Before we decided to list the house, we talked about where we wanted to move if and when we sold it. We knew that we wanted to move to a warmer climate and be closer to the ocean. But where? So many options! We wanted to be fairly close to an airport for ease of returning to PA for family events and holidays and to make it easier for family and friends to visit. We listed coastal towns along the East Coast for a start–Wilmington, NC, Charleston, SC, and Savannah, GA. Jim was also busy researching several Master Planned Communities in Florida–we love the idea of living in a community with walkable or bikeable access to amenities (pool, pickleball, fitness center), restaurants, shopping, and activities. We are not 55 yet so we looked at non-age-restricted communities. Our list seemed to be growing longer by the day! We decided that we should start planning short trips to each area we were interested in to check out the “vibe” and either keep it on a short list or cross it off.

Our first trip was planned to Wilmington, NC, over Memorial Day weekend. We found a dog friendly hotel and connected with a realtor who created an itinerary for us which took us to 4 communities around Wilmington. We met with builders and toured model homes and came home overwhelmed with so many choices! Unfortunately, it rained almost continuously that weekend, so we weren’t fully able to experience all that Wilmington (and surrounding areas) had to offer. When we finally found the sun, we took a boat tour on the Cape Fear River (Sunnie’s first time on a boat!), spent time at Topsail Beach, and ate lunch on a barge along the Riverwalk.

Our next trip was to visit 3 master planned communities in Florida–Babcock Ranch, Lakewood Ranch, and Wellen Park. We have been to Florida numerous times during almost every month of the year and our biggest concern was the heat during the summer months. So we planned a trip in August to test the effects of the weather and see if we could enjoy ourselves during one of the hottest months of the year! We connected with realtors in each of the communities who showed us model homes and endless amenities. We flew in and out of Orlando for ease of travel from PA (direct flights are a MUST!). No trip to Orlando is complete without an evening of barhopping at Disney Springs so we planned that for our last night in Florida.

We left both of these trips without any decisions being made except to embark on a long-term rental-hopping journey to explore more options. And here we are…