Buffalo is #3 in affordable housing (Rochester, Syracuse: for sale, cheap home, employment)

[Checkered24]

I do not think that lower home values hurt our area by attracting a lower class of person. At most, it might be a symptom of a problem… that problem being population decline, and especially a decline of those graduating our universities and leaving the area for greener pastures.

Still, having more affordable housing should be an asset in the long run. If some of the political issues, like the budget and taxes, can eventually be worked out, having affordable housing and lack of congestion should be a huge draw for entrepreneurs looking for a place to set up shop. Especially as the bigger cities continue to get more crowded, and the wild fluctuations in home value hurt people as much as they help.

[ocean2026]

NONE of you discussed the biggest and most glaring methodological flaw with this article....

You really don't know?? Checked alluded to it.

REAL ESTATE TAXES! that kills the affordability. I was going to buy something for $375k in Buffalo and the taxes were $23,780 per year - forget that - it was several times higher than what the taxes were in Texas on my house appraised at $700k and Texas is only average in RE Taxes ( but no state income tax).

What was the result- no one else would buy the building either and now the assessment is a bit lower-- WHOOPIE the reason is because the building sat abandoned so long - scrappers removed all the copper and damaged much of the building. WAY TO GO BUFFALO!

[mikesuicide]

Originally Posted by ocean2026

NONE of you discussed the biggest and most glaring methodological flaw with this article....

You really don't know?? Checked alluded to it.

REAL ESTATE TAXES! that kills the affordability. I was going to buy something for $375k in Buffalo and the taxes were $23,780 per year - forget that - it was several times higher than what the taxes were in Texas on my house appraised at $700k and Texas is only average in RE Taxes ( but no state income tax).

What was the result- no one else would buy the building either and now the assessment is a bit lower-- WHOOPIE the reason is because the building sat abandoned so long - scrappers removed all the copper and damaged much of the building. WAY TO GO BUFFALO!

I find this hard to believe

[FedupWNY]

Originally Posted by ocean2026

NONE of you discussed the biggest and most glaring methodological flaw with this article....

You really don't know?? Checked alluded to it.

REAL ESTATE TAXES! that kills the affordability. I was going to buy something for $375k in Buffalo and the taxes were $23,780 per year - forget that - it was several times higher than what the taxes were in Texas on my house appraised at $700k and Texas is only average in RE Taxes ( but no state income tax).

What was the result- no one else would buy the building either and now the assessment is a bit lower-- WHOOPIE the reason is because the building sat abandoned so long - scrappers removed all the copper and damaged much of the building. WAY TO GO BUFFALO!

There's a difference between commercial & residential properties. The last thing we need in Buffalo is another out of state property owner thinking he (or she) can buy up commercial property at a residential rate.

[ocean2026]

Fedup - let me be blunt -Beggers can't be choosers. Buffalo has plenty of vacant commercial and residential vacancies- near the tops in the nation ( lucky for you there is always Detroit to look down on).

Mike you find the transaction hard to believe? I detailed it once before . The property was 960 Busti ( right where Busti becomes Niagara). The building is a huge square -several stories overlooking the water. I wanted to live in most of the top floor and though the rest of the floors could make good apts/condos due to the view and location. The parking lot adjoining it was leased from the city until the year 2074 (within a couple of years). The owner was Ciminelli who had bought that property in a package with the two just north of it several years back for $1.5 million but all were vacant. The realtor was Mitello who took myself and a local friend on a quick tour.
They were looking at an offer in the $450-500k range but the realtor thought maybe $400k might do. I wanted to pay $375k but I needed further research. That's when I found out the taxes. I bitched out the assessment people. It wasn't long after that - the place was ransacked and the assessment and taxes were lowered. Too little and too late.

As for my assessment in Texas - is that the part you dont believe? Ok I am on the Aransas County Appraisal District site the address is 139 Ocean -think the taxes in the same year were $6200 or so maybe $5900.

Mike hope that allays your fears that I was making it all up. I don't like to put people's names in posts however if you private message me - I can tell you who the broker was and my name.

[mikesuicide]

Originally Posted by ocean2026

Fedup - let me be blunt -Beggers can't be choosers. Buffalo has plenty of vacant commercial and residential vacancies- near the tops in the nation ( lucky for you there is always Detroit to look down on).

Mike you find the transaction hard to believe? I detailed it once before . The property was 960 Busti ( right where Busti becomes Niagara). The building is a huge square -several stories overlooking the water. I wanted to live in most of the top floor and though the rest of the floors could make good apts/condos due to the view and location. The parking lot adjoining it was leased from the city until the year 2074 (within a couple of years). The owner was Ciminelli who had bought that property in a package with the two just north of it several years back for $1.5 million but all were vacant. The realtor was Mitello who took myself and a local friend on a quick tour.
They were looking at an offer in the $450-500k range but the realtor thought maybe $400k might do. I wanted to pay $375k but I needed further research. That's when I found out the taxes. I bitched out the assessment people. It wasn't long after that - the place was ransacked and the assessment and taxes were lowered. Too little and too late.

As for my assessment in Texas - is that the part you dont believe? Ok I am on the Aransas County Appraisal District site the address is 139 Ocean -think the taxes in the same year were $6200 or so maybe $5900.

Mike hope that allays your fears that I was making it all up. I don't like to put people's names in posts however if you private message me - I can tell you who the broker was and my name.

I get it. I found the contrast between price and tax rate hard to believe. I have owned both commercial and residential properties in the city and neither had that percentage rate per dollar. One of the properties I owned was on Washington between Huron and Mohawk. My taxes weren't nearly that severe. Challenging the assessment isn't too hard if you can justify.
Sorry you had a bad experience

[CAugust]

Originally Posted by ocean2026

Fedup - let me be blunt -Beggers can't be choosers. Buffalo has plenty of vacant commercial and residential vacancies- near the tops in the nation ( lucky for you there is always Detroit to look down on).

Mike you find the transaction hard to believe? I detailed it once before . The property was 960 Busti ( right where Busti becomes Niagara). The building is a huge square -several stories overlooking the water. I wanted to live in most of the top floor and though the rest of the floors could make good apts/condos due to the view and location. The parking lot adjoining it was leased from the city until the year 2074 (within a couple of years). The owner was Ciminelli who had bought that property in a package with the two just north of it several years back for $1.5 million but all were vacant. The realtor was Mitello who took myself and a local friend on a quick tour.
They were looking at an offer in the $450-500k range but the realtor thought maybe $400k might do. I wanted to pay $375k but I needed further research. That's when I found out the taxes. I bitched out the assessment people. It wasn't long after that - the place was ransacked and the assessment and taxes were lowered. Too little and too late.

As for my assessment in Texas - is that the part you dont believe? Ok I am on the Aransas County Appraisal District site the address is 139 Ocean -think the taxes in the same year were $6200 or so maybe $5900.

Mike hope that allays your fears that I was making it all up. I don't like to put people's names in posts however if you private message me - I can tell you who the broker was and my name.

so you utilized dual agency? you know better... we have talked about this property - dont do dual agency... you didnt tell me that you already saw it????????????????????????????????????????? why didnt you tell me this prior? you should have known the taxes going in - anyway its in the past

[mikesuicide]

Originally Posted by CAugust

so you utilized dual agency? you know better... we have talked about this property - dont do dual agency... you didnt tell me that you already saw it????????????????????????????????????????? why didnt you tell me this prior? you should have known the taxes going in - anyway its in the past

Its all dual agency. The buyers agent works for the one who pays ultimately, and that is the seller.

[ocean2026]

Caugust you and I have never talked about this - I had given up on this in 2007. We did TALK about a property and that was the Visitation Church on Lovejoy. We never talked directly just on posts and if you remember correctly I recommended you as knowledgeable - check your records. You will see I'm correct. (well I'm 99% sure). August you responded to me about some church properties. In addition the details I published about 960 Busti I had published here at least two other times. If I would have contacted you about this property it would be as someone who could lease it out if I bought it.

As far as Lovejoy someone told me that a nun was shot on that block for small change and most seemed negative. Not enough to completely shatter my hope about it, but it put a damper on it.


Anyway we are way off track - although the diversion was insightful- the point of my post was that Buffalo is not all that affordable when taxes are figured in. Texas is almost exactly around the middle of the states as far as taxes go.

[ocean2026]

Caugust I just checked all my direct messages but they only go back Sept of last year. The only message I had with you was 10-29 7:41 PM and the topic was could you lease that visitation church.

if I'm mistaken please correct me. You are nice to share so much information on Buffalo ( as is Mike) and you shouldn't be taken advantage of.