Hastevenus

Because the UK (except for Northern Ireland) already has a high level of immigration to the US.  The DV is for countries who don't have a high level of immigration to the US.

Winter is high season

Rental income is by no means guaranteed and inevitably you will want to use it in high season, my friends found they got very little after expenses.

It’s possible they would turn you away at the gate, yes with the B2 you’d have to demonstrate strong times to UK... but on the other side you I think CBC could look at you having too many ties to the US also... a house, long stays... is your spouse a USC too by any chance? They might think your an increased risk of AOS 

There are also US tax implications by spending a significant amount of time in the US.
 
https://www.irs.gov/individuals/international-taxpayers/substantial-presence-test

I have lots of family and friends from Canada who spend winters in Florida or Arizona, they are referred to as "snowbirds," most are retired and have strong ties to Canada.  They only spend up to 5 months in the US in winter to avoid problems with taxes, residency rules, CBP, etc.  They also have the financial means to buy expensive health insurance while in the US.  So your plan may work but not for 6 months in each country, maybe 7 UK, 5 US.  I realize that doing something similar from the UK is very different, flying vs. driving, but it is possible.  The B2 visa holder could only be given 3 or 4 months max stay upon entering the US, I would recommend saying up to five months for an extended vacation and hope it works out.  The property in a sunny climate could be rented out or used as an Airbnb, so even if you can't stay there five months a year, it might be a good investment and bring in some rental income while you're in the UK.  Good luck, enjoy your retirement years!

Not sure why you have made comparisons to the UK system, that is of no interest to me.  
If you're tired maybe a lay down would help.
 
Thanks anyway

Not sure why you have made comparisons to the UK system, that is of no interest to me.  
If you're tired maybe a lay down would help.
 
Thanks anyway

Not sure why you have made comparisons to the UK system, that is of no interest to me.  
If you're tired maybe a lay down would help.
 
Thanks anyway

Technically the only people guaranteed entry into the US are US citizens. With tourists specifically, the biggest risk is people overstaying. Therefore, it is up to the CBP officer's discretion. If they believe someone is a high risk of overstaying or other suspicious activity (like working in the US, which is illegal for tourists), then they should be allowed to make the call to either limit the tourist's stay-time in the US or deny them entry outright. It needs to be dealt with on a case-by-case basis so that's why there's a "grey area". 

I have friend with property in Florida, one of them is sort of retired the others not.
 
Now they I know use the VWP, not sure how practical they would find it to go for 6 months even if they could. I assume money is not an issue, you may well find that several trips makes more sense.
 
It seems that getting a B when you are obviously are retired is more a certainty when you are otherwise eligible for the VWP.
 
The other big variable is of course Travel Insurance, not cheap and increases exponentially, seem to remember them saying property taxes are a lot higher for non residents and the ongoing maintenance when they are not there. 
 
 

While a B2 allows for a longer tourism stay than the visa waiver program, it is important to understand how the US government defines tourism.  If you look at the first sentence beneath the picture and caption on the following site https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/us-visas/tourism-visit.html, it says that "Tourism is a short visit for vacation, visiting family and  friends, or for medical treatment".  If I understood what your plans were, it would basically be living in the US for six months of the year and the UK for the other six months.  That pattern, especially over the years when a history of long stays each year has been established, could not really be defined as short visits.
 
At some point, US immigration could shorten the length of your approved stay for an entry, or actually deny you entry, if they think you are using the B2 to reside in the US.  Plus, you should take a look at US tax law -- any stay over 180 days in one year and you could likely be considered a resident for US tax purposes.  These are both things to be considered before you make any serious plans.

Because you made it sound like it was unbelievable that the US does not guarantee you x months entry on a visa, as though that was unusual. 

Hope you find a place in the sunshine you can get more certainty on. Good luck. Maybe a second passport somewhere would help.

Well, it’s not like the UK guarantees anything to people who have its visas either 🤷‍♀️ ...or anyone
it is what it is ...if it’s too risky a prospect for you then I guess you need to look at plan b?

There is no golden rule for the length of time you can stay in the US via a tourist visa...or the length of time you can spend in the US during a year. There, simply, are no guarantees.    I would think twice before investing in a "home" in the US.

Technically should be ok, no guarantees that they will allow you in for 6 months every year though.
 
 

Thank you
 
I do appreciate your input and I'm beginning to feel it might just not be worth the time and effort.
 
We have a few years to retire so holidays will suffice for now, and who knows, the retirement visa may return!
 
Kind regards

Not sure why you have made comparisons to the UK system, that is of no interest to me.  
If you're tired maybe a lay down would help.
 
Thanks anyway

Not sure why you have made comparisons to the UK system, that is of no interest to me.  
If you're tired maybe a lay down would help.
 
Thanks anyway

Not sure why you have made comparisons to the UK system, that is of no interest to me.  
If you're tired maybe a lay down would help.
 
Thanks anyway