Buffalo area; getting jobs from out of state.... (Rochester, Lancaster: house, rent)

[crighi]

Thats one reason I can move, my family is all gone from the area. See, I would get a pool or live on the water if I moved to a hot location. I hate ac.

[I'minformed2]

You think the pool or close proximity to a landmade lake in the south is going to make any real difference? Good luck trying to sleep at night from may to september without AC.

[WNYerinSOCAL]

Well we are seriously considering doing it for the sake of our children. Their elementary school got tagged again for the 2nd time this year already. They don't need to be subjected to that; and we are in one of the best school district around these parts. Our current home is 2180 sq feet and we are going to list it for 520K probably. I don't know any place back in WNY that wld have a school tagged in a neighborhood of 500K dollar homes.

I found a brand new build in Orchard Park will be done in a week for 389K. I think I am in love with it, it is much more than we were hoping to spend back there however, I am going to see if it can work in some way. Just the taxes will be approximately 10K a year though so that is an extra 800 a month. Yikes, but over all you get what you pay for in education and quality of life. I will be praying our house here sells quickly; the market is so slow but you gotta believe. If not there are some resales in OP for the mid 200s and some very nice new builds in Hamburg for the mid 200s as well.

[I'minformed2]

389k in WNY is 2-3 million in Southern California for all intensive purposes. The higher taxes in WNY won't even be a factor if you are getting 3 times the house for half the money.

[ecs66]

"I can spot students who have come from New York state schools pretty quickly."

Me, too. I graduated from a Western NY school in the '60s. We live in California now, and I can tell (usually) what co-workers went to school in NY just from their writing skills. (I think that applies to graduates pre-1990; the younger ones are not impressive.)

We, too, have been exploring returning to the Buffalo / Rochester / Olean area when we retire. People who haven't lived there don't get it, but the area does get in your blood, and I am so homesick!

[Socalpal]

Originally Posted by WNYerinSOCAL

I found a brand new build in Orchard Park will be done in a week for 389K. I think I am in love with it, it is much more than we were hoping to spend back there however, I am going to see if it can work in some way. Just the taxes will be approximately 10K a year though so that is an extra 800 a month. Yikes, but over all you get what you pay for in education and quality of life. I will be praying our house here sells quickly; the market is so slow but you gotta believe. If not there are some resales in OP for the mid 200s and some very nice new builds in Hamburg for the mid 200s as well.

Do you have anymore information on this development in Orchard Park? Specs? Yea Fontana is a pretty horrible place to live, the inland empire gets very hot and has a lot of smog. Its not worth living in California if you have to live out there.

[WNYerinSOCAL]

It is an essex development. Their web site is http://www.essexhomes.ws and the development is Ridgewood estates. They have a number of developments in the WNY area north and southtowns.

[fish2026]

Ive recently spent several weeks in Buffalo looking at housing etc. First MR informed is really uninformed- demographically the "new biotech jobs" are not even making a DENT in the outmigration in the area. Western NY has been losing population steadily for years- its not stopping.

Having said that there are some great bldgs in Buffalo ( and to a lesser extent Rochester and Geneva) that are dirt cheap. Many are beautiful - i fell in love with a few and almost bought them. What stopped me? First the taxes- an abandoned bldg on the river which was appraised at $500,000 garnered $24,000 in tax per year. I love this bldg but yikes how could I ever have a positive cash flow? There is another one a rock house 7 bedrooms 5 bathrooms in a friendly Black Neighborhood. I loved that one too. All solid rock - I have pictures. Id buy it if someone would live in it and fix it up - its a true mansion for about $100k

[I'minformed2]

Pardon me, I visit the NYSDL website every week. Healthcare and education job gains are making a huge dent in the manufacturing losses, in Rochester more so than Buffalo, but it's true for both. Yes, the Buffalo metro is losing population and it is one of only two major metro areas in the country to do so (the other being pittsburgh). Monroe County grew by 22,000 people in the 1990's. There's definitely a huge migration out of the region, but it's not all losing population. I go by the census and employment figures, not the opinions of the disgruntled. There's no need to get rude or personal, we are all adults here.

[fish2026]

The census works every ten years - ONLY TWO METROS LOSING POPULATION are you kidding?

Rochester and Buffalo are both losing. St Louis once one of the top 10 US cities has also been losing steadily and what about Cleveland according to this city-data com its lost 5.5% of its population since 2000, and Holy Toledo (lol) its lost 3.9% Cincinnati also lost over 5% of its people since 2000. I could go on and on Detroit lost 6.8% and even Grand Rapids is losing people.
Even if you are using the census Id love to see your figures on any of these cities - they are all losing people and have been for sometime.

Also you know what they say about people who assume- What makes you think Im talking to " a few disgruntled people" In fact I think its a good thing Buffalo is losing population. I love to see the old bldgs and dont want them replaced by modern stuff. I also want the market to stay soft until I can purchase the bldg that I like so much. They want over $500,000 now but its stayed vacant the last two years,maybe they will wake up and get tired of paying those taxes on it.

Anyway I have a background in Demographics and severely challenge you on this population question -especially that only two major metros are losing people. Show me what you have!