The Dean Posted March 22, 2007 Posted March 22, 2007 I have daydreams about selling my modest home in NH for about $350K (the going price) and moving back to the old hometown. If you know your neighborhgoods, there are real gems to be found. Nice homes in reletively safe, but unglamourous neighborhoods, for around $50K. (Sloan comes to mind) I'd bank the rest if I could find a way around capital gains taxes. Maybe if I wait until I'm 55? You are spot on about politics holding WNY back. That's what you get when half the people hold government jobs. I mean do we need seperate city, county, and village police, fire, EMTs, etc? Turning Erie County into a single metro government would save tens of millions of tax dollars but the little dictators that hold sway would never give up the privilages of power or easy paychecks. Who cares how the rest of us are doing. PTR The little dictators and turf wars ARE a problem, IMO. But, that former Erie County Thief Executive, Giambra, showed consolidation does have its pitfalls.
D_House Posted March 22, 2007 Posted March 22, 2007 good post. i plan on returning to Western NY as well. The more I thought about it, the more I realized that moving back will hold benefits far eclipsing our meager list. My sons will get the chance to grow up with not only their grandparents, but great-grandmother, great-great aunts and first, second and third cousins. They'll get to hear family stories about their grandfather, a firefighter, who put out a blaze in the church his grandfather built. This is key for me. I'd rather have a community of family than the highest possible paying job.
Fan in San Diego Posted March 22, 2007 Posted March 22, 2007 ???????????????????????? WTF is talking about? Wait til he sees his property tax bill on his 2 car garage, 4 bedroom, 2 1/2 bath, $175K home near Buffalo. Just out of curiousity, what would the tax bill be ?
\GoBillsInDallas/ Posted March 22, 2007 Posted March 22, 2007 http://www.buffalonews.com/102/story/37671.html
Fewell733 Posted March 22, 2007 Posted March 22, 2007 you couldn't buy a hole in the ground for 175k in DC. A one bedroom condo would be twice that price easily.
Spiderweb Posted March 22, 2007 Posted March 22, 2007 Just for giggles, here's what comes up on Realtor.com when doing a search for a 4 bedroom, 2.5 bath, 2 car garage single family home, priced between $100K and $200K.... 42 results Now for Las Vegas... 1 result Did a check view of those listings.... I guess there is a decent choice of affordable housing there. Paid $250K for approx 3600 sq ft new home in Southern Indiana recently.... But my taxes are under $2500 annually.....
The Poojer Posted March 22, 2007 Posted March 22, 2007 Syracuse is the same for me, but that may be because both my parents still today call buffalo home, 45 years after they left...so they passed that on to me, Syracuse is and will always be "home" Ex-patriot Buffalonians are the only people I've ever known - including myself - who, no matter where they go, still refer to where they were born as "home". The loyalty the city engenders in people is actually kind-of odd when you think about it.
Dr. Trooth Posted March 22, 2007 Posted March 22, 2007 Just out of curiousity, what would the tax bill be ? It varies county to county, but in NYS you pay property taxes for school, county, township or village/city. On 175K assessed value, we're talking generally in the $6,000-$7,500K range per yr. Consider that if you were retired and/or on Soc. Sec. and your morgtage was paid off, in the above example, even though you own your home free and clear, you'd pay $500 to $625 monthly to keep up with the annual property tax bill... and this is with Star program credit. A $175K home, 4BR, 2.5 bath, 2 car garage, on approx. 3/4 acre is maybe just a shade above middle income/middle class... and perhaps not even that.
Cheeseburger in Paradise Posted March 22, 2007 Posted March 22, 2007 I LOVE and miss WNY. I think you make an excellent observation about most of the area. But, what about Niagara Falls. That is one sad story, right there. I've been of the belief for some time that someone (or some corporation) needed to step in and. pretty much, buy the city and START OVER. The pettiness of the local politics and the small time "what's in it for me" attitude of most of the local politicians and residents is abhorrent and there seems to be no end in sight. Pretty much the only things getting done are due to the Senecas, who got the land for almost nothing and pay little in taxes. They DO however share some of the revenues from the casino...and then the politicians argue for years about who should get the $ and how it should be spent. Now, I'm starting to think the state should just give the whole damn city to the Senecas and let them make it into a...well...whatever the hell they want to make it into. It could be a cross between Gatlinburg and Atlantic City, for all I care. Sorry for the ramble, I lost my point in there somewhere. What I was trying to get to was this: What about Niagara Falls? One of the happiest days of my life was when I finally sold my house in the DeVaux area. This after owning it for 17 years, but trying to rent it out (successfully, kind of) for fifteen. Talk about having an albatross removed...... I still miss the place.
The Dean Posted March 23, 2007 Posted March 23, 2007 One of the happiest days of my life was when I finally sold my house in the DeVaux area. This after owning it for 17 years, but trying to rent it out (successfully, kind of) for fifteen. Talk about having an albatross removed......I still miss the place. I grew up in Devaux (Garrett Ave) and miss it everyday. What a shame...no?
Ray Posted March 23, 2007 Posted March 23, 2007 Dean, Iknow NF VERY well. It is an absolute shame that one of the seven natural wonders of the world is such a pit! Look across the river and it is thriving. When I was over the border there were 5 Starbucks within about a 3block radius similar to what you see in NY, Boston and DC. Not that Starbuck's means you're thriving but it is an indication that the area is thriving to support the business. The anti-casino gang can protest all they want but the Senecas are the only ones to do anything worthwhile there in about 15 years!!! There are plans for another hotel there and more. The city really needs an enema and then to be re-built!
sweetbaboo Posted March 23, 2007 Posted March 23, 2007 I have daydreams about selling my modest home in NH for about $350K (the going price) and moving back to the old hometown. If you know your neighborhgoods, there are real gems to be found. Nice homes in reletively safe, but unglamourous neighborhoods, for around $50K. (Sloan comes to mind) I'd bank the rest if I could find a way around capital gains taxes. Maybe if I wait until I'm 55? You are spot on about politics holding WNY back. That's what you get when half the people hold government jobs. I mean do we need seperate city, county, and village police, fire, EMTs, etc? Turning Erie County into a single metro government would save tens of millions of tax dollars but the little dictators that hold sway would never give up the privilages of power or easy paychecks. Who cares how the rest of us are doing. PTR what, you don't like filling out only one tax form each year? miss paying income tax and sales tax? though with the way politics are going here, who knows how long NH will stay "Live Free or Die"
The Dean Posted March 23, 2007 Posted March 23, 2007 Dean, Iknow NF VERY well. It is an absolute shame that one of the seven natural wonders of the world is such a pit! Look across the river and it is thriving. When I was over the border there were 5 Starbucks within about a 3block radius similar to what you see in NY, Boston and DC. Not that Starbuck's means you're thriving but it is an indication that the area is thriving to support the business. The anti-casino gang can protest all they want but the Senecas are the only ones to do anything worthwhile there in about 15 years!!! There are plans for another hotel there and more. The city really needs an enema and then to be re-built! Go to any bar in NF and you will hear the locals grumble about "giving the land" to the Senecas (never mind that it's ALL native American land to begin with...but, let's not go there now). They are the only people getting ANYTHING positive done and creating decent jobs. While they may not pay "taxes" they pay a percentage of the take, which amounts to FAR more than if the land just sat there unused. The other thing that really sticks in my craw, is businesses come to the Falls (US side) and demand all sorts of incentives and tax breaks, etc. When they can't extort the gov't for enough, they set up on the Canadian side (where I'm sure they aren't getting huge incentives and tax breaks). These are AMERICAN companies. It is sickening. To be fair (aw, SCREW THAT ), to see miles and miles of US chains on the Ontario side and none on the US side, you have to wonder just how incompetent the US based sales personnel must be. Just unbefreakinlievable.
Fan in San Diego Posted March 23, 2007 Posted March 23, 2007 It varies county to county, but in NYS you pay property taxes for school, county, township or village/city. On 175K assessed value, we're talking generally in the $6,000-$7,500K range per yr. Consider that if you were retired and/or on Soc. Sec. and your morgtage was paid off, in the above example, even though you own your home free and clear, you'd pay $500 to $625 monthly to keep up with the annual property tax bill... and this is with Star program credit. A $175K home, 4BR, 2.5 bath, 2 car garage, on approx. 3/4 acre is maybe just a shade above middle income/middle class... and perhaps not even that. That is pretty high. Around 4.2% of purchase price. Does it get re-assessed each year or fixed forever based on purchase price ? San Diego county is 1% of purchase price fixed forever at the rate. If you purchase another house then the new rate applies. Most people move every 3 to 4 years so they dont worry about it.
stuckincincy Posted March 23, 2007 Posted March 23, 2007 It varies county to county, but in NYS you pay property taxes for school, county, township or village/city. On 175K assessed value, we're talking generally in the $6,000-$7,500K range per yr. Consider that if you were retired and/or on Soc. Sec. and your morgtage was paid off, in the above example, even though you own your home free and clear, you'd pay $500 to $625 monthly to keep up with the annual property tax bill... and this is with Star program credit. A $175K home, 4BR, 2.5 bath, 2 car garage, on approx. 3/4 acre is maybe just a shade above middle income/middle class... and perhaps not even that. Ohio is terrible for taxes, also. It's to the point where the State has a loan program for senior citizens, for the express purpose of paying their State, municipal, and property taxes. How embarrassing. A good deal of the problem is that in Ohio, schools are funded by property tax. The school systems put levy after levy increase on the ballot - and not just in November. A Tuesday in February, 6 months later, a Wednesday in August...the idea being to wear down voters and to do their best to insure the lowest possible turnout. They also unleash their students to go out and make people feel guilty. The system I pay taxes to got a hefty increase a few years back...it took them 4 tries, but it finally passed. They wrung their hands about the plight of the students etc. And then built a $750,000 football stadium. County levies are popular, too. At last count here in Hamilton County, there are seven of them that are funded by property taxation. A couple are valid. Some of them are there because politicians like to buy the votes of the numerous non-property owners. The old saying being - "If you rob Peter to pay Paul, you can be pretty sure that Paul will vote for you". Ohio has recently been rated 3rd in overall taxation. And so, people are leaving. http://www.buckeyeinstitute.org/article/682
ricojes Posted March 23, 2007 Posted March 23, 2007 That is pretty high. Around 4.2% of purchase price. Does it get re-assessed each year or fixed forever based on purchase price ? San Diego county is 1% of purchase price fixed forever at the rate. If you purchase another house then the new rate applies. Most people move every 3 to 4 years so they dont worry about it. Fixed forever, that's a good one!! My house in Amherst has been assest 3 times in 5 years, going up about 50k total. The taxes are sick, we pay over 6 grand a year....
Fan in San Diego Posted March 23, 2007 Posted March 23, 2007 Fixed forever, that's a good one!! My house in Amherst has been assest 3 times in 5 years, going up about 50k total. The taxes are sick, we pay over 6 grand a year.... Yup, so retired people don't get taxed out of their home from rising prices.
LewPort71 Posted March 24, 2007 Posted March 24, 2007 I enjoyed reading the "My Turn" article in Newsweek and yes Lewiston is HOME....and I am coming to visit next weekend.
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