new here and a few comments (for sale, home, public school)

[66nexus]

Eh, I should have known. At 16 years old I don't expect divingallout to be able to experience Jersey(or anywhere) to the fullest until another few years.

[66nexus]

Thanks for letting me know though

[stevemorse]

I just meant that there are so manyu cops in NJ, but I guess my driving may be alittle fast. Ok the taxes are cheap because its a tiny house. Peru, Plattsburgh are picking up the brunt of the tax. However I am sacrificing to a small house thats why they are cheap in clinton county house is only 900 sq feet. Thanks all

[Taboo]

Steve, I knew something was up with price or size. Your new home wouldn't sit on an acre by the river would it ?? I looked at one there. Best of luck to you and maybe someday soon we will be neighbors.

[CrazyJerzyKidUNO]

Originally Posted by divingallout

HAHA New Jersey is complete TRASH! i hate that i grew up here because i have learned "the new jersey ways" i guess you could say. the police people LOVE giving out tickets. it makes them feel important. yeah NJ is definitlely the worst state in the nation (considering the fact that we factually have the worst city in the nation which is Camden). PSHHT! don't live here it is a waste of time and definitley a waste money.

How about you go live in Ohio or something. See how you like it there then talk to everyone about how much Jersey sucks. Im born and raised New Jerseyan and proud of it. Wouldnt have it anyway else. Now alot of people think otherwise but what the dont realize is you pay for what you get. New Jersey is expensive because its got everything. In Nebreska there are people saying "oh **** now i have to drive 25 miles to the next supermarket".

[exiled 'n Texas]

So you think Jersey is bad huh? You could move here to Houston. I moved down here back in '79. But if good schools mean anything to you then, mostly, all bets are off. Texas ranks 49th out of 50 in primary and secondary education. Don't ask me who's 50th. It's either New Mexico or Mississippi but I'm not sure. There are some good school systems but they're in the surrounding suburbs west and north west of Houston.

Of course if you lived in the suburbs you would have to commute and that would take you a good hour and a half. There is some good mass transit if you are lucky enough to live near one of the 26 Park and Ride Metro Bus terminals here in the city. But you will spend a lot of time getting to them.

JerZ is right. You will find real estate a lot cheaper outside of NJ. I did. But you get paid alot less here. I rode out the high tech boom and I was damn lucky to get my 2400 sq ft inside the city limits. Today if I tried to get such a house it would be impossible.

There is no state income tax or state property tax. The county assesses 3% on your local property value. So when you factor in the local Municipal Utility District taxes (MUD tax), and you want to live in a MUD district or risk loosing everything to flooding, independent school district taxes, county and city taxes it adds up to about $7800 a year on a property priced at about $202,000. Unfortunately I don't take advantage of the public school system for my son because he has autism and the schools here in Texas are just simply not up to the task so I spend about anywhere between $19,000 to $25,000 per year on private schooling and that only pays for 3 part time days. Of course if you live in a house costing a cool Million then your property taxes go down like those in neighboring Royal Oaks just to the east of us in a new McMansion development that went up 6 years ago.

Texas also is ranked 11th highest in consumption taxes. Sales taxes here in Houston are 9%. So if you buy that big screen TV in Houston for $1999.00 it will cost you an additional $180.00 in sales tax.
There are plenty of things to do here. We have the Johnson Space Center a wonderful Museum district and great restaurants. There are no amusements as the local Texas Six Flags was torn down last October due to lagging ticket sales.

In the summer utility bills will get you because Houston, and for that matter Dallas, will cost anywhere between $400 to $500 for an average sized home. The months between June and September are the most heat oppressive months. New Jersey summer heat is no comparison. I've experienced both. We have the most air-conditioned homes and buildings in the country and our two cities are in deregulated energy markets. (Think California 2001, Enron, etc).

And then you have to contend with the possibility of category 4 hurricanes bearing down on you. The only way to evacuate is by car or plane. Good luck booking a flight though. So the only solution left is the car. It took me 18 hours to get to San Antonio in what normally takes 3 ½ hours. If you risk staying it could cost you your life. The 2005 Rita evacuation was my 3rd evacuation in 25 years. They were much more orderly years ago but now they have become more ad-hoc.

The NOAA meteorologists say we got lucky in 2006 because of excessively dusty storms off of the Sahara desert stunted the development of these tropical depressions, where most hurricanes start out, and an active El Niño.

We are also prone to tornados and floods as Houston is as flat as a pancake. We've been having a lot of rain lately too. Houston is guarded by a number of levies which many communities rely on to keep the flood waters out. Houston is above sea-level but not by much. Let's hope our levies hold better then the ones in New Orleans.

Also the economy here shifts with the prevailing price of Brent Crude Oil. The oil and gas industry loom large here but the energy industry isn't what it used to be. With consolidations and mergers there are fewer jobs for professionals and engineers. And of course my coworkers who left my company and went to Enron are sure sorry they ever did. NASA Johnson Space Center has been picking up again after the tragic loss of the astronauts in the Columbia disaster but the shuttles are set to be moth balled around the 2010 time frame and, frankly, manned space is the sole raison d'etra for JSC. But the Houston economy has been showing signs of life again.

On the plus side we do have great music. Go to Austin and you'll here a lot of good music of all stripes. Thanks to Katrina we have all of the best New Orleans musicians.

We also have a number of their chefs too. You can find a restaurant to satisfy any taste you like.

You can even get free entertainment of the likes you could never get in Jersey. We've had Enron, We've had Ana Nicole Smith, Jeff Skilling, Ken Lay and even a mysterious suicide (some conspiracy theorists say murder) of a former Enron exec back in June 2001. It's the kind of stuff that was tailor made for Dallas the TV series. Oh and don't forget the Durst murder either.

You will have to live with the fact that Houston’s football team is the Texan's but don't loose heart. David Carr was just let go over the weekend. Yeah! That'll fix what’s wrong with the team! ;-)

Oh one more thing. Guns are cheap and easily available as long as quality is not an issue. Houston averages 2 gun shows a month and these are not small affairs by any means. They are held in the bigger pavilions like the Reliant Astrodome Arena. (No it's not the Astrodome proper). They don't just sell handguns either. The type of guns they sell would make a leader of a military junta blush with envy. Of course if you don't like guns than forget I ever mentioned this.

Well if this sounds like what you're looking for the welcome to Texas! Hop in the water's fine though it may feel like warm bath tub water in the summer.

[exhdo1]

Originally Posted by exiled 'n Texas

So you think Jersey is bad huh? You could move here to Houston. I moved down here back in '79. But if good schools mean anything to you then, mostly, all bets are off. Texas ranks 49th out of 50 in primary and secondary education. Don't ask me who's 50th. It's either New Mexico or Mississippi but I'm not sure. There are some good school systems but they're in the surrounding suburbs west and north west of Houston.

Of course if you lived in the suburbs you would have to commute and that would take you a good hour and a half. There is some good mass transit if you are lucky enough to live near one of the 26 Park and Ride Metro Bus terminals here in the city. But you will spend a lot of time getting to them.

JerZ is right. You will find real estate a lot cheaper outside of NJ. I did. But you get paid alot less here. I rode out the high tech boom and I was damn lucky to get my 2400 sq ft inside the city limits. Today if I tried to get such a house it would be impossible.

There is no state income tax or state property tax. The county assesses 3% on your local property value. So when you factor in the local Municipal Utility District taxes (MUD tax), and you want to live in a MUD district or risk loosing everything to flooding, independent school district taxes, county and city taxes it adds up to about $7800 a year on a property priced at about $202,000. Unfortunately I don't take advantage of the public school system for my son because he has autism and the schools here in Texas are just simply not up to the task so I spend about anywhere between $19,000 to $25,000 per year on private schooling and that only pays for 3 part time days. Of course if you live in a house costing a cool Million then your property taxes go down like those in neighboring Royal Oaks just to the east of us in a new McMansion development that went up 6 years ago.

Texas also is ranked 11th highest in consumption taxes. Sales taxes here in Houston are 9%. So if you buy that big screen TV in Houston for $1999.00 it will cost you an additional $180.00 in sales tax.
There are plenty of things to do here. We have the Johnson Space Center a wonderful Museum district and great restaurants. There are no amusements as the local Texas Six Flags was torn down last October due to lagging ticket sales.

In the summer utility bills will get you because Houston, and for that matter Dallas, will cost anywhere between $400 to $500 for an average sized home. The months between June and September are the most heat oppressive months. New Jersey summer heat is no comparison. I've experienced both. We have the most air-conditioned homes and buildings in the country and our two cities are in deregulated energy markets. (Think California 2001, Enron, etc).

And then you have to contend with the possibility of category 4 hurricanes bearing down on you. The only way to evacuate is by car or plane. Good luck booking a flight though. So the only solution left is the car. It took me 18 hours to get to San Antonio in what normally takes 3 ½ hours. If you risk staying it could cost you your life. The 2005 Rita evacuation was my 3rd evacuation in 25 years. They were much more orderly years ago but now they have become more ad-hoc.

The NOAA meteorologists say we got lucky in 2006 because of excessively dusty storms off of the Sahara desert stunted the development of these tropical depressions, where most hurricanes start out, and an active El Niño.

We are also prone to tornados and floods as Houston is as flat as a pancake. We've been having a lot of rain lately too. Houston is guarded by a number of levies which many communities rely on to keep the flood waters out. Houston is above sea-level but not by much. Let's hope our levies hold better then the ones in New Orleans.

Also the economy here shifts with the prevailing price of Brent Crude Oil. The oil and gas industry loom large here but the energy industry isn't what it used to be. With consolidations and mergers there are fewer jobs for professionals and engineers. And of course my coworkers who left my company and went to Enron are sure sorry they ever did. NASA Johnson Space Center has been picking up again after the tragic loss of the astronauts in the Columbia disaster but the shuttles are set to be moth balled around the 2010 time frame and, frankly, manned space is the sole raison d'etra for JSC. But the Houston economy has been showing signs of life again.

On the plus side we do have great music. Go to Austin and you'll here a lot of good music of all stripes. Thanks to Katrina we have all of the best New Orleans musicians.

We also have a number of their chefs too. You can find a restaurant to satisfy any taste you like.

You can even get free entertainment of the likes you could never get in Jersey. We've had Enron, We've had Ana Nicole Smith, Jeff Skilling, Ken Lay and even a mysterious suicide (some conspiracy theorists say murder) of a former Enron exec back in June 2001. It's the kind of stuff that was tailor made for Dallas the TV series. Oh and don't forget the Durst murder either.

You will have to live with the fact that Houston’s football team is the Texan's but don't loose heart. David Carr was just let go over the weekend. Yeah! That'll fix what’s wrong with the team! ;-)

Oh one more thing. Guns are cheap and easily available as long as quality is not an issue. Houston averages 2 gun shows a month and these are not small affairs by any means. They are held in the bigger pavilions like the Reliant Astrodome Arena. (No it's not the Astrodome proper). They don't just sell handguns either. The type of guns they sell would make a leader of a military junta blush with envy. Of course if you don't like guns than forget I ever mentioned this.

Well if this sounds like what you're looking for the welcome to Texas! Hop in the water's fine though it may feel like warm bath tub water in the summer.

Just curious, what would the aprox. property taxes be on a home that has a market value of 500K within Houston's city limits?

[exiled 'n Texas]

Well, first to clear up a misconception, it is the county that assesses the property values and tax rates. The regal Royal Oaks subdivision has houses that value ranging from $500K to $3 million. Last I checked with the county's online Tax Assessor's website they were running somewhere in the 2% range. I pay 3%. In Texas wealth has its privileges.

I remembered reading on some other posts that the State of New Jersey assesses a 1% annum tax on property values. I presume this is in addition to local county property taxes. At least that's what my aunt from Union Beach told me when she was visiting my mom in San Antonio.

Also do you still pay the ISD directly or do you pay through the state? A woman, who was our realtor, told us she was a teacher in NJ and she said the state government now distributes funding to the schools now.

There is one more thing I forgot to mention. Houston, and Texas for that matter, doesn’t have zoning laws. So it is possible that you could find your little piece of paradise, even if in Royal Oaks, within eyesight of that eyesore WalMart complete with litter and other such issues just like the K-Mart I remember off of 35 in Hazlet Township.

Also to prevent the neighbors from opening up a fireworks stand, hair salon or car garage in a residential area homeowners associations were formed here in Texas. They charge annual dues. It’s typical to pay around $350.00 / year but I’m paying around $800.00 per year. They prevent these things from happening but, they too, can nanny you to death. I have been cited for things that were caused by the homeowner’s association’s very own landscaping crew. Fortunately for me my HO wasn’t as predatory as some where the violations were purchased by a lawyer and the lawyer rigs the game by sending out the notices at the last possible moment and forces the alleged violator to pay fees in the thousands of dollars.

This deceptive legal practice happens here more than it should but Texas has a strong homestead law that prevents foreclosure of homes due to debts incurred through no fault of the homeowner. The Texas Homestead Act is a long story but suffice it to say it was instituted in the 19th century as a result of the Populist movement’s attempt to put a check on the abuses of the railroads which were forcing farmers off of their lands due to various predaroty lending schemes.

[cyntmac]

If you don't like Houston you can just move to Austin or San Marcos or any other number of places in Texas. I don't care for TX either but why waste time distorting it on an NJ forum? There are lots of jobs in TX and you can live much better on less. That is not even up for debate.

[exiled 'n Texas]

OK then we'll keep the topic strictly to New Jersey. It's just that I simply don't believe that there is a New Jerusalem anywhere and home is what you make it.

I spent half my life in New Jersey. I was fortunate enough to live in a well to do area of Monmouth County. I've heard of the stories and even been in some sections of New Jersey that at best would be called blighted. So there is nothing new here that I haven't heard.

So have things changed for the worse in the 28 years since I left? Are things that bad in New Jersey? One of my aunts wants to leave but none of my other aunts and uncles would dream of leaving. They range from middle class to upper class.

They even asked me when I planned to move back. Most of the experiences of natives of New Jersey on this list have been anecdotal.

I'm trying to assess if a move back to NJ is a good idea since we need services for my son that are simply not provided in any quality by the public school system here in Texas.

I've heard about the tax issues for as long as I can remember. Yet I remember that in every neighborhood I lived in growing up we had a community.

We knew our neighbors and they knew us. Has this also changed? I've met the worst people I ever knew in New Jersey but I also met some of the best people in New Jersey. I also have most of my family here and we've been very close.