Zona Posted July 10, 2005 Share Posted July 10, 2005 The Wife has made noises about us exploring the possibilities of moving to the Buffalo area, and has gone so far as checking real estate prices and checking the want ads. I say its a pipe dream really, but I was wondering what the job markets are really like. We make decent money here in Phoenix for Costco, and I dont really want to live in a double-wide if I can help it. The R.E. taxes are INCREDIBLE in WNY. Why are they so high? We pay $1600 a year in phx for a 4 br, 2 ba, 2000 sq ft house. In WNY the taxes range from 3500 to 7000. That is OURAGEOUS. It sucks to be you guys... Oh well. If you guys have any advice, or any links to relocation sites. I would appreciate it. I would love to move back if it all works out. Season tickets to Bills and Sabres!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fake-Fat Sunny Posted July 10, 2005 Share Posted July 10, 2005 Buffalo and WNY remains the land of no illusions. Thus neither believe those who describe it as an undiscovered place of joy, nor those who describe it as worthless with nothing but high taxes to offer (I welcome these whiners to not let the door hit them on the way out because quite frankly life is better off without the whiners). This being said, it is not an easy thing to construct the right deal for you individually which makes this a worthwhile place to come back to. However, rest assured that he can be done. For me the deal that works is due to modern communications which allows me to work with clients nationally so I can get a nationally based salary while living here and enjoying the cheaper than the go-go communities housing prices (despite the tax rate, I find the WNY lifestyle more than competive finacially with housing and other costs in other cities like DC). Make your own deal and make your assessment and if it works for you we welcome you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elcrusho Posted July 10, 2005 Share Posted July 10, 2005 My taxes are $1600 for a 3 Bdrm 2ba, 1800 sq ft. house in the nice part of South buffalo... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zow2 Posted July 10, 2005 Share Posted July 10, 2005 Buffalo and WNY remains the land of no illusions. Thus neither believe those who describe it as an undiscovered place of joy, nor those who describe it as worthless with nothing but high taxes to offer (I welcome these whiners to not let the door hit them on the way out because quite frankly life is better off without the whiners). This being said, it is not an easy thing to construct the right deal for you individually which makes this a worthwhile place to come back to. However, rest assured that he can be done. For me the deal that works is due to modern communications which allows me to work with clients nationally so I can get a nationally based salary while living here and enjoying the cheaper than the go-go communities housing prices (despite the tax rate, I find the WNY lifestyle more than competive finacially with housing and other costs in other cities like DC). Make your own deal and make your assessment and if it works for you we welcome you. 378275[/snapback] A home that sells for $550K in the DC/MD/VA area would probably cost you about $280K in Amherst/Clarence/Williamsville. IF you can make that kind of dough in a move back to BUffalo than you've got it made. I'm not sure how Phoenix compares? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SchobelForcedFumble Posted July 10, 2005 Share Posted July 10, 2005 I am not from the area I grew up in CT(wanna talk about over priced) I came to Buffalo to go to school and I dont know for the life of me why anyone would want to move to this area. (Other than the Bills ) The Buffalo area is a sinking ship with a pin hole leak only getting bigger. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elcrusho Posted July 10, 2005 Share Posted July 10, 2005 Are you going down with the ship then? I have to because I am the Capitan and the Capitan always goes down with his ship haha Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KD in CA Posted July 10, 2005 Share Posted July 10, 2005 I am not from the area I grew up in CT(wanna talk about over priced) I hear that. Where in CT? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fake-Fat Sunny Posted July 10, 2005 Share Posted July 10, 2005 I am not from the area I grew up in CT(wanna talk about over priced) I came to Buffalo to go to school and I dont know for the life of me why anyone would want to move to this area. (Other than the Bills ) The Buffalo area is a sinking ship with a pin hole leak only getting bigger. 378304[/snapback] The key reason I am in this area is that my wife means more to me than anything and family seems to mean more to my wife than anything and her Dad and both her brothers are here. Quite frankly as long as I and my family (and also my friends to a signficant extent) can keep the wolf away from the door wherever we are, the tax rates and other factors are trivia. I hope you have enough family and friwnds to keep you happy wherever you are. However, I think anyine who leaves a situation of love (which my family and friends thankfully procide for us) then I think one is a fool to leave this for lower taxes, a job or some other trivia. Sometimes one has to leave family and friends because of a job or demographic factors. Its too bad but it happens. Fir example, we moved from WNY for 7 months or so in St. Louis when my wife needed medical treatment whose highest survival rate was provided by Barnes Hospital in St. Louis. Even she decided to leave her friends and family behind and we moved out there. Fortunately, it worked out as I think that Barnes and their work saved her life. Even better for us, he constant follow-up care is provided by a doc here in Buffallo by a woman who its hard to imagine anyone better for my wife. She was attracted here by a financial offer but stayed here because she found a fellow doc at ECMC who she has started a family with and even though I would guess she could move more easily than most to a hospital wherever she wanted she also seems to have decided to chose her family and friends over low taxes or financial opportunity. Make no mistake, Buffalo and Erie County are melting down financially. Its not a good thing but in general I do not think this a bad thing completely at all. What is happening here is that both the Democrats (as embodied sort of in Massiello, Mayor of Buffalo) and the GOP (as embodied in Joel Giambra and the Repubs that ran the County legislature while the coffers were emptied under their watch) have really screwed the pooch on this one. There really is a perfect storm of unprecedented opportunity here to see residents and local folks take control of running Erie County and Buffalo away frin the Democratic Party (who in the person of Butch Holt, Al DeBenedett, Massiello, Griffin, etc) and the GOP (who in the person of Joel Giambra, Nancy Naples, Mike Ratzenhoffer, etc.) has totally revealed that they are incapable of running things even remotely well. The upcoming Mayoral election in November and the County Exec race ibn two years or so (or less because I doubt Giambra lasts that long) will provide an unprecedented opportunity to do something different than the idiots who mismanaged things/ All of this politics of course pales in inportance to important things like family and friend but is clear that something different than the last 8-12 years will happen, it is justa difficult question of how that will be increased leadership by the residents and not-for-profit institutions like religious groups or will it be the same powers that be with a new face that will be given additional responsiblity. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stevestojan Posted July 10, 2005 Share Posted July 10, 2005 My boss just moved from Arizona to Buffalo (well, 1 year ago). He loves it here. He comments often on how nice the people are (and of course, the food). Like FFS said, people around here LOVE to B word and moan about the job market and prop taxes, but these are more often people that have never lived anywhere else, so they have the "grass must be greener" mentality, so its easy to B word. If you can't find a job in Buffalo, then you are marketing your self enough. (not talking to you directly, talking about the people who complain). The economy is a great excuse for those who enjoy avoiding personal responsiblity. I moved back 3 months ago and haven't regretted it for 1 second. Seriously. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SF Bills Fan Posted July 10, 2005 Share Posted July 10, 2005 I'd move back to Buffalo if I could find a decent job there. I'm pretty sick of California. Too much for houses in San Francisco and it keeps going up. The average price is close to 600k and you get a piece of crap house for that. Traffic is terrible, and is going to get worse every year. There are a lot of people here that look down on people that live in places like Buffalo, but they are kidding themselves. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JLO Posted July 10, 2005 Share Posted July 10, 2005 I'd move back to Buffalo if I could find a decent job there. I'm pretty sick of California. Too much for houses in San Francisco and it keeps going up. The average price is close to 600k and you get a piece of crap house for that. Traffic is terrible, and is going to get worse every year. There are a lot of people here that look down on people that live in places like Buffalo, but they are kidding themselves. 378340[/snapback] I feel ya bro, I'd like to move back to WNY but i work in the film industry. Aside from Kodak, the only option is Toronto where they have a decent Film community. Then theres the whole immigration hassles, etc. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Talonz Posted July 10, 2005 Share Posted July 10, 2005 I moved back 3 months ago and haven't regretted it for 1 second. Seriously. 378337[/snapback] Keep the sheep and children locked up! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Talonz Posted July 10, 2005 Share Posted July 10, 2005 I'd move back to Buffalo if I could find a decent job there. I'm pretty sick of California. Too much for houses in San Francisco and it keeps going up. The average price is close to 600k and you get a piece of crap house for that. Traffic is terrible, and is going to get worse every year. There are a lot of people here that look down on people that live in places like Buffalo, but they are kidding themselves. 378340[/snapback] 600k could buy you just about any piece of real estate in WNY ... How can people make it working "normal" jobs in that type of area? You know, the 40-60k ??? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcjeff215 Posted July 10, 2005 Share Posted July 10, 2005 My boss just moved from Arizona to Buffalo (well, 1 year ago). He loves it here. He comments often on how nice the people are (and of course, the food). Like FFS said, people around here LOVE to B word and moan about the job market and prop taxes, but these are more often people that have never lived anywhere else, so they have the "grass must be greener" mentality, so its easy to B word. If you can't find a job in Buffalo, then you are marketing your self enough. (not talking to you directly, talking about the people who complain). The economy is a great excuse for those who enjoy avoiding personal responsiblity. I moved back 3 months ago and haven't regretted it for 1 second. Seriously. 378337[/snapback] Why did you bail, Stojan? Typical case of "get me the hell away from the snow and down to where the woman wear dental floss?' I'd love to go back. Working on getting my own business up now. When (if!) it gets going, I'll start looking at WNY again seriously. -Jeff Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcjeff215 Posted July 10, 2005 Share Posted July 10, 2005 600k could buy you just about any piece of real estate in WNY ... How can people make it working "normal" jobs in that type of area? You know, the 40-60k ??? 378383[/snapback] Atlanta's the same way. This weekend the family and I went to the other side of the city ( a good two hour ride) to get some stuff. On a freaking _weekend_ traffic was backed up. Yup. I-285, I-85, I-75.... I don't think we got above 35MPH. No road work. I really wish I could like it here. Moving sucks. I want to go home, but I don't want to migrate across the states again anyime soon. Fireworks on the 4th... I won't go out due to the population, but I have friends who did. Some of them tell me it took them FOUR HOURS to get home from whereever it is they went due to the traffic. (Whee!! Now I'm just bitching about ATL again!) Feel stuck in a rut, I *want* to do those things with the family, but I"ll be damned if I'm going to sit in traffic for four hours with a three year old that has to pee. So, here I am, trying to get an Internet Services shop started. Hopefully that gets me the hell out of here. Personally, I'd rather pay the effing taxes than deal with the over crowding, cost of living, and "local rudeness." I get cut off more regularly now that I have my BIlls plate back on my car. -Jeff Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bdelma Posted July 10, 2005 Share Posted July 10, 2005 I'd move back to Buffalo if I could find a decent job there. I'm pretty sick of California. Too much for houses in San Francisco and it keeps going up. The average price is close to 600k and you get a piece of crap house for that. Traffic is terrible, and is going to get worse every year. There are a lot of people here that look down on people that live in places like Buffalo, but they are kidding themselves. 378340[/snapback] SOUTHERN CALIF BLOWS TOO MANY MORONS OUT HERE WHO LIKE TO DRIVE THRU RED LIGHTS. OVERATED PLACE. IF YOU LIKE HIGH COST OF GAS THIS IS THE PLACE. EAST AURORA IS COOL! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spun Posted July 10, 2005 Share Posted July 10, 2005 I feel ya bro, I'd like to move back to WNY but i work in the film industry. Aside from Kodak, the only option is Toronto where they have a decent Film community. Then theres the whole immigration hassles, etc. 378352[/snapback] What do you know about employment in Toronto's film industry? Beyond the immigration issues, is it a sizable enough industry to find film work in TO? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mead107 Posted July 10, 2005 Share Posted July 10, 2005 i would love to retire to buffalo, down the road . been on the net looking at realestate . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Live&DieBillsFootball Posted July 11, 2005 Share Posted July 11, 2005 It really depends on what you are looking for. I lived in Sarasota, FL for 5 years and came back and bought a $150,000 house in the Village of Hamburg. Nice 4 bed house only a block from the Hamburg schools. Taxes are about $4,000/yr. Sounds like a lot but my total mtg pmt is only $1,050 including taxes. My mother-in-law just sold her nice 3 bed house in Orchard Park for $125,000 and my Aunt just sold her 3 bed house in Depew for $120,000. The point is that even though the taxes are high, the overall housing costs is very low compared to almost anywhere else. If you want a new house in the burbs, you can get a nice one for a little over $200,000. Taxes will be about $6,000/year. All summer, the city has a ton going on with Allentown Art Fest, free concerts in the square downtown, Taste of Buffalo, Italian Festival, Music is Art festival, etc, etc, etc. Then come fall, you have the Bills, what more do you need! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mead107 Posted July 11, 2005 Share Posted July 11, 2005 I LOVE NY Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts