Need to Escape From NY state - What Do I Need to Know? (Scranton: real estate, apartment)

[Guybrush3pwood]

For various reasons, I need to get out of NY state. I'd like to stay near my family though, so I'm thinking of moving to the Scranton/Lackawanna County sections of the state. Of course, this all will hinge on my ability to get a job in the IT sector. Anyone know how the outlook on that is currently? What's real estate like? What can I expect? Property taxes? Any info would help a lot. The sooner I get out of NY and into PA, the better.

[Wells5]

NEPA is not a hotbed for IT, but there are always companies around who are hiring for positions in IT, software and systems. Check out the "PA Job Gateway," an online job search tool of the state employment service, now called PA Career Link.

If you have an extensive IT resume, my best advice is to head out to the "silicon valley" where IT jobs are going begging.

[Cpt.Trips]

Scranton is in a financial downslide to be polite. Crime is just plain getting worse. Taxes will keep going up with little return to the property owner. And to be honest, "getting out of NY State for various reasons" sounds like your running from something. I don't know or care what your motive is, but moving to the area will only compound your problems. By the way, there is no geographic cure to 99% of anyones problems. Good Luck.

[CarbonCountyLiving]

Originally Posted by Guybrush3pwood

For various reasons, I need to get out of NY state. I'd like to stay near my family though, so I'm thinking of moving to the Scranton/Lackawanna County sections of the state. Of course, this all will hinge on my ability to get a job in the IT sector. Anyone know how the outlook on that is currently? What's real estate like? What can I expect? Property taxes? Any info would help a lot. The sooner I get out of NY and into PA, the better.

If you are looking to stay in PA, the IT sector is big in southeast PA near the Philly area. Problem is, the taxes are pretty high there, too.

[DavidWebb]

Originally Posted by Guybrush3pwood

For various reasons, I need to get out of NY state. I'd like to stay near my family though, so I'm thinking of moving to the Scranton/Lackawanna County sections of the state. Of course, this all will hinge on my ability to get a job in the IT sector. Anyone know how the outlook on that is currently? What's real estate like? What can I expect? Property taxes? Any info would help a lot. The sooner I get out of NY and into PA, the better.

Forget about finding any job in I/T that pays what your probably getting paid in the city...I work in I/T and have to commute to NJ where I lived before moving out here...and I've been coming out here since '96 and moved out here permanently in '07...the only major employer, for example, is in Swiftwater in the Poconos and that's Aventis Pasteur...makers of the flu vaccine...and their I/T department is outsourced so good luck with that...they wanted to hire me when I was job hunting and desperate back in 2006 but fortunately at the same time the company where I currently work also called me for a permanent full-time position...well that was a no-brainer since I knew that with outsourcing companies the future is not too bright...you can be with them for a year or two and then out the door...if you really need to get out of NY as quick as you say you do then I would look in Westchester or Sullivan counties...at least there you can take the Metro-North into the city...don't believe any stories you may hear of trains going to the city from Scranton or anywhere in NE PA because it ain't gonna happen, as they say...they've been saying that for more than 20-30 years...good luck!!

[Guybrush3pwood]

Originally Posted by Cpt.Trips

Scranton is in a financial downslide to be polite. Crime is just plain getting worse. Taxes will keep going up with little return to the property owner. And to be honest, "getting out of NY State for various reasons" sounds like your running from something. I don't know or care what your motive is, but moving to the area will only compound your problems. By the way, there is no geographic cure to 99% of anyones problems. Good Luck.

The only thing I'm running from is a tyrannical state government and ridiculous taxes. Hopefully those types of problems don't follow.

Originally Posted by DavidWebb

Forget about finding any job in I/T that pays what your probably getting paid in the city...I work in I/T and have to commute to NJ where I lived before moving out here...and I've been coming out here since '96 and moved out here permanently in '07...the only major employer, for example, is in Swiftwater in the Poconos and that's Aventis Pasteur...makers of the flu vaccine...and their I/T department is outsourced so good luck with that...they wanted to hire me when I was job hunting and desperate back in 2006 but fortunately at the same time the company where I currently work also called me for a permanent full-time position...well that was a no-brainer since I knew that with outsourcing companies the future is not too bright...you can be with them for a year or two and then out the door...if you really need to get out of NY as quick as you say you do then I would look in Westchester or Sullivan counties...at least there you can take the Metro-North into the city...don't believe any stories you may hear of trains going to the city from Scranton or anywhere in NE PA because it ain't gonna happen, as they say...they've been saying that for more than 20-30 years...good luck!!

I'm from upstate (Syracuse) so I don't need to make a killing.

I don't need to get out quick, in fact, with the wife pregnant, I have a little time, but the sooner the better! I've had it with this place.

[mathjak107]

when we looked into relocating full time to nepa the finances were really not to scale.

being in a technical field i found the pay less than 1/2 of my new york pay but we figured out we could make do with about 20% less income in nepa. that wouldn't work.

all the big expenses were very close in cost.

medical insurance, college , a car, food was a little cheaper ,repairs on things were close, clothes were close.

even our housing costs were close because a two bedroom co-op in ny had to be sold for a 3 bedroom house in nepa.

none of the kids stay with is when they visit in ny since they are local. everyone was staying with us when they came to pa.

the costs were about the same you just got a whole house in pa vs an apartment but from a cash flow standpoint they worked out about the same.

usually cheaper cost of living follows cheaper pay and the two are not always proportional.

[Guybrush3pwood]

I'm assuming it's comparable to syracuse, but with much lower taxes.

[mathjak107]

many other aspects to look at. like i said giving up things like public transportation if needed are big issues.

paying for garbage collection and snow removal are other expenses in nepa we didn't pay in the city.

pa has an inheritance tax.

where you will work in nepa may have other taxes associated with it.

work outside of pa and you may find you are payng other states tax rates.

work in scanton and i think they have a local tax.

[Cpt.Trips]

Thank you for your clarification. Now, bottom line, Scranton will be a mistake. Period. Again, best of luck to you.