Miami Snowbird guides
Snowbird guides
Practical, plain-English guides for spending the winter in greater Miami.
Getting started
Timing, budgets, residency and the checklist for your first season.
The complete guide to becoming a Miami snowbird
A first-timer's roadmap to wintering in Miami: your season, budget, neighborhood and housing, plus healthcare, residency, your car and your home up north.
When to arrive and when to leave: Miami's snowbird season explained
Month by month, when Miami is at its best for seasonal residents, which weeks get crowded and expensive, and how to time your arrival and departure.
Snowbird budget: what 3 months in Miami actually costs
A category-by-category budget for a three-month Miami winter: housing, taxes, transport, utilities, healthcare, food, fun and travel, with a worksheet.
Renting vs. buying as a snowbird
Should a Miami snowbird rent or buy? Seasonal lease norms, condo rental rules, post-Surfside reserve laws, insurance, property taxes and homestead, explained.
Florida residency and the 183-day rule: what snowbirds need to know
What the 183-day rule really means, domicile vs. statutory residency, Florida's declaration of domicile and homestead exemption, and what to ask a pro.
Snowbird checklist: 40 things to do before you head south
A week-by-week snowbird checklist: 40 tasks from eight weeks out to your first week in Miami, covering health, mail, money, your car and your home up north.
Neighborhoods
Where snowbirds actually live, from Miami Beach to Key Biscayne.
Best Miami neighborhoods for snowbirds
A side-by-side look at seven Miami areas for seasonal residents: vibe, walkability, beach access, who each suits and the trade-offs to weigh.
Miami Beach and South Beach for snowbirds
South Beach, Mid-Beach and North Beach compared for seasonal residents: the Beachwalk, Lincoln Road, parks, the free trolley, parking and when crowds peak.
Housing and logistics
Rentals, shipping your car, mail, storage, pets and your home up north.
How to find a seasonal rental in Miami
When to book, where to look, condo approval and lease rules, Florida's tax on stays of six months or less, deposits, scams and what to ask a landlord.
Shipping your car to Florida: costs and companies compared
Open vs. enclosed transport, brokers vs. carriers, how to check a company with FMCSA, what it costs, and when the Amtrak Auto Train makes more sense.
Living here
Doctors, golf, beaches, restaurants, groceries and making friends.
Seasonal calendar
What is on from November through April, and what to avoid.
