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For the thousands of college students that come here for school and then leave, I am sure it plays a role. For me, it is the main reason for leaving. I admit that growing up in Southern California spoiled me and now any type of weather event is a pain. Yes, I know that it is a necessary evil, but I know life without it and look to enjoy life without it in the future.
I think for the college students, it may be a matter of being from bigger areas and having connections or studying in majors where there are more opportunities in the areas they come from. Many come from the areas in the Bos-Wash corridor. So, going home for them is going back to an area of high demand.
As for "working" folks, it may be a matter of individual options/situations. I know of people where their taxes have actually gone down due to age and other exemptions or their home is paid off.
With all of this said, I get why weather is or can be a factor for some people. What Kirsten mentioned in the article about jobs I think is the major point, especially given what has happened with manufacturing jobs up here.
Last edited by ckhthankgod; 04-05-2014 at 01:04 PM..
My home will be paid off long before I retire. But the taxes go up every year. Just since I bought it the taxes have gone up to the point my taxes are as much as the whole payment was. By the time I retire the taxes will be unpayable on a fixed income. If I loved NY like nothing else there still won't be enough money to pay the taxes.
While some small relief is possible on school taxes I have never heard of anyone getting property tax relief. At best all STAR does is shift school taxes over to income tax.
And that doesn't get into the cost of heating. Heating a place is many times more expensive then cooling one. Plus with AC you have the option to not use it. People lived in the South without AC for a long time but nobody has ever lived in NY without heat.
In real numbers for us living in NY after retirement will be impossible. When you have a set number of dollars coming in you have to make them work. And the scariest part is with how fast taxes go up in NY we are losing ground every day we stay.
My home will be paid off long before I retire. But the taxes go up every year. Just since I bought it the taxes have gone up to the point my taxes are as much as the whole payment was. By the time I retire the taxes will be unpayable on a fixed income. If I loved NY like nothing else there still won't be enough money to pay the taxes.
While some small relief is possible on school taxes I have never heard of anyone getting property tax relief. At best all STAR does is shift school taxes over to income tax.
And that doesn't get into the cost of heating. Heating a place is many times more expensive then cooling one. Plus with AC you have the option to not use it. People lived in the South without AC for a long time but nobody has ever lived in NY without heat.
In real numbers for us living in NY after retirement will be impossible. When you have a set number of dollars coming in you have to make them work. And the scariest part is with how fast taxes go up in NY we are losing ground every day we stay.
You should get enhanced STAR and/or a Senior Citizens exemption at 65 actually, but some people have other exemptions that have been there all along. My father, who is a Vietnam Vet, has had a Veteran's exemption and got enhanced STAR once he turned 65. They just paid off their home in 2011 and he retired a little over a year ago. This is on top of sending 6 of 7 children to college and graduating. My parents worked at factories and dad was a part time barber for about 20 years. So, I'm taking this from a personal, real life experience and people still make it happen up here. I'm just mentioning this before someone chimes in with something crazy.
As for the South, I would ask about my parent's experience growing up in the rural South in the late 1940's to the early-mid 1960's, but those that didn't use anything when it would get hot, probably didn't have much to begin with. I'm sure something was used whether it were fans, coolers, etc. I believe that rates in FL are currently just above the national average too. EIA - Electricity Data
I'm not sure if there is any variation there though.
Last edited by ckhthankgod; 04-05-2014 at 03:29 PM..
Sound like he may have had an old time union pension. And a well earned veterans discount. Thank him for me. Couple empty place settings at my holiday table from that awful war.
Don't assume only the poor don't use AC. When my grandma died a couple years ago at 103 she had no AC and she was VERY well off.
Speaking for myself I would have AC but lightly used. As I age it takes more and more to get me "hot". My dad likes his comforts and has central air. One month of NY heating would pay for his entire summer.
I know of some elderly that have paid off their house and once they hit a certain age, they use a reverse mortgage to pay the yearly taxes. You can't take it with you, so why not?
Sound like he may have had an old time union pension. And a well earned veterans discount. Thank him for me. Couple empty place settings at my holiday table from that awful war.
Don't assume only the poor don't use AC. When my grandma died a couple years ago at 103 she had no AC and she was VERY well off.
Speaking for myself I would have AC but lightly used. As I age it takes more and more to get me "hot". My dad likes his comforts and has central air. One month of NY heating would pay for his entire summer.
I should ask him what type of pension it is and he did get a Purple Heart. So, there may be a war time disability pay aspect involved. Mom got some legitimately from getting her left hand caught in a machine and had supposedly 100 stitches from that injury.
As for the AC/Heat, I think it is a delicate balancing act, as some adjust or minimize usage of each. Some may turn the heat down when no one is home or have a budget plan. If you are in the Solvay area and I believe the village of Skaneateles, you get it through a vendor by way of NYPA, but you may feel it in terms of property taxes a little bit. Yes, some just don't use AC and just use fans or open the windows. That's why I generally do, if/when it gets hot enough.
Sound like he may have had an old time union pension. And a well earned veterans discount. Thank him for me. Couple empty place settings at my holiday table from that awful war.
Don't assume only the poor don't use AC. When my grandma died a couple years ago at 103 she had no AC and she was VERY well off.
Speaking for myself I would have AC but lightly used. As I age it takes more and more to get me "hot". My dad likes his comforts and has central air. One month of NY heating would pay for his entire summer.
I should ask him what type of pension it is and he did get a Purple Heart. So, there may be a war time disability pay aspect involved. Mom got some legitimately from getting her left hand caught in a machine and had supposedly 100 stitches from that injury.
As for the AC/Heat, I think it is a delicate balancing act, as some adjust or minimize usage of each. Some may turn the heat down when no one is home or have a budget plan. If you are in the Solvay area and I believe the village of Skaneateles, you get it through a vendor by way of NYPA, but you may feel it in terms of property taxes a little bit. Yes, some just don't use AC and just use fans or open the windows. That's why I generally do, if/when it gets hot enough. I only use a window unit if it is consistent enough.
I cannot of coarse speak for your Father but my wife's Father was also a vet with a PH and he received a large discount on taxes.
So while those numbers maybe vaild they apply to a rather small number. And as we have not had a large scale war in a generation the number who get those discount will continue to drop.
I cannot of coarse speak for your Father but my wife's Father was also a vet with a PH and he received a large discount on taxes.
So while those numbers maybe vaild they apply to a rather small number. And as we have not had a large scale war in a generation the number who get those discount will continue to drop.
You don't have to have all of those things to get a discount. As I mentioned, there are Senior citizens and/or enhanced STAR exemptions as well. I say this because a lot of people may not know what they qualify or are entitled to.
That is also why I stated that it will depend on one's situation/options.
$667 a month in taxes alone. But don't forget, there's the Star exemption and no vehicle fees in NY.
I moved here from one of the faster growing counties in southern Kentucky (Warren County). The property taxes here are astounding.
There are three different tiers of property taxes in Warren County: county, city (Bowling Green), and annex (outside the BG city limits but the city has control over it). Rates are simply based on the following percentages of the property's assessed value, which is the same as its fair cash value:
1) City: $1.301 per $100 of assessed value.
2) Annex: $.965 per $100...
3) County: $.759 per $100...
A $667 monthly tax bill in the city of BG would mean that the property is worth over $600,000.
The vehicle tax in the city is $1.09 per $100 of assessed value.
I'm blown away by the taxes here because I can't see that the average resident of Syracuse is getting anything more for his tax dollar than the average resident of Bowling Green.
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Some perspective
