in pendleton, both property cost and taxes are high. my parents house is assessed at 100k, and they pay 4k in taxes a year. the same house one town over it would be a ~45k house with 2500-3k in taxes, still in a decent area. i would say the cost of property varies quite a bit in WNY. i cant speak for how it compares to other areas of the country, however despite the taxes we have that other states dont, we do have alot going on that other areas dont. it doesnt matter what season it is, theres always tons to do here and theres alot within a short drive for plenty of afternoon adventures. i enjoy living in WNY.
I never said I don’t like living in Buffalo.
Just that that O M G its cheap to live her argument is invalid.
I feel the same way lived in Dallas, Waco, Culpeper Virginia, and Virginia beach and I keep coming back here.
Short list of what I like about the area:
No tornadoes, earthquakes (large ones), hurricanes (bad ones), tsunami’s, floods, droughts (midwest dustbowl severity), hailstorms, and other major weather related disasters.
A very short, friendly border to defend (english is still the generally standard language)
Short commute to all areas, limited traffic congestion (major snowstorms and accidents not withstanding)
Generally pleasant and helpful people
Four actually separate and defined seasons and all the activities that go along with them.
Palatable foods
Virtually limitless fresh water source
Short list of what I dislike about the area:
Taxes, politicians, preservationists, Buffalo Bills, road conditions (although they seem to be getting better), politicians, taxes, lack of interest and ability to bring in large employers, preservationists, Buffalo Bills, and politicians.
Do I feel taxes are high? Absofuckinluteley.
Are property costs low? Certainly.
Are the chicks ugly? Only the ugly ones. Look at channel 4’s workforce. Hotties 4 sure.
Is the overall cost of living high? Asking the wrong guy. I don’t go anywhere.
The thing people seem to forget when comparing total mortgage payment here vs somewhere with lower taxes is equity.
You may be paying about the same each month in a 200k house with 8k taxes here as a 300k house with 1.2k in taxes somewhere else, but at the end of that mortgage the guy in the other state who paid the same monthly payment as you did for 20 years now has $100k more to show for it, and his monthly expenses just went down to $100/month vs your $667/month.
Pay has nothing to do with Cost of Living. That’s a completely different argument all together. Cost of living is higher in NoVa, so of course the average pay is going to be higher.
I’ll say it again… taxes aren’t the only factor in CoL.
I said you can’t compare taxes. It’s a single element of the total CoL.
You know what you guys convinced me, I’m sure my limited anecdotal evidence, and the economists that actually determine the cost of living index are all wrong.
So other costs of living
Gas?
Natural gas?
Health Insurance?
Food?
Electricity?
With the exception of electricity I pay more for all of those things here vs any where else I lived
wait… what?
I said you can’t compare taxes. It’s a single element of the total CoL.
wait…what?
If its part of the COL why cant you compare it?
You know what you guys convinced me, I’m sure my limited anecdotal evidence, and the economists that actually determine the cost of living index are all wrong.[/QUOTE]
Oh for the fuck of shit, you’ve gotta be trolling me know.
Any of you guys actually take an economics class and pass? Maybe I’ve been giving the schools around here too much credit.
if this is me being retarded im willing to admit it.
When you talk about cost of living, i would put taxes in with that.
You are telling me negs. This does not compute.
You also said pay has nothing to do with cost of living, then immediately said cost of living is higher so pay has to be higher. This made me :bloated:
this legit made me lol
We mentioned taxes in NC and you replied explaining reasons why taxes are less.
That doesn’t change the fact taxes ARE less and you will be paying less.
Here you are ladies:
http://cgi.money.cnn.com/tools/costofliving/costofliving.html
Maybe I’m having an Asperger’s moments here.
I’ll try and clarify what I said.
You can’t compare just the taxes. That’s only a part of the total cost of living. Taxes are higher, but when the house you buy for 150,000 costs 200,000 somewhere else, the immediate cost is still higher elsewhere.
Your wages have nothing to do with the COST of living. It’s not part of the equation. Your wages are income, not an expense. Cost of Living is an index based on expenses to maintain a certain lifestyle.
However, wages are typically higher in a region with a higher cost of living to offset the increased expense to maintain a similar standard of living.
You do realize
200k house 2k in taxes and a 150k house 5k in taxes monthly payments are almost identical?
well, duh. but that wasnt the same thing you were saying earlier, and its really the only thing i mentioned [out of a list of costs that we all think of when someone mentions cost of living]
however, i still have an issue with some of that statement. taxes are money you are paying with no chance of ever getting that back (ignoring tax returns/credits). its just a cost, every year, whether you have a mortgage or not. can we agree that its a pretty solid assumption that taxes will continue to raise during your mortgage (over a period of, lets say, 30 years)? I’d be willing to bet that the rate at which property taxes increase is greater in this area [buffalo] than others as well.
I’d rather pay towards a $200k house with $X taxes VS a $150k house with $X+Y taxes. Jays put it perfectly, at the end you’re gonna have a lot more equity and a lot smaller monthly deep dicking by the govt.
Your wages have nothing to do with the COST of living. It’s not part of the equation. Your wages are income, not an expense. Cost of Living is an index based on expenses to maintain a certain lifestyle.
However, wages are typically higher in a region with a higher cost of living to offset the increased expense to maintain a similar standard of living.
this was pretty much the point im making. I realize its an income and its not a cost, however, the two are very interconnected. you need a higher income to live in a place with a higher COL, and a higher COL area generally commands a higher income.
I will pay over $400,000 in property taxes in the next 30 years on my house and will receive nothing in return at the end. If I purchased a more expensive home somewhere else and my monthly payment went towards equity instead of taxes I would be able to cash in after 30 years. Another thing is the lack of appreciation in WNY homes, that being said I guess you could say we were lucky when the bubble burst because it did not hit us so hard but bubbles are ultra rare.
I’ve lived in Texas and in Western NY. Living in Texas is WAY better financially. I pay less in taxes on my $300k house then my rents were paying in there $180k place. My house is all brick, in arguably the best neighborhood inthw country, and over 2800 sq ft. No state income tax to worry about either.
man you really need to relocate your biz out of NY.
I like pizza
Living in Buffalo is like shopping at Walmart. You do it because you’re cheap and think it’s a good idea.
Me, I’d rather shop at Target. It’s more expensive, but the overall quality is better.
And to support Beck’s response: Girls at Target > Girls at Walmart.
I like the setup and mentality of the justice system in Texas, just too damn hot down there.