Went to FL on vac and came home with a house!

[pb4ugo]

After our stay at OKW DH and I drove up to the Villages in Lady Lake to visit friends. As part of this annual visit we always cruise the different neighborhoods to visit open houses and check out other for sale signs. This was the year that we found a property that seems to fit us well. So we offered and the seller accepted!

My question now is - do we keep our DVC since we are only an hour or so from WDW? We do not need to sell DVC in order to buy the house and the member fees will not negatively impact our quality of life - so I say keep the DVC - at least until we see whether we continue to use it or let family members use it.

We will maintain our primary residence in NJ and be snowbirds in FL. I understand that we can go to motor vehicles and obtain Florida resident ID cards...which leads me to wonder if having that ID will permit us to purchase tix, etc with the FL resident benefits. Can anyone offer an answer to that puzzle piece?

Thanx

 

[spiceycat]

would keep it - other orlando resident have DVC too - so they don't have to put up with visitors at their home. (their words not mind)

be prepared for visitors.

yea owning in Florida - means to WDW you are florida resident now. ( I think - just bring a utility bill with your name and address florida on it)

don't count on renting it - there are alots of houses/condo for rent from owners.
www.vrbo.com

Congratulations!!! you are so brave. whenever I even think about buying something that huge must go home and consider all options.

 

[deej696]

Welcome to central Florida. Our economy appreciates you As far as the DVC goes, I would keep it. We live in Ocala, just north of you, and we go all the time. Its great to get away for a night or two during the week when the points are low. Gives us a little vacation just about every month

 

[jodifla]

After our stay at OKW DH and I drove up to the Villages in Lady Lake to visit friends. As part of this annual visit we always cruise the different neighborhoods to visit open houses and check out other for sale signs. This was the year that we found a property that seems to fit us well. So we offered and the seller accepted!

My question now is - do we keep our DVC since we are only an hour or so from WDW? We do not need to sell DVC in order to buy the house and the member fees will not negatively impact our quality of life - so I say keep the DVC - at least until we see whether we continue to use it or let family members use it.

We will maintain our primary residence in NJ and be snowbirds in FL. I understand that we can go to motor vehicles and obtain Florida resident ID cards...which leads me to wonder if having that ID will permit us to purchase tix, etc with the FL resident benefits. Can anyone offer an answer to that puzzle piece?

Thanx

Actually, depending upon how long at a stretch you'll be spending in Fla. you should get a part time Fla. driver's license. I think over 30 days in the state and you are supposed to have one.

But make an appointment! DL offices take forever.

And yes, that DL will make you a Fla. resident to Disney.

 

[jamie&Greg]

Hi,
CONGRATS!! I would keep it! We live 2 hours away still own at DVC. In fact I always tell my husband i'm glad we don't live any closer or it wouldn't be such a great trip ;-) You can use your FL Res discount for tickets!! The Fl. Resident discount you get for rooms still doesn't beat DVC!

 

[disneynutz]

I recommend that you study the residency requirements and regulations for the two States. Mis-understood tax laws can be a real pain and expensive to settle.

 

[JimC]

We moved to Orlando from PA. Held on to our DVC to see if we still wanted to be members. Bought AKV and VGC and added to our BCV since moving. But we enjoy being on property and really enjoy the resorts. One thing being close does allow is to skip the weekend points. Frequent day trips are fun as well. You do know that you picked the coldest part of central Florida to winter in.

 

[justloveit]

Congratulations! I hope to be able to do that some day soon. DH and I often talk about this and I would plan on keeping DVC if financially possible.

 

[Dean]

Actually, depending upon how long at a stretch you'll be spending in Fla. you should get a part time Fla. driver's license. I think over 30 days in the state and you are supposed to have one.

But make an appointment! DL offices take forever.

And yes, that DL will make you a Fla. resident to Disney.

Technically that doesn't make you a resident. However, one does not need to be a resident technically to take advantage of Disney FL discounts. As a rule, a FL only DL will not quality you but tax records, utility bills with a FL address and one's name should do the trick. Still given that FL doesn't have state income taxes, it might be worthwhile changing residence.

 

[Buckeye Fan]

Congratulations!!!

As for DVC, here's another vote to keep it. If it's paid for, the annual MFs will end up being less than what you pay to stay on property, so why not? Honestly, even if we moved to Orlando, I think I'd keep mine. I LOVE being on property, and I love the resorts. Now that we own, I can't imagine not having that as part of our lives.

Hope you enjoy many happy years in your new home!

 

[carol1231]

Congratulations! We plan to do the same thing in about 10 years, but will make the move permanently. We plan to keep DVC and do weekend trips to hang out at the pools. So my vote is to keep it!

 

[AnnaS]

Congratulations on your purchase. We would also love to do that someday.

I would also keep my DVC at least for a few years and see how it works out (unless money was an issue). If you have more than one contract, you can always sell one or if you have only one and you find it's too many, do a small add-on and then sell the original contract.

Good luck and hope it's everything you want it to be.

 

[palhockeymomof2]

Technically that doesn't make you a resident. However, one does not need to be a resident technically to take advantage of Disney FL discounts. As a rule, a FL only DL will not quality you but tax records, utility bills with a FL address and one's name should do the trick. Still given that FL doesn't have state income taxes, it might be worthwhile changing residence.

So if we bringing a copy of our tax or utility bill with our FL address we should be allow to purchase a disney florida resident seasonal pass ?
Our legal residence is in NY, but we purchased a home in Estero, FL for my son to live in while attending FGCU(and for us to move into in a few years- he has a FL DL since he's in a golf program & planning on living down there once he graduates. I knew my son could purchase the FL resident pass but didn't realize we could as well.

 

[pb4ugo]

Thanx all for your thoughts and advice - there is so much to consider right now!

...snip...You do know that you picked the coldest part of central Florida to winter in.

But it is so much warmer than our vacation house in Maine and the frozen wasteland of New Jersey!

We have visited WDW and the Villages in years when the locals were saying that they were enduring the coldest winter that they can remember - and the temps felt great to us! When the weather reporters tell folks to go out and cover their plants because of the probability of overnite frost, I can only think how great it must be to have plants outside that need to be covered!

 

[pb4ugo]

Technically that doesn't make you a resident. However, one does not need to be a resident technically to take advantage of Disney FL discounts. As a rule, a FL only DL will not quality you but tax records, utility bills with a FL address and one's name should do the trick. Still given that FL doesn't have state income taxes, it might be worthwhile changing residence.

If today's home inspection comes back with a favorable report, then we will have the tax bill and the utility bills to show residency!

And as far as that state income tax issue - I am sure that is somewhere in the back of DH's mind! We hafta evaluate that against the sr. tax freeze that we can get on our NJ property.

Oh my my! So much to sort out! But how nice to hafta do it!

 

[AnnaS]

Thanx all for your thoughts and advice - there is so much to consider right now!



But it is so much warmer than our vacation house in Maine and the frozen wasteland of New Jersey!

We have visited WDW and the Villages in years when the locals were saying that they were enduring the coldest winter that they can remember - and the temps felt great to us! When the weather reporters tell folks to go out and cover their plants because of the probability of overnite frost, I can only think how great it must be to have plants outside that need to be covered!

My husband is due home tomorrow from visiting his parents (mil surgery). He has been in Jupiter (FL) for almost two weeks and says it's been chilly. My in-laws are snowbirds and they had to turn the heat on for the first time in the last 8 years they own (snowbirds also). They did not even know how to turn the heat on.

I think I will also take those temperatures compared to ours here - 20s (but more like teen temp. because of the wind).

Have fun with all the planning.

 

[jodifla]

Technically that doesn't make you a resident. However, one does not need to be a resident technically to take advantage of Disney FL discounts. As a rule, a FL only DL will not quality you but tax records, utility bills with a FL address and one's name should do the trick. Still given that FL doesn't have state income taxes, it might be worthwhile changing residence.

Every report on these boards from folks have said that a Fla. part time Driver's License or a REsident ID both worth for WDW Fla. resident discounts, but that utility bills do not any longer.

 

[jodifla]

Here's is another thread where the part time driver's license is discussed. Multiple people say they use it for Fla. discounts, and a cast member who works in ticketing says its allowed.

http://www.disboards.com/showthread...0&highlight=Florida+part+time+drivers+license

 

[spiceycat]

So if we bringing a copy of our tax or utility bill with our FL address we should be allow to purchase a disney florida resident seasonal pass ?
Our legal residence is in NY, but we purchased a home in Estero, FL for my son to live in while attending FGCU(and for us to move into in a few years- he has a FL DL since he's in a golf program & planning on living down there once he graduates. I knew my son could purchase the FL resident pass but didn't realize we could as well.

only if the utility bill is in your name.

if it is in your son name - forget - you can't.

you need both tax and utility bill - both must be in your name.

 

[dianeschlicht]

Thanx all for your thoughts and advice - there is so much to consider right now!



But it is so much warmer than our vacation house in Maine and the frozen wasteland of New Jersey!

We have visited WDW and the Villages in years when the locals were saying that they were enduring the coldest winter that they can remember - and the temps felt great to us! When the weather reporters tell folks to go out and cover their plants because of the probability of overnite frost, I can only think how great it must be to have plants outside that need to be covered!

Congratulations for doing what we started to consider this year! We went up to the Villages during our trip last month to visit friends, and I was VERY tempted to buy a house just for winter vacations!