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I don't understand how and why the taxes are so high in LI. How did that happen and why do residents continue to allow it? I keep hearing the schools are great and all that, but where I'm from we vote on school levies as well as other local spending issues. Sometimes, levies just do not pass and the local governments are forced to be creative and fiscal responsibility and proper stewardship is expected and forced. Seems common sense, responsibility and intergrity are grossly lacking in the local LI governments. I'm sure I don't have the whole story, but EVERYBODY complains about the same thing. Taxes and high cost of living.
How come no one is DOING anything about it? I truly am curious why LIers accept and pay the ridiculous housing prices for dilaptated homes that really should be torn down instead of labled as "fixers" and the incredibly high taxes that go with the slum neighborhoods.
Shopping for a home on LI is truly the most depressing thing I have ever done. Easily, it's the ugliest place I have ever seen. What people in LI consider acceptable housing conditions should be condemned and razed. I have seen enough mold, old, and ugly to last a lifetime.
The "nice places" on LI were a joke. "Starter Home" means really old, really ugly, and in really bad shape. Need at least $700K for something decent and don't expect any kind of architecturally pleasing design or plumbed for natural gas or sewers! The $800K+ neighborhoods with two styles of homes just in different colors was the last straw.
Truly don't aim to offend. Just being honest about being totally and completely dumbfounded at how and why people allow and choose to live in overvalued squalor then strangely justify it with comments like "well, it's New York". I'm sorry to sound negative and judgemental, really I am, but I honest to goodness just do not get it.
I have no idea where you are looking for a house to buy! I have to tell you my son is finding me a foreclosure that is way way less than you are saying. I am going back to the east end. After living in Pa for the last almost 10 yrs, I can tell you that LI has well built and beautiful homes. Having building codes and proper zoning laws are important! No one can plop a trailer next to your house.
Taxes are high, IMO, due to alot of corruption. I lived in Brookhaven (crookhaven) town most of my life and they do bust the dirty politicians now and then but there are plenty more to fill the spaces. I worked for the town for a few years and never saw so many self serving, blow hard idiots in my life. Why do the residents take it? The same reason the US is in trouble. We elect them because we have no one good to pick from. So we pick the lesser of evils.
LI has alot to offer. You need to find the good. Beautiful North Fork, gorgeous beaches, parks, wild life refuge in Quogue, pine barrens, there is too much to list. You will never be bored on LI. There is LIFE on LI!
If it is a move you have no choice in making, then seek out the good stuff. Life is what you make of it!
Very strange posting............$700,000 is a gross mis-representation of LI.
What are you comparing it to?
It seems like you just gloss over the term "great schools", do you care about schooling?
I have done thousands of home inspections over 10 years and not one one LI was a teardown. Several in brooklyn but not LI.
As for architectural componets of the housing, I agree. The 1950's-1970's when many houses where built, are not pleasing architecturally. But LI is not the area of the country to have that issue.
I have only been on two shopping trips. After the first, I thought that I simply wasn't being shown the right areas. Second time around, different areas, but more of the same. Melville, Dix Hills, Kings Park, Commack, Smithtown, Happague, Bethpage, Amityville, Massapequa, Lake Grove. Anything farther east isn't a realistic commute for DH. $600K is simply the top of our range. Here, at home, that would net an incredibly gorgeous home in a fabulously developed, landscaped neighborhood. Taxes aren't exactly cheap, I'm well over $6K now. It's not perfect, but I don't feel like I'm being robbed and taken advantage of by my local government.
I can not be more sincere in my desire to understand and find some corner of LI that I feel good about moving my family to. I sat on the plane and cried the whole way home. I'm sure people thought I was nuts. I held it together after the first shopping trip, but this last one was just too much.
My DH feels horrid that he's accepted this transfer and he can't undo it. Working the job virtually and traveling in is an option we are going to explore. We just can't see doing this to our kids. I could suck it up and live in a home that I feel is way below our standards, but taking my kids into that kind of impoverished environment and paying top dollar for it makes me sick to my stomach.
They were absolutely shell-shocked. Probably my own fault, but they've never seen places like this. My youngest asked if everyone on LI was poor and if we were going to be poor now too. The RE rep laughed and made some stupid joke about the taxes then pulled up to a bagel shop which happened to be right next door to an Adult bookstore/shop complete with a full window display of "attire". Yeah, that helped.
I am hoping that there is something I'm missing here. Why is $700K a gross mis-representation? Yes, shools are important, but you want to know how many great school districts there are in the US? A lot. Long Island by no means has the market cornered on quality schools. "Quality Schools" seems that's just another lame attempt at trying to justify and smooth over the major flaws of LI. Plus, it's not like ALL the schools on LI are "quality". There are some major school district issues that we've been warned to seriously avoid at all costs.
Again, where are you from? Its hard to help you unless we have your frame of reference.
Trust me, some of LI worst shcool districts are the envy of NYC and upstate schools. And NYS is always ranked in the top 5 for education in the US.
One thing you will not get on LI is alot of property, relatively small lots as compared to other areas. But to say you cannot find a house in Smithtown, Kings Park or Massapequa in good shape for less than, $700,000 is not realistic unless we you need 5 bedrooms.
If you feel that strongly, do not move, you will never be happy. Best of luck.
I'm in the midwest. Property - not an issue for me. Don't want a big lot to take care of small is a plus. I just want a nice house close to where he will be working middle of LI. His office in the middle of LI is a plus, I think. Seems to give us a broader range to search. I hope.
Need basement, 4 bedrooms, 2.5 baths, ~2,500 sq ft and truly not any more than that. At least a two car garage (attached!). Sidewalks, street lights, good school district, some semblence of planned communities, and neighborhoods not butted up right next to a highway, RR tracks, or some kind of industrial/commercial complex, for less than $600K. Do homes like this exist on LI and where are they?
Hoping to God that I just have not been shown the right areas. I don't mean to rant, but I'm really not doing well. Really. I can't believe what we've gotten ourselves into. Don't I wish we wouldn't have to move! If there is hope, maybe shopping trip #3 will be the charm?
For $600K I was expecting more than "good shape". I work in an architecturally centric field. Familiar with reno's and remodels and building codes -- apparently NOT national real estate, however! What folks around LI define as "good shape" is a bit skewed in my opinion. I look at those 20 - 50+ year-old homes listed for hundreds of thousands of dollars and fully understand what the future would hold - a lot of money, and a lot of work. And I wouldn't touch one that's been reno'd by someone else. Only thing worse than a DIY is a flipper. In addition to the old, mold, and ugly, saw plenty of baaaaaaad DIY and flip work.
Don't care if it's a postage stamp as long as an ~2500 s.f. house fits on it - just point me to something decent to live in. A little grass for a swingset and the dog would be nice too. A square of dirt for a tulip or two and bush would be grand. Willing to make compromises. I know on LI I can never replace what I have now in the midwest. I've gotten past that. Stictly focusing on how and where I can make this work.
Don't care if it's a postage stamp as long as an ~2500 s.f. house fits on it - just point me to something decent to live in. A little grass for a swingset and the dog would be nice too. A square of dirt for a tulip or two and bush would be grand. Willing to make compromises. I know on LI I can never replace what I have now in the midwest. I've gotten past that. Stictly focusing on how and where I can make this work.
Thank you all for your responses.
You can absolutely find what you are stating for that price. What town will your DH be working in, so we can direct you to the closest area that fits your bill?
Tell me more about what you went to see. LI is VERY funny like that. If you don't know where to go, what street to turn down, etc, you will miss the nicest and best parts of the island. We LIVE here and we need the inside scoop from people in order to find the "good" and really lovely desirable areas.
Please give us a LIST of what you want, as accurate to your wishes and we will direct you. Are you looking for privacy? Community feel? Religious house of worship? How long will DH commute max?
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