[JViello]

Originally Posted by SeattleTechy

Wow, The Hockanumcrossing joints look real good. Bit of a commute though.

Then again, back in Redmond I live about 3 miles from my office and it often takes 20+ min to get to work and to come home.

I suppose cutting across the river @ peak times can get pretty bad.

Fortunately I have some time and two months in hotel if needed. As suggested, may find an agent to help me find a nice condo or something.

Not where you are commuting too from that area The "flyover" splits off I84 before downtown and goes to RT15 south (Berlin Turnpike) and I-91 South and is always clear sailing. (I drove that route for over 5 years.) The traffic into DT starts just past that on I84 and even then it's a 5-10 minute clog from the East side of the river.

To go from Manchester/Vernon to the Berlin Tpk is really a breeze. Getting down the Tpk is harder as it's a bvld but you will be going against traffic for the most part. 30 minutes is totally doable. When on my motorcycle I used to take the Berlin Tpk from Hartford to Wallingford instead of I91 most times.

That's what's great about being on the East side of the River...no traffic really. Yes it gets thick sometimes but nothing, and I mean nothing like other cities in the US.

[Suzer]

Is the "property tax" on vehicles in addition to the taxes you paid at purchase, AND the cost you pay to register it annually with the Department of Motor Vehicles?

[Rich Lee]

Originally Posted by Suzer

Is the "property tax" on vehicles in addition to the taxes you paid at purchase AND the cost you pay to register it annually with the Department of Motor Vehicles?

Yes. Property taxes are due every July 1st as long as the vehicle was registered the prior October 1st (Grand List day). Registrations are for two-year cycles. Fees are calculated by registration type, not vehicle size as in other states (New York).

[JViello]

Originally Posted by Suzer

Is the "property tax" on vehicles in addition to the taxes you paid at purchase, AND the cost you pay to register it annually with the Department of Motor Vehicles?

6% at time of purchase BUT they will credit your full value of the trade in as a tax credit. Example: 20K with a 10K trade in...you only pay sales tax on 10K. Yearly property tax is not based on full vehicle value. Usually 70% of their estimated value. I have a $33,000 truck and they tax it to the value of about 15K so it's not THAT bad, but no tax is better than any tax. LOL

[mdkkr]

Rich Lee has great advice with Middletown.

Rents will be affordable and for a single guy they've got some good night life - a place on the river, a nice steakhouse on the main drag, a good Mexican joint and great proximity to Hartford, New Haven and not a bad ride for a weekend jaunt to either NYC or Boston.

There are more "Vectorheads" (as we call engineers) in that region of the state than most places in the US, so you should fit right in!

[SeattleTechy]

Vectorheads...thats great! Haven't heard that one before. I'll check out Middletown when I get back here in March. The vehicle tax thing sucks. A 55k 2007 BMW is gonna run me like 1000 bucks a year? Come on. I don't live in my car! Its funny cause a lot of sites say the COL in CT is less then Seattle. I don't see it that way. Housing is less, but taxes in CT make it a wash. Got a car insurance quote for CT also, almost double what I pay now. Utility bills are much higher too. I've never paid more than $100 bucks/mo in Wa. People here are paying three times that.

Rough estimate...I need a 10k - 15k salary adjustment for CT just to maintain my current quality of life (financially) in Seattle.

Life's an adventure! Don't truly know until you try it!
Thanks for all the feedback.

[JViello]

Originally Posted by SeattleTechy

Vectorheads...thats great! Haven't heard that one before. I'll check out Middletown when I get back here in March. The vehicle tax thing sucks. A 55k 2007 BMW is gonna run me like 1000 bucks a year? Come on. I don't live in my car! Its funny cause a lot of sites say the COL in CT is less then Seattle. I don't see it that way. Housing is less, but taxes in CT make it a wash. Got a car insurance quote for CT also, almost double what I pay now. Utility bills are much higher too. I've never paid more than $100 bucks/mo in Wa. People here are paying three times that.

Rough estimate...I need a 10k - 15k salary adjustment for CT just to maintain my current quality of life (financially) in Seattle.

Life's an adventure! Don't truly know until you try it!
Thanks for all the feedback.

Heads up on insurance and taxes.

Car insurance can be a HUGE variance between towns. Any of the cities you get a quote for will be much much higher than a smaller surrounding town.

I didn't tell you this BUT if you get a UPS Store box that gives you a "real" address - which they do, find the town that has the lowest mill rate, get a UPS addy and register your car in that town for lower insurance and taxes.

The DMV knows no different and frankly doesn't care to the point they will track it down.

A lot of people also register their cars in VT (Hour and change North of Hartford) for the same reason.

Not that you would or should do that or anything.

If you mean electricity and phone by "utilities" I get by on less than $100 a month for both. Electricity IS high here but that will change soon enough I'm sure. We are in a transition from a regulated industry to non regulated...growing pains you can call it.

Now if you can get my high HD cable/internet bill down that would be great. lol

[mdkkr]

The obvious question that some may ask is, why are you so worried about finances if you can afford that beamer?

Middletown will save you some money, but if you can afford more, as it seems - maybe you ought to be looking in a town like West Hartford.

In Middletown, it might look pretty silly parking a beamer outside of the kind of place you'll be living in (not to say it will be a bad condo or apt, but you'll be parked next to Chevy Impala's, Nissan Sentras, etc.)

PS I used to drive by a trailer park in New Jersey where a very nice and new Benz was always parked. It really made me laugh and think either the guy got divorced, is having an affair, stole the car, or is pretending to be something he's not to meet women. Either way, something didn't add up. I'm not saying you fit into these categories, but just be aware there aren't too many BMW's in Middletown.

[JViello]

Originally Posted by mdkkr

PS I used to drive by a trailer park in New Jersey where a very nice and new Benz was always parked. It really made me laugh and think either the guy got divorced, is having an affair, stole the car, or is pretending to be something he's not to meet women. Either way, something didn't add up. I'm not saying you fit into these categories, but just be aware there aren't too many BMW's in Middletown.

LOL That's funny, but I do beg to differ about the BMW being to rich blood for Middletown thing. In the Westlake area there are many "upscale" aparment and condo complexes with young professionals. I used to be one of them who lived in Carriage Crossing in Westlake, much like the unit below:

http://images2.weichert.com/RealEstate/5/4/n255334_201_19.jpg (broken link)


You also have the Middlefield area of Middletown which has some very very nice homes - also the country club road area over by the Meriden border...all modern 3000+ sf colonials and such.

I DO know what you are saying though and the same thought did enter my mind as well.

[Rich Lee]

Originally Posted by JViello

You also have the Middlefield area of Middletown which has some very very nice homes - also the country club road area over by the Meriden border...all modern 3000+ sf colonials and such.

Middlefield, although at times seems intertwined with Middletown along Route 217 and Route 66, is a completely separate town.