Sunny Days in Pittsburgh: 145 (Not 59) (Erie, Scranton: buying, luxury, schools)

[guylocke]

LOL, I'm glad you could experience Florida first hand and understand why it's such an overrated state.

Well apparently Floridians are down here for their absolutely gorgeous winter. I imagine a Florida winter has extremely ideal temperature. However, the great majority of the other time it is unbearable. It's kind of odd, because in a way, Florida is no different than PA.

In Florida, they have one season that is utterly beautiful, but their summer is wretchedly hot. In PA, you have the same thing, only instead of wretchedly hot, you have a season that CAN be bitterly cold (unlike Florida's guaranteed hotness)

And I ask myself this, would I rather be stupidly hot or freezing cold? To be honest, I'll take cold. You can always add sweaters, hot drinks, fires, cuddling, and wool coats! You can't do much in unrelenting heat other than get naked, drink cold drinks as much as possible, and take cool showers.

[Katarina Witt]

Originally Posted by boylocke

Damn u! Damn u all!!!

Watch your language, bud! LOL!

[guylocke]

Watch your language, bud! LOL!

I changed it But somehow... it's now lost it's meaning.. :P

[Goodjules]

Originally Posted by Mugatu

LOL, I'm glad you could experience Florida first hand and understand why it's such an overrated state. Everyone up here gets a look of shock on their face when I say I moved to Pittsburgh from Florida, but now you understand why. Weather is BRUTAL down there. Just unbearable. Everyone in the north seems to think Florida is all sunshine and 80-degree temps, but it is far from it. 95 degree temps with high humidity (heat index of about 110), plus violent thunderstorms every afternoon the entire summer. Awful! And you haven't been through a hurricane yet.

And throw in the high crime, overcrowding, high cost of living, and low wages.....yeah, a real paradise, huh?

By the way, this summer in Pitt has been great. A few rainy days here and there, but for the most part, lots of sun and pleasant temps. Have we even been above 90 yet this year? This is a treat after enduring so many Florida summers.

I now live in a suburb about 30 miles south of SF inthe heart of Silicon Valley. Our town's motto is "Climate Best by Government Test" and it is. the summers are rarely over 85 with low humidity anf the winters are rarely below 50. The main drawback is the cost of housing. Even with the flattening market, my run down home in working class neighborhood is worth $640k. It is only 960 sq ft. Two bedrooms, one bath, one car garage. Nothing has been updated. Old plumbing, old electrical, old bathroom, portable dishwasher...

If you can afford it, the weather is spectacular and we live in one of the most beautiful areas in the world. I choose it over blazing heat any time.

Julie

[guylocke]

Even with the flattening market, my run down home in working class neighborhood is worth $640k. It is only 960 sq ft. Two bedrooms, one bath, one car garage. Nothing has been updated. Old plumbing, old electrical, old bathroom, portable dishwasher...

Gosh... that is really sad. I mean good for you!! But that is so sad. Surely it is completely squeezing out the middle class. The average family (especially raising children) cannot buy homes for that kind of money. Do you have to pay taxes on all that???

[Tallysmom]

Originally Posted by boylocke

Gosh... that is really sad. I mean good for you!! But that is so sad. Surely it is completely squeezing out the middle class. The average family (especially raising children) cannot buy homes for that kind of money. Do you have to pay taxes on all that???

I'm near Juliet -- in Oakland, CA -- and in CA we have Prop 13 -- which keeps our taxes low. My house -- 1005 square feet "zillowed" at 387K, but once near 500K has taxes hovering at 2K a year.

My sister bought a house a few years ago in Ben Avon -- paid 142K and her taxes are around 6K.

According to some, our artifically low taxes is one of the reasons why our house prices are INSANE.

[Hopes]

No wonder California is in financial crisis, Tallysmom.

Governments need money to provide services and education.

Money doesn't come from the sky.

People need to pay appropriate taxes.

2k for a 500k home isn't appropriate, nor is 6k for 142.

Whatever happened to moderation?

[Tallysmom]

Originally Posted by Hopes

No wonder California is in financial crisis, Tallysmom.

Governments need money to provide services and education.

Money doesn't come from the sky.

People need to pay appropriate taxes.

2k for a 500k home isn't appropriate, nor is 6k for 142.

Whatever happened to moderation?

Hopes, dear, this IS California... Moderation... is to laugh.

The 6K is my sister in PA -- but I looked it up on the county assessment and it doesn't look like that's what she paid -- she paid in the neighborhood of 500 bucks. That seems really good -- so obviously I am missing something, because my mother always says my sister pays 6K a year.

Now -- my mother is getting addled... and my sister may be tired of correcting her, too. And then there's this whole thing of this isn't my business. (I'm not like that -- I'll tell you what I make and what I pay and what I save... I'm a big mouth!)

But you are right -- CA needs money -- and they get it in the form of income tax. Supposedly our income tax is onerous.

California state taxes

Now -- we bring in about 120K a year, but after business expenses and self employment deductions our AGI is around 60K -- and I know what I pay -- and it ain't 9.3% of 60K. I paid around 1200.00 last year and I got back 400... so I think there is some sort of multiplier or something. I also got audited a few years ago, so I know my accountant isn't doing anything hinky.

But I have this ongoing issue with another City-Data person. He or she doesn't own a home, and doesn't own a business -- they just collect a paycheck(not that there's anything wrong with that), and live off investments -- and they pay a lot more in taxes than I do.

So I think CA does okay tax wise... our state pays a lot to the federal government and we don't get much back in subsidies... which means we have the money to do it ourselves.

As far as quality education goes -- and ours is very bad.... I think that's less a product of lack of money, than it is the fast paced expensive life and culture out here. More and more basic parenting is being done by the schools, which leave less time for teaching.

[Katarina Witt]

My house is worth $450 - 500 K, judging from what others in this neighborhood have sold for. Property tax is $2100. However, Colorado has lots of sales taxing districts that make up for the low property tax. It all evens out eventually. Plus, our teachers are paid considerably less than those in PA, yet there are many applicants for every job.

[Hopes]

Pittnurse, do you have any idea how much you pay in sales tax per year? I suspect it's possible that people are getting nickled and dimed to death without realizing. Wouldn't it be amazing if you were spending thousands in sales tax? That's not unreasonable when you consider that 7% tax ib 59k comes to $3,500. Add big ticket items, like car and boat purchases, into the mix and it comes to some serious money.

My husband says that there is currently a consideration to switch to eliminate real estate tax and switch to a sales tax system. I'm not sure how I feel about it. I really wish there were statistical comparisons.