Honestly, name the metric Minnesota is nailing it which is probably a reason that in the list of top 10 places to live in the US without fail MN has at least 1 city if not 4 in that top 10 list year after year after year without fail, despite winters. 

Winterizing toilets and changing locks etc.

I told him to call the Holiday Inn and ask them for a discount. 

I am following these Florida posts because I'm tempted to get an air BnB in Florida myself to get away from NJ winters

In other words, while I wear sweats around my house in the winter, I've been to houses where the owner pays the heat and find the tenants walking around in boxers and t-shirts.

The pandemic is part of the reason, but it’s not the whole story.Today, if you’re looking for one, you’re likely to see only about half as many homes for sale as were available last winter, according to data from Altos Research, a firm that tracks the market nationwide.

We slowed our hunt once we had our son, moved back to NY for the holidays and renovated an RV into a tiny home for a temporary living situation.

I started working in the trade doing construction and plumbing on my summer and winter breaks from college. 

You can also use the HELOC to buy a car or pay for a holiday for that matter.

Here in MN, we got told everything was a-ok with shutting down restaurant's because they could do out-door dining, in the middle of winter, with feet of snow and below freezing temps, that genius from the Governor of the state, and he probably sat back patting himself on the back thinking "well I fixed that problem".