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.
I agree and somehow it seems unethical to me to buy a new car, pay sales tax on it when you buy it and then continue to pay personal property tax on that same vehicle every year.
The most you pay for a brand new car for tax is $300. The fee is every 2 years. Quite fair compared to what sales tax in FL is on a brand new car.
I have never - in my entire life - been as uncomfortable as during a June visit to Hilton Head.
Both SC and Florida are likely to have 4-5 months where no normal human being can be outside working in any way (or exercising).
Like any other area, it depends where you are within the state. I've lived in South Carolina, just below Charlotte NC. Middle of June thru middle of September were hot during the day, but just did my yard work in the morning or the evening. Other months of the year were not too bad.
Bit longer heat here in Central Florida. First of June to last of September are hot and humid. But once again, I just do anything outside in the morning or evening. When I lived over on the coast, even better as there was usually a bit of a sea breeze.
The only part of Florida that has sinkholes is south central: Brooksville and those area. I have lived in SW Florida on and off for 50 years and we have no sinkholes here. I don't believe Orlando or northern Florida does either.
ALL of Florida has sinkholes because the bedrock under the state is Karst. Karst is a form of rock made from the dissolution of soluble rocks such as limestone, dolomite, and gypsum. It is characterized by underground drainage systems with sinkholes, underground rivers, and caves. Sometimes they cave in, especially when the water table drops, or that same water washes away dissolved bedrock.
Most of those beautiful lakes in Florida are sinkholes that fill with water over time. If you look at a large map of Florida and see towns around multiple lakes- especially in central Florida- those lakes are from sinkholes. You'll also notices that most lakes in Florida are very round- like a hole. In the 70's there was a giant sinkhole in Winter Park- near Orlando (That swallowed several blocks, houses and cars) that is now a lake, and more recently one swallowed a house (and a man sleeping in bed- whose body was never found) in Seffner (around the Tampa/ Clearwater area).
Most sinkholes are on the gulf side and center of the state, fewer in northern Fl and the East coast but they are everywhere. There are maps online to show you where they are. Many towns and cities have maps at the building department that are public record so you can see where the local "known" sinkholes are.
Now saying that, I would not, NOT move to Florida because of them, or because of hurricanes. No place is perfect. You need to weigh the pros and cons, for what YOU can live with.
Everyone I know who is a senior and owns a home pays very little in property taxes especially when you consider the Northeast. We have Homestead Exemption here and I believe there is also senior exemptions. My mother was paying $4K a year in 1972 for a house on Long Island. She is paying less than a $1K a year for a 3 BR, 2 1/2 bath with a pool in Cape Coral, FL.
We will be retiring to Florida from NY, when and if, we can sell our house. This house costs us $22,000 a year to support. Our mortgage is over $13K, our HO ins is $1400, and our taxes with 2 exemptions, is over $7,500!! And this is upstate NY, not even near NYC or Long Island.
So, anything that Fl can throw us is gravy. More than likely we will downsize to 1 car, and our house will be tiny and cheap. We don't need anything more than that. I'd rather send my "golden years" out and about and doing things. I only need a place to sleep and hang my hat.
BTW- when my ex-husband moved from Long Island NY a few years ago- his property taxes were
$15, 000 per year (he's now near Myrtle Bch), my sister in law was paying almost $20,000 per year(she's still on LI but downsized to a condo and now pays $9,000).
My own state is also karst topography, so I'm familiar with it. Florida is the worst, however. But still... We've all gotta go sometime!
True. A few years back, there was a sinkhole in Bowling Green, Kentucky, that ate some very expensive Corvettes in a museum there.
Some states have floods, some mud slides, some tornadoes, earthquakes, volcanoes, and others have wildfires, all as a matter of course. Mother nature will do whatever she wants. Some states can have multiple of these. Even in the northeast, we have ice storms that take down trees and power lines, and heavy wet snow that takes down roofs and buildings. It's all a matter of what you can live with.
I agree and somehow it seems unethical to me to buy a new car, pay sales tax on it when you buy it and then continue to pay personal property tax on that same vehicle every year.
In SC's defense, when you buy a car, the sales tax is capped at $300. So if you buy a brand new car, you're saving quite a bundle. The personal property tax helps fund the roads. People want cheap taxes and new roads, but you can't have it both ways. Things cost money to repair and maintain.
Well, I retired to Port Orange and couldn't be happier. Traffic isn't bad except when school lets out, takes us about 10-15 mins to drive to the beach from the otherside of 95 be it Daytona Shores or New Smyrna. Weather last year, our first summer here, was actually cooler than in South Carolina. Never hit 100 which South Carolina did for over a week and we get the ocean breezes which we didn't get in South Carolina being 3 1/2 hours from the water. We did experience the hurricane (Matthew) and had little damage. Roofs were covered by the homeowners association and we just had it replaced. Our insurance covers just the inside so it is just about the same as in South Carolina. Cars were expensive to register at the beginning but each year (or two if you choose that way) after you only pay a sticker fee and you can transfer your plate to a new car without having to go through paying the original plate fees. Both coasts have amazing beaches but the west coast has much more traffic. No income tax but property taxes are higher than South Carolina. However, weather here this winter has been nice. A day or two here and there I would call winter (need a coat) and then it would be shorts again. As I said, I love it here. If you are unsure look for a rental for the winter before deciding.
Some states have floods, some mud slides, some tornadoes, earthquakes, volcanoes, and others have wildfires, all as a matter of course. Mother nature will do whatever she wants. Some states can have multiple of these. Even in the northeast, we have ice storms that take down trees and power lines, and heavy wet snow that takes down roofs and buildings. It's all a matter of what you can live with.
You've got that right; it's always something. People ask us if we are worried about tornadoes with our move to Tennessee. Actually the historical averages are a hair higher in Central Florida than where we are moving to in Tennessee. The bonus is that I have ridden through my last hurricane. Over my lifetime I have been in three direct hits and three sideswipes. This June first when the news talks about the beginning of the Atlantic Hurricane Season, I'l be very happy for it to not be an issue for me. I'll trade the occasional ice storm for that.
South Carolina is getting too crowded in the past few years.
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.
