Moemg
Gone but not forgotten
I was just thinking recently about how much taxes and insurance have gone up in Florida and I was wondering if anybody moved somewhere and got a unexpected surprise about their cost of living ?
Cost of living Surprises
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JPatrick
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Sure, we bought a new home in 06. I anticipated $2000 in property taxes and put that amount aside. Mailman brings bill in December.----$109 !!!! 8)Moemg said:
The 2006 tax was based only on the raw land amount.
HONEY!! HEY YOU KNOW THAT BOTTLE OF CHAMPAGNE WE'VE BEEN SAVING--
Oh well, now it's 2007
Yes, it seems that many states have surprises. Texas being know for having high real estate taxes, for instance has high home insurance costs.
Some also say very high utility costs.
I read once that Colorado has very high auto insurance costs. Don't know if that is true. Any comments.
We all know the obvious like Texas above and Florida for high real estate taxes and now insurance, but what about some of the not so know higher costs.
Anyone, want to share - to save someone else looking for a low cost of living a surprise.
Some also say very high utility costs.
I read once that Colorado has very high auto insurance costs. Don't know if that is true. Any comments.
We all know the obvious like Texas above and Florida for high real estate taxes and now insurance, but what about some of the not so know higher costs.
Anyone, want to share - to save someone else looking for a low cost of living a surprise.
kcowan
Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
We had a $2300 vet bill. Repairs on our 95 BMW (1st in four years) another $1500.
OTOH taxes have been going the other way and portfolio has outperformed our plan (twice as good) since 2002.
OTOH taxes have been going the other way and portfolio has outperformed our plan (twice as good) since 2002.
Rustic23
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We retired in May of last year. Now this is a little thing, but Laundry and Clothing is a good surprise. We have not spent a dime on dry cleaners. In fact I still have dress shirts hanging in my closet still in plastic. Wash and wear, that you could never just wash and wear, are now really take out of the dryer and wear. While we have purchased some new clothes they were casual things like tee shirts or shorts and tennis shoes. We have spent less than 20% of what I had in the spreadsheet for this.
Goonie
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Surprise!! Our house insurance premium DROPPED about $55 this year!!
I like those surprises!!!
I like those surprises!!!
mountaintosea
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Goonie said:Surprise!! Our house insurance premium DROPPED about $55 this year!!
I like those surprises!!!
Goonie 7 days? Does that mean by next weekend you will join the ranks of the REs?
Yes, I've been receiving some cost of living suprises the last two days. Yesterday I found out the retaining wall of my carport is crumbling, today I found out the chimney needs to be rebuilt from the roof up. I already knew the deck has to be ripped out and rebuilt.
I paid off the mortgage 1.5 years ago and I'm thinking I may have to take out a new one to cover the repairs.
I'm so bummed.
I paid off the mortgage 1.5 years ago and I'm thinking I may have to take out a new one to cover the repairs.
I'm so bummed.
Goonie
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mountaintosea said:
That is correct, although my boss claims I've been retired for quite some time already!
I'll get 2 more paychecks...one next Friday that will be my regular pay, then one 2 weeks later that will be lump-sum for vacation time, accumulated sick days, personal days, and comp-time. Then May 1st my first pension check will be direct-deposited!
Only one more week of harassment and childish behavior in my w*rkplace.......then I'll have to find other things to do to occupy my time!
Brat
Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
When DH & I moved to Seattle metro from Portland 10 years ago we assumed that the cost of goods (excluding sales tax) would be about the same. Not so - even at the same wholesaler. Seattle was significantly higher. The first excuse I heard was that wages are higher here. The more I probed, not so.
What do I attribute this difference? I think the business gross receipts tax is one factor. Another may be that Seattleites think that the more they pay for an item the better it must be. Oregonians have no such illusions, for them shopping for the best deal is a fine art.
What do I attribute this difference? I think the business gross receipts tax is one factor. Another may be that Seattleites think that the more they pay for an item the better it must be. Oregonians have no such illusions, for them shopping for the best deal is a fine art.
lazygood4nothinbum
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brat, could also have to do with property or lease costs. i go for a bagel & orange juice in fort lauderdale & i'm out 5 bucks. same meal at same store in tampa and i walk out with some serious change. same store, same food, big difference in cost. i'm thinking of relocating to rural florida depending on what happens with property taxes here. only problem with that is i won't be able to find a bagel there at any price.
whitestick
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Some other "surprises" for Texas, at least in the DFW area are -
electricity rates at 13+cents/kwh
restrictions on your watering such that your newly planted shrubs/lawn/flowers will wither and die due to lack of water
months on end of torrential rains, and flooding such that the surviving shrubs/lawn/flowers will wash out with any remaining topsoil and go floating down the street
need to install sprinkler systems to water your house foundation, not your yard, as in Texas, there are only two types of foundations - those that crack, and those that are gonna crack
when the previously mentioned rains come, the water fall is so great, that it falls directly off the side of the gutters, washing away the dirt next to the foundation, and digging ruts next to the house - such that when the rains stop, the ground will dry out much quicker and go from soggy to cracked within a couple of weeks.
excess amount of chemicals for the pool as the normal heat causes the chlorine to evaporate quickly.
when mentioned rains come, the finely chemically balanced pool overflows with the excess water, diluting the chemical balance, and as a side benefit, washing the vegetation (lawn/flowers/shrubs) in a chemical bath causing them to wither and die, ensuring that they will also need to be replaced along with the vegetation next to the house.
enjoying the four seasons - Spring (see above reference to rains, but add in tornados, and gale force winds driving the rain horizontal), Summer (aka - A/C running 24x7 permitting wearing of some clothes), Fall (noted by 2 weeks of color and all the leaves fall at once - covering the bare dirt where the lawn once was), and Winter (generally 1 or 2 days of severe ice storms that melt within 24 hours). By the way, the other phenomenon of Winter is that you can turn the A/C off, and after a period lasting from 2-3 days, immediately switch to heat, followed by a 2-3 day period at end of Winter, when you turn A/C back on.
electricity rates at 13+cents/kwh
restrictions on your watering such that your newly planted shrubs/lawn/flowers will wither and die due to lack of water
months on end of torrential rains, and flooding such that the surviving shrubs/lawn/flowers will wash out with any remaining topsoil and go floating down the street
need to install sprinkler systems to water your house foundation, not your yard, as in Texas, there are only two types of foundations - those that crack, and those that are gonna crack
when the previously mentioned rains come, the water fall is so great, that it falls directly off the side of the gutters, washing away the dirt next to the foundation, and digging ruts next to the house - such that when the rains stop, the ground will dry out much quicker and go from soggy to cracked within a couple of weeks.
excess amount of chemicals for the pool as the normal heat causes the chlorine to evaporate quickly.
when mentioned rains come, the finely chemically balanced pool overflows with the excess water, diluting the chemical balance, and as a side benefit, washing the vegetation (lawn/flowers/shrubs) in a chemical bath causing them to wither and die, ensuring that they will also need to be replaced along with the vegetation next to the house.
enjoying the four seasons - Spring (see above reference to rains, but add in tornados, and gale force winds driving the rain horizontal), Summer (aka - A/C running 24x7 permitting wearing of some clothes), Fall (noted by 2 weeks of color and all the leaves fall at once - covering the bare dirt where the lawn once was), and Winter (generally 1 or 2 days of severe ice storms that melt within 24 hours). By the way, the other phenomenon of Winter is that you can turn the A/C off, and after a period lasting from 2-3 days, immediately switch to heat, followed by a 2-3 day period at end of Winter, when you turn A/C back on.
REWahoo
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Whitestick, you're hired.
Lakerat Nomore
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whitestick,
You sure make life in Texas sound horrible. You beat REWahoo hands down. One wonders why you are still here. There has got to be something that is good about your home state. Or are you just trying to discourage all those others from migrating to the Lone Star State? I live in the North Texas area and while I can confirm all those less than idealist qualities about our Texas enviroment, I wouldn't live anywhere else.
You sure make life in Texas sound horrible. You beat REWahoo hands down. One wonders why you are still here. There has got to be something that is good about your home state. Or are you just trying to discourage all those others from migrating to the Lone Star State? I live in the North Texas area and while I can confirm all those less than idealist qualities about our Texas enviroment, I wouldn't live anywhere else.
REWahoo
Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give
Lakerat Nomore said:
Lakerat,
whitestick is just doing service to all those who are lured by the idea of low TX real estate prices by pointing out living here is an acquired taste. We've got too damn many people moving here already I'd hate to see people move here to retire and be disappointed when faced with the harsh reality of life in TX.
See Philip Sheridan's comment below.
OKLibrarian
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*nods* OK is not all that different from TX (just more tornadoes and a far better football team, really), and there are definitely tradeoffs to living in this part of the country. We plan to stay here indefinitely, being the cheap-ass geeks frugal lovers of the heartland that we are--but our FIRE plans also involve summering in canada or europe.
NORTHERN europe.
NORTHERN europe.
Lakerat Nomore
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REWahoo,
I do get a chuckle out of your rattlesnake and scorpian reminders. Even the gator news and maybe an occasisional Eboli flash, but some of whitesticks comments hit to close to home! Like the watering the foundation and water restrictions. Of course, the water restrictions are the result of all those folks from other states building their mcmansions and using to much water for their landscaping and their pools. On second thought, Texas is a horrible place to live. You folks with the U-hauls headed out of CA just keep on trucking to some other paradise, Texas ain't it! Sorry for my brief lack of clear thinking....
Oh, and the taxes are horrible here.....
I do get a chuckle out of your rattlesnake and scorpian reminders. Even the gator news and maybe an occasisional Eboli flash, but some of whitesticks comments hit to close to home! Like the watering the foundation and water restrictions. Of course, the water restrictions are the result of all those folks from other states building their mcmansions and using to much water for their landscaping and their pools. On second thought, Texas is a horrible place to live. You folks with the U-hauls headed out of CA just keep on trucking to some other paradise, Texas ain't it! Sorry for my brief lack of clear thinking....
Oh, and the taxes are horrible here.....
REWahoo
Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give
Lakerat Nomore said:
REWahoo
Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give
OKLibrarian said:
Sat., Oct. 7, 2006 Texas 28, Oklahoma 10Sat., Oct. 8, 2005 Texas 45, Oklahoma 12
OKLibrarian
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And UT's never had rebuilding years? A temporary lull, 'tis all...
A temporary lull, 'tis all...
lazygood4nothinbum
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Tommy said:
sure do tommy. in fact i've got about 3000 miles to use up on the t-bird before the lease is up so i'm gonna do a florida tour checking out just that.
one place i want to hit is daytona beach (& its surrounds), which has taken over from fort lauderdale as spring break headquarters. this is about an hour & a 1/2 south of jacksonville (jax). according to realtor.com $250k buys a decent house just blocks from the beach. (just checked again: it also shows over 700 houses for sale under $200k but i don't know what the areas look like yet.)
other affordable coastal metropolitan areas include jax and tampa/st. pete. an inland fun area would be gainesville. just last week i spent time in new port richey which i will also keep in mind. it is just an hour north of tampa and very affordable, nice area. if you want to party you can drive to tampa for the day or check into a cheap motel for the night.
but even ft laud/miami might become better affordable if this state ever gets its act together and does something to fix insurance or at least taxes. this is currently in the works. but for most of us already here, that would be the cost of living surprise of the century.
whitestick
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Don't misunderstand me, I love it here, and really enjoy being here. As REWhoo and you point out, there are some realities of being in Texas, and the OP did ask for any Cost of Living Surprises. I personally think that untill our gutless politicians start making decisions that are needed for quality of life, rather then putting money in their pockets, we will continue to have some of these problems. I don't expect that they will, but the facts are that as we are having water shortages due to all of the watering of unnatural landscaping for the area, and people continue to move here, the problems will only exacerbate.Lakerat Nomore said:
Now, as to living here, I think the summers are great, of course it does get hot, but if you eat some jalapenos and habeneros mixed in with your eggs for breakfast, the rest of the day seems fairly cool. I love how the winters are realtively mild. In fact, at the end of March, and I'm able to drive around town with the convertible top down, in comfort, and feel the warmth of the sun on my face. In spite of my previous comments, there are 4 seasons here, and the trees do turn nice colors in the Fall, if for only a few weeks.
It's just not right for the rest of you. You have been warned!
