Maine or NH for relocation? (Brunswick: house, taxi, income)

[GraniteStater]

Originally Posted by bangorme

I'd pick NH, and in fact if my daughter weren't in Maine, I'd be living there. Once you get out of the Boston commuting area, NH is very much like Maine. NH has lower taxes and less poverty. NH is more conservative and less entitlement centered. The fishing isn't anywhere near as good in NH, but I could buy a hundred nonresident fishing licenses in Maine for the difference in the taxes there. No contest in my view.

You would probably like Carroll county, NH the best. To me, it is the most Maine-like in flavor with a large coverage of lakes and mixed forests. That, and the fact that it has the most towns with the lowest tax rates of any county in NH makes it a winner for those on a budget.

[Submariner]

Originally Posted by bangorme

I'd pick NH, and in fact if my daughter weren't in Maine, I'd be living there. Once you get out of the Boston commuting area, NH is very much like Maine. NH has lower taxes and less poverty. NH is more conservative and less entitlement centered. The fishing isn't anywhere near as good in NH, but I could buy a hundred nonresident fishing licenses in Maine for the difference in the taxes there. No contest in my view.

Really?

Which tax do you feel makes the difference?

Property taxes where I live are so much lower, unless you had a high enough income to begin paying income taxes; I just do not see how your taxes would be higher in Maine.

[redgoast]

For what it's worth my Mother grew up in Manchester N.H. When she retired from the Military after 20 years she thought about returning to Manchester but decided to move us to Bangor ME instead. She said that Manchester had become too large and that Bangor reminded her of what it was like growing up in Manchester in the 50's and 60's.

Bangor is large enough to have everything you could want, but small enough to make commutes short, people friendly, and far enough away from the beaten path to have few tourists to contend with in the summer.

Property taxes are cheaper in Maine, cost of living is probably higher though, and the economy of Maine is nowhere near as developed as N.H. Careers is industries such as Graphic Design, Web Development, University Admissions, and other mid-level professional fields aren't really available. The government of Maine does put aside fairly large amounts of money for public art projects (or did before LePage) and as such, Speaking from my experience alone, It'd be easier for me to have a career as a landscape painter than as a graphic designer in Maine. I believe the opposite is true in N.H. not that I know the specific numbers, but I get a general sense that there are probably more Graphic Designers in N.H. than Landscape painters.

Again most of my opinion is subjective and I can only speak from my personal experience. Which ever you choose New England is a great region to live in and if you can handle the winters I'm sure you'll find it just a wonderful a place as I did.

[Submariner]

Originally Posted by GraniteStater

Not entirely true. Look at the 2012 nh equalized tax rates. One can find many towns in NH with more reasonable tax rates with the corresponding lower property taxes. The more populous corridors are generally going to have higher tax rates overall. NH also has a current use policy for land of 10 acres or more that keeps property taxes lower for those that have larger land holdings. This also discourages subdivision of land into smaller parcels for development.

I did a search of the NH.gov site where I found this:

http://www.revenue.nh.gov/munc_prop/...plain_rate.doc

... This recommended change to a 5% harvest administration fee results in the additional increases for the forestland category ranging from $4.26 per acre for the Hardwood forest type to $9.32 per acre for the White Pine type.

And then it went into a big four-stage formula with no actual numbers as examples.



Then I found this:

https://www.city-data.com/forum/new-h...rrent-use.html

Where on post #2

... With a current tax rate of say 25.00 per thousand, the annual tax bill would be $6250. The land owner can apply for Current Use taxation, and if the land meets the criteria, the following April 1, the tax bill will go down. Under Current Use, the value would drop to something in the range of $200 per acre and a tax bill of $250--a huge savings.

By this realtor's posted example NH 'current use' policy can drop down to only $200/acre.

I must say that $200/acre is far lower than Maine's $1.05/acre.

Or, wait, is it?

[GraniteStater]

Originally Posted by forest beekeeper

I did a search of the NH.gov site where I found this:

http://www.revenue.nh.gov/munc_prop/...plain_rate.doc



And then it went into a big four-stage formula with no actual numbers as examples.



Then I found this:

https://www.city-data.com/forum/new-h...rrent-use.html

Where on post #2


By this realtor's posted example NH 'current use' policy can drop down to only $200/acre.

I must say that $200/acre is far lower than Maine's $1.05/acre.

Or, wait, is it?

The first link is from 2001 and I will try to find a more recent rendition of information on the current use.

The second example is likely right as the areas of the state that have the lowest taxation per acre are likely in the locations and uninhabited places in NH where all lands are in state or national forests. The biggest breaks on property taxes would obviously be the largest landowners who own hundreds or thousands of acres. Such large parcels of land are becoming less common in many parts of NH, but likely much more common in ME. That might be reason why. Supply and demand, need for "services," and population density might also be reasons for land valuation differences.

[Submariner]

Originally Posted by GraniteStater

The first link is from 2001 and I will try to find a more recent rendition of information on the current use.

The second example is likely right as the areas of the state that have the lowest taxation per acre are likely in the locations and uninhabited places in NH where all lands are in state or national forests. The biggest breaks on property taxes would obviously be the largest landowners who own hundreds or thousands of acres. Such large parcels of land are becoming less common in many parts of NH, but likely much more common in ME. That might be reason why. Supply and demand, need for "services," and population density might also be reasons for land valuation differences.

Cool, thanks



$200/acre as compared to $1.05/acre is a big difference.

I can see why people think taxes are so much lower in NH.

[bangorme]

Originally Posted by forest beekeeper

Really?

Which tax do you feel makes the difference?

Property taxes where I live are so much lower, unless you had a high enough income to begin paying income taxes; I just do not see how your taxes would be higher in Maine.

Ah, yeah. If you somehow escaped taxes by buying nothing, earning nothing, and owning nothing, then it would be a wash. But few pull that off, unless they are on welfare, where Maine is a great place to be.

Although the discussion of the total tax burden comparison between Maine and NH is entertaining, they've been on opposite ends of the lists, by organizations that know what they are talking about, for as long as I can remember. Whatever you think about Maine, its level of taxation is unsurpassed. If you think Maine is a better place to live than NH, arguing taxes is a waste of time. Might want to try something else.

[RiverBird]

Originally Posted by Northern Maine Land Man

newenglandgirl, That's why it's a mystery. Nobody has been able to find a cause of these clusters in either state. They are not widespread. It's possible that they are simply coincidental. In addition, the internet enables the discovery of clusters that might never have been discovered in the past.

Some studies cite living near a golf course, those chemicals are deadly. But I highly doubt that Maine is full of golf courses, or nuclear reactors for that matter. I wonder if it's airborne carcinogens making their way across the country and settling in the upper northeast states.

[RiverBird]

Originally Posted by bangorme

Ah, yeah. If you somehow escaped taxes by buying nothing, earning nothing, and owning nothing, then it would be a wash. But few pull that off, unless they are on welfare, where Maine is a great place to be.

Although the discussion of the total tax burden comparison between Maine and NH is entertaining, they've been on opposite ends of the lists, by organizations that know what they are talking about, for as long as I can remember. Whatever you think about Maine, its level of taxation is unsurpassed. If you think Maine is a better place to live than NH, arguing taxes is a waste of time. Might want to try something else.

Does Maine tax retirement income and military pensions?

If not, and if property taxes are significantly lower than they are in NH and Mass (which they are), then what is so taxing about Maine??

[RiverBird]

Just dug this up--taxes by state

Retirement Living - Taxes by State: Kansas - New Mexico

NH has a property tax relief plan for low/moderate-income elders. The site doesn't get specific about how much.

Maine has one too, with reduction of up to $1,600 if income-qualified. Maine also has some towns that allow you to work off your taxes by volunteering for the town.