Another "best suburb" question (Columbus, Cleveland: salons, houses, public schools)

[The Cactus Leaguer]

Preferences:

-Nice, fairly upscale suburb with great public schools
-<=30minute commute from downtown Columbus
-Easiest possible access to Cleveland area (where extended family lives)

Thanks in advance - nothing urgent, just doing some research for now...

[behindenemylines]

New Albany fits everything you are looking for. I would start researching there.

[POS VETT]

All the northern suburbs fit the bill. New Albany included.

[The Cactus Leaguer]

Originally Posted by behindenemylines

New Albany fits everything you are looking for. I would start researching there.

Nice, thanks... and oh my, those are some mighty steep property taxes they pay in New Albany!

[POS VETT]

About the same in Dublin/Powell/Worthington/Westerville.

[The Cactus Leaguer]

Originally Posted by POS VETT

About the same in Dublin/Powell/Worthington/Westerville.

Not on the houses I pulled up. Dublin, Galena, and Westerville were about 5.5%-6% of assessed value, but New Albany was at 7.74%.

[behindenemylines]

You can find houses that are in the "win-win" category (New Albany schools, mailing address, parks and rec etc but with Columbus taxes). Our house falls in that category and our sub is closer to schools, library, pool, market square etc than many subs that are New Albany proper so its not like you are on the outskirts looking in.

[The Cactus Leaguer]

Originally Posted by behindenemylines

You can find houses that are in the "win-win" category (New Albany schools, mailing address, parks and rec etc but with Columbus taxes). Our house falls in that category and our sub is closer to schools, library, pool, market square etc than many subs that are New Albany proper so its not like you are on the outskirts looking in.

That would be another unusual thing - usually property taxes (on mid to higher end homes) are higher as you get closer to the city center.

Just to give you an example...

I pulled up a house in New Albany that was built in 2004, asking price $400k, 2009 property taxes $14,036. With a 25% down payment and 30yr fixed @ 4.75%, you'd have a house payment of $1,595/mo and property taxes of $1,166/mo.

Thanks all for your replies. It does look like there are other nice areas in the northern burbs where you don't get crushed on property taxes.

[behindenemylines]

Originally Posted by The Cactus Leaguer

That would be another unusual thing - usually property taxes (on mid to higher end homes) are higher as you get closer to the city center.

Just to give you an example...

I pulled up a house in New Albany that was built in 2004, asking price $400k, 2009 property taxes $14,036. With a 25% down payment and 30yr fixed @ 4.75%, you'd have a house payment of $1,595/mo and property taxes of $1,166/mo.

Thanks all for your replies. It does look like there are other nice areas in the northern burbs where you don't get crushed on property taxes.

Check out Hampsted Village. Half the houses here are Columbus taxes. Houses valued at $400k are under $10k in taxes. Hamsted Village is seconds off the 161 and walking distance to the schools, aquatic center, library, market square, grocery stores, restaurants, pubs, doctors, dentists, salons, dry cleaners etc. It's south and west of the Fodor/New Albany Road intersection. New Albany is a jigsaw between Columbus and New Albany proper, a result of New Albany trading some of its land to Columbus in exchange for hooking into the sewer and water lines.

[The Cactus Leaguer]

Will do, thanks.