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"well, when it's about 2 hours to get to Boston most folks are no longer interested."
it takes that long to get anywhere from some of those towns - and look out if the road has not been plowed - you just can't get here from there........
the houses are still expensive. they've kept up in that respect.
Nah, not really. From NI or Greenville area it's only just over an hour to get to the Manchester airport, about 20 min or so to get to grocery shopping (if you drive like a local and not like my hubby with the speed control set! then it takes a bit longer), my mother used to commute from Mont Vernon to Nashua (Spit Brook Rd) in about 1/2 hour... I think Keene is a bit over an hour.
Now if you're talking about Sharon.. that's enough 'back' it might take you 20 minutes to get 'beyond'
But Boston... yeah, that's about 2 hours. I don't expect to go there much (good thing I don't like big cities)
I'd find a low prop. tax town in no. NH and plant myself. If you have kids, then you'll have to be more picky. I'd suggest Monroe, NH, or the Franconia area. No. NH is still conservative by all accounts unlike southern, which as one poster correctly noted is essentially massachusetts. But, look out for the Title 1 schools. In Vt. you'll get a lower prop. tax, but you'll have to pay an income tax. You can find a website that will provide you with low prop. tax towns, which does not mean low end. Interestingly, some of the lower prop. tax towns are quite nice, such as Monroe, NH and Tuftonboro. Hence, the liberal myth is debunked. So, good luck.
I currently live in New London, NH, which is near Lake and Mt. Sunapee. I also have a cottage on a lake in northern VT, and lived full time in central VT for over 10 years. The New London area has relatively low property taxes for NH, but it still is $4500 for a 4/2.5 colonial appraised at 300K. In NH there is a pretty wide discrepancy in tax burden between towns, however that is balanced somewhat by real estate values which are higher in low tax towns, all else being equal. Along the Connecticut river, the geography is pretty similar on either side. Vermont is definitely "greener" and more politically liberal than NH. Our tax burden rose when we moved to NH mostly because of the higher property taxes and fees outweighed the VT income and sales taxes at our relatively low income level. Most would say schools are better in Vermont, there is a lot of anti-tax sentiment in NH especially among older adults as prop tax is almost all of school funding there. As for real estate costs, they rise dramatically the closer you are to Dartmouth. You get a much better deal on a house if you are 10+ miles away, on either side of the river. Hope some of that helps.
I am a native to Washington DC- and lived in the area till I was 6 years old- I have lived in Connecticut since. I was last in the Washington area a few years ago- and wow! Traffic was horrible, sprawl and strip development far as the eye can see. Bland cookie cutter apartments, townhouses and McMansions.
Very aggressive people- rude and condescending. I was happy to get back to eastern Connecticut. I helped a couple I met here at CD on the CT forum decide to move from the DC area to beautiful Tolland county Connecticut. They have yet to sell their home- but have committed to a beautiful 55 and up community in a rural area-
That area of Vermont and New Hampshire is wonderful- you might also want to consider rural eastern Connecticut- the so called 'Quiet Corner' half way (30 miles) to Hartford or Providence. It looks like rural Vermont- but close to the ocean and larger cities. No freeways, malls, but woodsy hills, lakes, small towns, farms, wineries and peace.
Hope you leave the rat race of the Washington DC NoVa area.
I just wanted to remark to all the people commenting on the DC area. It's SO TRUE! Miserable traffic, and the most rude, uptight bunch of self-absorbed, career-driven megalomaniacs, egomaniacs, and narcissists that I've ever had the bad luck to be around! I moved out here for work a few years ago, and now we can't wait to get out. We've set April '09 as our exit date, and it can't get here soon enough.
Anyway, NH was one of the areas we were considering for relocation, so I thought I'd chime in. Not that I'm an expert on the area, but I did do some research and spend some time up that way.
Bottom line, NH and VT are both full of natural beauty. The northern parts are rugged and isolated, and the southern parts (especially southern NH) are more civilized/populated, but even there, I never felt like I was being strangled in a big-city setting ... you still get that laid-back, friendly, inviting New England warmth even in the towns and cities in the southern parts of the states.
Some other people have touched on this, but I'll back 'em up ... I think if you're looking to choose between the two, it might very well come down to either how much you want to be taxed vs. how much in terms of government services you want. NH has no income or sales tax, but property taxes are higher. Your overall tax burden in VT will probably be a little heavier, but the tradeoff, again, is more government services. Of course, the tradeoff for the tradeoff is more government intrusion and meddling. Over in NH, there's no seat belt law or helmet law ... they actually figure you're an adult capable of making your own decisions.
YoAdrian - love the post, spot on about DC. I figure that what most are calling a concrete jungle (southern NH) is probably what I consider rather nice. DC is crazy.
In any event, I appreciate the tax concerns but I don't own property and don't imagine that I will in the near future. I rent - though I expect to pay taxes on my car. Given that I rent, does the VT v. NH debate come down to personal preference?
I found this website RETIREMENT LIVING INFORMATION CENTER - Retirement Communities and senior lifestyle data. And although I am a way from final retirement, my military retirement is approaching. This site offered a great deal of information especially the "Tax By State" section. I'm not using the "No Income Tax" as a litmus test to choose a homestead, but this seemed to help this is an excerpt from the site reagrding the tax burden by income (2002 results);
[SIZE=2]"The top five states where the tax burden as a percent of income is the highest are: Vermont (14.1%), Maine (14.0%), New York (13.8%), Rhode Island (12.7%), and Ohio (12.4%). The United States average is 11.06%. The District of Columbia is 12.5%."[/SIZE]
[SIZE=2]"The five states with the lowest tax burden as a percent of income are: Alaska (6.6%) 50th, New Hampshire (8.0%) 49th, Tennessee (8.5%) 48th, Delaware (8.8%) 47th, and Alabama (8.8%) 46th."[/SIZE]
Granted there are alot more factors that may influence a move but this site provided a wealth of information when deciding on where to move after military service.
The Tax Burden tables are important but you need to start digging into the other fees that NH has to make up for not having those taxes. Increased Property taxes, very high car registration fees, etc. There's more then meets the eye.
I believe that when you evaluate your income, it appears that with a lower income, Vt could be a better choice, however I would investigate the crime index. At a higher income, NH is definitely better. Perhaps this clearly articulates a state that chooses to redistribute wealth vs. a state that does not. It is widely known and accepted that Vermont is a socialist state and N.H. certainly is not. Also, the Free Staters (liberatarians) have identified NH as the state to transition from both political parties into a liberatarian state..which many find appealing. On the issue of education, N.H. has some very good school districts. However, since I've traveled all over the country, public schools have become one big national factory..all the same. Hence, accept that you need to educate at home as well and pick the kind of public school that suits you.
Point of correction..the New Hampshire traditional attitude is one of independence and that smaller government is better government...in the spirt and words of Thomas Jefferson. In Vermont, it is bigger government (which essentially makes rules and tells you how to live) is better. History tells us that limited government is best. So, if you prefer more government (social services, etc, etc, ) Vermont would be the choice. If you believe in smaller government and individualism, therefore NH is the best choice of the two, relatively speaking of course.
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Helpful Info for moving
