Pediatrician/Dentist/Out of State Vehicle Registration/etc. (Baton Rouge, Baker: sales, real estate)

[Homoudont]

Hello to all,

I would like to say that I appreciate all of the advice that I have seen in this forum regarding school districts and moving down to the BR and surrounding areas.

I have done a general search, but am still relatively new to this forum, so please forgive me if there is already material in a thread and please link me to the appropriate thread.

It appears that my family may have the opportunity to move down to BR in the coming weeks. I have a few questions.

1) What are, in your opinions, the best pediatricians in the area. I have one child who will be in need of regular medical care of both a general and advanced nature.

2) Who is a good dentist in the area? Do they also do pediatric patients? If not, who would you recommend for pediatric patients? If you don't know a good dentist, who is the best oral surgeon in the area?

3) We are debating on whether to bring down one or two vehicles with us. If I understand correctly, the cost of vehicle registration in the state for out of state vehicles is equated by a % of NADA loan value (neither vehicle is financed so I have to use that value as a basis)? However, the omv website also seems to suggest that there are reciporcating arrangements which would void the state vehicle registration cost (excluding the plate fee of $20 per vehicle), but that we would still be responsible for local vehicle registration fees. I was unsuccessful in determining how much these fees would be should we move into Zachary, Livingston Parish, or Central. Any help on the subject would be greatly appreciated.

4) What are the average motor vehicle insurance rates down in the BR area?

5) Am I correct in finding out that there is a 9.5% combined state and local income tax rate (in Livingston Parish), and that the sales tax rate is 9% on all goods and services? Are there local real estate taxes/school taxes or is this all built into the 9.5% income tax rate? I am trying to determine the after tax income.

Thank you all in advance.

[nwalser]

For a dentist I go to Dr. Kasan Stephens on Sunray off of Sherwood. She is very good, but I am not sure if she sees children.

[roaming1]

The insurance for autos here is insane, I got 1/10 of the coverage for almost double what I have paid in other states. Everyone here told us to not license are cars here, we had no choice with one. Explains all the out of state plates. I heard the home insurance is just as bad. Paying the fee on the car from out of state wasn't much. They take the value of the car and minus the % from the state you moved on the present value of the car. Louisiana Car Registration Guide - Renewals, Changing States, New Vehicle Purchases, Non Operational - DMV Guide Then remember to get the car inspected yearly...another joke!! You might have cracked windshield....look around 1 out of 5 cars are.

[bnoel]

Pediatrician - Amanda Talbot in Zachary...I believe she may do one day a week in Baton Rouge as well, not sure though...

[CajunStamper]

1.) I like Dr. Roger Elofson. I drove from Denham Springs with my children to see him (and he's at least 30 minutes away, no traffic, but I liked him that much).

2.) For a pediatric dentist, Dr. Delarosa. Welcome :: Pediatric Dental Care :: Baton Rouge, Prairieville & Denham Springs, Louisiana I have not used him, but he comes highly recommended. I have gone to Dr. Doug Strickland in Denham Springs since I was a preteen and now my girls see his daughter who is in practice with him. They do adults and pediatrics and we absolutely love them. Oral surgeon: Dr. Vinci Baker. Or is it Baker Vinci? I can never remember which is his first and last name. He's great. He did a very complicated procedure for a tumor in the bone on my husband just a few months ago and we were both very pleased.

3.) Cannot help you on the registration question. But you want to seriously consider whether you really want just one vehicle down here. We currently are a one car family and with three (and sometimes four) people out of the five working out of the home, it can be complicated. I'm the only one who works from home and I am generally left car-less. We live in Denham Springs and I can't walk ANYWHERE because I'm off of a busy highway with no sidewalks. I'm afraid I'd end up in a ditch.

4.) I know everyone talks about La's insurance being so high, but when we lived in NJ for a few years, the rates up there were astronomical. So I guess it could be worse. We've priced them all and Allstate has been the best deal for us.

5.) Sales tax in Livingston Parish is a tricky thing. It will vary from 8% to 9.5% depending on where you live. Denham Springs has the most businesses and their tax rate is 9.5%. I have two small direct sales businesses and I have to ask my customers 20 questions to figure out their tax rate ("Are you inside or outside the city limits? Ward 2 water district? West or east of the railroad track? Okay, not really on the last one. But my ordering programs do ask MULTIPLE questions to determine the tax rates).

Ginger

Originally Posted by Homoudont

Hello to all,

1) What are, in your opinions, the best pediatricians in the area. I have one child who will be in need of regular medical care of both a general and advanced nature.

2) Who is a good dentist in the area? Do they also do pediatric patients? If not, who would you recommend for pediatric patients? If you don't know a good dentist, who is the best oral surgeon in the area?

3) We are debating on whether to bring down one or two vehicles with us. If I understand correctly, the cost of vehicle registration in the state for out of state vehicles is equated by a % of NADA loan value (neither vehicle is financed so I have to use that value as a basis)? However, the omv website also seems to suggest that there are reciporcating arrangements which would void the state vehicle registration cost (excluding the plate fee of $20 per vehicle), but that we would still be responsible for local vehicle registration fees. I was unsuccessful in determining how much these fees would be should we move into Zachary, Livingston Parish, or Central. Any help on the subject would be greatly appreciated.

4) What are the average motor vehicle insurance rates down in the BR area?

5) Am I correct in finding out that there is a 9.5% combined state and local income tax rate (in Livingston Parish), and that the sales tax rate is 9% on all goods and services? Are there local real estate taxes/school taxes or is this all built into the 9.5% income tax rate? I am trying to determine the after tax income.

Thank you all in advance.