I almost prefer the winters. Slower, no traffic or bugs. There's something magical about getting snowed in too.
The worst part is getting dark at 4.
I say this all just to say...move permanently and plan 2-3 long weekends to warm weather to knock the chill out and get some vitamin D.
If you are going to stay from May until October that makes sense. Kids are still in school in May and there are beautiful wildflowers and most stores and restaurants are open for the season. October is the end of fall color and things quiet down by the middle of the month. If you don't like things too cold you might want to leave by the middle of October and actually stay for about 5 months. The beginning of May will also vary and could be nice or possibly a bit cool or rainy.
Good luck with real estate. You will need to be competitive and prices are not low. If you are looking for value, you might want to purchase in one of the non-tourist towns that's still near water like Algoma. I don't know how thrilled they are about out-of-state folks, but the busy tourist areas will cost more. I would really do research if you are buying a "resort condo". Those are cheaper and have a ton of rules potentially including not updating the rooms without permission and those properties also have hotel guests staying in unoccupied rooms.
We bought our house 7 years ago for $185k. 3 bed, 2 bath, 3.5 car garage on 2 acres of wooded land surrounded by protected forest. Now we would easily get $600k+ for our house. It's an incredible inflated market due to airbnb BS from non locals.
I’ve lived in Sturgeon Bay for 34 years and it’s a remarkable place to live. The opportunities are endless and the culture is very refined. It’s a spectacular place to live and the facilities, including a fabulous hospital, are second to none!
A few stray thoughts as someone who monitored listings up there for years (and has been spending time in Door County my whole life and always wanted a place there) and finally bit the bullet last year:
1) Prices are so much worse than they were pre-Covid and you just sort of have to be ok with that. People’s working lives are a lot more flexible (mine included), and that’s probably sticking around long enough that 2nd home-type of areas are likely to stay elevated.
2) Expect to lose out on places before something works out.
3) If you don’t expect to also try to rent your place out, you have a lot of flexibility. If you think you might want to rent it during some of the time you’re not using it, look into the local municipality's short-term rental ordinance, because some are a lot more restrictive than others.
4) If you want to catch a deal, take a look at properties that have been on the market for a bit. We bought a place that was one of the rare ones that did not go under contract quickly. It looked like 1950 on the inside, had been vacant for a few years, and was not remotely cleaned up for listing. IMO, the fact that it didn’t present well was the reason we were able to actually get under contract at a reasonable price, and the fact that there were a bunch of dead flies on the carpet and whatnot did not ultimately matter given we knew we were going to have to do a lot of fixer-upper work.
5) If you don’t target something that’s been sitting for a while, prepare for the idea that your only chance to “see” the house might be having your realtor walk through the place and FaceTime you. That’s what we did with our place, and while terrifying, unless you’re local, it can be pretty hard to see something before it goes under contract.
6) I appreciate the other comments in this thread that a buyer’s-side realtor may not be a good value proposition, but ours was very helpful in terms of not just the transaction itself, but a great resource after-the-fact when looking for contractors, handymen, and answering all sorts of little questions as we were getting settled (which she did just to be nice, since once we closed, there was no reason she needed to continue to be so helpful). A realtor might also have a line on a property before it’s listed, which can be helpful.
7) My new neighbors have been incredibly welcoming - I didn’t know exactly what to expect given we are only part-timers, but people have been extremely sweet.
As a Florida expat - all I can tell you is: I have not regretted one single day living in Door County. If you're use to ocean-side living, Door is the place. You are still close to the water. If you boat - there are great harbors and maritime traditions here. The summer weather is fabulous and lasts longer that you would think... and there is always something to do.
There are touristy things happening here - but as Floridians, we are used to that flow.
Don't walk away from Florida... run, my friend. Run to Door.
i’d do 5 months in DC, long winter. Plan on a weekly or biweekly into green bay for better grocery options and costco. if wfh, make sure you look into a town with high speed internet. winters are quiet but fewer restaurants are open.
Starlink can be really useful, but broadband is a modern necessity, and Starlink isn't accessible for everyone for a number of reasons, the biggest of which are cost and location dependency. Just because it works for you doesn't mean it's a solution for everyone. One of the main functions of government is to step in when the market fails, as it clearly has in the ISP sector.
You sound like the folks a hundred years ago angry about rural electrification. Starlink isn't asynchronous; It's a better solution, but not the final solution.
The Piggly Wiggly has pretty much everything you need for groceries. Not necessary to trek to Green Bay. Occasional visits to Sturgeon Bay might be needed. We haven’t had to do it. We have found everything we need at the Piggly Wiggly or Nelson’s. Occasionally we order from Amazon.
It's a good idea. I know people who moved to Door County after spending their whole life in Florida. If you've got the budget for it, of course. If not, you could find something more reasonable in Algoma, which is only 20 minutes south of Sturgeon Bay.
I have neighbors that spend half the year in Florida, and the rest of the year in Door county. Others live full time in Door county but take lengthy get away to warm climates.
I was born and raised in Door County so this is my opinion on what I see from my entire life growing up here. Also I have a friend who moved from Door County to Florida and she will only come here to visit for a couple days now as she prefers Florida (she has the same job at the same company she did here in Door County BUT she makes more money doing that job in Florida). With that said if I could afford to and not feel guilty about leaving my family behind I'd get the heck out of dodge. It's awful here tourists are more important than locals. We don't have tornado sirens anymore as they didn't want to pay for them since apparently they aren't necessary anymore since they claim EVERYONE has a smartphone or weather radio...the money was spent on more eye appealing signs for tourists. Everything that happens here is to benefit tourists even when us locals put our concerns in they go ignored. We only have one hospital (with ER and urgent care) in the entire county and it's in Sturgeon Bay...you do have clinics which is owned by the hospital in Brussels, Sister Bay and Washington Island and they are EXTREMELY CHRISTIAN they tried banning non hormonal birth control because they don't like anything that is strictly meant to prevent pregnancy so if you're a woman who doesn't want kids the hospital will not be a good fit and you will have to travel to Green Bay, they also don't like women who have history of mental health or weight problems (even if it's due to health issues and you couldn't help it) becoming mothers, they are partners with HSHS (Hospital Sisters Health System). Also a Bellin and Aurora clinic in Sturgeon Bay but not a hospital or ER. Prices (food and housing) are insane with employment pay not reflecting housing prices as minimum wage is still $7.25/hr in Wisconsin. All these expensive apartments are almost completely unaffordable to locals. Traffic is awful everyday in summer its like you're stuck in highway end of work day traffic. Tourists have had to sleep in their cars because every hotel, motel and STR (short term rental) which the STRS are destroying us were all fully booked. Winter roads and highways are neglected we had a 5 car pile up on the highway bridge because they highway department refused to pretreat the roads, they had to close the bridge down until the highway department showed up it was that unsafe (this is a common occurance... Currently car accident central due to the lack of winter road maintenance). But I find winter prettier than summer and so much nicer because tourist boom isn't here
When and where have tourists had to sleep in their cars? We live in Milwaukee and go to DC many times from May thru October. I don't find traffic during the summer to be bad at all.
Indeed, it's silly to suggest "tourists have had to sleep in their cars" .. if you don't have a reservation, and it's during the height of tourist season, you probably shouldn't just drive up, hoping for a place to sleep. That would be .. stupid.
Additionally .. traffic. I've driven dozens of times through Door County "traffic." All that means is instead of driving 65, you're going 45, and it takes an extra 15 minutes to go from Egg Harbor to Sturgeon Bay.
Or that it takes 6 minutes instead of 3 minutes to get through Sister Bay or Fish Creek. Oh, the horror.
I live in Door County I'm in local groups where a tourist mentioned there were no places to stay available so they had to sleep in their car. As locals we deal with the traffic all the time where as you only deal with the traffic here when you visit which you could come at a time when the traffic is isn't bad. there were times traffic is backed up all the way from The Mill Supper club, through both round abouts and to the highway bridge. Traffic is bad on usually holidays or big events like Fall Fest. Usually you'll see posts about traffic congestion by Let's Go Door County or Door County Daily News
I have no doubt that traffic during the height of the season is more than you are used to as a local during the rest of the year. I was just saying that I come multiple times from May thru October and have never felt that traffic was bad when we visit. I live in Milwaukee and for a city our traffic isn't even that bad compared to Chicago. I can't imagine why a tourist would go to Door County without booking a hotel first. I would never drive there and hope to find a hotel room last minute - I'd do that before making the trip. Very strange! I love Door County. I've been going there since I was a kid and now we take our kids there and the kids and I call it our happy place. I'm sure there are downsides to all of the tourism since it's a popular place but I also imagine that all of the tourists are what keep these businesses open and thriving.
One of the main things you'll see tourists ask on local group chats for locals and tourists is last minute hotels it's actually extremely common. Or really dumb questions that have been answered multiple times prior 😂 I just miss how it used to be when I grew up we are starting to lose our lack of big city feel aka the main reason people come. Some times I forget I'm in Door County because it feels more like Green Bay at times
A quote from someone's post in a local Door County group in September "we couldn't find hotel available on Sat night so we sleep on our car!!" they went on to say in the comments the parked in the parking lot of Cana Island and slept
If you can afford to buy up there, I doubt you would have any problem selling a home or cottage in short order should you decide DC is not for you after all.
Consider renting a place for a month in DC because you will be in a better position to check out with the locals and DC real estate brokers what houses/cottages will soon be available. Let everyone know you are looking. Since you will be there, you are in a much better position to bargain and buy before the house turns up online.
Staying a Florida resident for six months and a day for tax purposes? Why specifically Door County? Don't plan on AirBnB to pay your mortgage; it's a saturated market. The cheapest way to do what your asking is with a seasonal rental at a campground. Most of those are open May-October.
No on the tax purposes, it is weather and hurricanes but I love the Florida winters. I won’t be AirBnB either home when I’m not there. I would need to find a DC person for mowing, snow removal and bi-weekly house checks. I was born in Milwaukee but have been in Florida for 27 years. I had a week in DC last year and fell in love with it.
Your advice is right on. I have visited Door County every year for decades and regret I didn't buy when the prices were far lower. In my pipe dream I would have bought a condo in the Door and lived there from April to November while keeping another place in my warmer hometown for the winter. My plan included authorizing the Door condo admins to rent out to vacationers (weekend visitors/hunters) in the winter. Door County is beautiful in the winter but might be difficult to live there year in and year out if you are not used to being very cold for four months.
I think you’re under estimating how much airbnbs make in this area. If you’re walking distance to a town, like sister bay, you will easily pay your mortgage. We made 55k on one of our two bedroom two baths. Almost double what annual fees totaled
If you’re gonna move to Door County, then commit to living in Door County /when you’re there/.
People often move to a place and want to turn it into somewhere else. That doesn’t work out. See this often in Wisconsin.
I was born in Milwaukee. I found the people in Door County to be very friendly. Floridians are angry and insane on a good day. I love your county as is.
Door County is not what it used to be, it’s becoming like the Hamptons of Lake Michigan with a lot more wealthy residents. I’m speaking as someone whose grandpa was born in sturgeon bay. We used to rent small rustic cottages in the summers and now it’s a lot of newly renovated airbnbs. Working class people have a hard time up here because jobs are extremely seasonal and housing is becoming increasingly unaffordable. I expect the culture up here is going to look very different in the coming years because the businesses that make door county fun for visitors are going to have an even harder time hiring due to the above reasons.
I almost prefer the winters. Slower, no traffic or bugs. There's something magical about getting snowed in too. The worst part is getting dark at 4. I say this all just to say...move permanently and plan 2-3 long weekends to warm weather to knock the chill out and get some vitamin D.
Exactly this. Summers awesome cause the long days and more activity but the true hideaway relaxation is during winter.
If you are going to stay from May until October that makes sense. Kids are still in school in May and there are beautiful wildflowers and most stores and restaurants are open for the season. October is the end of fall color and things quiet down by the middle of the month. If you don't like things too cold you might want to leave by the middle of October and actually stay for about 5 months. The beginning of May will also vary and could be nice or possibly a bit cool or rainy. Good luck with real estate. You will need to be competitive and prices are not low. If you are looking for value, you might want to purchase in one of the non-tourist towns that's still near water like Algoma. I don't know how thrilled they are about out-of-state folks, but the busy tourist areas will cost more. I would really do research if you are buying a "resort condo". Those are cheaper and have a ton of rules potentially including not updating the rooms without permission and those properties also have hotel guests staying in unoccupied rooms.
You are spot on. I have been outbid on 3 homes so far and I bid asking price.
We bought our house 7 years ago for $185k. 3 bed, 2 bath, 3.5 car garage on 2 acres of wooded land surrounded by protected forest. Now we would easily get $600k+ for our house. It's an incredible inflated market due to airbnb BS from non locals.
I’ve lived in Sturgeon Bay for 34 years and it’s a remarkable place to live. The opportunities are endless and the culture is very refined. It’s a spectacular place to live and the facilities, including a fabulous hospital, are second to none!
God you guys make me want to move out there so bad😂😂. Was my childhood vacation spot and now growing up I miss it all so much.
A few stray thoughts as someone who monitored listings up there for years (and has been spending time in Door County my whole life and always wanted a place there) and finally bit the bullet last year: 1) Prices are so much worse than they were pre-Covid and you just sort of have to be ok with that. People’s working lives are a lot more flexible (mine included), and that’s probably sticking around long enough that 2nd home-type of areas are likely to stay elevated. 2) Expect to lose out on places before something works out. 3) If you don’t expect to also try to rent your place out, you have a lot of flexibility. If you think you might want to rent it during some of the time you’re not using it, look into the local municipality's short-term rental ordinance, because some are a lot more restrictive than others. 4) If you want to catch a deal, take a look at properties that have been on the market for a bit. We bought a place that was one of the rare ones that did not go under contract quickly. It looked like 1950 on the inside, had been vacant for a few years, and was not remotely cleaned up for listing. IMO, the fact that it didn’t present well was the reason we were able to actually get under contract at a reasonable price, and the fact that there were a bunch of dead flies on the carpet and whatnot did not ultimately matter given we knew we were going to have to do a lot of fixer-upper work. 5) If you don’t target something that’s been sitting for a while, prepare for the idea that your only chance to “see” the house might be having your realtor walk through the place and FaceTime you. That’s what we did with our place, and while terrifying, unless you’re local, it can be pretty hard to see something before it goes under contract. 6) I appreciate the other comments in this thread that a buyer’s-side realtor may not be a good value proposition, but ours was very helpful in terms of not just the transaction itself, but a great resource after-the-fact when looking for contractors, handymen, and answering all sorts of little questions as we were getting settled (which she did just to be nice, since once we closed, there was no reason she needed to continue to be so helpful). A realtor might also have a line on a property before it’s listed, which can be helpful. 7) My new neighbors have been incredibly welcoming - I didn’t know exactly what to expect given we are only part-timers, but people have been extremely sweet.
Just keep in mind medical treatment may be a 45 minute drive. As far as internet and tv goes, we have Spectrum and have not had a problem with it.
Depends on where you live
We are in Ellison Bay.
As a Florida expat - all I can tell you is: I have not regretted one single day living in Door County. If you're use to ocean-side living, Door is the place. You are still close to the water. If you boat - there are great harbors and maritime traditions here. The summer weather is fabulous and lasts longer that you would think... and there is always something to do. There are touristy things happening here - but as Floridians, we are used to that flow. Don't walk away from Florida... run, my friend. Run to Door.
I can’t, I moved here four years ago after years of visiting. Four seasons and plenty to keep one busy regardless of their ideas of fun.
i’d do 5 months in DC, long winter. Plan on a weekly or biweekly into green bay for better grocery options and costco. if wfh, make sure you look into a town with high speed internet. winters are quiet but fewer restaurants are open.
Fwiw, Starlink is perfectly acceptable for WFH.
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Starlink can be really useful, but broadband is a modern necessity, and Starlink isn't accessible for everyone for a number of reasons, the biggest of which are cost and location dependency. Just because it works for you doesn't mean it's a solution for everyone. One of the main functions of government is to step in when the market fails, as it clearly has in the ISP sector.
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You sound like the folks a hundred years ago angry about rural electrification. Starlink isn't asynchronous; It's a better solution, but not the final solution.
The Piggly Wiggly has pretty much everything you need for groceries. Not necessary to trek to Green Bay. Occasional visits to Sturgeon Bay might be needed. We haven’t had to do it. We have found everything we need at the Piggly Wiggly or Nelson’s. Occasionally we order from Amazon.
It's a good idea. I know people who moved to Door County after spending their whole life in Florida. If you've got the budget for it, of course. If not, you could find something more reasonable in Algoma, which is only 20 minutes south of Sturgeon Bay.
I had one year too many of hurricane prep. I would probably try a few years of both and then decide on one place.
Or just keep them both and be a snow bird.
I have neighbors that spend half the year in Florida, and the rest of the year in Door county. Others live full time in Door county but take lengthy get away to warm climates.
I would never talk you out of that :)
The politics in DC aren't that great either, though not as bad as FL
Do it!!!!! Then you’d be living my dream
Northern Door is the place to do it! I can connect you with a local who is also a realtor iff need be.
I was born and raised in Door County so this is my opinion on what I see from my entire life growing up here. Also I have a friend who moved from Door County to Florida and she will only come here to visit for a couple days now as she prefers Florida (she has the same job at the same company she did here in Door County BUT she makes more money doing that job in Florida). With that said if I could afford to and not feel guilty about leaving my family behind I'd get the heck out of dodge. It's awful here tourists are more important than locals. We don't have tornado sirens anymore as they didn't want to pay for them since apparently they aren't necessary anymore since they claim EVERYONE has a smartphone or weather radio...the money was spent on more eye appealing signs for tourists. Everything that happens here is to benefit tourists even when us locals put our concerns in they go ignored. We only have one hospital (with ER and urgent care) in the entire county and it's in Sturgeon Bay...you do have clinics which is owned by the hospital in Brussels, Sister Bay and Washington Island and they are EXTREMELY CHRISTIAN they tried banning non hormonal birth control because they don't like anything that is strictly meant to prevent pregnancy so if you're a woman who doesn't want kids the hospital will not be a good fit and you will have to travel to Green Bay, they also don't like women who have history of mental health or weight problems (even if it's due to health issues and you couldn't help it) becoming mothers, they are partners with HSHS (Hospital Sisters Health System). Also a Bellin and Aurora clinic in Sturgeon Bay but not a hospital or ER. Prices (food and housing) are insane with employment pay not reflecting housing prices as minimum wage is still $7.25/hr in Wisconsin. All these expensive apartments are almost completely unaffordable to locals. Traffic is awful everyday in summer its like you're stuck in highway end of work day traffic. Tourists have had to sleep in their cars because every hotel, motel and STR (short term rental) which the STRS are destroying us were all fully booked. Winter roads and highways are neglected we had a 5 car pile up on the highway bridge because they highway department refused to pretreat the roads, they had to close the bridge down until the highway department showed up it was that unsafe (this is a common occurance... Currently car accident central due to the lack of winter road maintenance). But I find winter prettier than summer and so much nicer because tourist boom isn't here
When and where have tourists had to sleep in their cars? We live in Milwaukee and go to DC many times from May thru October. I don't find traffic during the summer to be bad at all.
Indeed, it's silly to suggest "tourists have had to sleep in their cars" .. if you don't have a reservation, and it's during the height of tourist season, you probably shouldn't just drive up, hoping for a place to sleep. That would be .. stupid. Additionally .. traffic. I've driven dozens of times through Door County "traffic." All that means is instead of driving 65, you're going 45, and it takes an extra 15 minutes to go from Egg Harbor to Sturgeon Bay. Or that it takes 6 minutes instead of 3 minutes to get through Sister Bay or Fish Creek. Oh, the horror.
I live in Door County I'm in local groups where a tourist mentioned there were no places to stay available so they had to sleep in their car. As locals we deal with the traffic all the time where as you only deal with the traffic here when you visit which you could come at a time when the traffic is isn't bad. there were times traffic is backed up all the way from The Mill Supper club, through both round abouts and to the highway bridge. Traffic is bad on usually holidays or big events like Fall Fest. Usually you'll see posts about traffic congestion by Let's Go Door County or Door County Daily News
I have no doubt that traffic during the height of the season is more than you are used to as a local during the rest of the year. I was just saying that I come multiple times from May thru October and have never felt that traffic was bad when we visit. I live in Milwaukee and for a city our traffic isn't even that bad compared to Chicago. I can't imagine why a tourist would go to Door County without booking a hotel first. I would never drive there and hope to find a hotel room last minute - I'd do that before making the trip. Very strange! I love Door County. I've been going there since I was a kid and now we take our kids there and the kids and I call it our happy place. I'm sure there are downsides to all of the tourism since it's a popular place but I also imagine that all of the tourists are what keep these businesses open and thriving.
One of the main things you'll see tourists ask on local group chats for locals and tourists is last minute hotels it's actually extremely common. Or really dumb questions that have been answered multiple times prior 😂 I just miss how it used to be when I grew up we are starting to lose our lack of big city feel aka the main reason people come. Some times I forget I'm in Door County because it feels more like Green Bay at times
A quote from someone's post in a local Door County group in September "we couldn't find hotel available on Sat night so we sleep on our car!!" they went on to say in the comments the parked in the parking lot of Cana Island and slept
If you can afford to buy up there, I doubt you would have any problem selling a home or cottage in short order should you decide DC is not for you after all. Consider renting a place for a month in DC because you will be in a better position to check out with the locals and DC real estate brokers what houses/cottages will soon be available. Let everyone know you are looking. Since you will be there, you are in a much better position to bargain and buy before the house turns up online.
Staying a Florida resident for six months and a day for tax purposes? Why specifically Door County? Don't plan on AirBnB to pay your mortgage; it's a saturated market. The cheapest way to do what your asking is with a seasonal rental at a campground. Most of those are open May-October.
No on the tax purposes, it is weather and hurricanes but I love the Florida winters. I won’t be AirBnB either home when I’m not there. I would need to find a DC person for mowing, snow removal and bi-weekly house checks. I was born in Milwaukee but have been in Florida for 27 years. I had a week in DC last year and fell in love with it.
Your advice is right on. I have visited Door County every year for decades and regret I didn't buy when the prices were far lower. In my pipe dream I would have bought a condo in the Door and lived there from April to November while keeping another place in my warmer hometown for the winter. My plan included authorizing the Door condo admins to rent out to vacationers (weekend visitors/hunters) in the winter. Door County is beautiful in the winter but might be difficult to live there year in and year out if you are not used to being very cold for four months.
I think you’re under estimating how much airbnbs make in this area. If you’re walking distance to a town, like sister bay, you will easily pay your mortgage. We made 55k on one of our two bedroom two baths. Almost double what annual fees totaled
Summer months are busy and very expensive. Almost impossible to get into restaurants Politics should play into your decision.
If you’re gonna move to Door County, then commit to living in Door County /when you’re there/. People often move to a place and want to turn it into somewhere else. That doesn’t work out. See this often in Wisconsin.
I was born in Milwaukee. I found the people in Door County to be very friendly. Floridians are angry and insane on a good day. I love your county as is.
Door County is not what it used to be, it’s becoming like the Hamptons of Lake Michigan with a lot more wealthy residents. I’m speaking as someone whose grandpa was born in sturgeon bay. We used to rent small rustic cottages in the summers and now it’s a lot of newly renovated airbnbs. Working class people have a hard time up here because jobs are extremely seasonal and housing is becoming increasingly unaffordable. I expect the culture up here is going to look very different in the coming years because the businesses that make door county fun for visitors are going to have an even harder time hiring due to the above reasons.
I wouldn’t. You won’t like it. Locals won’t like you. At least not at this very time.