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It is not fortune, I spent several years researching the best location to build our house and raise our kids. There are people on this forum that failed in their due diligence and blame their error on disabled children - a special degree of depravity.
The perfection of nh is that one can choose their town, local still matters.
Next week we are looking at a piece of land in harts location for our retirement house, .3% property taxes.
Hart's Location only has a population of 41 with the huge majority of the town boundary within the White Mountain National Forest. Didn't think there was very much land for sale in that area period.
I much prefer Moultonboro for lower taxes, and there are a relatively decent amount of amenities within the region within a 20-30 minute drive.
80% of the people who work in Manchester or Nashua live outside city limits, and could choose a different town.
[quote=illtaketwoplease;55840604]I'd wager that less than 20% of people can choose their specific town and are subject to living in certain areas due to employment or other factors. Many towns have very little employment opportunities.../QUOTE]
Unless you both live & work in one of the half dozen largest towns in the state, wouldn't you inherently have some flexibility to choose from at least a few towns and end up with the same general commute time?
For example, 80% of the people who work in Manchester or Nashua live outside city limits, and could choose a different town. Don't like Bedford's tax rate? Move to Goffstown, etc.
How many years, on average, do you think it takes to recoup the cost of that move? Everything from the difference between purchase price of the new house and selling price of your old house, realtor's fees, re-fi fees, other closing costs on 2 transactions, possible higher mortgage rate, possible renovations to new house, moving expenses, possible increased commuting expenses, etc. Unless you're retiring/downsizing, and I wouldn't trade one Manchester bedroom community for another in that case, I bet it takes at least ten years to recoup the cost of the move through decreased R.E. taxes, and that's only if your new town doesn't decide to build a new school five years later. And none of this includes the stress, time commitment, dealing with family upheaval like angry teenagers or losing childcare, etc.
And those are only the issues facing working families. Besides the financial considerations, you can't uproot an elderly or disabled person from their medical resources support system even that easily.
If you live in a town with extravagant tax-and-spend policies, you made a mistake when you first moved there
Quote:
Originally Posted by KCZ
How many years, on average, do you think it takes to recoup the cost of that move?
I carefully chose my town because of the history of good fiscal management and strong vocal base of taxpayers and taxpayer advocates who work to zero-out frivolous warrant articles. I participate in local democracy in hopes that I won't have to move.
So instead of fixing your town or moving to a better town, the alternative is to FUBAR the entire tax system of the state, so I need to move not just to another town, but to another state entirely if I don't want to roped into the new progressive tax regime? I've seen what happens with income and sales tax in my former state, and in our neighboring states of Connecticut, Vermont, etc and I don't want to see New Hampshir go down that same "tax farming" path.
If you live in a town with extravagant tax-and-spend policies, you made a mistake when you first moved there
Not necessarily true. Some of us moved to towns with reasonable tax rates a decade or more ago, then saw taxes skyrocket a few years later, due to the school system.
I carefully chose my town because of the history of good fiscal management and strong vocal base of taxpayers and taxpayer advocates who work to zero-out frivolous warrant articles. I participate in local democracy in hopes that I won't have to move.
So instead of fixing your town or moving to a better town, the alternative is to FUBAR the entire tax system of the state, so I need to move not just to another town, but to another state entirely if I don't want to roped into the new progressive tax regime? I've seen what happens with income and sales tax in my former state, and in our neighboring states of Connecticut, Vermont, etc and I don't want to see New Hampshir go down that same "tax farming" path.
Also not true. The alternative is to fix the spending side of the education equation, not just the tax revenue side. Some of that will require the state and federal govt to change their mandates because very few expenses are vetoable line-item warrant articles, and retiring the pyramid scheme masquerading as the pension system.
You seem intent on blaming other NH residents for being victimized by the tax structure.
In reply to the original question. You're going to pay one way or the other. Our property tax rates are some of the highest in the country because we don't have sales or income taxes. My tax rate is about $23/thousand. I get assessed an extra $1000 for my view. I sit on a bluff overlooking the Pemi river. It's nice but it costs me $2300 a year for the view.
I'd favor an income tax but not a sales tax but I don't think we'll get one.
In reply to the original question. You're going to pay one way or the other. Our property tax rates are some of the highest in the country because we don't have sales or income taxes. My tax rate is about $23/thousand. I get assessed an extra $1000 for my view. I sit on a bluff overlooking the Pemi river. It's nice but it costs me $2300 a year for the view.
I'd favor an income tax but not a sales tax but I don't think we'll get one.
I don't mean to downplay your pain, but that rate is only slightly above the state average.
If NH were to implement an income tax it would have many unintended consequences. Currently NH is one of the few New England destinations for retirees. Additionally, NH has also experienced the fastest growth in per capita personal income in New England and is among the fastest in the nation. Much of this growth is due to an inflow of high income residents from other nearby states as well as those attracted from high tax states who prefer a 4-season climate over warmer locations in the south. Implementing an income tax would not only reduce the inflow, it most likely would lead to an outflow of many of these very same people. Many of these high income residents populate the expensive homes in the Lakes Region and similar vacation destinations and pay significant property taxes which are the life blood to many communities.
Beyond the loss of those who were attracted to New Hampshire due to its lack of an income tax, those who have lived in New Hampshire for generations are likely to see their cost of living increase rapidly as the income tax as a revenue source spurs significant increases in spending. As a resident of Connecticut, I have personally witnessed the impact of this over the past two decades. Our state went from being a highly desirable alternative to neighboring New York and Massachusetts for businesses looking for less expensive options in the region to a high cost one saddled with high debt and obligations requiring a constant need for new taxes and fees to keep things afloat.
As a part-time resident of New Hampshire for many years, I am aware of the property tax concerns of many residents. However, as uncomfortable and imperfect as property taxes are, they are the best available way of addressing specific community wants and needs with the exception of state roads and the environmental impact of through traffic and activities. Here in Connecticut we have an income tax AND high property taxes in many communities. The promises of the income tax did not reduce the property tax burden. Even here there are opportunities to reside in communities with significantly lower property taxes. The choices made by the residents play a big part in the tax structure. Hopefully New Hampshire will learn some lessons from their small nearby neighbor and look at opportunities to improve the existing structure as opposed to implementing an income tax which will drastically change the independent character and spirit of the Live Free or Die state.
Last edited by Lincolnian; 09-18-2019 at 06:41 AM..
The cost of living in the northeast is high, but NH has managed to keep the total tax burden low. Neighboring states like CT have similar property taxes with the additional burden of income tax (4.5-7.5% including pensions and SS), sales tax (6.35% on everything including services like home & auto maintenance, phone/internet, cable & satellite TV) and annual property taxes on vehicles (based on the car's value times the town's mill rate every year). The state/towns even tax 1% of the sale price when you sell your house. The way I see it NH is by far the bargain of the northeast and that is why we are here.
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80% of the people who work in Manchester or Nashua live outside city limits, and could choose a different town.
"Just move" is not realistic
