Safe, inexpensive quiet place for a single to heal? (New York: relocating, real estate)

[Tapshoe]

I'm 58, female, entirely alone with my dogs. I am a former CEO and a massive white collar crime victim. All of my assets were stolen. I am surviving on Social Security Disability. I am living in my NJ condo that I have sold and the closing will be on October 29th. I want to heal in a newer (so as not to take on repairs) 2000+ square foot home with some charm and a minimum of one acre so as to avoid dog-hating neighbors. I envision it smelling of home made soup as I surround myself with fleece and flannel and do some writing. My needs are simple: a good supermarket, competent veterinarian and decent library. I have looked carefully at Pennsylvania but it appears to be too expensive and taxes are very high. North Carolina is appealing but, too, seems to be more costly than practical in my circumstances. Areas surrounding Greenville South Carolina offer me everything I need but I would be giving up my entire support system in the east. It would be just wonderful to purchase in New York State for not more than $200k. I very much wish to avoid HOAs. Can anyone suggest the best places for me to consider? I like winters, am friendly and get along with most folks everywhere. I want to avoid splits, bi-levels, lack of privacy, any area where I risk a neighbor hating my dogs. I need some degree of charm in the house... not the wood paneled, popcorn ceiling type but more the granite kitchen, open layouts are appealing. Thank you much for any and all info that may accurately guide me....

[ckhthankgod]

I'm glad you asked, I was thinking maybe Onondaga Hill where I grew up. Big yards, nice quiet neighborhoods, friendly neighbors, close to the city and to shopping in other Western suburbs and you can get a good sized house in that price range. Camillus/Fairmount, Westvale, pretty much all of the Northern suburban neighborhoods(Liverpool, North Syracuse, Clay, Cicero, Baldwinsville....), the Fremont and Franklin Park areas of East Syracuse, parts of the Jamesville/DeWitt area and even the Meadowbrook/Bradford Hills area of the East side of Syracuse. Housing is pretty much affordable here in the Syracuse area. Here's some examples:Real Estate Listings and Single Family Home for Sale - Realtor.com

[Wild Eagle]

TAPSHOE

I saw your Greenville posting as well and want to share some thoughts with you. I have lived in Greenville for the last 6 years. I would 100% recommend Upstate New York before Greenville. There is not a change of seasons in G'Ville. We have had 6 years of extreme heat and drought. "Winter is usually a couple of ice storms and zero snow. The crime is very much a problem. I live in an upscale neighborhood on the border of G'Ville/Simpsonville area. The HOA has sent out three memos so far in 2008 due to robbery issues and vandelism. If you go to the crime stats and put in 29615 or 29681 the crime rates are 3x worse than most of the small town areas of Upstate NY. I would give anything to return to the Upstate area. My inlaws and parents both moved to Greenville after we did and have since moved back to the upstate area. Many threads show that the draw of the south oftens turns into a disappointment. I do believe a person can find happiness by blooming where they are planted but the culture here makes it very difficult to achieve.

[Honeycrisp]

Very interesting, WE, this thread caught my eye too. From what I've read about HOA's, we'd probably try to steer clear of them but many newer homes come with them. Unfortunately, taxes are high in PA too although possibly less in W PA. Another thought for Tapshoe might be DE, very low taxes and affordable housing and possibly the Binghamton area although I have no idea about their taxes but lower-cost housing might be offset by higher taxes so it might even out or be slightly better, depending on the #s. Im not overly fond of snow and ice but I'd prefer it to heat and humidity although as we get older, sunny days can be good for aches and ailments etc so it's sort of 6 of 1, half dozen of another. In moving to a totally new location, I think there are advantages to have people w/in reasonable proximity so as not to feel isolated etc. I guess there's pro's and con's everywhere, there's no perfect place.
PS Another thought w/b E TN which is affordable and has a lot of land but would prob. be too far for consideration (support system) which is understandable (flying can be a hassle these days and driving a distance can be tough too, not to mention the price of gas etc).

[Sgoldie]

For healing and emotional repair I'd suggest life on the St Lawrence River. There are tiny communities all the way from Alexandria Bay around the turn at Cape Vincent to Lake Ontario and down to Pulaski with Clayton offering the most sophistication. The places on the lake have beautiful beaches. Not entirely sure if any of these have public libraries. The difficulty will be in finding amenities such as granite without getting into the larger commuities.

Smaller cities such as Geneva, Oswego, Pulaski, Mexico, Canandaigua, Auburn may have what you are looking for in the way of peaceful locales with libraries but more modern housing will be scarce. HOA's are largely unknown in most places upstate.

My pick in the Syracuse area would be LaFayette, large rolling hills with a great panoramic view and close to the city while feeling very rural.

[eyeofthestorm]

Upstate NY is beautiful, especially the Lake George/Adirondack areas. BUT, very expensive in winter with humongous heating bills. Lots of snow, too.

North Carolina is cheaper living, and you can find similar beauty in the Chapel Hill/Raleigh-Durham areas, or towards the ocean (Outer Banks). Not much heating to do, but here comes Hanna so they are buckling down.

[Wild Eagle]

Originally Posted by eyeofthestorm

Upstate NY is beautiful, especially the Lake George/Adirondack areas. BUT, very expensive in winter with humongous heating bills. Lots of snow, too.

North Carolina is cheaper living, and you can find similar beauty in the Chapel Hill/Raleigh-Durham areas, or towards the ocean (Outer Banks). Not much heating to do, but here comes Hanna so they are buckling down.

GOOD MORNING

I would not totally agree with NC being cheaper. My overall budget moving from Canadaigua NY to Greenville SC has gone up about 4% in my monthly spending requirements. It flops between AC here or heating in NY. There is more sun but much more heat and humidity. You are right that Lake George area is beautiful.

[Easybreezy]

While Upstate NY is indeed beautiful, it does also have very high property & school taxes. Some of the highest property taxes in the nation. Fortunately, HOA's are pretty rare around here, especially if you are looking for an acre of land. HOA Upstate tend to be more townhouse/condo/patio home oriented.

I remember your similar thread on the Greenville SC forum. I've considered relocating to that area, but not at present. Are you looking for a more village setting where you can walk to services such as store/vet/library or out more in a rural area? Village living will not provide for an acre of land for the most part. I'm thinking of a couple of different areas, such as the Village of Camillus (has library, good vet), Marcellus area, or even up along Lake Ontario (not necessarily directly on the lake, you'll never get it for under 200k) areas such as Fairhaven, Sodus, Sodus Point, Wolcott.

Good luck on your search...

[Alt Dach]

Originally Posted by ckhthankgod

I'm glad you asked, I was thinking maybe Onondaga Hill where I grew up. Big yards, nice quiet neighborhoods, friendly neighbors, close to the city and to shopping in other Western suburbs and you can get a good sized house in that price range. Camillus/Fairmount, Westvale, pretty much all of the Northern suburban neighborhoods(Liverpool, North Syracuse, Clay, Cicero, Baldwinsville....), the Fremont and Franklin Park areas of East Syracuse, parts of the Jamesville/DeWitt area and even the Meadowbrook/Bradford Hills area of the East side of Syracuse. Housing is pretty much affordable here in the Syracuse area. Here's some examples:Real Estate Listings and Single Family Home for Sale - Realtor.com

Sounds like good advice to me, the hilly area between SYR and Cortland is also VERY beautiful. Heal my soul,anyway.