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I just noticed your husband is an RPI grad in EE--I doubt you guys will have much trouble. On an EE salary here it shouldn't be too bad. There are plenty of jobs in EE here too and RPI is better than Harvard here.
We're actually heading to Raleigh soon. About the only thing cheaper there is gas currently. The husband is living there now and he's paying about $3.70 a gallon.
Property taxes are less there but the taxes on personal property will even that out.
We're looking for improved weather ***e.- longer motorcycle riding season.
Otherwise I'm not sure we would move back to NY but stranger things have happened. I've wanted out for a while.
Originally from NY, I currently live in VA and am very much looking forward to going back home. The car tax was definitely an unpleasant surprise. With two new cars, we're looking at minimum of $1000 in taxes per year. The amount of traffic congestion is also pretty eye opening. I live 3 miles from my job along route 50 -where it can take 20 - 40 minutes to get home. Gas is a little over $4.00 per gallon.
I've been browsing this forum for information and really appreciate the feedback from the local posters - Thank you! We're looking to purchase a small (2 - 4 unit) multi-family house somewhere in the Capital District.
Last edited by six117; 04-03-2012 at 07:53 AM..
Reason: spelling
I think there is way way way too much emphasis on property taxes being the main deciding factor in a region's "affordability".....yes, property taxes throughout NYS are ridiculously high; but they are not the only thing that factors into cost of living. Overall, most of Upstate NY is very affordable on a national scale, even with the property taxes.
Agree with you totally. Too many focus on housing/property tax and miss the facts of other costs (tax on military retirement, SS, personal property tax on cars, RVs, boats), taxes against utility, etc. A few of our friends moved south and found it actually cost more to live there. With so many people headed south, not sure how long the infrastructure can support the influx without property taxes, gas, sales tax, state income tax, etc. being increased.
I know we could never handle the oppressive summer heat/bugs and snakes, no matter how attractive property was.
Originally from NY, I currently live in VA and am very much looking forward to going back home. The car tax was definitely an unpleasant surprise. With two new cars, we're looking at minimum of $1000 in taxes per year. The amount of traffic congestion is also pretty eye opening. I live 3 miles from my job along route 50 -where it can take 20 - 40 minutes to get home. Gas is a little over $4.00 per gallon.
I've been browsing this forum for information and really appreciate the feedback from the local posters - Thank you! We're looking to purchase a small (2 - 4 unit) multi-family house somewhere in the Capital District.
I don't know the cost of living of VA compared to here. But I just wanted to throw this out there. My husband works in a similiar field, I stay at home, we have 4 kids. Me staying at home was very important to us, so we chose to live in an area that would allow us to live on one income. We bought a nice house with a great yard in Schenectady. What we bought here in the city we could not afford in the suburbs. There were several years that we didn't buy extras, go on vacations, etc, but it's been worth it. I think you'll be just fine in the Albany area too!
I would think, in general, if you live wisely, don't spend on things you really don't need, you can live quite well in a majority of places. Overall, the "keeping up with the Jone's" thing has caused a lot of issues for many folks.
We are downsizing and reducing our spending in anticipation of our move south. I don't buy that reduced property taxes will make it more affordable to live in NC. Since we have to go (job related move) we're looking at housing down there carefully and we're keeping in mind that we really aren't going to have tons more $$ in our pocket because of generalizations that it's "cheaper" to live in the south.
We also never buy a home even close to what the bank tells us we can "afford". We always look for homes in a significantly less expensive range.
It takes a little doing but affording to live in an area is related heavily on how you budget and spend.
Stumbled upon this thread, and though our situation wasn't quite the same; it is very similar in a general sense. We moved from Rochester to Raleigh, NC in 1994 and then moved back to Rochester in 2007. We came back mostly for the same reasons as you have listed (missed being close to family was the biggest). Overall, the COL in Raleigh was about the same if not higher than that in Rochester overall. Though property taxes here are higher, most everything else is the same or even cheaper. I know Albany is more expensive than Rochester but from what I understand most of Virginia is more expensive than NC as well, so it may even out for you as well.
I think there is way way way too much emphasis on property taxes being the main deciding factor in a region's "affordability".....yes, property taxes throughout NYS are ridiculously high; but they are not the only thing that factors into cost of living. Overall, most of Upstate NY is very affordable on a national scale, even with the property taxes.
I was just back in Albany last week and looked at some items at Hannaford to see what prices were. I was shocked by how much some items were. Some were over $1 less! Milk and dairy products are much cheaper than here in my area of SC.
I completely agree about the taxes! It's amazing how much less my property taxes are here in SC, but it comes at a huge cost. Education is the pits here. And it shows when talking to local people. There's still plenty of political corruption. Roads aren't necessarily better especially roads through small towns. Oh and small towns here.....yikes! Many of them are places time forgot to stop bye and say hello.
The only thing that I noticed that actually cost more in day to day life is gas. I know VA has cheaper gas. I stopped there instead of NC to get gas because it's closer to SC prices.
Oh and utilities were more in Albany. I only have electric at my house in SC. I can't even imagine having electric heat in NY unless you're Trump! The power around here is all nuclear. Yeah, it's cheap, but there is a cost that comes with it...environmental, health, the fake lakes, etc.
Many Southern states have personal property taxes. NY doesn't have that. There are real estate taxes - county, city/village/town, and school. And sales tax which every where has. There's no tax on food either unless it's prepared like a salad, soup, or chicken in the deli.
And beat of all....New York has 4 actual seasons....not hotter than hell and warm. Christmas is weird when it's 60 degrees and sunny with zero chance of snow. Palm trees decorated with Christmas balls are strange. Santa in a Hawaiian shirt is odd. Guess you can guess where I grew up? Certainly, not the South!
Quote:
Originally Posted by Ellwood
I know we could never handle the oppressive summer heat/bugs and snakes, no matter how attractive property was.
It's called you stay indoors 8-10 months of the year. And you learn how to squish bugs really fast. I killed 4 spiders the last 2 days including a black widow. Never had them in NY and I certainly won't miss them when I move back home!
In the south with air conditioning I learned to stay inside the parts of the year I grew up spending outside. It is probably hard on kids having summer off and it being so hot!
My spouse & I are originally from NY. We lived in TN for 4 years or so, and moved back last year. The cost of living is much higher here. In TN, you could rent a one-family 3 bedroom house for $700. You certainly aren't getting that here in the Capital District (at least, not in any nice & safe area). In TN, I didn't work and the economy was terrible (hard to find a job). However, because it was so inexpensive, it didn't really matter. Here, I do work, the economy is better - but my money definitely helps us afford the area.
For me, it's a toss-up. We love the northeast, we'd like to live here permanently and be near family. However, I do miss the low cost of living in the south.
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