Best States/Cities to Live IN/Move to?????

[JoiseyMom]

Hi all. We currently live in Monmouth County NJ. Excellent schools, and outrageous property taxes. Our taxes are currently 8700, and our house is currently assessed at under 1/2 what it is worth. They are going to be re-assessing again over the next several years, and we cannot afford to pay 17k a year in property taxes!! I don't know how all the people buying new in my area and paying 600k - 1m are able to pay the outrageous taxes!!

DH feels this is a perfect time for us to move. We can get a good amount of money for our current house. Our 2 older (21 & 22) DS's are almost out of the house. 1 is about to enter his last year of college, and the other has a job, and can get his own apt. Our youngest are 9 & 4.

We need to move where there are low property taxes, at least lower than NJ. We need a good school system. We need a Jewish Community. We also need access to an excellent Pediatric Neurlogist, DD has absence seizures (epilepsy). Need houses that aren't 600k .

DH wants to look into Central Florida. It is a growing area, in jobs and housing. I've looked at some houses online in the Orlando area, but I don't know which ones are better than others. Schools, communities??

Any advice, ideas?? Anyone love where they live?? What about all of you guys that moved to the Orlando areas?? Is it worth it???

Thanks!!

 

[April in Disney]

I am moving from Monmouth county "look at my location" to Central Florida. The prices of homes in central florida have gone up much more than ours in the past year. I will let you know about the school. DD will start Aug 4th in an "A" rated school.

 

[Disney Doll]

Just be aware that health care in Florida does not have a stellar reputation.

You might want to ask your child's current neurologoist if he/she has colleagues in other areas of the country that they'd recommend.

 

[Feralpeg]

Just be aware that health care in Florida does not have a stellar reputation.

You might want to ask your child's current neurologoist if he/she has colleagues in other areas of the country that they'd recommend.

Actually, there is some excellant healthcare in this area. You just have to be careful. We have one of the best cancer centers in the country here. I found a very good doctor here. I agree that it would be a good idea to ask your doctor for recommendations, but don't let healthcare scare you from this area.

 

[paigevz]

If you're going South and decide Florida won't work for you after all,

We have a lot of people moving here from your area and California, Colorado...........they say it's because the jobs are plentiful, the houses are not nearly as expensive, taxes are lower, and schools are good (depends on where you live, as anywhere). There is excellent medical care here in the DFW area (Dallas, Fort Worth)..........some of the premier specialists in the country work here. My DH has a fairly uncommon, inherited liver condition and the dr. we were referred to in Dallas is the 3rd rated liver specialist in the US. Our children's hospital here in Fort Worth, and the one in Dallas are among the best and most innovative in the country. I am not sure about Jewish communities, though with such a large area, there must be several...........there are also several good colleges with in a few hours' drive.

 

[JayCT]

First of all, just because the value of your home has doubled doen't mean that the taxes are going to double. Usually during a revaluation the rate at which you are taxed drops. Your taxes may go up (don't they always) but unless you have done a lot of work that added a lot of value to your home it shouldn't be by much.

Also be very careful to fully understand the area where you are moving. Not everywhere is like the northeast. Florida is the "hot" (no pun inteneded) place to move but it is getting very crowded and has horrible traffic (and I bet you thought New Jersey was bad). Schools can be a real problem too. Most school systems outside the northeast are run by counties or districts and that means very little local control. Also consider the job market. MAny places do not pay anywhere near what you would get paid in NJ. Finally, as the above poster says, the medical services are iffy, so definitely consult your daughter's doctor for help.

Personally Florida is not for me. Too hot and crowded and not very attractive except along the very expensive coast. I prefer New England. Lots of history and charm. I do not mind paying taxes as long as I get the services. Good schools, parks and well maintain highways. JMHO Good luck. Jay

 

[lemondog]

You should look at Nashville. We have excellent healthcare, including one of the Top 10 Children's Hospitals in the nation. Real estate and taxes are very cheap compared to other areas of the country. There is no state income tax. We have 4 distinct seasons. There is not a HUGE Jewish community but there definitely is one. We have several temples, from Orthodox to Reform and a very nice Jewish Community Center. One downside -- the public schools leave a LOT to be desired. But there are many wonderful private schools including a Jewish school. We love it here!

 

[Microcell]

Kansas City is in the middle of the country! My property taxes on a 140,000 house are 1200 which is considered the highest tax paying subarb in the metro. Good medical care, great schools except KC itself. It is 20 hours away from Florida, but you can get cheap airfare on Southwest. We have not paid more than 500.00 for a family of four to fly.

It is 10 hours from Denver, 8 from Chicago and Minneapolis, 4 from St. Louis, 8 from Dallas.

I know, why would you want to live here, but the housing prices are soo good compared to the east, 200,000 gets you much more than 1/2 a million does there!

Here is a link to prove it:

http://www.reeceandnichols.com/Cons...gDistrictTypeID=&FirstLetter=&Sort=1&Cookies=

Can you get that for under 200,000 anywhere on the east coast? I think not!

We also have 4 seasons, none of them too long. I could go on...

I forgot about the jewish community, which is in Overland Park, Kansas and you do get less for the money there, here is one example of houses there (twenty minutes from me) in Lees Summit.

Overland Park:
http://www.reeceandnichols.com/Cons...gDistrictTypeID=&FirstLetter=&Sort=1&Cookies=

Still can't beat that! You have your Reform, to take breaks to eat during Yom Kippor, Conservative, where you can be with men in the same area, but women still cannot go on the pulpit, and there is Orthadox too! If you are Orthadox, I suggest living in Overland Park, that is a heck of a walk from Lee's Summit!

If you are Orthadox- this one is within Walking distance from the synagogue:

http://www.reeceandnichols.com/Cons...gDistrictTypeID=&FirstLetter=&Sort=1&Cookies=

And there is an excellent Children's Hospital, they saved my DD's life!
http://www.childrensmercy.com/MSO/dept/default.asp

 

[swilphil]

I'm in Kansas City area too and would suggest South Overland Park or Leawood, both in Kansas. The Blue Valley School District is great and has a higher Jewish population than the rest of the metro. They also have several new hospitals in that area, including Children's Mercy South. Neighboring Olathe has a very LOW Jewish population, so you might want to avoid that.

I'm not sure if you are interested in moving to the Midwest. KC is a great place to raise a family. There's a lot of cultural activities and pro sports. The winter isn't as harsh as the Northeast, but it's definitely not Florida.

 

[golfgal]

You could look into St. Paul, Minnesota area or the Rochester, Minnesota area. St. Paul, especially, has a larger Jewish population and Minnesota has excellent medical care and top in the country schools. Some of the suburbs of the St. Paul/Minneapolis area have reasonable housing and active Jewish populations (Mendota Heights, St. Louis Park to name a couple--both have very good schools). If you sell your house for $600K in New Jersey you would be able to purchase a pretty sizable house in either of these communities.

 

[grinningghost]

Stay away from New York state - we're the highest taxed state in the nation and we also pay more to support Medicaid than any other state. Not to mention a fee and a surcharge for everything except breathing (and that will be next I'm sure) - and don't even get me started on the darned tolls.

 

[golfgal]

http://www.realtor.com/FindHome/Hom...51CD406C155C&snumxlid=1049112283&lnksrc=00002


Here is an example of what $600K could buy in those areas.

 

[bananiem]

You could look into St. Paul, Minnesota area or the Rochester, Minnesota area.

Chiming in from Rochester, Minnesota. First off I have to say we have EXCELLENT health care-The Mayo Clinic is here!
Housing prices have gone up in the last decade, but haven't they everywhere? Still, I'm sure it's cheaper than NJ. I can't give you an exact idea of property taxes though since we just built our house last fall after having been gone for 6 years. We're still under homestead and just have an estimate of what they might be.
Education is pretty good here. I think having a majority of parents with a minimum of 4 year degree (IBM is also here) makes them really involved in their child's schooling. There are some excellent private and charter schools as well.
We have quite a diverse population which I like, personally. Population is at 93,000. We're an hour and a half from the Twin Cities but still manage to get a few "big names" for concerts here too.
Good luck with your decision!

 

[JoiseyMom]

Well thanks for all the great ideas. I would love to be able to sell my house for 600k, but I don't think it is worth that much...but even if I was able to sell it for that, after I pay off my mortgage... Ummmm... I would have alot less than 600k to spend on a house. I do want to lower my expenses if we move!! Minnesota is also a bit colder than I would like.

I have been looking at realtor.com for Florida. I wish they would list new construction, but I haven't found it on there.

Grinninghost: I lived most of my life in NY, so yes, I know about their taxes. My bestfriend lives in LI, the traffic and the tolls to get out there are horrid. I need to travel through 3 boros, to get there!! Gotta love those potholes though!

I think DH is going to want to look at houses when we are at WDW at the end of the month.

Again, thanks for all the advice!

To those that have moved to FLorida...are you happy with your decision??

 

[golfgal]

Minnesota is also a bit colder than I would like.

It was 97 here yesterday, how much warmer do you want it???

 

[Obi-Wan Pinobi]

Just putting in a plug for Richmond and central VA.

I do know that there's a decent size Jewish population here. Good schools, especially in Chesterfield County (where we live) and Henrico County. Richmond City schools don't have as good a reputation. VCU has the Medical College of VA hospital downtown, there are a number of other highly-rated hospitals in the area, and UVA Medical Center is just over an hour away in Charlottesville. I don't know about the quality of the neurologists in the area, though.

Home prices are very affordable compared to where you're at. I just glanced through the listings for the area I live in and you could get a home with 5 bed 2.5 bath 2 car garage in a great subdivision for $435K.

 

[Mjasp]

OK You know my vote would be for Avalon Park in Orlando,

BUT
My DD's friend's family are moving to Cary, North Carolina. Don't know about the health care BUT the schools looked very good.

Our taxes here on Long Island are way out of hand. BUT the idea of having school districts NOT being run by your towns but by counties scares me (because obviously I'm not use to that) I have read where people are redistricted (sp?) Is there such a word LOL

 

[Martha7]

There is no state income tax in FL, which is nice. We just moved up to the Ann Arbor area from Ft Lauderdale last year, (I know, new job), and the schools are much less crowded, but of course, we have the snow to deal with! Where we lived in South Florida, there were tons of New Yorkers, a huge Jewish population, but it was also 47% Hispanic, which didn't bother me, since I speak Spanish, but did bother others who didn't, especially when they went into a store and couldn't find any English-speaking clerks! Our good friend moved from Miami to Orlando at Christmas and said that there was a real housing shortage in the area. She had to buy something that wasn't her first choice, because houses were being snatched up quickly. You also need to look into the cost of insurance in Florida. Our car insurance was so much more than what we're paying here, probably due to the crazy Florida drivers! Florida real estate has been going crazy lately. We sold our house for $617,000, which at the time was a record high price per square foot in our neighborhood, and three months later, similar properties were going for $800,000! Good luck with your decision!

 

[RadioNate]

In some areas of florida housing prices are just as out of control as they are in the northeast. My dad has a house in Delray Beach and his best friend is in West Palm. Neither would be able to afford their homes if they were to purchase them today.

Central Florida is still pretty reasonable but as a former Orlando resident I'm not sure I'd go back. Professional jobs are in limited supply. Sure you can get something at $7 an hour but in my experience wages for professional positions are low, if you can find a job. A lot of my friend that moved there have since moved away to find better employment oppertunities.

I'm currently in San Antonio TX and I've been quite pleased with the area. Believe me I NEVER thought I'd live in let alone like Texas. SA has a huge medical community, housing is quite cheap, and business like Washington Mutual and Toyota are bringing in thousands of jobs. I know of 2 Jewish community centers near my home so that must mean something. Property taxes can be high but there is no state income tax. The north and northeast side school districts are both highly reguarded.

For the record I've lived in Chicago, Des Moines IA, Orlando, Portland OR, Charleston SC, Memphis TN and now San Antonio.

I really loved living in the Orlando area but now that I'm focused more on family and career I don't I'd move back as quickly as I once would have.

 

[jimmiej]

San Antonio area. You can get a really nice house here for under 200K. I pay ~$3000 in taxes on a $145K house. No state income tax in Texas (not yet, anyways). Mild winters. And hey, all the humidity you'd ever want!