Buying advice please

So much good Info. Hi Steve S, thanks for the Invite. My wife and I know skipper Buds, it’s where we looked at several boats 2 weeks ago. We looked at Trawlers, 30 ft Cruises, Fly Bridge and a 540 Sundancer. That was the one we really liked the layout.

We are currently living in Chicago but plan on moving when we retire.... South as the winters are not something I want to deal with.

We could end up on a Lake and have a house with a slip, and the 30ft will
Work.

If we go to the Gulf we may live on the boat and the 54ft would be more suitable.

As I said earlier it’s a few years off but we need to start somewhere and start getting data form those who know.

Thanks so much for the advice it is making me look again at the Buget and how it will need tweeking.

54ft on a total $300k budget? You might want to quickly escalate your savings!

It must be fun to be planning for such a thing. I'm jealous...