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I have friends who live in south Carolina and left buffalo after college and absolutely love it. The lies I've been reading about south Carolina I can almost guarantee are from people who have never ever visited. Google tornados hurricanes and you will find they are mostly stationed to a certain area. You just don't buy your house there. Bugs snakes are heavier in certain areas. You just don't buy your house in that area of South Carolina. But a 50 % reduction cut in the cost of living
According to city rating to move from buffalo NY to South Carolina is based on cost of living AND minimum wage. NYS has the highest cost of living in the nation by 15.24% over any other state and yes minimum wage the cost of insurance is all factored in so stop bringing up something all ready factored in.
I was talking about Phoenix in that sentence and my mother is from that area of SC(Mullins in adjacent Marion County). I believe that another poster has also been in that area as well to visit friends that live there.
Also, you have to go by area or even the community level when looking at cost of living, as it varies greatly in NYS. Give or take, the Buffalo area is around the national average in that regard.
We moved to Phoenix last Spring, best thing we ever did, I wish we would have moved
here sooner, Everyday is sunny and warm, you can wear shorts & BBQ everyday. Everything
is new, just about everything is a lot cheaper then Buffalo too. Property taxes here are
$1400/year vs $8,000/year for a 2,000 sqft home, skilled & unskilled jobs pay a lot more then Buffalo.
Also, thousands of new jobs are on there way with new companys building new plants and new office buildings such as General Motors, Apple, Intel, Boeing, American Airlines, Paypal, Ebay, State Farm and Wells Fargo, just to name a few. Also there's ton's of people from Buffalo here, hardly a day goes by
that I don't meet someone from Buffalo, you see tons of people wearing Bills & Sabre's shirts along with Bills & Sabre's stickers on their cars.
How much are your HOA fees? One of the ways that many areas in the southwest and south keep taxes low is by shifting public services to private ones through HOAs.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Ex New Yorker
ckhthankgod:
It is not the same! Since moving to Arizona we save over $17,000 a year in living expenses when compared to Peekskill, N.Y. Our property taxes in Peekskill for an 1100 sq. ft. house were over $10,000 a year. Our taxes for a 2000 sq. ft. house in central Arizona are $1526 a year. Our health insurance went from $900 a month to $300 a month and for a better policy. This does not even take into consideration the cost of utilities. This forum posts what the cost of living indexes are for many communities.
Seriously, get a clue. Peekskill is outside NYC. Buffalo is on the other side of the state. The median home value in Erie County NY is like $125k. Peekskill's is probably 3 or 4 times that.
In Conway South Carolina a home priced at 200,000 is capped at only 600.00 and we all know property taxes in Buffalo is not that cheap. Go to city rating . com and check out buffalo NY VS Conway South Carolina and after you compare the difference in a 50% cost of living cut then check out the entire table chart before bringing up insurance premiums because they all ready calculated that all in. Minimum wage is lower than NY but they already calculated all of that in. Bottom line is if you make 25,000 a year in buffalo ny. You will only need to make 12,000. A year to live the same lifestyle in Conway South Carolina And put the rest in your own pocket. Not govt Sams. Let's see with realitor. Com places I seen mentioned Conway SC has 4 acres a home for sale and home has almost 4000 sq ft for under 200,000 with CAPPED property taxes of Only 600.00 a year. Guaranteed property taxes will not go up. The only time property taxes go up in SC is if you add building's shrubs and then resell it for higher purchase price than the new buyers will pay the new LOW taxes on their increased purchase price. I know some people who will buy acres for 3,000 and pay only 70.00 for taxes a year. Build 100,000.00 home with garages shrubs landscaping YET property taxes STAY at only 70.00 a year.
For as long as they live there. But once they sell the house and property for more than the land purchase of 3,000. That's is when new buyers property taxes go to a cheap 300.00 a year. South Carolina property taxes are One Price for all based on purchase price. It's 300.00 for every 100,000. Home regardless what you add to it later. Unlike NY. Do your homework cause I have college friends who live there and we compare all of the time.
You know all this about taxes in Conway, SC even though you've never lived there? ROTFLMAO.
My friends who moved to South Carolina (Horry County in fact) didn't find that tax situation at all. First of all, there's two different tax rates, one for residents and one for non-residents. Then there's the sales tax which is on almost everything, which is about 9% I think, and has been increased about 3 times since my friends have moved there eight years ago. Then there's home owners insurance, which because most of Horry County is in danger of flooding and hurricanes, runs about $3k a year with a $10k deductible. Then there's HOA fees because the county and/or towns don't put in streets, water lines or sewers, the subdivision developer does -- and the subdivision is private property, so the owners in the subdivision pay for their roads, water lines, sewers, and maintenance of same through their HOA fees.
What surprises me is that you are still living in the Buffalo area. If Conway, SC is so much better, why haven't you left already?
Linda_d:
Seriously, get a clue. If I had a $125k. home in Peekskill I'll bet the property taxes would be comparable to that of Erie County. Sure there's some nice neighborhoods as there are everywhere, but overall Peekskill like Buffalo is a run down dump of a city. Western New York is an industrial wasteland. I've been all over New York State during my lifetime being born and raised there. I've traveled throughout the country several times to 21 different states, in our quest to get out of that God awful state. I just thank God every day that I live in Arizona! Get your head out of the sand. New York State is one of, if not the most heavily taxed state in the nation. More people and businesses have left that state during the past decade than any other state. New York lost two congressional seats because of this. I can attest to the fact that you can have a far better quality of life living elsewhere. You really need to get out more and travel throughout the country to see what life is really like outside of Erie County. Otherwise you really have no idea what you're talking about.
Quote:
New Yorkers are in a leaving state of mind.
New York saw 7.3 million more residents leave the state than moved in from other states over the last 50 years, an alarming new think tank report shows.
"Clearly we've been doing something wrong for a long time," said E.J. McMahon, the co-author of the Empire Center for New York State Policy report.
Some of the losses were offset by the flow of 4.8 million foreign immigrants into New York in the same five-decade period.
If New York State was such a wonderful place to live then why are people leaving in record numbers? Ever wonder why they're running those ridiculous ads "Start Up NY" or the "New, New York? Basically, it's all the fault of the states government and the people who elected them and continue to do so. It once was known as the "Empire State" but is now known as the "Vampire State" because it sucks the economic life blood out of all of those who remain there. I worked for a company that was there for over 50 years that packed up and went to Virginia. Growing up I saw industry after industry leave the Hudson Valley for other locations throughout the country. They were all established businesses that could no longer afford to remain in that terrible state. Now they're begging to get them back, with offers of 10 year tax breaks. Problem is who is going to make up for the loss of tax revenue if the state gives these start up businesses a 10 year tax break? After 10 years those businesses will pack up and leave just as the one that I had worked for did. They too were given a 10 year tax break to get them to stay when they threatened to leave, when that expired they couldn't get out of there fast enough. I'm willing to bet that many of those 4.8 million foreign immigrants that have migrated to New York are in some way dependent on government. When you have a situation of more "takers" than "makers" don't expect anything to change anytime soon.
Last edited by Ex New Yorker; 04-19-2014 at 09:44 AM..
Linda_d:
Seriously, get a clue. If I had a $125k. home in Peekskill I'll bet the property taxes would be comparable to that of Erie County. Sure there's some nice neighborhoods as there are everywhere, but overall Peekskill like Buffalo is a run down dump of a city. Western New York is an industrial wasteland. I've been all over New York State during my lifetime being born and raised there. I've traveled throughout the country several times to 21 different states, in our quest to get out of that God awful state. I just thank God every day that I live in Arizona! Get your head out of the sand. New York State is one of, if not the most heavily taxed state in the nation. More people and businesses have left that state during the past decade than any other state. New York lost two congressional seats because of this. I can attest to the fact that you can have a far better quality of life living elsewhere. You really need to get out more and travel throughout the country to see what life is really like outside of Erie County. Otherwise you really have no idea what you're talking about.
If New York State was such a wonderful place to live then why are people leaving in record numbers? Ever wonder why they're running those ridiculous ads "Start Up NY" or the "New, New York? Basically, it's all the fault of the states government and the people who elected them and continue to do so. It once was known as the "Empire State" but is now known as the "Vampire State" because it sucks the economic life blood out of all of those who remain there. I worked for a company that was there for over 50 years that packed up and went to Virginia. Growing up I saw industry after industry leave the Hudson Valley for other locations throughout the country. They were all established businesses that could no longer afford to remain in that terrible state. Now they're begging to get them back, with offers of 10 year tax breaks. Problem is who is going to make up for the loss of tax revenue if the state gives these start up businesses a 10 year tax break? After 10 years those businesses will pack up and leave just as the one that I had worked for did. They too were given a 10 year tax break to get them to stay when they threatened to leave, when that expired they couldn't get out of there fast enough. I'm willing to bet that many of those 4.8 million foreign immigrants that have migrated to New York are in some way dependent on government. When you have a situation of more "takers" than "makers" don't expect anything to change anytime soon.
ckhthankgod:
Thanks for the information regarding the property taxes. According to that chart the "Taxes as of a % of home value" are 2.5% for Erie County and 1.4% for Westchester County. It would seem to me that you are paying a higher percent of taxes based on the value of that home in Erie County. However you are paying a lower amount if it's based on the percent of your income, Erie County is 4.7% compared to Westchester County at 8%. At any rate, by glancing at the chart it is obvious that those who pay the most in property taxes are those that live in the Northeast. New York and New Jersey in particular. Property taxes in my opinion are the worst form of taxation because it is not based on your income or ability to pay. You can work your ass off for 30 years pay off your mortgage, then retire with half your income and still be forced to pay the same rate of property taxes. In my case it was losing my job due to the relocation of the company I worked for. This does indeed cause many people to move elsewhere. I never did understand why homeowners end up having to pay for a disproportionate amount of taxes for services that everyone uses. They are the ones along with any other property owner who has this additional tax levied upon them. Of course you could argue that in the case of businesses or landlords the consumer or renter ends up paying those taxes through higher costs of the products or rent. Single family homeowners do not have that option. Also a wealthy person that lives in a million dollar home uses no more services than that of someone who lives in a $100,000 home.
ckhthankgod:
Thanks for the information regarding the property taxes. According to that chart the "Taxes as of a % of home value" are 2.5% for Erie County and 1.4% for Westchester County. It would seem to me that you are paying a higher percent of taxes based on the value of that home in Erie County. However you are paying a lower amount if it's based on the percent of your income, Erie County is 4.7% compared to Westchester County at 8%. At any rate, by glancing at the chart it is obvious that those who pay the most in property taxes are those that live in the Northeast. New York and New Jersey in particular. Property taxes in my opinion are the worst form of taxation because it is not based on your income or ability to pay. You can work your ass off for 30 years pay off your mortgage, then retire with half your income and still be forced to pay the same rate of property taxes. In my case it was losing my job due to the relocation of the company I worked for. This does indeed cause many people to move elsewhere. I never did understand why homeowners end up having to pay for a disproportionate amount of taxes for services that everyone uses. They are the ones along with any other property owner who has this additional tax levied upon them. Of course you could argue that in the case of businesses or landlords the consumer or renter ends up paying those taxes through higher costs of the products or rent. Single family homeowners do not have that option. Also a wealthy person that lives in a million dollar home uses no more services than that of someone who lives in a $100,000 home.
Keep in mind that the median home price effects the the tax RATE(key word), as they are much lower in Erie County than Westchester County. So, a 125k home in Westchester County is very rare, while 125k is around the median for Erie County. So, that needs to be considered and using an 125k home in Westchester would be like using a say 30-40k or so home in Erie County. Take a look at the last site on that post for a more realistic idea of the property tax situation. This doesn't even get into individual situations such as exemptions, which will vary by person based on eligibility.
Also, remember to look at the median home price as well.
If you like Denver and want to move/live there, that's your choice. I never said that one place was better than another because that's a personal choice.
What I said was that the West, especially the rapidly growing metros in the Southwest, are outgrowing their available water resources. That's a consideration for people who are relocating to that region thinking that they'll enjoy a certain kind of life-style only to find that that life-style becomes unaffordable or impossible a few years down the road. It's not such a concern in the Front Range metros of Colorado for the immediate future because Colorado has spent the money to build its water infrastructure, but it certainly should be a concern for people thinking to relocate to Las Vegas or Arizona which get much less rainfall than the Front Range metros and where the municipalities depend primarily upon the Colorado River or local aquifiers.
There are several business ventures currently exploring the idea of converting the Pacific ocean into drinkable water, then creating an infrastructure to deliver said water to the hydro-starved states. Problem for Nevada and Utah is, that's very expensive, and you either pay for it or move to somewhere cheaper. If you read Nevada politics/news you will see that this is a major issue for them, and they are shopping for water as we speak.
"Thanks for helping increase our Federal Deficit by living in a state that spends more than it withholds from its residents and billing the rest of the country for your great, cheap life. We in NYS do pay a lot but we pay a lot because of the states who want to live off of the rest of us and not contribute much for their nice life."
Oh sure, New York's astronomical cost of living and taxes are always someone else's fault. Do you ever take responsibility for anything? For your information, being self employed I have an account that is in New York, yet I live in Arizona. I have to pay income taxes to the State of New York. A state that I no longer live in, receive any services from, and can no longer vote there. Ever hear of taxation without representation? As far as living off the rest of us. Do you feel the same about those who make their living by living off the rest of us? Never to pay a dime into the system, but get to decide how our money is spent. This is one of the reasons your beloved State of New York and it's benevolent government is having the problems that it has and why so many of us "Makers" are getting out. Of course you'll never understand that nor will you understand that becoming dependent on government makes you a slave to government. What that very same government can "giveth" that very same government can "taketh". Is this the life you really want? To be a subject or servant to some greedy politicians who are using you for their own personal gain? You can thank Obama for the increase of the Federal Deficit as he panders to those who live off the public trough.
"Keep in mind that the median home price effects the the tax RATE(key word), as they are much lower in Erie County than Westchester County. So, a 125k home in Westchester County is very rare, while 125k is around the median for Erie County. So, that needs to be considered and using an 125k home in Westchester would be like using a say 30-40k or so home in Erie County. Take a look at the last site on that post for a more realistic idea of the property tax situation. This doesn't even get into individual situations such as exemptions, which will vary by person based on eligibility."
Makes sense to me. Here in Arizona I have a $300,000 home that is equivalent to a $750,000 home in a nice section of Westchester County NY. My property taxes are $1526 a year and haven't gone up in the four years that I've been here. I remember when our house was for sale in Peekskill the cheapest home there was about $69,000 at that time. I have no idea what the taxes on that house were. Ours was over $10,000 for an 1100 sq. ft. house in what could be considered a better part of Peekskill. If our home in Peekskill was in Irvington, N.Y. the town where I grew up that same house and property would be close to a million, instead of the $285,000 that we sold it for. Irvington is only 20 miles south of Peekskill, just south of the Tappan Zee Bridge.
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