Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Hi,i am on fixed income with my wife and i see half the homes in these 2 cities go for under $50,000. I would like to know what my total costs would be. i know people complain about crime there but seriously looking at the stats its really not bad ,not compared to my place in brooklyn which happens to be in one of best areas. Did govt do away with star rebate ,if so what would my taxes be in each city on home $50,000 ,including school taxes. Also i have a question about electricity, i noticed that jamestown residents have there own power plant and pay less the neverywhere. Whats PRICE KW?What will my monthly heating bill come to and what months needed? i think elmira less snow .Any ones help would be appreciated.
Hi Kitty.
I'm a new resident myself, I'll answer your questions the best I can.
Jamestown is super affordable if you have your own income that you're bringing with you, which it seems from your post that the case may be. Housing is very inexpensive, however it does vary in quality. We bought a house in Jamestown for an amazing price because it needed work, but we bought it with the intention of completely renovating it, which we are doing. Property taxes are stupidly high, but that's typical NY. I would ask a realtor the tax question I don't know the specifics.
The base electricity rate for BPU is 4.2 cents per hour if you live in the city limits of Jamestown and have BPU. I think elsewhere is National Grid, which I've heard is more expensive. You definitely want to go all electric for heat. Our bill is only a few hundred dollars in the coldest months including water and trash. The HEAP tax portion of the bill was larger than our consumption. We were quoted an astronomical monthly bill from the gas company, I think they said to expect an $1800 a month bill or something insane like that, so that's why we switched to electric which was a great move.
Anyway, feel free to PM me. I also can give you the name of the realtor we used to buy our house - he's a very nice guy if you'd like to chat with him about what you're looking for. I haven't found crime to be an issue, but then I'm not from here and I think of this as a small, quiet sort of place. LOL
Whoever told you it was going to be $1800/month for gas heat was either smoking crack or made a huge mistake. My gas bill is usually around $125/month in the dead of winter & next to nothing in the summer.
That's what the rep at the gas company told us for the sq footage on our house to expect in the coldest months. I know the duplex across the street is over a $1000 a month for just his side- he showed us the bill. I think it depends on how and when your house was built- and how old your heating system is. My house was built in 1899- no insulation or anything- we're putting it in as we renovate. However as I'm sure you know, alot of houses aren't updated.
$1000/month for 1/2 a duplex? That's insane. My house is about 2500 sq/ft but it was built in the early 80's so I suspect that would definitely make a difference vs a house built in 1899 but it shouldn't be anywhere near that big of a difference. Before buying this house we rented a place that was built in the late 1800's, when it was really cold out the walls would feel like the inside of a freezer (especially in the living room) and I still don't remember getting a bill higher than maybe $175. Sounds like you guys are really getting a bad deal down there for some reason.
$1000/month for 1/2 a duplex? That's insane. My house is about 2500 sq/ft but it was built in the early 80's so I suspect that would definitely make a difference vs a house built in 1899 but it shouldn't be anywhere near that big of a difference. Before buying this house we rented a place that was built in the late 1800's, when it was really cold out the walls would feel like the inside of a freezer (especially in the living room) and I still don't remember getting a bill higher than maybe $175. Sounds like you guys are really getting a bad deal down there for some reason.
Oh I completely agree. My bill is considerably lower- somewhere around 30-40 dollars but all I have is a cookstove and a hot water heater on gas.
The gas company- which is National Fuel-I think they're out of PA, is making a fortune, no doubt. I notice you're up by Buffalo. Do you have a different gas provider?
The biggest issue I see honestly, is that these high bills get paid for by Heap- like my neighbor -so neither him, nor his landlord- really care to upgrade/renovate because the state picks up the tab. Not that a renter really can upgrade a rental, so I guess it's really on the landlord. Alot of these old houses don't have the capacity to run electric heat because the wiring is antique- (it makes me shudder when I hear people talk about stringing power cords all over the place because they only have a few good outlets in the house.)
With the heating bills getting paid by the state the landlords don't really have a financial motivation to improve things. I think it's one of the contributors to much of the unrehabbed housing in Jamestown- it's easier to slumlord.
Nearly everyone in Jamestown has National Fuel for their natural gas (I'd bet most homes have gas stoves and furnaces...odd given the low electric rates) and the Jamestown Board of Public Utilities (BPU) for electricity, water/sewer, and garbage pick-up.
Total taxes on a property in Jamestown is about 1/40th the market value (you have to pay taxes for 40yrs to equal the price of the house). This is a rough but reliable estimate. BTW, down here on Long Island taxes are about 1/28th (only 28yrs to equal the market price).
The value-price of homes in Jamestown is depreciating (because of declining population and low incomes) and the housing stock mean age is increasing (few new homes are being built). This generally means the money you spend today on a Jamestown house will be less than what you sell it for (after adjusting for inflation) and most homes in Jamestown were built before WWII. Most homes may require repair and a high rate of upkeep but the quality of construction and architectural detailing is quite high in many homes (something very rare and expensive on Long Island).
Jamestown is relatively safe with petty/property crimes being the most prevalent. Again, this is may be largely due to overall low incomes and a transient population between NYC and Southwestern New York.
Overall, compared to Brooklyn, Jamestown would be a wonderful place for someone on a fixed income and looking for a larger home, a nice backyard, and relative quiet, layed back lifestyle.
I currently live in Elmira and I have lived here all of my life. I bought my house for 30,000 dollars and so far the STAR rebate is still going here. I pay about 1300 a year on taxes (without the rebate because I am not eligible). Some neighborhoods are worse than others, but the crime rate is not as bad as it is sometimes portrayed to be. I pay between 125 and 300 dollars a month through NYSEG for my house which is a decent size 3 bedroom house. If you live in the city of Elmira garbage removal is free and the city picks it up weekly. I live in the town of Southport where I have to pay to have my garbage removed but it only costs me 15 dollars a month. I don't know if there is more or less snow because this is the only place I have lived. I hope this helps.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
