Moving to Dallas or LA.. (apartment complexes, condos, crime)

[rb4browns]

Originally Posted by motoman

Here is another link from the National Association of Homebuilders, back from 2000 though, so the rates may be dated. I know the home prices are. Click on Metropolitan Areas. It's an Excel file. It shows the property tax rate per $1,000 in Dallas is $16.73, while in LA it is $7.38.

Using your numbers, property tax on a $190k house in Dallas would be $3178.70 annually while property tax on a $500k home in LA would be $3690 annually.

So not only do you pay more in real numbers in property taxes in LA, you get a mortgage well over twice what you would pay in Dallas and you would have to live dozens of miles out in to the suburbs to get something close to $500k that is not in a ghetto area.

Again, another reason why Californians like me live in Dallas.

[ebuch]

I also read that these property taxes help fund the Texas public schools which I have heard most are very good compared to LAs which most are horrible.

[ebuch]

rb4browns, is the traffic in LA and Dallas at all comparable? or is that like comparing day and night?

[rb4browns]

Originally Posted by ebuch

rb4browns, is the traffic in LA and Dallas at all comparable? or is that like comparing day and night?

Not as bad as L.A. but if you rely on a main artery for commuting it can be tough. Rush hour here is usually shorter and unlike LA where the whole city gridlocks rush hour is usually in one direction in the morning and the opposite in the evening.

[getmeoutofhere]

Originally Posted by rb4browns

Using your numbers, property tax on a $190k house in Dallas would be $3178.70 annually while property tax on a $500k home in LA would be $3690 annually.

My house is valued at a little over $180K (fought that one down, thank God), and my tax bill with no homestead exemption is $4600.

That's 2.5%, which is a little high, but not that much higher than the rest of the D/FW area.

[aceplace]

Originally Posted by getmeoutofhere

My house is valued at a little over $180K (fought that one down, thank God), and my tax bill with no homestead exemption is $4600.

That's 2.5%, which is a little high, but not that much higher than the rest of the D/FW area.

So you're paying an excessive property tax relative to other people in the DFW area... I pay $3,660... which guarantees me plenty of municipal services... and that's a reasonable local city and county and school tax payment. Of course I pay $0.0 in state income tax.

[motoman]

Originally Posted by rb4browns

Using your numbers, property tax on a $190k house in Dallas would be $3178.70 annually while property tax on a $500k home in LA would be $3690 annually.

So not only do you pay more in real numbers in property taxes in LA, you get a mortgage well over twice what you would pay in Dallas and you would have to live dozens of miles out in to the suburbs to get something close to $500k that is not in a ghetto area.

Again, another reason why Californians like me live in Dallas.

My numbers? I don't work for the National Association of Homebuilders.


Home prices in LA are dropping like a rock. They'll never be as low as Dallas, but they are still falling. Likewise dollar amount of property taxes is dropping like a rock too.

The median home price in the LA area will probably settle around $300,000 or so, less than twice the level in Dallas. But Dallas property taxes, based on that data I pulled up, is more than twice that in LA. So when things finally settle down LA residence will be paying less in property taxes than those in Dallas.

[motoman]

Originally Posted by getmeoutofhere

My house is valued at a little over $180K (fought that one down, thank God), and my tax bill with no homestead exemption is $4600.

That's 2.5%, which is a little high, but not that much higher than the rest of the D/FW area.

This is spot-on with what I was paying on my house in Dallas when I lived there. It was assessed at $190,000 and I paid very close to that in taxes, with the homestead exemption. I lived in the lower Greenville area, so the City of Dallas.

[cue]

Ok, so I want to give you some info from someone in the LA area who is getting the hell out of dodge to move to Dallas. I have lived over half my life in Los Angeles County in Various areas, and have worked as a real estate appraiser primarly in LA county and parts of Orange and San Diego Counties. With that being said, if you truely want to work in a big city but be able to have a family, Dallas dollar for dollar is the place to be. If you get married and decide to have a family your wife if she wants would not be able to stay home on the 61k income you would make here unless you live in san bernadino or riverside counties(not as desirable) or unless you live in an apartment. Rent here is not just double the price for an average 3/2 home but also half the sqft. Backyards are unheard of here unless your above $600,000 or in the less desirable areas. We do have some good schools but are hit an miss, in one district the elem. may be good but the middle school in junk. There are perks to LA, but not so many that it would out way what you get dollar for dollar in Texas. Plus we have some of the worst traffic next to NY, just tonight I sat on the parking lot we Californian's call the 405 freeway. A normal 80 minute drive from Orange county to the valley took 3 1/2 hours(yuck) and that was with no accidents and this is normal for a tuesday, on fridays you my as well turn your enigne off and have dinner on the side of the road because you don't budge, and don't get me started on the 5 frwy it's even worse and there is no carpool lane. Now if you do decide on LA there are decent areas, but you buty up to crappy areas and you'll expect to pay double or triple per sqft over Dallas.

Best wishes in whatever your decision is.

[ebuch]

Originally Posted by motoman

My numbers? I don't work for the National Association of Homebuilders.


Home prices in LA are dropping like a rock. They'll never be as low as Dallas, but they are still falling. Likewise dollar amount of property taxes is dropping like a rock too.

The median home price in the LA area will probably settle around $300,000 or so, less than twice the level in Dallas. But Dallas property taxes, based on that data I pulled up, is more than twice that in LA. So when things finally settle down LA residence will be paying less in property taxes than those in Dallas.

I don't think those 300k houses in LA are going to like nearly as nice as the 190k houses in TX however. I have been trouble finding decent houses in LA for 500k even.