollar apt in the city, it allows proximity to work, city life and gay scene while also having access to nature and more living space on the weekend.

A place in NYC and London or LA and SF doesn’t make sense for most people. Even very rich. Perhaps NYC and Florida. Or Chicago and Palm Springs.

I like the concept of the Russian dacha -- where people from the congested city have a summer home in the countryside. Mainly used as a recreation getaway for people to grow vegetable gardens, go fishing, etc. I guess the equivalent here is a cabin in the woods.

West Village: April to October, rest of year in Fort Lauderdale.

Mayfair London, 19th C hôtel particulier on Avenue Foch, Paris, Coligny near Genève, Cannes, Superyacht at Antibes, Marbella, Beirut, Riyadh, Dubai

As a poor, I'm curious about the logistics of maintaining multiple homes. Do you switch the utilities off for the season? Do you drape all of the furniture with dust covers before you leave?

I assume you have security systems in each. If I had a house that I didn't see for months at a stretch, I'd constantly be anxious about something happening to it while I was away.

Please enlighten my horrid blue-collar self. I feel akin to the Darfur Orphan.

R122 above a certain level of wealth, these "residences" all have year round staff. Not dozens of servants like in olden times, but someone. Cooks, drivers, servants, childcare, travel with the families. Yes, alarms, but many of today's wealthy do not own priceless art, for example. Ladies still travel with jewels, they don't leave them. So what are thieves going to take from an empty mansion? Old money do have valuables, and high insurance.

[R123] Is this information you’ve picked up from experience or the local library?

Experience.

R122 I can only speak for my own personal circumstance. I live primarily in a condo in a high rise building. The utilities are maintained by the building so I don't have to worry about turning anything off. I do unplug anything that doesn't need to be plugged in full time when I leave. I don't cover anything. I have a cleaning lady whose crew has been cleaning for me for over 30 years. When I'm at home they come in twice a week. When I'm gone one of them comes by one day a week to do nothing more than a cursory walk through to make sure everything is AOK, and mainly that my refrigerator and freezers are running. It's a 10 minute job.

I do not turn off the utilities in my summer house when I'm not there from Dec - April. When I leave to go back home I turn the thermostat down to 63 and leave it running. I have 3 outside cameras that I can monitor on my cell phone & computer so I can keep a watch on things to some extent that way. I only have one neighbor down there and I pay them (husband and wife) $250.00/mo to look after the place. They have a key and they will go over occasionally to do a walk through. They also tend to any yard issues needed when I'm not there, such as pulling any storm debris to the roadside for the county to pick up. The wife also stores all my houseplants in her greenhouse and tends to them. If anything too big for them to handle happens they call me and we work out what needs to be done. They're wonderful neighbors.

I live in DTLA in a renovated loft that was originally built as warehouse space. I enjoy PS but not enough to buy there. I use AirBnB when I go there about twice a year. My second home is in Big Bear Lake in the San Bernardino National Forest. It’s on 2 acres fully fenced and private and I can get completely naked in the hot tub and stare at the stars.

R122, I'm two condos and a house. The house gets winterized and furniture covered if we aren't going to be there for an extended period and we do have an electronic system (and neighbor) that alerts for fire, leaks and break ins.

[R128] I’m still perplexed as to why you would have multiple residences in those three places. Depressing!

My SO's job changed a few years ago and it required me to split my time between NY and Pitts. Housing in Pitts was so cheap at the time that it made sense to just buy instead of rent. It was a good investment.

And r129 we've had the place in the Hudson Valley for over 20 years.

Austin, Texas and the Hill Country - just one hour, door-to-door, so we're able to use our weekend place all the time.

R132 - also Austin and Fredericksburg!! Clarksville in Austin and off Hwy 87 in Fred. Although it’s a little more than an hour for me from door to door.

I summer in Aspen and winter in the Dutch Antilles.

R133, cool! How often are you able to get to Fredericksburg? We've thought about moving "further in" to the Hill Country but I'm worried we wouldn't use the house as much. As it stands, it's close enough that we feel fine to drive out on a Saturday morning sometimes and spend only one night. I'm not sure we'd choose to do that if it were much further away.

[R130] That actually makes sense more than most of these responses. Where will you retire? If you’ve had a place for 20 years, assuming you’re close.

I get a rental in a different part of the country for the winter.

Primary home in LA. Second house in Ohio, which I inherited from my father.

We use the place in Ohio only when we are in town, maybe 2 or 3 weeks a year. The utilities are turned to maintenance level when nobody is there and I pay a lawn care service in the spring and summer. Everything in the house is online, so I can watch the various cameras, control the lights and heating, etc. A distant cousin has a key if there is ever an emergency that requires entry.

[quote][[R130]] That actually makes sense more than most of these responses. Where will you retire? If you’ve had a place for 20 years, assuming you’re close.

I still have quite a few years before retirement, r126. At this point, the plan is to sell everything and move somewhere warm and public transportation friendly.

R138 - why would you keep the Ohio house? Just sell and cash out and rent AirBnB when you’re in town.

R94 don't forget taxes. I have wealthy relatives who own three homes and they spend money like crazy. I have one home and between work, taking care of the home, and having a life that is enough. I would not want to deal with the hassle of having multiple homes.

I live in Santa Barbara, but several years ago bought a house with a guest cottage in Blackheath, England (London SE13). I work in a blue-collar capacity, but have taken great care to make sure that no one I work with knows anything about my financial situation, which is the result of modest family inheritance.

Between my paid vacation and overtime time off, I usually have at least two months holiday time accrued, which I spend in England a month at a time in the spring and fall. The tenants in the main house take care of the half-acre property, which they have turned into a huge vegetable garden, which is fine by me. They also do a quick walk-through of my small one-bedroom cottage every once in a while to make sure everything is okay. They also take my car on local outings every couple of weeks just to keep the battery charged. It's a perfect win-win situation for everyone. My friends at work know I spend a lot of time in England, but they have no idea that I actually own property there. It also helps that I have a relative who is a commercial pilot, so I'm eligible for the "friends and family" plan.

I love England, but I don't think I could ever live their full-time. I hate cold weather, and I'm too much of a fan of US hamburgers and tacos to ever give them up permanently.

That sounds really cool, R142, what a nice dichotomy between Coastal California and the UK.

I responded up thread, place in Sonoma County (not Russian River) and smallcondo in Palm Springs. I'm primarily up north and use my place in PS about 6 weeks a year. Most of the rest of the time it's rented monthly and actually makes a little money, so my stay there is free. I have friends in PS and LA that I like seeing and it's nice to swim and play tennis when it's colder/rainier up north.

Shanghai, Salzburg and Positano

I'm impressed with the commentators that have such great relationships with others that look after their properties. That's so great!

I'm thinking about it. I own two homes in my Northwestern city and they are both rentals at the moment, but one will be my permanent home when my mom no longer needs me as a caregiver. I've given some thought to buying a condo in PS when I retire. Currently I spend about 2 weeks every winter there, and I love the weather and the sunshine in mid-winter, which is a scarce commodity in the NW at that time of year. In my dream life, I'd stay there about 2 1/2 months every winter, maybe going in mid-December and returning mid-late February. Because of that, I've explored various options for home maintenance. Being poor, I'm not going to have live-in servants in both locations year round.

I rent a friend's condo when I go down, and she has a guy she pays to look in at her place about once a week. She unplugs all the appliances (earthquake country) and turns the refrigerator to "vacation" mode. I think she has the guy light the pilot light of the furnace when I'm coming down, or if not, turns it up out of vacation mode. However, in the part of the NW I'm from, the winter is really cold, so options for leaving a house here would be A. to leave the furnace running, at least to about 55, or B. to fully winterize, which would mean draining all the toilets, putting antifreeze in them etc, or C. Finding a housesitter for 2-3 months of the year. For options A or B, I'd still need to have someone check once a week, to pull in stray mail, make sure no one has broken into the house, check to make sure there's no sign of broken pipes, put some lights on automatic timers, and give my number to neighbors to contact me if they see suspicious activity.

If I bought a condo in PS, I'd want it to earn money for me, so I'd probably try to rent it out for the fall and spring seasons. (I think they call them shoulder seasons down there). There's not a chance in hell that anyone would care to rent a condo in PS in summer. However, it's more sensible for me to look for a long-term rental for my visits to PS and avoid the headache of worrying about the safety and security of the property during the 10 months of the year I wouldn't be there.

You could rent in PS in the summer. People love PS in July and August, no idea why, but it's true.

R147, do people really travel to Palm Springs in July and August? I thought it was ungodly hot there during the summer.

Lizard people.

Believe it or not some people like the extreme heat of the desert. I'm from the humid south and I've been to the low desert of Southern California during the hottest time of year. To me a dry 110° in Palm Springs is not unbearable especially if you have a swimming pool.

[R148] It’s surprisingly tolerable. During the day you’re either in a pool or indoors, and you go out at night. It’s not like you’re doing manual labor.

Everyone on Datalounge: what’s manual labor?

Newark townhouse, cabin in Gatlinburg, Daytona Beach time share.

I wish... one day!

I wish... one day!

This should clear up the Palm Springs summertime questions.

[R152] I’m so sorry! Do you meet anyone named Darryl or Debbie in Daytona? Do you have a Trans-Am down there?

"Only middle class Boomers could afford a second home."

I'm 43. We were lucky to buy a second home in an area that was cheap at the time. And our apartment in NYC is rent controlled. That's how we swung it. Definitely not rich here.

My husband and I have four homes. Two of them in southern Mexico, one in Peru, one in Italy.

[R158] Wow, you’re like, a real estate mogul.

Tortola, George Town, Jersey, Liechtenstein, Valletta, Macao

Caracas, Zoug, Moscow, Damascas

Kinshasa, Abu Dhabi, Genève, Marbella

There's a lot ot be said for the luxury of NOT owning things.

My ex had grown up in Manhattan as part of a wealthy clan. One aunt in particular was enormously wealthy (multiple "good" marriages). She'd been renting her gorgeous UES apartment for decades (not a Central Park view, but "Park-adjacent") and spent a lot of the year travelling: the south of France, the Amalfi coast, a beach in Mexico, St. Barts, etc. Usually renting the same vacation houses or hotel suites or condos over and over. Basically, she owned nothing (not even a car) and no responsibilities to anyone or anything. I do remember she always traveled with her own bed linens.

Now THAT is luxury.

[R164] Is your ex’s aunt bipolar?

R155 as well as showcasing a number of our regular contributors here, I'm sure.

R91, naive. As if most of the 1% get that rich by 'working hard'...

R121, Oh, come on!

Some of these are funny like Atlanta and Savannah, which basically two places that are unlivable in summer and depressing in winter.

R168 - list R121 is an Arab crown prince.

[R170] Arab Crown Prince living full time at St. Elizabeth’s Home for Crazies.

No that was the real list of a Crown Prince who is no longer THE Crown Prince. I posted it for comparison purposes.

Small houses owned free and clear in CT and FL, both walking distance to the beach. I love both.

[quote] My husband and I have four homes. Two of them in southern Mexico, one in Peru, one in Italy.

R158, I am officially envious. You have homes in the top three places I would ever consider getting a retirement/vacation home at. Do tell me more!

A summer cabin in Maine, two rooms and an outhouse. Anyone else here have an outhouse?

R175, what part of Maine? Some of those lakefront cabins are stunning.

Me and hubby have an “earth house” outside of Taos, New Mexico, a “tiny house” in Missoula, Montana, and a cabin on the Russian River in Guerneville.