Snowbirds

Definition of "Snowbirds"

Written by

Magdalena Paszkowski

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Don’t know what snowbirds mean?

It’s not birds made of snow. Snowbirds is a nickname given to Canadians and American people that live in the colder northern states, that, during the winter “migrate” – just like a bird – to the south and its warmer weather in order to run away from all the snow and oppressive cold.

So, whenever you hear someone talking about snowbirds, that person is referring to a demographic of people that sets a temporary residence in the south during the winter. Now, because it’s a somewhat expensive idea, those snowbirds are generally retirees, professionals that can work remotely and executives who work for companies with offices in the south. With that profile in mind, the states with the most snowbirds are New York with a huge lead, then Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Michigan, and Massachusetts. When November comes, they leave those states and head down South to enjoy a warmer climate.

For real estate agents, this demographic of snowbirds usually mean someone interested in buying a second home, that’s going to be used for airbnb renting throughout the year and will host the snowbird family during the 3 winter months (or just part of those months).

Florida is the state where most snowbirds go to, and that’s not only because of its nice beaches and affordable house prices but also because many snowbirds take advantage of the fact that Florida has no state income tax, so they declare permanent residency in the Sunshine State and claim lower non-resident income taxes in their actual home states. Sometimes that also means citizens are allowed to vote on two different gubernatorial races; however it is considered fraud if you vote in the Presidential race in two different states; you are only allowed one vote.

Arizona, California, New Mexico, and Texas are also states snowbirds choose to make their winter nest. The kind of snowbirds that choose those usually have as their primary residence Vancouver, Washington, Colorado and other Midwestern states, and usually don’t spend the whole season, but get the end of the year break and travel down in an RV and stop at a Motorhome park. They consider other fellow snowbirds that always go to the same “snowbird friendly” park a “second family”.

Real Estate Agent tip:

Need to run away from the cold but have no idea where to go and how to do it? Find a real estate agent to point out the best migration route for your snowbird urge. They will help you fly towards safety!