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Old 09-24-2013, 06:39 PM   #21
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Originally Posted by ShokWaveRider View Post
This is getting Very interesting. I thought my taxes were high. But I think RE Taxes are proving to be one of the biggest hits. Homes would be quite affordable without it. Thank goodness homes are paid off. Funny as in our case 70% of the RE taxes are for Education, a service we have never used. (No Kids) What does Connecticut do with all the RE money? . . .
It costs a lot to live in paradise. My real estate taxes go solely to the town; the State of Connecticut gets its money from the income tax and the sales tax. Of the town budget, it is about 50/50 between the schools and the rest of the municipal departments. Like you, we have no children -- but I'm sure some childless couple paid taxes while I was in public school, so I don't mind. Although I do think we may have the largest police department in the entire Western world.
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Old 09-25-2013, 05:26 AM   #22
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I'm not sure how applicable this thread is to renters like myself but I'm going to play, if for no other reason than to help represent ER'ed renters. There are a few of us around.

Location: San Francisco East Bay
Size: 280 sq ft
FIRE'd: Yes

Monthly figures:

RE Taxes: N/A
Electricity: N/A (included in rent)
Water/Sewer: N/A (included in rent)
Gas: N/A (included in rent)
HOA: N/A
Yard Maint: N/A

Home Ins: N/A (I don't have renters insurance for my stuff either - self insured I guess!)
Flood: N/A
Pest Bond: N/A
Umbrella: N/A

TOTAL: $0 (Unless you include the rent, which is $640/month)

Other Variables:

Cable & Internet: $23 internet only - no cable
Cell Phone N/A (don't own one)
Landline + long distance ~ $10
Newspaper: N/A, but have a couple of magazine subscriptions that total ~ $5.50/month

As I stated earlier, I know that most people viewing this thread will be doing so to compare the costs of home ownership with other other home owners. I'm simply sharing my (very simple) figures merely to illustrate that there are many different ways to crack a nut.

Maybe one day I'll rejoin the ranks of owners and will once again know the joy ( ) of multiple bills so that I can share them here! Then again, I may remain a renter, or decide to shovel the 3 kitties into a 4-wheeled home with me, at which point I can share all sorts of maintenance costs resulting from a life on the road.

I must say though, that having been a home owner in the past, it is nice to have very few bills to pay every month.
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Old 09-25-2013, 06:03 AM   #23
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Location: Eastern WV Panhandle
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WV Eastern Panhandle
Size: 1700 sf and half of basement finished, 1/4 acre lot

Monthly, although insurance we pay annually:

RE taxes: $125/month (We pay annually, and early for a discount.)
Electricity: (varies with season) from ~$30-$250/month
Natural gas: (varies) $6-$300 one very cold winter, usual winter high is ~$200-$250
Water/Sewer: $100
Yard maintenance: DIY, maybe $150-$200 for mulch and stuff
House insurance: $65
Cable: $102
Landline phone: (unlimited LD since everyone is LD), DSL, $104
HOA: $33
Umbrella: $18.75
Flood: N/A
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Old 09-25-2013, 06:14 AM   #24
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Location: Texas: No Country for Old Men
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Location: On a hill in central TX
Size: 2700 sq ft
FIREd: Yep

Total is under $800, almost half ($350) from RE taxes...
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Old 09-25-2013, 06:23 AM   #25
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Major Tom View Post
! Then again, I may remain a renter, or decide to shovel the 3 kitties into a 4-wheeled home with me, at which point I can share all sorts of maintenance costs resulting from a life on the road.
Speaking of a life on the road maintenance cost, I just footed a $500+ bill to pay for the replacement of a leaf spring and tire on the 5th wheel. Having a suspension spring suddenly break at 60 mph is an 'interesting' experience...as was watching the mobile repair service do the repairs sitting on the shoulder of I-25...
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Old 09-25-2013, 06:36 AM   #26
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Join Date: Jul 2012
Location: Mississippi
Posts: 1,894
Location: West Central MS
Size: 2000sqft
FIREd: Yes

RE Taxes: $120
Electricity: $93(AC & Heat)
Water: $28 (Includes Sewer)
Gas: $23 (Propane, No Natural Gas)
HOA: $20
Yard Maint: 0 ( DIY )

Home Ins: $90 (Home & Contents)
Flood: n/a
Pest Bond: n/a
Umbrella: n/a

TOTAL: $374

Some Other Variables:

Cable & Internet: $93
Phone (magicjack+tracphone) $10
News Paper: $10
Auto Insurance: $82
garbage: $19.65
security monitor: $25

I thought my RE taxes were ridiculous. It can vary a lot even the same area. Parents house in a different county the tax is ~$350 total for the year.
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Old 09-25-2013, 06:40 AM   #27
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Location: Twin Cities
Posts: 523
Location: Twin Cities, MN
Size: 2500 sq ft
FIRE'd: No - still 2-3 years away

Monthly figures:

RE Taxes: $750 (we live on a premier lake in MN - land worth more than house)
Electricity: $125
Water/Sewer: $60
Garbage: $20
Gas: $100 (it is MN)
HOA: N/A
Yard Maint: $30 (gas for mower/snow blower and DW's flower obsession)
Dock Service: $30 (pay to have it put in/taken out)

Home Ins: $150
Flood: N/A
Pest Bond: N/A
Umbrella: $25
Maintenance: $150 (includes budget for major repairs)

TOTAL: $1440

Other Variables:

Cable & Internet: $140
Cell Phone: $240 - paying for 3 kids on plan + expense part of it to biz
Landline: n/a
Newspaper:n/a

One thing that is certainly an option in our FIRE plan is to move off the lake and cut our expenses significantly if the finances got tight. That said, we do love living on the lake and our family/friends like coming out too.
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Old 09-25-2013, 07:20 AM   #28
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Location: Southwest Florida
Posts: 470
4,250 Sq. feet in SW Florida:
Taxes - $6,700
Insurance - $2,200
Landscaping - $6,000
Pool - $1,500
HOA - $3,600
Electricity - $2,400
Water - $900
TV, Cable, Internet - $2,100
Average maintenance - $8,000
_________
Total $33,400 or about $2,800 a month
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Old 09-25-2013, 07:58 AM   #29
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Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: NC
Posts: 21,204
Location: NW Indiana (Chicago suburb)
Size: 2,300sqft - we're not in our final retirement house, we'll downsize in the area or downsize/relocate one of these days...
FIREd: Me yes, DW no

using your splits, all /mo

RE Taxes: $160 ($1917/yr) - apples & oranges of course, we all know each state relies on a mix of RE taxes, income & sales taxes and other sources for total revenue (not to mention local taxes).
Electricity & Gas: $132/mo
Water: $45 (Includes Sewer)
Trash: $20/mo
Gas: above
HOA: $65/mo ($850/yr)
Yard Maint: $25/mo

Home Ins: $79 ($942/yr)
Flood: $0
Pest bond: $0
Umbrella: incl above

TOTAL: $526/mo

Some Other Variables:

Cable & Internet: $122
Phone (2 cell phones) $36
News Paper: $0
AAA $0
Auto Insurance: $68/mo (2 cars)
Maintenance: $49 (2012, excluding remodeling/major system replacements which would be far more per month)
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Old 09-25-2013, 08:06 AM   #30
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Location: Fairfax, VA
Posts: 209
Location: Northern VA, DC Suburbs.
Size: 2000sqft
FIREd: Not even close.

using your splits, all /mo

RE Taxes: $291 ($3500/yr)
Electricity & Gas: $150/mo
Water: $80 (Includes Sewer, and includes a WHOLE lot of laundry due to cloth diapers.)
Gas: above
HOA: $110/mo ($1320/yr)

Home Ins: $75 ($900/yr)
Flood: $0
Pest bond: $0
Umbrella: incl above

TOTAL: $706/mo
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Old 09-25-2013, 08:17 AM   #31
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After looking at some of the results in this thread, here is some Gereral info on Property Taxes, although St. Johns County FL. is not on it, we are 1.78%. I am sure each county adds their little bit too as I have some friends in Katy, TX., a suburb of Houston that pay 3%


Best States for Property Taxes
  1. Louisiana - 0.18%
  2. Hawaii - 0.26%
  3. Alabama - 0.33%
  4. Delaware - 0.43%
  5. West Virginia - 0.49%
  6. South Carolina - 0.50%
  7. Arkansas - 0.52%
  8. Mississippi - 0.52%
  9. New Mexico - 0.55%
  10. Wyoming - 0.58%
Worst States for Property Taxes
  1. New Jersey - 1.89%
  2. New Hampshire - 1.86%
  3. Texas - 1.81%
  4. Wisconsin - 1.76%
  5. Nebraska - 1.70%
  6. Illinois - 1.73%
  7. Connecticut - 1.63%
  8. Michigan - 1.62%
  9. Vermont - 1.59%
  10. North Dakota - 1.42%
Here is another link to more info by state:

http://www.retirementliving.com/taxes-by-state
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Old 09-25-2013, 08:32 AM   #32
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ShokWaveRider View Post
I am sure each county adds their little bit too as I have some friends in Katy, TX., a suburb of Houston that pay 3%
+1

Actually, there are no state property taxes in TX. Taxing entities include school districts, county, city, and a host of other govt entities with their hands in our pockets (emergency service districts, hospital districts, water districts, road districts, etc.)

We were paying close to 3% when living in the city. That's one reason we moved to the country - no city taxes, which lowered our tax hit by 30%+.
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Old 09-25-2013, 08:33 AM   #33
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ShokWaveRider View Post
After looking at some of the results in this thread, here is some Gereral info on Property Taxes, although St. Johns County FL. is not on it, we are 1.78%. I am sure each county adds their little bit too as I have some friends in Katy, TX., a suburb of Houston that pay 3%











Best States for Property Taxes
  1. Louisiana - 0.18%
(emphasis mine)
Little bit? In our case, the Parish gets almost the entirety of the real estate tax bill, not the state.

Our real estate taxes are assessed by the Parish (=County), based on millages determined by parish-wide vote. Almost all of these taxes go to the Parish, NOT the state of Louisiana. Louisiana gets income from us through other taxes.

Part of the reason why I chose to live in my Parish was the real estate taxes here, which are vastly lower than those in next Parish over, 2 miles away.

Unfortunately, for us the figure listed in your post is completely meaningless.
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Old 09-25-2013, 08:38 AM   #34
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ShokWaveRider View Post
Worst States for Property Taxes
  1. New Jersey - 1.89%
  2. New Hampshire - 1.86%
  3. Texas - 1.81%
  4. Wisconsin - 1.76%
  5. Nebraska - 1.70%
  6. Illinois - 1.73%
  7. Connecticut - 1.63%
  8. Michigan - 1.62%
  9. Vermont - 1.59%
  10. North Dakota - 1.42%
Though as you know TX has no income tax and NH only taxes dividend & interest income plus they have no sales taxes, so looking at RE taxes alone doesn't tell the whole story. Unless you look at RE taxes, sales taxes, state/county/local income & sales taxes, personal property taxes, gas/liquor/other fees & taxes - I don't know how you can make useful comparisons for tax expenses. I posted a best/worst states list a while ago that included all, and the top tens are completely different than the RE lists. And even then, local differences have a lot of influence in many cases as well (W2R pointed that out then as well).
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Old 09-25-2013, 09:14 AM   #35
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It's obviously not my retirement home, but it does show how clergy can live so cheaply:

Location: SE Texas
Size: 1,800 sqft
FIREd: I'm semi-retired, DW is clergy

RE Taxes: $0 (it's a tax-exempt parsonage)
Electricity: $0 (paid by the church)
Water: $0 (paid by the church)
Sewer: $0 (paid by the church)
Garbage: $0 (paid by the church)
Gas: $0 (paid by the church)
HOA: N/A
Yard Maint: $0 (I maintain our back yard and other members do the rest of the grounds)

Home Ins: $15 (renters policy for contents)
Flood: N/A
Pest Bond: N/A
Umbrella: $16

TOTAL: $31

Some Other Variables:

Cable & Internet: $90 (for satellite TV, I use the church's internet through a repeater)
Land line phone: $0 (paid by church)
Cell phones: $60
News Paper: $2 (small town weekly paper)
Auto Insurance: $100
Maintenance: $20 (for minor things, church covers major repairs)
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Old 09-25-2013, 12:19 PM   #36
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One thing to consider is the local cost of having plumbers, electricians, etc. come out to diagnose/repair problems with appliances, wiring, plumbing. Here, it's generally $150 to come out, diagnose, and work for 1 hour or less. Each extra hour is $100.00.

Amethyst
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Old 09-25-2013, 12:33 PM   #37
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ShokWaveRider View Post
After looking at some of the results in this thread, here is some Gereral info on Property Taxes, although St. Johns County FL. is not on it, we are 1.78%. I am sure each county adds their little bit too as I have some friends in Katy, TX., a suburb of Houston that pay 3%
When I lived in Katy the bulk of the property taxes were for the Katy School District. Part of Katy is in Harris County and part in Fort Bend County (I was in Fort Bend). The county taxes were the smaller part of the total taxes.

Also, a lot of people pay MUD taxes (for the municipal utility district). These can also be quite high, particularly for a newer subdivision that isn't completely built out. One of the advantages we had being on well and septic was that we had no MUD taxes.

Where I live currently (a different county), I don't have MUD taxes either. I am on septic but get water through the subdivision through a co-op. There is no MUD taxes (good) but my water rates are higher than they were when I lived in a subdivision in the past that had MUD taxes.

Also, because I'm in a co-op, I don't have a choice of electrical provider. My electricity per kwh increased by 50% when I moved to my current home since I can't switch to a lower cost provider.
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Old 09-25-2013, 12:44 PM   #38
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Originally Posted by Amethyst View Post
One thing to consider is the local cost of having plumbers, electricians, etc. come out to diagnose/repair problems with appliances, wiring, plumbing. Here, it's generally $150 to come out, diagnose, and work for 1 hour or less. Each extra hour is $100.00.

Amethyst
Mine was included as I do all plumbing, Electrics etc. myself, with the exception of AC recharging and Roof repairs (Mentioned by others also if I recall correctly). I have been known to hire painters as I hate doing it, but do give in on occasion.
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Old 09-25-2013, 01:23 PM   #39
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Originally Posted by Amethyst View Post
One thing to consider is the local cost of having plumbers, electricians, etc. come out to diagnose/repair problems with appliances, wiring, plumbing. Here, it's generally $150 to come out, diagnose, and work for 1 hour or less. Each extra hour is $100.00.

Amethyst
I'm sure you all know the story about the plumber who charged $150 for a 1 hour call. The homeowner retorted "I wouldn't pay that much for a brain surgeon!"

The plumber's response: "I know. I used to be one."
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Old 09-25-2013, 01:35 PM   #40
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And I'm perfectly at home with painting, as long as it's not higher than 1 story (I refuse to paint from an extension ladder). Painters charge too darn much! Funny, the things we'll do to save $$.

Amethyst

Quote:
Originally Posted by ShokWaveRider View Post
I have been known to hire painters as I hate doing it, but do give in on occasion.
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