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We're young couple with three children ranging from 4 y/o to 2 months, recently moved from California. I work in the Bronx ( I drive and work can be relocated) and hubby works at home so transportation is not an issue.
we're looking for a good, diverse, safe community, good school system, low taxes (around 10K only), and affordable house.
Please give us some advices on where we should move to.
I have done some researches but quite confused due to not being family with NY.
We're young couple with three children ranging from 4 y/o to 2 months, recently moved from California. I work in the Bronx ( I drive and work can be relocated) and hubby works at home so transportation is not an issue.
we're looking for a good, diverse, safe community, good school system, low taxes (around 10K only), and affordable house.
Please give us some advices on where we should move to.
I have done some researches but quite confused due to not being family with NY.
Thanks.
Two things:
First, there is not much you are going to find with 10k taxes in a good school system in Nassau County that is close enough to the Throgs Neck/Whitestone Bridge to make your commute bearable and if you are buying, what you will find is going to be pretty small for a family of 4. I the first place I would start looking is Floral Park, based on your criteria - there are a few houses on the market (based off of a quick MLSLI search) that are in the $500s and have taxes around $10k.
Second, I would definitely recommend renting for a year before you buy. This way you can judge the commute and the areas and see if Nassau Co is really what you want. There are places in Queens with decent school districts (you will pay less in property tax, but you will both pay NYC income tax) and there are probably options closer to the Bronx that fit your bill. I would not recommend rushing into a purchase if you are not familiar with the area. Rent for a year and figure out which communities work best for you.
not much you are going to find with 10k taxes in a good school system in Nassau County
start looking is Floral Park, based on your criteria - there are a few houses on the market (based off of a quick MLSLI search) that are in the $500s and have taxes around $10k.
Second, I would definitely recommend renting for a year before you buy. This way you can judge the commute and the areas and see if Nassau Co is really what you want. There are places in Queens with decent school districts (you will pay less in property tax, but you will both pay NYC income tax) and there are probably options closer to the Bronx that fit your bill. I would not recommend rushing into a purchase if you are not familiar with the area. Rent for a year and figure out which communities work best for you.
Recently moved from California? Bet you still have culture shock..lol...
Agree with TEPLimey- not much in Nassau county as inexpensive. The are sections in Queens and Bronx with low Taxes, your going pay for the lower quality of lifestyle (being cramped, parking hassles, city taxes, high crime rate issues)..
There are many towns in Suffolk county that are in the good category under $10k, you add to the distance for work. People that work in the city that live out on the island. Daily take train into the city. Save money on gas, tolls, parking, wear/tear of their vehicles.
Good recommendation with renting - you can judge before you buy....
There are no low taxes on long island. Thanks to grossly overpaid teachers and cops who consistently get raises no matter how much it hurts the rest of the working class.
Long Island physically includes Nassau and Suffolk along with two boroughs of NYC (Queens and Brooklyn). However, when someone says they live on "Long Island" they typically means Nassau or Suffolk (the suburbs).
"Property Taxes" is another term to watch out for. This term technically only refers to the actual "property" tax. However, its usage generally includes both property AND school taxes. In most Nassau/Suffolk areas (all the ones I am familiar with) the school portion of the tax is higher than the property tax. Some towns bill the two separately. Just make sure when talking to a seller or agent that you get the number for property AND school.
"Where to live" on Long Island generally revolves around the school district. A "good" school district can greatly enhance property and resale value. A "bad" school district can make a house very difficult to sell. With three kids, school district should be a prime consideration when looking for a place to live on LI.
You will be hard-pressed to find a Long Island home in a "good" area with a "good" school district with school+property taxes under $10,000, but they do exist. I don't know the taxes in Floral Park (mentioned by another poster) but that (and adjoining Bellrose) are nice areas... just watch where you are as there are less desirable sections (e.g. next to a race track, next to a highway). If looking at Floral Park, I would suggest staying away from the Elmont School district.
Many of the towns along the Nassau/Queens border have become very busy and crowded. It almost feels like Queens. This may or may not be desirable. Some love it, some don't.
A little further east, Levittown or North Wantagh (Levitttown school district) might fit your criteria. Depends on what you consider "good" and "affordable." All of Nassau is busy, but the eastern towns do have more of a suburban feel. Bethpage is nice. Farmingdale is nice. I have some friends in Oceanside... but the south shore will be a much more difficult commute to the Bronx.
You really need to work with a real estate agent or two in the area and spend some time here. There is quite a bit of variety in the various "neighborhoods" on LI. What works for one, might not work for another.
PS - I disagree with the suggestion to rent for a year. Cost to rent a home on LI is roughly what a mortgage payment (with taxes) will be. That's a year of wasted payments with no equity.
There are no low taxes on long island. Thanks to grossly overpaid teachers and cops who consistently get raises no matter how much it hurts the rest of the working class.
PS - I disagree with the suggestion to rent for a year. Cost to rent a home on LI is roughly what a mortgage payment (with taxes) will be. That's a year of wasted payments with no equity.
And I have to disagree with the above statement for the reason that renting for a year gives you the time it will take to understand LI and the various towns, neighborhoods and school districts. Money well spent. Buying a house is a huge commitment, and a huge expense. You don't want to have buyers' remorse and regret your purchase and wish you had explored other neighborhoods before buying just to save some money. Moving again to fix a bad buying mistake is very expensive in both time and money. It takes time to truly learn where you want to live. Buying a house under the pressure of time in order to save a year's worth of living expenses is not a good idea.
The time is coming for my husband and myself to take a couple of years (without selling our house) and explore different areas of the US to see where we'd like to move to. And then after we've pinpointed the towns, we'll be renting for a few months at a time to try out the different places. To some people this may seem like an extravagance - to us, it's perfectly practical and logical.
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