My husband and I do the snowbird thing.
We are in our northern home for the summer and the rest of the time stay down south for the nicer weather.
Slowly we hope to just live in the south and sell our northern home. Right now we are in the process of upkeep for each one. I used to worry about security and energy waste with the two places. I upgraded to a home automation system for each spot and I haven’t regretted it. For my southern home, it is nice that the lights automatically come on when I approach the door. If robbers think they are coming in, they won’t be able to due to the keyless entry and locks on the doors and windows. We even have video camera surveillance around the outside. Our northern home is even more decked out. I splurged and got an integrated HVAC solution with a smart thermostat. This is so we don’t waste any energy by leaving our home. I have the lights on a timed program so that it looks like people live in the house. The HVAC only turns on when the temperatures get really cold or really hot. The thermostat does scan the house for people. If anyone shows up, the HVAC will automatically fire up. I also have the luxury of controlling my heater, air conditioner, lights, and cameras all from my phone. So if I need to make an update, I can do that quite easily. It was worth it to give my husband and I the peace of mind that both our homes are safe for the weather and elements.