How best to summarize 2021 in just one word? Moving.
Lori and I spent a lot of time moving this year. After living in California for nearly fifty years, we moved to Hawaii in summer of 2020. Coming into this year, we pledged to find a second home somewhere other than California in the mainland U.S. I had three requirements - a white sandy beach, no state income taxes and fantastic sunsets. Lori’s main wish was to move to a hot Short Term Vacation Rental Market and fantastic sunsets sounded great to her too.
We began the year splitting time between our high rise in downtown San Francisco and a new STVR home Lori bought in Austin, Texas. All searches launched from one of these two places. We easily surpassed fifty flights in 2021 trying to find the perfect home that checked all our boxes.
Our travels took us to Scottsdale-Arizona, Las Vegas-Nevada, Gulf Shores-Alabama, Nashville-Tennessee, Jacksonhole-Wyoming, multiple places in Texas, Washington D.C. and even Mexico City.
In March, we literally stumbled upon Destin, Florida while driving down the Panhandle one weekend from one of Lori’s STVR properties in the Gulf Shores. White sandy beaches - check! Hot STVR market - check! No state income taxes - check! Fantastic sunsets - double check!!
Despite closing escrow in October, we didn’t actually move in till three weeks ago. Getting all our possessions from California to our new homes in Hawaii and Florida was not an easy accomplishment, but we did it.
2021 was about moving! Packing and unpacking were dominant themes in our lives this year. I look forward to not moving a damn thing in 2022 and making a whole lot of joy filled memories in these two dreamy destinations! Here’s to new beginnings!
