I currently live in Pennsylvania and am considering buying a condo near Disney. I would use the condo for about 6 weeks in the summer and for a week over Christmas and Easter. Have any of you ever done this?
I am sure there are a few who have done this. About 8 years ago with my retirement on the horizon and the real estate market just coming out of its slump we bought a vacation home near Disney. For a few years we would visit 4-6 weeks a year. The rest of the time we rented it as a short term vacation home. We stopped renting when we became snowbirds and now live there about 5 months a year. We usually visit once during the summer to check on the place, though probably not this year.
2. The HOAs include ground maintenance, water, sewer, and insurance. I'm assuming the only other things I will need to pay for are electric and cable/internet. Are there any other monthly costs I'm forgetting?
An expense you didn't mention is property taxes, which should be disclosed on the real estate sites.
Depending on just how long your absences might be you might want to engage the services of a property manager or handyman to be your local eyes and ears in case something happens. Like a hurricane. Depending on the level of service there might be a retainer. We are blessed to have a wonderful full time neighbor who watches over a number of places in our neighborhood.
Electricity is certainly an expense, mostly for the A/C. How much depends on how big and how insulated your condo is. You will definitely want to keep the A/C going to keep the humidity down in the condo. Getting a WiFi thermostat makes it easy to manage the temperature setting when you aren't there.
Is there anything special I would need to do to it if I'm not going to be in it for several months at a time? (It is in a gated community)
Being in a gated community helps but I would still suggest a security system with a camera or two depending on the layout of the condo. You can now get systems that include water and temperature alarms. Water leaks are very nasty and the temperature alarm with quickly catch a busted A/C system. Cameras together with motion sensors will give you peace of mind and the ability to see what is going on if the alarms go off. We have two outdoor cameras, a doorbell camera and a camera on the door out to the lanai. We also have an indoor camera, which we turn off when we are there, in the main living area. I enjoy checking the cameras from time to time.
Where possible turn off the water supplies. Turn off the circuit breakers to as many things as you can. Especially the hot water heater. Decide what you want to do with the refrigerator. We keep ours running but fill up both the fridge and the freezer with bottles of water. Some will turn it off and prop open the doors. Also prop open doors to the various rooms and closets to allow the air to circulate.
Finally, be forewarned that having a place near Disney will be a big pull to visit more often. Remember you can get resident AP's with property ownership. We use utility bills as proof of ownership. We have our water bill in DW's name and the cable bill in my name for our AP's.
Wishing you success in your investigations.