movin outta CT (Hartford, Danbury, Greenwich: real estate, property taxes, housing)

[kd83]

Originally Posted by JViello

I read your write up. Once you live there for a while and actually get on a highway outside of downtown, try and find a good deli or non chain restaurant you will start to see what a lot of us are talking about.

Right now you have the "newbie" glasses on - I had them too.

P.S. When you are on Tryon, that big BOA building - I used to be on the 57th floor everyday commuting from Matthews. Pure hell.

Oh and 70* now just means it will be unbearable in the Summer.

and the fact that we got snow for the first time in february and its been pushing further and further every year will have me laughing at you guys while you still have snow in june not too long from now..its all relative..unbearable to you is heaven to me..pool..central air..tshirts..snow makes me miserable to be around..I would take 100 degrees and humid over 20 degrees and snowing ANY day....and why would I have to leave downtown or university area..it has everything..and I mean literally everything I'll ever need...do I go outside of manchester or enfield now to find a deli? I didnt think so

[westguy22]

Originally Posted by kd83

and the fact that we got snow for the first time in february and its been pushing further and further every year will have me laughing at you guys while you still have snow in june not too long from now..its all relative..unbearable to you is heaven to me..pool..central air..tshirts..snow makes me miserable to be around..I would take 100 degrees and humid over 20 degrees and snowing ANY day....and why would I have to leave downtown or university area..it has everything..and I mean literally everything I'll ever need...do I go outside of manchester or enfield now to find a deli? I didnt think so

I have been to Charlotte more times than I can count, and I never had a problem finding a deli or good pizza.

I love snow, which is why I don't think I can leave CT. In another 20 years, that may change.

[njohnson]

I nearly moved to Charlotte a couple years ago before I broke up with my girlfriend. We went down there for a while and were looking into the Fort Mill / Lake Wylie areas and were AMAZED at how much more home you can get for the price. We also did extensive research and visited Raleigh and the Triangle areas as well.

We loved how Charlotte was a big town but didn't seem too huge, it was easy to walk around in and there were some great places around the town. We found a nice Mexican restaurant a short ways away. We also liked how it seemed they were building more and trying to make the city better, especially the inclusion of the new stadium for the Bobcats.

The housing in the south of Charlotte, especially near SC, had some great areas with good schools, great small town feels, and amazing home prices in comparison to what I'm used to.

The biggest difference for me in the homes was that while you can score a $250,000 home in CT, it will typically be a 1000sq ft raised ranch or a tiny cape fixer upper while in North Carolina I was looking at 2500sq ft new or nearly new homes with lots of upgrades, open floorplans, and great exterior designs. All these towns were in 30minute driving distance of downtown Charlotte. Here in CT it is next to impossible to find a $250,000 home in an area with as good schools, location within a major city, and with a nice feel.

The thing I hated about NC was that the state was so big it just took too long to get to anywhere else. Atlanta is around 4hrs away and DC even further so Charlotte is the only option, wheras in CT Boston and NY are very close by.

In the end I am here in CT. I don't hate this state but the winter to me is dreary and long and just when I am about to crack spring finally rolls in. If it was any longer I couldn't do it. CT also has rediculous taxes, I almost feel there is going to be an air tax just to breathe eventually. I pay tax on my gas, my goods, my self employment, my property, my car, my business, and my income...and for what, the privilege of living in CT?

[JViello]

Originally Posted by kd83

and the fact that we got snow for the first time in february and its been pushing further and further every year will have me laughing at you guys while you still have snow in june not too long from now..its all relative..unbearable to you is heaven to me..pool..central air..tshirts..snow makes me miserable to be around..I would take 100 degrees and humid over 20 degrees and snowing ANY day....and why would I have to leave downtown or university area..it has everything..and I mean literally everything I'll ever need...do I go outside of manchester or enfield now to find a deli? I didnt think so

Snow in June? Huh?

Like I always say, some will like it there, some will not. For me it was a no once everything was put on the scales.

You certainly came across in your posts much different than what you are writing here - perhaps that is the confusion. If you hate Winter, then yes I can see that. BUT I will say this - experience your first "lazy Summer" and you might change change your mind. Think of the hottest day you can remember in CT - that's everyday and worse for an extended period. Some are fine with it, not me.

Good luck to you, just don't forget where you came from when you have a family and "paradise" has worn off.

[JViello]

Originally Posted by njohnson

The housing in the south of Charlotte, especially near SC, had some great areas with good schools, great small town feels, and amazing home prices in comparison to what I'm used to.

The biggest difference for me in the homes was that while you can score a $250,000 home in CT, it will typically be a 1000sq ft raised ranch or a tiny cape fixer upper while in North Carolina I was looking at 2500sq ft new or nearly new homes with lots of upgrades, open floorplans, and great exterior designs. All these towns were in 30minute driving distance of downtown Charlotte. Here in CT it is next to impossible to find a $250,000 home in an area with as good schools, location within a major city, and with a nice feel.

I respectfully disagree. The school system is in SHAMBLES down there. Kids are being educated in trailer homes because of overcrowding and not enough funding. That's a fact. I met my wife in Charlotte and she was - you guessed it, a teacher making a whopping 24K a year. She promptly left the school system in Charlotte after a couple years as it was chaos.

I live in a 1800sf (Would be called 2400sf in the South) 3bdrm ranch home with a formal living and dining room and a walk out basement (windows doors etc on the rear of the house) on a private dead end road on the Bolton line of Manchester with 2 acres of land, deer and wild turkey in the back yard. I paid 180K for the home 4 years ago, it's since been appraised at 260K so I totally disagree with your statement. Oh and across the street a neighborhood of 500-1,000K homes just went up including Geno Auriema's home so it's a nice area to be sure. You just have to be smart and look around in CT.

[JViello]

Originally Posted by westguy22

I have been to Charlotte more times than I can count, and I never had a problem finding a deli or good pizza.

Then you've never had a good pizza or been to a real deli. What's a good deli Scholtzki's? Blimpie? Quizno's?

They have a hard time knowing what Prosicuttio is nevermind real Salumi (Salami). If you go to the wannabe "rich" section and visit Phillip's Place you can find a Dean and Delucca's (Founders of Subway based in Milford CT BTW) but you pay a huge premium and it's about as old/real world deli as Disney is reality.

When I say Pizza, I'm not talking Bertucci's. Try Frank Pepe's or the knock off Wooster Street where your food is prepared in a 100 year old coal fired oven. That's what I'm talking about.

Charlotte is riddled with chain food. Period. The mom and pop restuarants are pitiful at best. Well, there was one good place - the Cajun Queen in Elizabeth Park, but they were from New Jersey so that's to be expected.

To each his own, but I like my ethinic "stuff", my culture, my seasons, my history. The Walmart, cheap crap but it looks new generation can have the South.

[skytrekker]

njohnson

you can buy a new 1850 square foot raised ranch with 3 bedrooms 2.5 baths, family room, fireplace, double garage on 1 acre in Ellington CT for 284K- I would assume that Ellington is a great town, with excellent schools. No? And in Vernon a new colonial, 3 bedrooms 2 baths one quarter acre, basement, fireplace- for 235K- Is Vernon bad or have crappy schools- I will wager you the SAT scores in Vernon beat everything in NC- including private schools- where most HAVE to send their kids because of the poor public schools.

[kd83]

Originally Posted by skytrekker

njohnson

you can buy a new 1850 square foot raised ranch with 3 bedrooms 2.5 baths, family room, fireplace, double garage on 1 acre in Ellington CT for 284K- I would assume that Ellington is a great town, with excellent schools. No? And in Vernon a new colonial, 3 bedrooms 2 baths one quarter acre, basement, fireplace- for 235K- Is Vernon bad or have crappy schools- I will wager you the SAT scores in Vernon beat everything in NC- including private schools- where most HAVE to send their kids because of the poor public schools.

vernon (rockville) and ellington schools are very poor actually..but that is on "connecticut standards"...as for the houses above..vernon is ok..I mean I grew up in rockville and some of the homes in vernon are pretty nice..a quarter acre is nothing to cheer about in jviellos eyes..and ellington is farmtown...you find a town like ellington in NC and I'm sure you can find that same 3 bed 2.5 bath house for 150k if not less...no one is saying ellington or vernon or any town in connecticut are bad..just that if you find the same comparable house in NC in the same comparable town it will be cheaper in NC. First one I found statesville 4 bed 3.5 bath, 3620 sq ft (real square feet not by jviellos formula) beautiful colonial looks like it belongs in new england only 250k sitting on 3/4 acre fireplace, central air, 2 car garage, all that jazz...another is in asheboro 4 bed 2 bath on 16..yes 16 acres for 275 (still cheaper than the ellington house) with fireplace, wood flooring..etc etc etc..apples to apples my friends..apples to apples...


and just so everybody knows..I did live in south carolina for a year and the hot summers were awesome..not a bad thing..our summers suck up here too but at least ac is normal there and central air is pretty much everywhere...

[skytrekker]

What information do you have that Ellington or Vernon have 'poor schools'

Johnson above asked the question you cannot buy a decent home in a decent town for 250K- he more or less said they would be in a ghetto- and the home would be a dump.

Ellington is actually a fine town- with a high quality of life- and quite frankly is far superior to anything in NC with the same population, being a mere 12 miles from a major city. Are these small towns close to Raleigh? or in the boonies? 'Statesville' by the way is 38 miles from any major city-that being Winston-Salem

I answered the above question well- I prefer not to live in a RED state- North Carolina ranks near the bottom in every human resource category- education, health care for kids and Seniors, services for kids and Seniors, the overall environment- and overall quality of life. And SC is even WORSE.

Vernon and Ellington It seems do not live up to your standards of good towns to live in- does South Windsor?-

I think you are missing something here- called 'cultural intangibles'- which Jveillo speaks of so well. And as many discover when they go to NC- its a real factor- and some how you are not seeing what it is.

Also as a Washington DC native- I found the summers hellish- I cannot imagine living in NC which is even worse. These small southern towns are not would I call bastions of 'tolerance' or sophistication- perhaps Cary,Chapel Hill and Raleigh are better- but it is a very conservative state, that I would feel very ill at ease in. Too much religious indoctrination- like what church do you go to?

Ellington and Vernon voted for Kerry in 2004- sadly NC gave Bushie a huge vote margin- well perhaps the voters in CT in dumps like Vernon and farm towns like Ellington are a wee more 'enlightened' then a similar town in NC-and look at what we are 'stuck with' 'W' -thanks I'll take CT- I will say however, I wish you the best of luck in Charlotte. If you once lived in SC -why did you come back here? In any case Cheers

[westguy22]

Originally Posted by JViello

Then you've never had a good pizza or been to a real deli. What's a good deli Scholtzki's? Blimpie? Quizno's?

They have a hard time knowing what Prosicuttio is nevermind real Salumi (Salami). If you go to the wannabe "rich" section and visit Phillip's Place you can find a Dean and Delucca's (Founders of Subway based in Milford CT BTW) but you pay a huge premium and it's about as old/real world deli as Disney is reality.

When I say Pizza, I'm not talking Bertucci's. Try Frank Pepe's or the knock off Wooster Street where your food is prepared in a 100 year old coal fired oven. That's what I'm talking about.

Charlotte is riddled with chain food. Period. The mom and pop restuarants are pitiful at best. Well, there was one good place - the Cajun Queen in Elizabeth Park, but they were from New Jersey so that's to be expected.

To each his own, but I like my ethinic "stuff", my culture, my seasons, my history. The Walmart, cheap crap but it looks new generation can have the South.

Sounds like you haven't gotten around much down there. There is a deli called Carlino's right near downtown (owned by a family from southern NJ) and a great pizza place (can't remember the name) in the Indian Trail area, I remember it was owned by a man from Michigan. Great pizza.

Have you traveled beyond the US? Folks in Italy would laugh at your comments about Pepe's and the similar because that style pizza is a joke compared to that in Florence. (I'm 100% Italian and visit Florence every summer).

I may be out of line by saying this, but your attitude of "CT is best, screw the rest" is the reason that many people dislike the general population here. It's obvious you're a realtor, and it's obvios that you're attempting to make CT sound so spectacular so they wouldn't think twice about moving here. Of course, more $$ for you!

Ahhh, gotta love it.

BTW Skytrekker, with respect, most small towns in Connecticut went for Bush (but I sure didn't!). It's the big cities with higher populations that helped Kerry in our state.