Taking a year off
 

Since ratbastid just lost his job this week, taking a year off is probably not going to happen in the near future. But I'd love to be able to do this - travel, stay with relatives, do absolutely nothing.

Assuming we can rent out our house furnished so the mortgage and utilities are taken care of, what kind of planning do we need to do now to make this happen in, say, 3 years? What kind of issues do we need to take into account in renting out our house?

You might want to look into how you're going to rent out your house for a year, just a year. Determine who'd be willing to take it on that basis. You could talk to property agents and see if they could find you short-term renters (particularly easy if you live in a resort area). Or you might work through something like a college or university to advertise short-term housing for visiting professors. If you're going to be gone, you need somebody around to take the rent and handle problems. That could be an agent, or it could be a relative or friend. Which? I'd personally go with a professional.

Also determine what you all are going to do for health insurance during this time. Buy your own policy? How much can you pay? How high a deductible are you willing to take to get the costs down?

We've thought along these lines as well. Making sure you are caught up with all your bills is one big thing. Renting the house may not be too much of a problem, but what about expenses when something goes wrong with it? Do you have someone nearby to go over and check on things, make minor repairs, and/or deal with plumbers, electricians, or whoever might be needed during that year? You will be a landlord and responsible for quite a few things (not the least of which is hoping you rented to people who won't destroy the place).

Our thinking was to buy an RV and travel. That way, the worst case (have to come home early while the lease is still in effect and need a place to stay, we could get a spot in an RV park).