Move or stay in Western New York??

[UpstaterInBklyn]

Upstate NY can be a great choice for retirement because it offers high quality of life. There is a lot of natural beauty, recreational opportunities, friendly people and affordability. The only major downside is for those looking for job and career opportunities, which are irrelevant to a retiree.

A few things to consider, however:

The taxes: While you will find great housing for very little money, everywhere in NYS has insanely high property taxes, particularly school taxes. And those taxes always rise every year by a few percent. If you have children in school, you may consider this an investment in the education of your children and your community (though opinions do vary on this subject). However, as a retiree, you may not be of the same mind. Since we are talking about several thousand dollars a year, this is a major slice of your cost-of-living budget.

The weather: Although the snow and winter weather is not nearly as bad as its reputation, Winter is a reality that must be dealt with, especially in a more rural area. If you are someone who has never lived in a snowy climate, living with it day-to-day is not as pretty as pictures of snow-covered meadows. You need to learn to drive in snow and you also need to have a way to remove snow. It is very physically demanding, especially if you have a lot of land and a long driveway. Many retirees hire plow services rather than dealing with the physical demands of doing it themselves. In rural areas, winter can bring on a feeling of isolation and winter tends to be a long season here. You won't get reliably mild weather (more than 45 degrees or so) from early November through mid-April.

In the spring and summer, since the climate is not dry and hot, everything grows like crazy - weeds, grass, vines and trees, which also require maintenance, which can be a lot of work on a large rural plot of land, although some people find this type of work enjoyable.

[jblake78728]

Originally Posted by Txodus

I would really like to move to New York State. Have looked a little in the Buffalo or Niagara Falls area. Also like the Allegheny area. Have been to most of New York except the northern part of the state (above Syracuse) and love everything I see. Looking for a retirement home in fair proximity to Veteran Facilities. Like to visit NYC but can't afford to live very close. Looking for a place with "hills", water, and trees. Tried to get a realtor to help but not much success. I am a conservative liberal independent open minded individual with a grown family. Coming from Texas where the summers are HOT. Have researched various (former research analyst and computer specialist) so I have a little data to look at, such as weather, population distribution, and economy. Would like some data with the "human" touch. :-) Thanks in Advance to anyone that responds. TX
Any suggestions? Information? Sources for real estate? Data on NY?

You might also consider Chautauqua or Cattaraugus County. The taxes in Jamestown are high but many of the smaller towns in the area are much more tax friendly than most of Allegany County. In fact, most of the areas in the Chautauqua Lake school district (Mayville area, northeast end of Chautauqua Lake) are among the lowest property tax areas in WNY (around $1950-$2500 property tax/year depending on the actual town), the area is very rural & scenic as well. The closest VA Medical Center is about an hour away in Erie, Pa though Jamestown does have a VA outpatient clinic. NY also has a few different property tax exemption/reduction programs that people can qualify for. At this time they are not doing the rebate program but you can still get your house assessed below its value which will lower your tax burden.

STAR - NYS Office of Real Property Services

http://www.tourchautauqua.com/

http://www.chautauqua-ny.com/

http://www.co.cattaraugus.ny.us/

[ckhthankgod]

Originally Posted by jblake78728

You might also consider Chautauqua or Cattaraugus County. The taxes in Jamestown are high but many of the smaller towns in the area are much more tax friendly than most of Allegany County. In fact, most of the areas in the Chautauqua Lake school district (Mayville area, northeast end of Chautauqua Lake) are among the lowest property tax areas in WNY (around $1950-$2500 property tax/year depending on the actual town), the area is very rural & scenic as well. The closest VA Medical Center is about an hour away in Erie, Pa though Jamestown does have a VA outpatient clinic. NY also has a few different property tax exemption/reduction programs that people can qualify for. At this time they are not doing the rebate program but you can still get your house assessed below its value which will lower your tax burden.

STAR - NYS Office of Real Property Services

TourChautauqua.com - Visit Western New York and Chautauqua Lake: Travel, Tourism, and Learning Vacations

Welcome to Chautauqua County Government

CattCo.org - Cattaraugus County, the Enchanted Mountains of Western New York State

Good choice and some other places to consider with VA facilities are around: Bath, Canandaigua, close to Syracuse, close to Albany and some others. Here's a list of VA facilities around the state: Facilities in New York - Locations

[Txodus]

I really appreciate all the responses.
Thanks for the links, too. They are great. Something to keep me busy.... :-)
The weather info is good and gives me things to think about. I lived on the Michigan/Canada border and in Germany for a few years so I hope I can get back into the swing of things. The VA info is helpful.
I have discovered that no matter how much research is done, nothing compares to experience from people in the area. I don't believe I can ever get "to much" info.

[roadtraveler95]

Since you mentioned hills, I will tell you Buffalo is very flat compared to most of the northwest. In that way, it feels more like a midwestern city. Based on your description, I would choose something in Central New York, maybe Syracuse, since it has a full service Medical Center, and there is plenty of scenery nearby. If you can handle just an outpatient center, you might also want to consider Binghamton, NY which has more of "town" feeling than a city and is set in some very pretty hills. It is also close enough to the Catskills for a quick weekend getaway.

[FedupWNY]

Originally Posted by roadtraveler95

It is also close enough to the Catskills for a quick weekend getaway.

Syracuse is close enough to the Finger Lakes, it's beautiful there anytime of the year.