Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
My first new thread, so I'll try to keep it simple
We are recently retired & will be selling our home on LI, looking to relocate to an area within 4 hrs drive to LI (family/friends on LI). We'll probably rent for a year then hopefully purchase.
We'd like to find an area that has most of the following (it's a wish list, of course):
*A safe, walkable downtown area with basic stores, library, recreation
*Housing - first year apartment rental (hopefully fairly quiet building) max $1700/mo, maybe with a gym or within proximity to recreation (walking trails, pool)
*Lower property taxes than LI - [this could be easy ] say <$3,000 year for a condo or townhouse once we decide to purchase
*Proximity to good medical care, cultural offerings (museums, art & music, lectures) preferably a University area, good public transportation (within a 30 minute commute to a city). Love all that cities have to offer!
*After renting, purchase price for a condo/townhouse with 1 -2 br, 1.5 baths (no upstairs neighbors or a good sound insulated building) in <$250,000 range.
We are currently exploring the Philadelphia suburbs (Media, Collingswood, etc.), and if affordable would consider an urban location such as Philly's Center City.
Wondering if we are in the range of affordability in Philly or a similar area, and any suggestions and comments on your experiences are welcome - thanks!
Are we related? LOL Because I'm in exactly the same boat, with the exception that I am looking for a SFH because I could never live in attached housing.
So pull up a deckchair and say hi. ;-)
I've already done the research drill for DE (if you're concerned about good medical care and lack of environmental pollution, you can cross that state off your list) and despite the housing/tax advantages and relative closeness, it's no longer on my list.
Some people cite NE PA but it's not my cup of tea. If I'm going to have a harsher winter than typical LI (not this year's!) then I want to be closer. Thus I've begun researching parts of CT (not Fairfield County though, which is out of my price range). Depending on the town, taxes are surprisingly lower than LI; and here I thought all of CT was unaffordable.
One caveat for CT is that they do have an annual car tax which by some miracle we in NY have so far escaped. Their sales tax is lower though, at 6.35% and there is no taxation at the county level at all.
It used to take me an hour or more just to get off Long Island (lived in Eastern LI) so how far out on Long Island are we talking?
In response to our visiting LI, Western Nassau County is where relatives live. If we visit we'd be staying at a hotel & visiting the area on a few day drives as well (North Fork, NYC each 1 day).
Are we related? LOL Because I'm in exactly the same boat, with the exception that I am looking for a SFH because I could never live in attached housing.
So pull up a deckchair and say hi. ;-)
I've already done the research drill for DE (if you're concerned about good medical care and lack of environmental pollution, you can cross that state off your list) and despite the housing/tax advantages and relative closeness, it's no longer on my list.
Some people cite NE PA but it's not my cup of tea. If I'm going to have a harsher winter than typical LI (not this year's!) then I want to be closer. Thus I've begun researching parts of CT (not Fairfield County though, which is out of my price range). Depending on the town, taxes are surprisingly lower than LI; and here I thought all of CT was unaffordable.
One caveat for CT is that they do have an annual car tax which by some miracle we in NY have so far escaped. Their sales tax is lower though, at 6.35% and there is no taxation at the county level at all.
Could you share what specific areas of CT you found to be reasonable and fitting most of our wish list? Also, the reason we would prefer a townhouse or condo is to minimize the maintenance needs. That being said, we're open to your take on SFH if affordable. Thanks!
Northampton, Mass., in the Pioneer Valley along I-91 N-S, also known as the "Five College" area or "Education Corridor." It's a bit pricey to buy in, but nowhere near as bad as LI. Two-and-a-half hours to NYC. We have so many New Yorkers who have transplanted here permanently, or summer here in the adjacent hilltowns, that is has driven up property value and cost. Great downtown, arts, etc and the new senior center is quite nice. Northampton Council on Aging & Senior Center Also reliable public transport (free five-college bus system, and city buses, and senior van transport). I'm compiling info for another poster, so if interested DM me.
Philadelphia has local taxes to consider.
Pa probably has lower real estate and income taxes than NJ.
4 hours will get you to the Washington DC area.
Thus I would look around Phil and DC with the further South the better.
Northampton MA is really good and it's loaded with New Yorkers. Ask newenglandgirl who is more expert on that area than I am.
In CT as long as you avoid super expensive Fairfield Cty and the expensive towns around Hartford, you can do okay price wise. CT does tax social security though. There are some beautiful towns around New Haven but you have to avoid New Haven itself due to crime. The coastal towns are lovely but some are expensive, like Essex and a few others. Some of the surrounding towns near the coast aren't that expensive, probably a lot less than Long Island. There are trains that go directly to NYC and you have rte 95 too.
Both states like to tax people a lot. Car tax, expensive inspection prices, property taxes, sales tax. It will still be cheaper than living in LI.
I used to commute from Suffolk County in to the city every day but then was offered a transfer Upstate. I live in the Hudson Valley and work in Albany and not for nothing this area has a lot of what you're looking for. Reasonable rents, taxes not great but better than LI and for a condo they're in your price range. We drive down to the Island to visit friends, we can drive down and park in the city for a day or weekend or we can hop on Amtrak and be at Penn in 2 hours. There are several colleges in the area though it's not a college town like Boston (also just a 3 hour drive) but it's not bad. There are museums and several concert venues in NY and Massachusetts. There are several great towns in the Hudson valley or the Adirondacks to putz around in for the day. Albany has some excellent hospitals too. We're up in the air about staying put when we retire, a lot of things we like about the area and proximity to everything in NYC but there are other options we're considering.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
] say <$3,000 year for a condo or townhouse once we decide to purchase
