House Hack Vacation Rental Style

[Bobby Nalua'i]

Hey everyone. I'm curious if anyone out there does what I am thinking about doing. I know house hacking typically  means buying a house and bringing in roommates to pay the mortgage, but my idea is a slight variation of that. 

I bought an oceanfront rental in Florida a couple of years ago, and after a couple of seasons of renting it short-term, it's pretty clear that from mid-October to mid-February there's minimal bookings. Starting around Valentine's Day occupancy skyrockets and all 97% of the annual revenue occurs from March until mid-October. This has me thinking that I could live there Oct 15th to Feb 15th and it wouldn't cost me anything more than I already pay, except perhaps a larger electric bill. The mortgage, taxes, insurance, and homeowners dues are expenses whether I am living there or not, and they are covered by the cash flow from the peak season.

So I'm wondering if anyone has any suggestions for places that could serve the exact same purpose but elsewhere. Somewhere where the off season is a different period on the calendar. I've thought about something near a ski resort, I could go there in spring when no one books it, then leave in summer when the mountain bikers start booking. 

Any thoughts or suggestions? USA or Canada only. 

Thanks