The other side of the snowbird equation?

[MBtech]

My question is do these tourists and snowbirds make any impact due to their absence up north? Are there a lot of vacant homes and slower business activities during the winter? Some of our businesses, I would venture to say the majority of our tourism businesses rely on winter visitors to keep their profits in the black. Does the reverse happen up north?

I see a dramatic effect from this. Working on high end cars for a living where a lot of folks can afford a second "winter home" down south directly has an impact on my paycheck. Business does slow down in winter months for me and this is a big reason for it. I see a ton of vehicle history services that are done by Florida and other southern Dealerships during winter months. It's a cycle to prepare for every year in my line of work.

Hey, you got your name back

[Hmac]

I see a dramatic effect from this. Working on high end cars for a living where a lot of folks can afford a second "winter home" down south directly has an impact on my paycheck. Business does slow down in winter months for me and this is a big reason for it. I see a ton of vehicle history services that are done by Florida and other southern Dealerships during winter months. It's a cycle to prepare for every year in my line of work.

Hey, you got your name back

Although, some or most of that may be due to fact that those high end luxury cars tend not to be driven when there is snow, salt, or even rain on the ground, nor in cold weather. I live here year round. My little sports car sits bundled up in the garage from November to April.

[MBtech]

Although, some or most of that may be due to fact that those high end luxury cars tend not to be driven when there is snow, salt, or even rain on the ground, nor in cold weather. I live here year round. My little sports car sits bundled up in the garage from November to April.

Very true, (some) but I see a lot of Fla,Ga,Al, etc.. license plates though. I've been there 15 years now and know a lot of clients. Their car also may be just sitting garage kept while they are escaping the winter. But ML, GL, C, E, S Class are daily drivers for them though, they are not all as you see in my Avatar as a sunny day toy.

[Abraham]

ramairthree nailed it and I'm something of a geezer...

So, I drive carefully, a tad (really) over the speed limit most of the time and keep my eyes moving. I don't drive slowly in the fast lane or vice versa...

In all my time of driving, I was in one crash. My fault due to poor driving skill.

I was 15 in a borrowed car with a girl I was trying to impress. I did too. She was terrified. Not what I was hoping for...

[MountainRaven]

Around here, there are some vacant homes in winter. Although around Big Sky and Paradise Valley there are homes that are always vacant: The people who own them bought them as investments and are so rich and have so many homes that they hardly ever visit them.

That being said, around the same time the snow birds are headed south, their grandkids are headed to college. So the housing market around here usually sees a bit of a spike in Fall and a drop off in Spring. And then during Fall, we also have out of state hunters coming in... who give way to ski bums from around the world... and then the snow melts and the national parks open and in come the tourists.

Most of the geriatric RV drivers I notice during late summer and fall. But then they're also joined by the swarms of motorcyclists - of varying skill and differing road manners - headed to Sturgis.