Where would be best? (Fishkill, Plattsburgh: rentals, crime rates, homes)

[plattsburgher]

Since your name is Camping Mom, you will love knowing all about the Adirondacks, canoe routes and camping on the streams, lakes (we're on Lake Champlain), rivers, and on the islands of Vermont. This is camping heaven...........

[Floridasunshine]

Camping Mom
My mom was same way, she lived in PA her whole adult life, Then I moved to Florida 1968, with friend, only went back for visits. Then in 1989 my sister moved her family here, 2003 My younger sister told my mom, she was heading south getting divorce after 35 yrs, She could stay in Pa, or go with her.But either way she was heading south. She thought about it for about 10 mins and said you are paying for the moving van, Lets GO.
She is glad she came and loves FLorida. Can not believe she hesitated all those years, I love my doctors, she would say, well she loves her new doctors too.

[winnie]

What about areas around Cortland NY? It is still a pretty cheap area with a nice quiet feel. I happen to like Syracuse's "burbs" like Cicero and Cazenovia they are really reasonable as far as home prices and salary.

Orange county is pretty much a dead issue, if you can't handle the cost of living in Dutchess most areas of Orange will kill your finances with the exception of possbily Deer Park area. Pike County PA is pretty good as far as cost of living and you would not have to completely uproot.

I have a 1450 sq ft home on .6 secluded acres. Brand new, real HWF throughout, custom oak kitchen, stainless appliances etc and this year we put 1000 sq ft more by finishing the back porch into a sunroom and completely finishing the lovely basement- total cost with closing and everything - 283K. (includes 17K in closing costs because I have a VA loan) Total taxes are around 3500. I have lake access, no close neighbors and I have bald eagles occasionally sighted in my treetops and golden eagles and hawks nesting in my trees. You might want to check out Milford, Dingman's Ferry and Shohola PA - just about 1:15 from Dutchess county so you might be able to even keep your current jobs for awhile if you don't mind the drive. There are some really quiet areas over here you would do well to take a drive out here sometime and check out the communities.

[CampingMom]

Originally Posted by winnie

What about areas around Cortland NY? It is still a pretty cheap area with a nice quiet feel. I happen to like Syracuse's "burbs" like Cicero and Cazenovia they are really reasonable as far as home prices and salary.

Orange county is pretty much a dead issue, if you can't handle the cost of living in Dutchess most areas of Orange will kill your finances with the exception of possbily Deer Park area. Pike County PA is pretty good as far as cost of living and you would not have to completely uproot.

I have a 1450 sq ft home on .6 secluded acres. Brand new, real HWF throughout, custom oak kitchen, stainless appliances etc and this year we put 1000 sq ft more by finishing the back porch into a sunroom and completely finishing the lovely basement- total cost with closing and everything - 283K. (includes 17K in closing costs because I have a VA loan) Total taxes are around 3500. I have lake access, no close neighbors and I have bald eagles occasionally sighted in my treetops and golden eagles and hawks nesting in my trees. You might want to check out Milford, Dingman's Ferry and Shohola PA - just about 1:15 from Dutchess county so you might be able to even keep your current jobs for awhile if you don't mind the drive. There are some really quiet areas over here you would do well to take a drive out here sometime and check out the communities.

Those are some good ideas. My hubby works in Goshen and living in PA is a option we've been considering-if we move-I won't have to drive a bus anymore either. I went back to that this year after 11 years away from it because everything has gotten so high in Dutchess. So much for my college degree.

If you don't mind me asking-what are your utilites like over there? That's one of the factors that's gotten out of control here. What used to cost me $450 this go around this winter as $800! For the same house and appliances. Go figure. How about car insurance? Better or worse than here in NY?

We need to talk with other people upstate to see what they run with both-I don't want to jump from one fire into another. Same goes with what real estate taxes are. We get hit three ways-town, village, and school at this point. Want to get away from that.

[CampingMom]

Originally Posted by plattsburgher

Since your name is Camping Mom, you will love knowing all about the Adirondacks, canoe routes and camping on the streams, lakes (we're on Lake Champlain), rivers, and on the islands of Vermont. This is camping heaven...........

Oh yeah, been camping all over NY for over 20 years. Scouts used to come up to "lake hop" with canoeing. We have a seasonal site up in Pulaski now. It's our jump off base this year though to take the oldest around to look at colleges. We'll be looking into those areas to possibly move to while we are out looking at schools

[plattsburgher]

Are you in the NYS retirement system at all? I know it may not be much but these days, NY has one of the best retirement benefits. I was thinking that you might want to hold on to that part of your life and either add to it by remaining in state if possible and either driving bus, or teaching assistant or whatever??????? It might just pay you back in a few years down the road.......I was a teaching assistant, then a school employee and no, I won't be rich at all when I retire, but I do know that the NYS retirement system is a financially sound one that will at least take care of some of my expenses later in life if I ever do retire..........If you are hospitality/tourism, between Chamber of Commerces, Adirondacks, Lake Placid, border, new airport, might be able to use the degree????? You sound like good peeps as my friend says.............You will be fine no matter where you end up, especially doing your homework now.............

[winnie]

Originally Posted by CampingMom

If you don't mind me asking-what are your utilites like over there? That's one of the factors that's gotten out of control here. What used to cost me $450 this go around this winter as $800! For the same house and appliances. Go figure. How about car insurance? Better or worse than here in NY?

We need to talk with other people upstate to see what they run with both-I don't want to jump from one fire into another. Same goes with what real estate taxes are. We get hit three ways-town, village, and school at this point. Want to get away from that.

My utilities per month? I have a 2400 sq ft home and keep it at 72 degrees in the winter, 68 degrees in the summer. My electric is about 240/month (I run 3 baseboards, propane forced hot air, electic HW and really abuse my hot water/dryer ) and my propane is around 120-160/month for a total of roughly 800/yr. That is for the worst of winter, normal summer months run me between 90-130 dollars for electric and no propane from April to September. My cable, phone and high speed internet combined are 120/month.

Taxes here are really reasonable, our home is 3500 in taxes here in Shohola, I estimate they would be about 4K if we were in Milford. If this home was in Orange County the taxes would easily be doubled.

Our dues for our lake association are 520/yr and we have access to a really huge 100 acre lake, a clubhouse, tennis courts and that includes plowing of the main roads.

Our car insurance has dropped since moving to PA. what once was 120/month for 2 vehicles in NYS has dropped to around 100 dollars a month and we have 3 vehicles now.

I live about 15 minutes from Milford, if you were to live in Milford the drive to Goshen would be somewhere close to 35 minutes. DH commutes daily to Newburgh and it takes him less than 1 hour to get from Shohola to there.

What is your price range for housing?

[bitburgsarah]

Dont go to plattsburgh that in itself will be a huge culture shock....although visiting for the hiking and camping truley breathtaking... please check out the catskills... Jeffersonville ny We were on that trading spaces show for the make up the new town or something or other.. right by the bethel woods origional woodstock site, very special down to earth community. inexpensive, great schools, 10 years ago this place was a joke but now the last 3-4 years its has grown into small town parades,farmers markets excellent city like rest, non brand name shopping.. tight knit community, great spirits and ambience but do not look into monticello or liberty those places are less desirable. we left staten island in 98 and although i had to part my family who still remains there and always will ...with all the places i have lived in the world this is where i will always call home.

[Pidgett]

I second plattsburgher's suggestion. You should REALLY look into this area.

Good luck to you and your hubby!

[Pidgett]

In a previous post, Bitburgsarah said:

"Dont go to plattsburgh that in itself will be a huge culture shock"

Bitburgsarah, why do you say this? Did you have a bad experience in Plattsburgh? I am curious because Camping Mom and her family would hardly have any culture shock going from the old Dutchess County of her youth to Plattsburgh. I believe the culture shock would be much more likely to occur with an ex-Staten Island, NYC resident, such as yourself, rather than a native Dutchess County resident.

If you could relate your feelings about Plattsburgh, it would be of great interest here on this forum. Thanks!