In the midwest, there is a term used for people who live in Michigan (or other northern states) and spend winter in Florida and spring, summer, fall in their home states. Typically they will spend 3-4 months there. Not sure what you would call someone who spent certain months in the Philippines and the rest in their home place/state/country, maybe a Firebird. Are there people doing something like this in the Philippines, where they spend 3-4 months in one place and 7-8 months in their home country. The weather is the primary reason driving the Snowbirds, but family could be another reason. I realize cost would be prohibitive for some, but curious if ones that can, do, and what they think about it. Initially, it could be a way to test the waters before fully diving in.
Let me correct the ask to if you could do it, would you do it to take the financial aspect out of the picture. I'm interested in the idea, not the cost of the idea.
Basically a 4 month vacation, absolutely. Actually, my mother in law did this. She would work in the states for 6-8 months, save some money, then come home for 4 or 5. Of course having family in both places helps with not finding a place to stay or paying rent on a place not in use. That would be my question to you, would you have a house built and 1 location or just rent a place on each trip?
One of my neighbours used to do it, stay in the UK for 7 months a year and live here the rest of the year (Nov-Apr). To me though, it's too much of a hassle unless your wife has a visa for permanent stay in your home country. And obviously, if there's children attending school then it's a no go anyway. Apart from those hurdles though, it would feel to me as if you don't have a place to call home. What we do is travel to Europe for a couple weeks every two years or so (obviously that schedule got disrupted by the pandemic), and me travelling there alone if there's an emergency.
That's got me thinking. I have a friend who does a few months in California and a few months in Cebu every year and he brings wife and kids and the family dog with him each time. I wonder how he will handle it when the kids have to be in school. I thought about it once. If the kids are past grade 3 they can likely do online schooling but it would be too much traveling back and forth for me. Makes me a grouchy bear.
Not sure what you would call someone who spent certain months in the Philippines and the rest in their home place/state/country Must be my eyes.
I know of many Foreigners who come and go from their home country to PH. this is much more common than you seem to think? some may have an elderly parent alive and have the family home to go back to, others I know have a house in both places, I would suggest 10% or more of the Foreigners I know do this. The point you make of testing the waters is very relevant, I also know of many instances where Foreigners have sold everything back home to settle in PH then gone on to build a large palatial house there only to find it is not all Fun in the Philippines for them, some of which found out the hard way, that being they built the large house for their loved one (likely a child bride) only to be kicked out of the house not so long after it was finished, later on that big house is then sold for half its value, In my view it is folly to invest a lot of money to build there and you should only spend what you can afford to lose. Take my advice I never did use it and now I am giving it away free, I myself made many mistakes, I used up all my savings, cashed in a good investment that was giving me a small income and used up the last of my emergency contingency fund, to get the house I built in PH to a liveable condition, but I never did manage to get it fully finished. However in my favour I retained my house back here in UK which I am now living in at this time, also I do have a reasonable pension income enough to support myself and the family back there, but I would much rather be back in PH with them. If/when I ever get my family there, over here to UK, the house in PH may be a problem, do we hang on to it or do well sell? very likely to be at a loss on what it cost to build? I am not crying over spilt milk as much as this may sound, I had a good 8yrs there and for the most part enjoyed building my somewhat bespoke house, going where no man has gone before haha.
I had this very discussion with my wife: Assuming, as is most likely, I predecease her, I advised her to go abroad to work and spend her life in a more advanced country (she likes the idea of Canada and I agree it seems a great country). I strongly advised her to sell any house(s) she owns here because I feel they would be 'a millstone around her neck' and possibly require a local Agent, who might keep ripping her off with unnecessary repairs. Better I feel to bring that money to the new country of residence and buy property there. Also, I know of cases where a house here is lived in by a Filipino relative and the Filipino living abroad pays all the bills! The only downside of this is if the Filipino spouse wants eventually to retire back home - but this could be 20 to 30 years or more. Assuming the Filipino spouse accumulated funds in the new country of residence, then they might be in a position to buy a house in the Philippines and probably would not require a large one. So a lot depends on speculation about the future and rates of property price increases in the Philippines and the new country of residence. In your specific case, your wife would never find a house again as good as Dave built and so that might be a personal decision that only you can both make.
Or something else? Not sure what you are getting at, but I thought I was being pretty clear using the analogy of the Snowbird to the same behavior applied at the international level. Firebird was to suggest someone going from a moderate climate to a hot/humid climate. Maybe this will help. https://www.google.com/search?q=def...30j0i390l4.5260j1j15&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8 If you want to elaborate, I'm happy to address.
