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We are a family of 5 with 3 young children (2 daughters, age 5 and 3, and a 6 month old boy). We will be relocating from NYC metro area (Westchester county) to Rochester this summer. After some research, we have narrowed down to the P-towns, Brighton and Webster, but Pittsford is our favorite at the moment. I have a bunch of quick questions for the nice folks of this board:
(1) Any recommendation for a decent realtor?
(2) How about a decent mortgage banker?
(3) I notice homes in the part of Pittsford north of the canal tend to be older and cheaper, is that area not so good?
(4) For the nature lovers, are there good books, maps, reference guides, etc about hiking, biking and kayaking in the Rochester area? I am particularly interested in good trail maps. What are some good destinations for some serious hikes, ideally no more than 1.5 hours away?
(5) I know property tax is kind of high in the area, but assuming a 2000 sq. ft. home in Pittsford, valued at around $300, how much would other costs like utilities, insurance, HOA fee and snow/garbage removal fees be? I assume with the cold winter, heating costs will be high in the winter.
(6) How do people generally clear their drive way in the winter, hire snow removal professionals or DIY?
(7) Any good daycare for infants? What would the cost be?
For a $300k house in Pittsford, you will be paying more than $12,000 a year for property taxes. In less than 30 years, the property taxes you have paid will buy you another house but you can't get the tax back. Can you? For a million dollar home in Manhattan, we are paying a little more than $10,000 in property tax but we are paying over $40,000 in Pittsford. It takes a long time to go to major cities like Toronto, Boston, NYC,...etc so it is very isolated and boring. You will need to hire people to plow your driveway which could cost you a lot of money. It would be smarter if you rent first to see if Upstate NY is for you. There will be a huge culture shock and the weather is really miserable (not only cold in the winter but also cloudy most of the time).
For a $300k house in Pittsford, you will be paying more than $12,000 a year for property taxes. In less than 30 years, the property taxes you have paid will buy you another house but you can't get the tax back. Can you? For a million dollar home in Manhattan, we are paying a little more than $10,000 in property tax but we are paying over $40,000 in Pittsford. It takes a long time to go to major cities like Toronto, Boston, NYC,...etc so it is very isolated and boring. You will need to hire people to plow your driveway which could cost you a lot of money. It would be smarter if you rent first to see if Upstate NY is for you. There will be a huge culture shock and the weather is really miserable (not only cold in the winter but also cloudy most of the time).
Thanks for your response. I agree with your cautionary note on weather and being far from major cities. However, I don't think the comparison of COL is valid. You can't get any home that will comfortably fit a family of 5 in Manhattan for $1M, and the school is **** unless kids go to gifted programs or private schools. You will also likely have to pay a condo/management fee for such home in Manhattan, which may run $500-1000/month. NYC also has a 3-4% city income tax, that will be another 10k on top of everything else. A better argument in favor of NYC is home price may appreciate more than Roc, so you get your money back (with profits) when you eventually sell. I have considered this, and decided I just want a place to live and don't want to profit on my home.
As for property tax, I feel even though Pittsford's tax is high, what we are paying in Westchester is easily double that. The schools in Pittsford are as good as in our town here so we feel Pittsford etc is a good value. That being said, I do agree with you that COL in Roc area is deceptively low, there are certain hidden costs not apparent at first glance. Renting for a while may be a good idea, I will think about that.
I am also most interested in your "mistake". Can you elaborate on that?
Having lived in Westchester and surrounding area I feel I can chime in here. You currently live in a very affluent area and are not a stranger to NY taxes. Home prices in Roc tend to be quite attractive especially coming from Westchester. You will find Brighton, Pittsford and Perinton most like villages I've been around down your way. Brighton is the most "city like" of the 3 but OUTSTANDING school district. No downtown walkable village feel to it tho but plenty of great shopping. Pittsford is akin to Bedford, etc. again, GREAT schools and wonderful village area. Don't underestimate the value of having easy canal access as you will love it with your children. Great for running, strollers, biking, walking. Fairport (the village within the town of Perinton) is another great option. Again, the canal runs rt thru the village. The beauty of the villages is that they are the center of the community. Perinton was cited for being "Trail Town USA". You will have no problem, esp in Pittsford and Perinton finding trails. Don't discount Victor. Hugely popular as their tax rate is only 3%. My son is building there and ironically enough his future in laws just bought a place there today! $1.6 million, taxes of $37k a yr. the same home in Katonah, Bedford, Pound Ridge, etc....probably double in price and taxes! Victor has an older village area, but home building like crazy. And highly rated schools. If I were a betting woman...you'll love Pittsford, very Westchester feel to it! Good luck. You'll love Rochester. I just relocated to Michigan and I'm dying here!
Thanks for your responses. I am considering Brighton as well, but kind of prefer the more suburban setting of Pittsford/Penfield, etc. Pittsford seems to have better schools, whereas Brighton's schools, although also excellent, seem to be going downhill. At a place like Roc where the local econ isn't very strong, I am concerned about Brighton's future if its schools continue to slide. Victor looks like a cool place, I like its proximity to the finger lakes, but the commute to work (Strong Memorial) may be too long. This is, of course, all based on my research on paper, I may get a very difference feel when I visit in earnest. I plan to check out each location during the day and at night both during the week and on a weekend. Is it still gray and cold up there? I want to get a feel of the Rochester winter. Although, my family being from Minnesota, I doubt the winter will be a huge problem, I just won't like it as much as summer.
Penfield is lovely, however, not much of a village per se. Nor does it have access to the canal. Webster, honestly, I would avoid. Sprawling and getting very commercial. I'm surprised to hear that about Brighton schools. Brighton is very popular w the Dr's and academia etc from Strong /U of R due to location. Commuting anywhere in the Roc is not much of an issue. Trust me. You really can get almost anywhere in 15-20 minutes. If you're from MN, you can surely handle Roc.
During your visit to the area be sure to take your children to The National Museum of Play. They will love it. You will have a wonderful quality of life upstate. Best of luck!
Thanks for your responses. I am considering Brighton as well, but kind of prefer the more suburban setting of Pittsford/Penfield, etc. Pittsford seems to have better schools, whereas Brighton's schools, although also excellent, seem to be going downhill. At a place like Roc where the local econ isn't very strong, I am concerned about Brighton's future if its schools continue to slide. Victor looks like a cool place, I like its proximity to the finger lakes, but the commute to work (Strong Memorial) may be too long. This is, of course, all based on my research on paper, I may get a very difference feel when I visit in earnest. I plan to check out each location during the day and at night both during the week and on a weekend. Is it still gray and cold up there? I want to get a feel of the Rochester winter. Although, my family being from Minnesota, I doubt the winter will be a huge problem, I just won't like it as much as summer.
Brighton's schools are going downhill? I'm not trying to argue, but that is the first time I've ever heard that the schools are going "downhill" in Brighton.
Brighton's schools are going downhill? I'm not trying to argue, but that is the first time I've ever heard that the schools are going "downhill" in Brighton.
No problem at all. I appreciate your correction of my misconceptions. I may have read it somewhere or heard from certain people. I understand the city of Rochester has some issues, any danger of these issues spilling over into Brighton due to proximity? That's probably my real concern, but Brighton and Pittsford are my two top choices at the moment, look forward to visiting next week.
Brighton does abut the city, but does so at a very decent place so that should not be a concern. Not sure of your religion but if you are Jewish, Brighton has a very large Jewish population (again thanks to Strong/U of R) and the schools acknowledge the faith and are closed on appropriate days. Both your choices are excellent but I'm still hedging my bets on you liking Pittsford due to it's more Westchester like village feel. Please let us know how you like the area! Be sure to check out Schoen Place in Pittsford, rt on the canal. And if you need a realtor, there is a great realtor rt in the village of Pittsford, Rick Leasure, Realty USA. Great guy. Successful realtor.
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