Tega Cay or Fort Mill? (Lancaster, York: property taxes, hoa, work)

[crippus]

We have been looking in all the normal places for a custom or custom style home in the 600 to 750k range(Weddington/Waxhaw).....are Tega Cay and Fort Mill good alternatives, and not a long commute to 485 and SOuth Blvd?
Thanks
Craig

[IndianLand_Carolinas]

These two cities are good alternatives to look into, they are both very close
to I-77 which will take you to 485. I personally live closer to 485, however I drive towards Fort Mill/Tega Cay to catch 77 when ever I have to drive into Charlotte, It is much faster for me than hitting 485 from 521.

[lovethecarolinas]

Originally Posted by crippus

We have been looking in all the normal places for a custom or custom style home in the 600 to 750k range(Weddington/Waxhaw).....are Tega Cay and Fort Mill good alternatives, and not a long commute to 485 and SOuth Blvd?
Thanks
Craig

Yes Craig, Tega Cay and/or Fort Mill would be very good alternatives (course the more you stay to the north side of town the easier your commute).

In your price range you can pretty much purchase whatever you want in Tega Cay (including waterfront).

In Fort Mill a couple of examples would be Eppington South or Springfield.

If you'd like more information on the area..there are many more folks that would be willing to help you over on the South Carolina forum (under York and Lancaster County).....or feel free to send me a PM as well

[dunroven55]

Both are great alternatives for you however, it is my understanding that taxes in the city of Tega Cay are rather high. Also, SC taxes other than the city of Tega Cay are much better than NC. The schools in York County are some of the best around.

If you would like to stay in Charlotte you might consider the Lake Wylie area
NC or SC. Palisades and Riverpointe offer nice homes in your price range and still very close to I-77 and 485.

Good Luck

[crippus]

but have not heard of Riverpointe---thanks!

[Parker Parker]

Well, if you like the river than Lake Wylie. If you like the country, try looking off Doby Bridge Road in Fort Mill. York County school and taxes are better than Mecklenburg. Indian Land is a growing area now and close to 485. Depending on what direction you are heading, would be the question if you want to be close to 485. If you are working in Charlotte, 77 is a better compute than having to get on 485. I say this because a small part of 485 is not yet widened to 8 lanes and being that they will eventually do this, you will have to deal with traffic even worse.

[lovethecarolinas]

Originally Posted by dunroven55

Both are great alternatives for you however, it is my understanding that taxes in the city of Tega Cay are rather high. Also, SC taxes other than the city of Tega Cay are much better than NC. The schools in York County are some of the best around.

If you would like to stay in Charlotte you might consider the Lake Wylie area
NC or SC. Palisades and Riverpointe offer nice homes in your price range and still very close to I-77 and 485.

Good Luck

South Carolina property taxes were decreased as of last year, which was evident in our last property taxes bills.

Out of the 3 locations I mention above (City of Tega Cay, Town of Fort Mill, and the Fort Mill Township) the property taxes are as follows:

City of Tega Cay are the highest (keep in mind we are a city with many ammenities. A few examples are the police department, sanitation/recycle service, park & rec department, horticultrist, etc.)

Town of Fort Mill are next (again you are paying for town services...such as police dept, etc.)

Fort Mill Township will be the lowest of the 3. The main reason property taxes are lower is that the township is an unincorporated portion of land that has not been annexed into any adjoining town or city. The area is in fact controlled by York County...so such services as patrol coverage is handled by York County Sheriffs Department (I will stress this point...that they handle....ALL of York County). Also you as the property owner will be responsible (out of pocket) for such service as sanitation, etc. (unless covered by an HOA).

So yes, taxes in Tega Cay are higher in some of the other areas within York County...but there is a reason...and I can also tell you that Tega Cay property taxes are Not higher than Charlotte, NC.


http://www.yorkcountygov.com/assessor/MILLAGECHART2007.pdf (broken link)


Riverpointe and The Palisades are very nice homes. They area located in North Carolina (Meck County/Charlotte area)...this area is referred to as Steele Creek and falls under the Charlotte/Meck School District.

[lovethecarolinas]

Originally Posted by crippus

We have been looking in all the normal places for a custom or custom style home in the 600 to 750k range(Weddington/Waxhaw).....are Tega Cay and Fort Mill good alternatives, and not a long commute to 485 and SOuth Blvd?
Thanks
Craig

Heck, if you're interested in more than the Fort Mill area, or Tega Cay on the SC side and don't mind a little longer commute...I'd suggest checking out Clover/Lake Wylie, SC too (very good schools..and more bang for your buck housewise).

[PA Family]

Depending where you are moving from higher taxes is relative. We moved to Tega Cay from the Philly area and our taxes may be a bit higher then Fort Mill but they are still extremely low in comparison to what we used to pay and what our friends pay in other states up north. I have a friend who lives in Eppington South and loves it, the new homes in the back have large yards with lots of trees, very pretty neighborhood with beautiful houses.

[wings396]

Since we are on the topic of Taxes, can anyone give me a ballpark idea of what they are in the areas listed above. I realize that they vary depending on the size of your home as well as the amount of property that you have. Lets use a 4 bedroom home in the 2500-3000 s/f range on a 1 acre lot as an example. What may be considered high taxes for this area, may still be very reasonable to someone else coming in from out of state. I have many friends living in various parts of NJ paying anywhere from $7-$12K a year for taxes, and we are not talking about extremly large houses here either.