I've had it...want to move to NH---basic info needed (farm, land)

[GregW]

IMHO - the NH state owned booze stores sell a lot more alcohol than the NH residents consume. Why else would we have elaborate stores on an Interstate? We supply a lot of folks smuggling booze and tobacco to avoid their state taxes.

OP - I have noted a lot of "Help Wanted" signs around here lately. so I guess the economy is improving. As you are a paralegal I suggest you look up the State Bar Association and see if they have a job listing. In any case I suggest you have a job BEFORE you move here looking for a job.

Good luck.

[folkguitarist555]

2nd highest property taxes in the USA I believe. Very high electricity rates per kilowatt per hour, very high heating costs....(oil heat and propane), Food prices the supermarket, very high imo, higher then cost of food here in Seattle...even. Rental prices are on par with Seattle as well, looking at roughly a $1000 and up for a decent apt...even in places like Concord and Lebanon. The only thing cheap when I lived in NH, ...were cigarettes. Live free and die broke....should be the NH motto in my opinion. You want mountains and cheap, head on down to West Virginia.

[Alfheim]

Funny, I always though Washington state motto should be spelled "Alchy" since you'd have to be drunk to want to live in the world's most hipster-laden rainpuddle. But I suppose if you enjoy a tech-nerd sausage fest filled with tacky buildings, bad traffic, worse coffee and the most most introverted socialists wanna-be intellectuals in the upper 48, kudos to you.

[folkguitarist555]

They weren't much friendlier or social in NH might I add....the New England Freeze is just as bad as the Seattle Freeze, socially, in my opinion....and I am not remaining in Seattle as well....but going to NH, does not improve my financial situation at all....nor does anywhere in New England, with the exception of some remote parts of Maine, which is another high property tax, high excise tax, high heating and high electricity rate part of the USA...true there are way more single men then women, which sux about Seattle, sales tax is high, but NH I think likely has a tiny pool of eligible single women I might imagine...we got the lowest electricity rates in the nation though, and property taxes are nothing like they are in New England....NH is a great state and beautiful, but financially speaking, it sucks, unless you want to live in Claremont...just my opinion and view...

http://www.neo.ne.gov/statshtml/204.htm

See annual electricity rates by state....above link

[bler144]

Originally Posted by folkguitarist555

NH I think likely has a tiny pool of eligible single women I might imagine...

NH has a tiny population (1/3 the pop. of Seattle) over almost twice the area, so by nature it has a relatively small pool of any _____ you might want to select if your comparison is Seattle.

Compared to the Gobi desert, OTOH, NH is lush with opportunities to meet people.

On your other points, the commonality in property tax is that NH and WA are two of the relatively few states that don't have a personal income tax, at least not as most states assess one. So the fact that both are high in property tax rate is by design.

WA does have a general sales tax where NH only has a rooms & meals tax.

But your general point that NH is a place where COL trends high compared to economic opportunity is correct. Like WA the outdoors is one of the draws that pulls people there despite those relative disadvantages. If COL/jobs were the only consideration everyone would live in Des Moines.

[GregW]

We just returned from a 10 day vacation in south central New Mexico. We met lots of very friendly people and, considering we were staying at an inexpensive motel and spa with hot mineral springs, we did not spend very much money. From this experience the City Data calculation that a $50,000 NH income can buy the same living standard in NM for $30,000 is correct. I would move now if it were only my decision. As it is not we will stay around here even if it is far more expensive.

We are now seriously considering a seasonal rental to avoid the New Hampshire winters. We would still have many of the same fixed costs for property tax, electric power and condo fee but we would avoid having to keep the place warm and the high prices for other services. Besides, as I do not enjoy snow for anything but making the back roads slippery enough to be interesting it has become just another four letter word. As in SNOW IT! I am tired of the cold.

In adition

[bler144]

Originally Posted by GregW

We are now seriously considering a seasonal rental to avoid the New Hampshire winters. We would still have many of the same fixed costs for property tax, electric power and condo fee but we would avoid having to keep the place warm and the high prices for other services.

FWIW, if in a house you'd still have to do some sort of warming to keep from getting frozen/bursting pipes. So your heating costs wouldn't be zero, though heating to 50-55 or whatever you need to is certainly cheaper than heating to 68.

[miu]

Originally Posted by bler144

FWIW, if in a house you'd still have to do some sort of warming to keep from getting frozen/bursting pipes. So your heating costs wouldn't be zero, though heating to 50-55 or whatever you need to is certainly cheaper than heating to 68.

Not really. I think that one can drain and shutoff the water in any system that uses it, so that it doesn't matter if the house is below freezing temps. And for good measure, also open the faucets to allow for expansion of any possible remaining water.

[bler144]

Hmm...good point. But you'd probably want to ask someone who knew what they were doing. If you mess it up it would be an expensive mistake.

[Nonesuch]

When I used to close up for the winter, I'd shut off the water supply, drain the pipes (and toilets, water heater, etc), then fill drain traps with RV antifreeze and turn the heat down to 40F.