The wife wants to move to Texas - We're Currently in Ohio

[Ohio Rusty]

My wife's Brother and sister in law live near Ft. Worth. I'm soon to retire and the wife will in a year or two. She is starting to look at homes in Texas as she wants to be close to her brother. Preferably East Texas, but she also likes the Texas hill country. Second ... I'm poor !! I've never made alot of money in my life. I've always had the bills paid and a roof over my head. That was good for me. Looking on Zillow, many houses are out of my price range. Does anyone have a relative or friend that is a realtor that we can contact and have them keep their eyes and ears open for us ?? Send me a PM with some contact info. Networking like this is a great way to maybe find what we can afford there. Moving probably won't happen for 3 or more months. I still have to get rid of alot of 'stuff' and we have been doing that for a month already. I really only want to leave here with some gun and fishing stuff, some hobby items and my underwear. I don't want to take a house full of garbage .... I can replace it after we get to where we want to go. I don't want to spend another winter here if I can help it. I'm starting to not like the cold now.
Ohio Rusty ><>

[Kosh75287]

You'll be trading cold weather for hot, and lots of it. I don't know what crime is like where you are, but it's GENERALLY not bad in Ft. Worth, and rates are lower in its periphery. Look up a place named Benbrook and areas near it. If I was contemplating a move nearer to Fort Worth, it's where I'd look first.

[Txcowboy52]

106 here yesterday, definitely not cold. Just a heads up land and housing prices have went thru the roof here . I’m an hour north of Fort Worth. I bought 10 acres and a house in 1985, for $ 70,000.00
130 acres across the road from me has been broken up in 10 acre blocks, asking price is $28,000.00 an acre. Good luck and I hope you find something that works.

[ShooterAZ]

A couple of years ago my wife and I went to Floresville Texas to visit her brother in the VA home there. I was shocked at how low the housing costs were in comparison to Flagstaff, AZ. I could sell my 3 bedroom house here and dang near buy a mansion over there. If I were moving to Texas I'd at least have a look there. It's about an hour southwest of San Antonio. Good luck in your search!

[dg31872]

105 currently here in central Texas.
Next Tuesday, a cool front moves through, temps drop to 99!!
I better get my jacket out.

[deltaenterprizes]

East Texas is nice, I have been in Longview for 16 years.
Housing prices are going up but crime is nothing like New Orleans where I was before!
Plenty of wide open spaces here!

[GOPHER SLAYER]

Property taxes in Texas are very high. I love the state of Texas and the people who live there but it is not for everyone.

[HWooldridge]

I’m 5th generation and have lived in Central and East Texas my entire life. It used to be a cheap place to live until money from the East and West coasts started driving up prices. Last year, a friend of ours listed her house in Austin for $130K (which was at the top of the appraisals), and it sold for $200K. Somebody from California wanted it and was flush with cash. Only problem is that she needed a new place to live, and couldn’t find much for what she cleared on the deal. Wound up renting and putting her personal property in storage.

We paid $90K for our current place 28 years ago, which is a small rock house on 12 acres, and some of the neighboring property has sold recently for about $170K per acre.

[Half Dog]

I am in between Dallas and Ft Worth. Come visit and we can have coffee then go shoot. Property prices are high and so are the property taxes. The outside temperature is just right but you’ll need sunscreen. I’ll send you a PM of a realtor.

[Electrod47]

Lived in Midlothian TX for 10 years. Son and Grandkids still there. I loved it. But, when there I was working with a great salary. When staring at the reality of retirement without the salary, just spotty modest pension, Social and and beatup 401. Had to look all the way back to where my poor old daddy came from. I have a 3 bedroom 2 bath ranch house with a little over a hundred acres all way out in the country. The house has a small pond and 100 yard shooting range in the backyard. Taxes are nill here. Gassed up yesterday at Loves's 3.86 gal. We have a new SUV and my 23 years old P/U. Know all the cop's by first name in the little town near by. Great neighbors. To be honest. If I was still in Midlothian TX I would have run out of money long ago and would be in some dinky apartment clipping coupons. Did I mention I do Love Texas and miss it but have found safety, affordability and a degree of happiness here in Mississippi.

[.429&H110]

People acclimate if they want to.
Today in the Sonoran desert it will be 100+ and I like it.
At 7AM everybody walks their dogs under a clear blue sky, temp in the 70's.
We get a frost every winter, brr, plant the garden in February.
In Fairbanks eight months below freezing is normal, -40 not unusual.
Neither place has humidity, both are deserts.
Many people live in both places, happily acclimated riding motorcycles or snow machines.
My native yankeeland never gets hot or cold, and sleet is for those who enjoy it.
90F in NH is life threatening, yankees aren't acclimated to 90.

Texas had better inflate their house prices, the Calis are coming!

[ShooterAZ]

For those of you that are posting Politics in Our Town, please stop doing it! Politics are only allowed in the PIT.

[Der Gebirgsjager]

Suggestion--send a PM to Texas by God who lives near Paradise, TX and see what he has to say. He did tell me the other day that it's pretty hot right now, but there's always air conditioning!

DG

[HWooldridge]

We had no air conditioning when I was growing up in San Antonio but I lived through it just fine. We had fans, and drank lots of water and tea; slept with the windows open and screens to keep the bugs out. Sometimes shower twice a day when it was real bad. As said above, you get used to it.

I used to work with a guy from Boston and he never was able to adjust - thought he had moved to Hell’s attic. Went back to the northeast after 3 years - I think he’s in New York state now.

[deltaenterprizes]

Property taxes in Texas are very high. I love the state of Texas and the people who live there but it is not for everyone.

There is no state income tax or any tax on food and medicine!

[redriverhunter]

I have lived in Texas for 16 plus years. I have had a discussion with a friend about the property taxes yes they are high, but we have no income taxes. My thoughts are I can live on the cheap and not pay too much in taxes, live in a nice expensive house pay nice expensive taxes. I my county I pay two taxes one to the school district an the other to county. car registration is not too bad. Be thoughtful about the taxes at a certain age your taxes do not go up any more, thus if you purchase from someone who is 82 years old their taxes may have been froze for 10 plus years. this may not be the same in all counties.

[Der Gebirgsjager]

We had no air conditioning when I was growing up in San Antonio but I lived through it just fine. We had fans, and drank lots of water and tea; slept with the windows open and screens to keep the bugs out. Sometimes shower twice a day when it was real bad. As said above, you get used to it.

I used to work with a guy from Boston and he never was able to adjust - thought he had moved to Hell’s attic. Went back to the northeast after 3 years - I think he’s in New York state now.

I had somewhat the same experience growing up in the Sierra Nevada foothills of Calif. There would always be a month of 100+ weather, and where I live now there's always 2 or 3 weeks in the 90s and at least one week of 100+ in the middle of August. I have a portable a/c for the Mrs. in the living room, one with the big hose that blows hot air out the window. It manages to keep her surroundings at about 72 degrees. I was stationed at Ft. Hood, TX, for Advanced Infantry Training in May-early June, 1962, and every night about 1 a.m. we'd get a thunder storm with golf ball sized hail stones hitting the barrack's roof. Physical training was early, because there was a post regulation that prohibited double timing troops after 9 a.m. as it got too hot by that time.

DG

[Winger Ed.]

Be thoughtful about the taxes at a certain age your taxes do not go up any more, .

The counties have figured that one out.

Mine were supposedly frozen a couple years ago when I turned 65.
But-- it was only certain ones...... and that is the tax rate, not the amount you actually pay.
Of our taxes, most goes to the school district, a little to the city, and a little to a couple of other places.

Your tax bill can only go up 10% per year between appraisals. OK However:
What they've done here was to just about double and sometimes triple your appraised value.
Sure, the rate is frozen, but your total tax bill still goes up 10% per year.

That 'when I turn 65, my taxes will be frozen' is really a myth.

[Texas by God]

Come on down, we need more conservatives.
Yes, the property taxes are high. The land prices are way up there but no state income tax and lots of freedom left( so far).
In most of Texas we have four seasons.
1. Almost summer
2.SUMMER
3. Summer's almost over
4. Winter( usually two weeks)
Polish up your Spanish- it'll come in handy!
Even though my ancestors settled here in 1854, I'm first generation Texan because Dad was born an Okie!
109° on my back porch today- you can fry BACON on the truck hood!

Sent from my SM-A716U using Tapatalk

[armoredman]

In April I went to East Texas for the first time in my life, had more fun than I've had in decades living with some high school buddies I hadn't seen in 30 years in Henderson. We went to many small towns like Kilgore, and had an absolute blast. They are openly trying to get me to retire out there, too. :) I might...Some of the nicest people I have ever met were there in small town Texas. I would be happy to go back any time, BUT...I know the humidity will kill this old desert rat until I adjust.

One of my buddies.

https://i.imgur.com/xunErG7.jpg

My wife updating her phone after we got there - this is not a country road - this is part of the backyard...a small part...

https://i.imgur.com/wxf8UMH.jpg

East Texas Oil Museum in Kilgore - I HIGHLY recommend it.

https://i.imgur.com/mMLh8jL.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/0VhWGNM.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/dhi7av0.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/igQxE9T.jpg

Neighbors' "garden" - I like the way they garden...

https://i.imgur.com/7uVg2BC.jpg

Yeah, I liked East Texas.

[slim1836]

Sounds like the wife is in control with wants she wants. How close does she want to be to her brother? Texas is a big state ya know. I'm in the next county south of Fort Worth where taxes are less. Marion county Tx is where I'd rather be but since I married a local that ain't gonna happen. Help us out when you can whittle it down a tad.

Lookin to meet up when ya git down here.

Slim

[dverna]

Think long and hard about the heat. Some people love it, some get used to it....I hate it.

I spent enough time in Arizona, Texas, Georgia, Alabama and Florida to know I could never live there year-round.

Good luck and hope you find a great place to retire:

[MrWolf]

Property taxes in Texas are very high. I love the state of Texas and the people who live there but it is not for everyone.

Curious what is considered high taxes? In Jersey I was paying $1,000 a MONTH for 0.4 acres on a small finger lake (converted cranberry bog). Moved out here lil over 5 years ago and pay less than $1,200 a YEAR and an additional less than $700 of personal property tax on 81 acres.

[shtur]

My ex lives in Texas.
I was born and raised there, until I graduated, then left quickly and never went back. There is only a tiny amount of public land in TX. If you like hunting, be prepared to pay a landowner his fees to hunt his property.

[uscra112]

If it weren't for the pressure from your other half I'd tell ya to stay in Ohio. Been TDY in Texas heat, couldn't get home fast enough.

Texas is going to fill up with West Coasters, just like Idaho is suffering now. Look to the recent history of Colorado. Or Vermont.

A warning about rural living: By the time you get far enough out from the big cities to be able to afford it, medical services will invariably be poor, and you'll have to travel some distance to get even that.

My $0.02

[GOPHER SLAYER]

Our oldest daughter and husband took a trip to Texas with the thought of moving there. It didn't take long to find out that it was just not in their best interest. For the same size house that they have in California the property taxes would triple. This is combined with the fact that she couldn't find anyplace she wanted to live. You need to consider just how big the state of Texas is. It is larger than France and has many types of topography. I like the hill country but so does everyone else. Several wealthy sports figures have bought huge sections of the area and of course driven the price up. My wife went to an area in east Texas where the town of Archer is located. That is a very depressing place. When I wrote about that visit on this forum, Boas said that he was born and raised in Archer. I replied, no wonder you are always depressed. He answered, that is why Peter Bogdanovich picked the place to film the Last Picture Show. I liked the area around a town named Columbus. It is about fifty miles east of Housten, I thought Beaumont was nice but our daughter looked around there and didn't like it. They do get hurricanes on occasion. It boils down to where you will be happy. As I and others have said. Texas may not be what you think it is. Many other states have more liberal gun laws than Texas so check out the place you want to move to. It goes without saying the anyplace would be better than the New York or New England. This is all I want to write about moving to greener pastures. I have been in California almost seventy years and will be here till I check out. I have a gun safe full of rifles and handguns and can go shooting anytime I want to. The weather is great. Of course, we have loony politicians but so do many other states. I don't want to write about moving anymore.

[trebor44]

Why are so many Texans moving to Idaho?

[uscra112]

Kalifornians & Seattlites, mostly.

[Finster101]

First thing everyone does is complain about heat. I'll tell you I will take the heat over cold and snow any day, but I don't declare those places frozen hell holes as some do about Texas and Florida. You have to decide what you like or can tolerate for part of the year. Thank goodness we don't all like the same climate or it would be one crowded place.

[MOA]

Well rusty hill country is nicer visually than east Texas. I've lived in Houston, Huntsville, college station, Texas City down on the coast and have visited the area around Kerrville. You might take a trip to Kerrville area before you make a final choice. Anywhere from Dallas east and South to the coast is rain and hurricanes with some tornadoes mixed in for fun.

[deltaenterprizes]

In April I went to East Texas for the first time in my life, had more fun than I've had in decades living with some high school buddies I hadn't seen in 30 years in Henderson. We went to many small towns like Kilgore, and had an absolute blast. They are openly trying to get me to retire out there, too. :) I might...Some of the nicest people I have ever met were there in small town Texas. I would be happy to go back any time, BUT...I know the humidity will kill this old desert rat until I adjust.

One of my buddies.

https://i.imgur.com/xunErG7.jpg

My wife updating her phone after we got there - this is not a country road - this is part of the backyard...a small part...

https://i.imgur.com/wxf8UMH.jpg

East Texas Oil Museum in Kilgore - I HIGHLY recommend it.

https://i.imgur.com/mMLh8jL.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/0VhWGNM.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/dhi7av0.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/igQxE9T.jpg

Neighbors' "garden" - I like the way they garden...

https://i.imgur.com/7uVg2BC.jpg

Yeah, I liked East Texas.

That is right down the road from Longview, I go to church in Kilgore and pass the Oil Museum every Sunday!
Kilgore is nice, a buddy of mine has a house for sale right across the street from the church!

[Electrod47]

Longview Texas is a very special place.

[Winger Ed.]

Why are so many Texans moving to Idaho?

It's getting crowded.

I had a uncle that was born, raised, lived, and died in the Hill Country.
He lived on a working ranch a couple miles down the FM road from town.
The town had gotten so big- it had one flashing yellow light for traffic control.

He talked of moving because it had gotten so crowded.
He said, once in awhile, he could hear someone else's dog barking at night.

[farmer66]

I live in East Texas about 20 west of Sam Rayburn dam. I thought property taxes were reasonable. I pay $2900 per year for 60 acres, 3400 square foot house, several outbuildings. 10 miles from good medical facilities, but hot weather. Moved from Montana 50 years ago to get a better job. Thought about moving back, but only for summer. I really don't want to maintain two places and don't want to shovel snow.

[fastdadio]

I live in East Texas about 20 west of Sam Rayburn dam. I thought property taxes were reasonable. I pay $2900 per year for 60 acres, 3400 square foot house, several outbuildings. 10 miles from good medical facilities, but hot weather. Moved from Montana 50 years ago to get a better job. Thought about moving back, but only for summer. I really don't want to maintain two places and don't want to shovel snow.

Buy a camper and spend as much time up there in the summer as you can. There are a lot of ways to compromise. Oh, and about retiring and moving closer to your kids, My son lives in Fairbanks AK. and my daughter lives in Canton TX.

[Rapier]

If you want to move, make very sure you are moving for the right reason and into the right place. If 500 neighbors move into a neighborhood, and you move there, what did you accomplish, nothing. You must watch out for you, in a move, the realtors sure won’t and the developers won’t. You best get smart quick about value, taxes, repairs, renovations, travel, utilities, access, etc.

[Ohio Rusty]

Everyone has given some great advice and I appreciate every post !! Yes .. I love to hunt and fish. Texas seems to be a great place for that. I have a .357 handi rifle that uses a 180 grain .360-180 WFN I want to use for javelina. Grilled javelina sounds like heaven. I also have a .350 legend with the 180 grain SP boolit for deer. Fishing is also a passion and texas is loaded with bass. I love flyfishing for bass. The wife is looking for an improved lot with water, electric and sewer that we can buy a mobile or modular home and move it onto the property. The miracle property hasn't come along yet, but we'll keep looking. I'll post two pics ...one of my bass lures for bass, the other is our thermometer when it was 17 below here in Ohio ....that was brutal !! It was so cold you had to put your words in a hot frying pan so the other person could hear what you were saying !! I'm Ok with the heat after that.

[farmbif]

sounds like moving to texas these days is not for someone with champagne taste on a beer budget. paid my property tax bill late this year and it was just over $500, that includes the house, the barns, the sheds and chicken coops and 50 something acres and I never even put in for ag exemption since I bought the place. oh yeah and did I mention we got lots of rain, the river is full and its 77 degrees right now and raining.

[Ohio Rusty]

$500 a year in property taxes is near what I pay now. I live in a rural poor appalachian county so taxes are cheaper. In the big Ohio Cities, $2500 to more than $5000 a year is common. I'd live on a beer beer budget forever if that made the wife happy. I'm good with that. The neighbors hopefully won't complain about the sounds of 'smithing on an anvil now and then ....
Ohio Rusty ><>

[Txcowboy52]

Same here Ed!

[Winger Ed.]

The wife is looking for an improved lot with water, electric and sewer that we can buy a mobile or modular home and move it onto the property.

An ideal part of the state would be West of Ft. Worth, but not too far North or South from it.
Then, about 75 miles or more from a major city.
That gets you away from the Southern border, tornado alley, Hurricanes, and the clouds of hungry mosquitos.

If you're not in a town though, or pretty close to one, plan on having a water well and a septic system.
Another concern is our electric grid. It's usually fine, but for different reasons, there are power outages.
They usually get fixed fairly quickly,
but having a decent size dual fuel generator will come in handy for a few hours or a day or so once or twice a year.

[Texas by God]

Archer City is not in East Texas. It's up there by the headwaters of the Brazos.

Sent from my SM-A716U using Tapatalk

[HWooldridge]

If I ever leave the New Braunfels area, I’m going to West Texas - generally around Big Bend. Alpine, Marathon, etc. Always liked that part of the state, and I can still get to a large city within an hour or so.

[txbirdman]

An ideal part of the state would be West of Ft. Worth, but not too far North or South from it.
Then, about 75 miles or more from a major city.
That gets you away from the Southern border, tornado alley, Hurricanes, and the clouds of hungry mosquitos.

If you're not in a town though, or pretty close to one, plan on having a water well and a septic system.
Another concern is our electric grid. It's usually fine, but for different reasons, there are power outages.
They usually get fixed fairly quickly,
but having a decent size dual fuel generator will come in handy for a few hours or a day or so once or twice a year.

What Ed says is true although there are many coop water systems. That’s exactly where I live. Loaded with white tails; turkey; and hogs (unfortunately). Also many lakes with striper and large mouth bass. Close enough to the city to drive in on occasion but not too close. The area is known as the northern hill country or “the lake country”. Several small towns (10 to 15 thousand population) 30 minutes away. But have been in a drought the last year or so.

[David2011]

Our oldest daughter and husband took a trip to Texas with the thought of moving there. It didn't take long to find out that it was just not in their best interest. For the same size house that they have in California the property taxes would triple. This is combined with the fact that she couldn't find anyplace she wanted to live. You need to consider just how big the state of Texas is. It is larger than France and has many types of topography. I like the hill country but so does everyone else. Several wealthy sports figures have bought huge sections of the area and of course driven the price up. My wife went to an area in east Texas where the town of Archer is located. That is a very depressing place. When I wrote about that visit on this forum, Boas said that he was born and raised in Archer. I replied, no wonder you are always depressed. He answered, that is why Peter Bogdanovich picked the place to film the Last Picture Show. I liked the area around a town named Columbus. It is about fifty miles east of Housten, I thought Beaumont was nice but our daughter looked around there and didn't like it. They do get hurricanes on occasion. It boils down to where you will be happy. As I and others have said. Texas may not be what you think it is. Many other states have more liberal gun laws than Texas so check out the place you want to move to. It goes without saying the anyplace would be better than the New York or New England. This is all I want to write about moving to greener pastures. I have been in California almost seventy years and will be here till I check out. I have a gun safe full of rifles and handguns and can go shooting anytime I want to. The weather is great. Of course, we have loony politicians but so do many other states. I don't want to write about moving anymore.

Columbus is well west of Houston. Property taxes are higher than in some states but as was said, no tax on income, food and medicine. East Texas is more affordable than many parts of the state. WingerEd gave great advice. I lived near DeltaEnterprises for several years. The area is beautiful with thick woods and rolling hills. Compared to the Gulf Coast where I live now, the humidity is usually much lower and that really helps the heat feel more tolerable. I knew someone in Beaumont and spent some time there. Really liked it.

The gun laws in Texas have changed for the good over the past 15 years. At one time carrying in a vehicle was illegal with some difficult exceptions. The exemptions were once exemptions to arrest but later became defenses to prosecution after being arrested. That has all gone away. We now have constitutional carry, both concealed and open carry. Anyone that can legally own a firearm can carry it concealed in a vehicle. I maintain my concealed carry license because it allows me to buy through a dealer by presenting my carry license, driver’s license and completing a 4473. The license exempts the holder from the call-in background check because the background check for the carry license is more thorough.

It’s true that we have little public land and you would likely have to pay to use a hunting lease. Wild game is plentiful add fishing is great on the lakes in East Texas. The area west of Ft. Worth is also worthy of consideration.

[uscra112]

States with no income tax and high property taxes are not kind to retirees unless they retired wealthy. Most retirees don't have a lot coming in, and they have to pay those property taxes out of that little.

[bbogue1]

There is great advice in this thread. I've lived in Lampasas (in rolling Hill Country)smack in the middle of the state (7 years there), No hunting or fishing unless you get the landowner's permission or you pay to hunt at a ranch that offers guided hunts. Very very little public land. Prices were good until 3 years ago then real estate shot up. Small towns are the cheapest, but, there generally are few amenities. Medical care is a local hospital and visits from big-city medical organizations once a month. For example, My heart doctor's office was an hour plus away in Austin, but came to Lampasas once a month. Properties with water access are expensive. Buckanan Lake is a bit of an exception. Food and gas are slightly less than the general prices across the US. (Costco and Sams clubs are in the larger towns and will deliver even to the secluded hamlets).
Now I live in Midland (oil fields). Flat desert with oil pumps all over. Here, Good medical here, and groceries like everywhere in the US are not a bargain. Gas is at $4.35 right now. No rivers or lakes with public access. Lots of good restaurants, but this is a boom town right now so prices are high.
I really liked the area between Ft. Worth and Lampasas. It is mostly rural, but those two cities are about 2 1/2 hours apart. It is rural and there are a few lakes. The east side of the state has more water.
If you like to sweat in high humidity look for land east of I-35. That is a kind of hurricane alley from the gulf to the midwest. The farther west you go the dryer it gets. The rusty pipe fences along the highways give away the humidity levels.
They are not kidding when they say Texas is a whole other country. My daughter went to visit her kids this week. Midland to Austin 5 1/2 hours at 70 mph. Never even got close to the border.
Politics: Dallas-Ft Worth, Austin, San Antonio, El Paso all are VERY LIBERAL, for the most part the rest of the state is conservative.
Gun laws have improved and right now we are a constitutional carry state. Shooting is another matter. If I want to shoot I rent an hour at an indoor range ($22) or join a range for a year ($200-$350). In Lampasas there are no membership or prepaid ranges, you schedule and pay or arrive and pay. You'll need permits to hunt and fish, the exception is hunting feral hogs (no permit needed) which are a problem all over, but particularly in the eastern half of the state. Lampasas county claims to have more deer than people and I believe it, though they are small deer. No deer in Midland.
Best wishes, I hope this helps.

[gbrown]

Look over in the Canton area, somewhere around there. Not sure, but you may find something around there. Most of East Texas is beautiful. I live In SETX, hot, humid and just hard. However, I am used to it-- Oh, well.

[Idaho45guy]

I'm also curious as to what level of property taxes is considered high.

I'm in Washington state and live in a small town in a modest 3-bedroom old house. When I moved here in 2014, my taxes were $1000 a year. Now, they are $1800.

But, there is no income tax and no food tax.

I had considered moving to Texas when my daughter said her and her husband were looking at jobs there. But, the closer I looked at the lack of public land for hunting and shooting, and the influx of Californians, I figured I was better off here.

[Handloader109]

Property tax. In most places, Property taxes are really 2 sections. Local government and schools. Where I'm at, I'm outside any town, so there is no city taxes ,just county. And they are less than $200 a year. Add in the largest school district taxes in the state of Arkansas, Springdale, yes, larger than Little Rock as it is several districts... and you have another $1900 a year added. Yes, highest teacher's salary in the state also. And really good overall schools that no one in my family will ever use. So if you move to a small town or no town, taxes will be lower by some degree.

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[MaryB]

Small town middle of nowhere MN, 1 acre lot, older approx 1600 sq foot house, new garage, farm fields 2 sides, horse pasture across the street. Property taxes are $360/yr!

[Winger Ed.]

They go by assessed value of what the country thinks your house & property will sell for on Jan. 1st every year.
There's various deductions, and they play around with those, but if your house is valued by them at $300,000.oo,
plan on something fairly close around $4,000 a year in property tax.

Whatever the selling price is, the tax will be a little over 1%.
Depending on the country, there's ways to beat it some, but that's a good estimate.
For example: Texas resident vets on 100 percent disability don't pay any.

[HWooldridge]

They go by assessed value of what the country thinks your house & property will sell for on Jan. 1st every year.
There's various deductions, and they play around with those, but if your house is valued by them at $300,000.oo,
plan on something fairly close around $4,000 a year in property tax.

Whatever the selling price is, the tax will be a little over 1%.
Depending on the country, there's ways to beat it some, but that's a good estimate.
For example: Texas resident vets on 100 percent disability don't pay any.
That’s why so many rural folks take good care of their ag exemptions. I have one acre at FMV and the other 11 acres are ag exempt.

[Winger Ed.]

That’s why so many rural folks take good care of their ag exemptions. I have one acre at FMV and the other 11 acres are ag exempt.

Everybody uses that as much as they can.

My Mom inherited a piece of the ranch she grew up on in the Hill Country.
She let her brother that lived down there run sheep on it, and the taxes were $1.oo per acre.
One time she thought she was getting ripped off by her brother...
She paid the taxes, and he paid her the same amount.
She decided it wasn't fair him making 'all that' money on a few dozen sheep, and wanted more $$.
His solution was to pull the sheep off and just put them back in one of his pastures.

Next Jan. first rolls around:
It wasn't under agriculture production anymore. Then it became 'investment property'.
The tax went from $1.oo per acre to $15.oo.
After getting that bill--- she got right with her brother, and he put the 30-40 sheep back on it.

This works OK out in the country, but in the city,,, whew,,,, they got ya.

[HWooldridge]

Everybody uses that as much as they can.

My Mom inherited a piece of the ranch she grew up on in the Hill Country.
She let her brother that lived down there run sheep on it, and the taxes were $1.oo per acre.
One time she thought she was getting ripped off by her brother...
She paid the taxes, and he paid her the same amount.
She decided it wasn't fair him making 'all that' money on a few dozen sheep, and wanted more $$.
His solution was to pull the sheep off and just put them back in one of his pastures.

Next Jan. first rolls around:
It wasn't under agriculture production anymore. Then it became 'investment property'.
The tax went from $1.oo per acre to $15.oo.
After getting that bill--- she got right with her brother, and he put the 30-40 sheep back on it.

This works OK out in the country, but in the city,,, whew,,,, they got ya.

If I let the ag exemption expire on our place, we would have to pay 5 years of back taxes at market rate, which would probably be about $60,000. That's why I keep cutting and baling hay off of it - even in drought periods.

[Idaho45guy]

There's various deductions, and they play around with those, but if your house is valued by them at $300,000.oo,
plan on something fairly close around $4,000 a year in property tax.

Whatever the selling price is, the tax will be a little over 1%.
Ouch. My house is valued at $250k and I pay under $2000 a year in taxes in WA. Over the state line in Idaho, my dad owns 10 acres and a 14k sq. ft. shop/house valued at $700k, and he pays $1500 a year.

15 miles away in the most liberal town in Idaho, my mom and stepdad own a home valued at over $1 million and pay $11,000 a year in taxes.

It's crazy at all the differences within 15 miles of each other.

[Winger Ed.]

Ouch. My house is valued at $250k and I pay under $2000 a year in taxes in WA.

It varies by country, but here, you'd expect to pay up to about $3,200. for that. Some places less.
There's no state income tax, license plates and fuel are sort of on the cheap side
(plates for my F250 are $76.oo and $74.oo for our Explorer),
but property taxes sort of get ya caught back up to other places.

[MT Gianni]

States with no income tax and high property taxes are not kind to retirees unless they retired wealthy. Most retirees don't have a lot coming in, and they have to pay those property taxes out of that little.

You do have to look hard at the States that tax retirement money and pensions as income and factor that in as well.

[Randy Bohannon]

My property taxes are less than my monthly mortgage( nearly paid off) . Do remember schools get 80% of that bill ,doesn't matter where you live they get 80%. Now tell me your getting a good return on that 80% .

[gc45]

Great thread. I have learned a lot. My Wife lost her Dad recently so she wants to move close to her Mom in Tx but its hard to leave our small farm in Washington state. My wife and I both are retired with pensions and SS so do feel sort of lucky in that regard. Yeah my taxes are bad, 10K, but no income tax or food tax here and our farm home is paid for. We live out of town close to the mountians in a log home I built myself over 40 yrs ago and simply love everything about the place. We mostly heat with wood, have A/C plus a gas furnace so life is still good here along with very few neighbors and none real close. We Have two large barns one of which I built an indoor 20yd pistol range for winter months, still have 30 acres left after selling off the old farm house and 15 acres we first lived in, lots of seclusion and not to far for medical when needed..Inflation and taxes will force us out though one day as the value on the place is well over 1 million now and rising along with taxes...Thanks to the Tech Industry young folks are pouring in here from all over for big wages and driving out the retired ones. We get phone calls often asking if we want to sell. My Wife's mother lives in southeast Tx very close to the saltwater, she pays high taxes and boy it is hot there, high humidity too. Don't think at my age now it would work for me and I'd have to give up so much and get so little in return and the water don't mean much to me cause I don't fish much..We have lots of deer here as well, black bears galore if wanting to hunt them, two gun ranges close by and I can shoot a rifle behind the barns any time...Maybe I need to go back to work part time.

[uscra112]

Maybe Mom needs to come to you?

[uscra112]

Friend who moved to Wood River region in Idaho in 2010 can attest. Bought 20 acres and a house outside Hailey for $330K, getting offers north of a million now. Most obvious thing about the city people moving in? They're RUDE. Drive aggressively, push and shove in the supermarkets, park anywhere they feel like it, argue with store clerks, und-und-und. She's thinking of selling out already. Where to go? I'm for rural Ohio......warmer winters, for one thing, but not so hot that we need airconditioning in summer. No black flies, no mosquitoes, no deer flies, no 'gators, no poisonous snakes, no scorpions, crime rates very low, ditto property taxes, no water shortages, cheap and reliable electricity (still coal fired), and the Starbucks set hasn't discovered us......yet.

To the O.P. - you don't realize how good you have it!

[trebor44]

Looking at the 'tax bill' for many years, most of what is collected goes to 'education'. Why? It doesn't seem to have made much difference in the 'intelligence' of the USA population!

[uscra112]

Those school taxes get administered by school boards, and school boards are elected officials. VOTE. Especially in off-year election where they try to sneak bond issues and millage increases past us.

[Handloader109]

Those school taxes get administered by school boards, and school boards are elected officials. VOTE. Especially in off-year election where they try to sneak bond issues and millage increases past us.I've noticed here in AR, that school elections, including bond issues are held in off year, off times like March, April, June when most folks look at elections in Nov. We need to change the way schools are paid for. 90% of folks with kids are renters. Yeah, they indirectly pay, but they don't write a check to the tax collector. And I miss MS where when you hit 65, your exemption went to 100%. At least they don't tax SS and my little pension.

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[uscra112]

Right. They do that here in Ohio, too. Only folks that take the trouble to vote in these "semi-secret" elections are teacher's union members and retirees like me. In the last few years the retirees have been winning, which leads to no end of grousing in the local newspaper.

[canyon-ghost]

You live right!

[canyon-ghost]

Small town middle of nowhere MN, 1 acre lot, older approx 1600 sq foot house, new garage, farm fields 2 sides, horse pasture across the street. Property taxes are $360/yr!

You live right!

[Cast10]

I would wait until after the mid-terms before I made my mind up……

[popper]

2k sq ft house in any metroplex is 5K$ min, mostly for schools. Plus extra fees on utilities.

[Finster101]

Some folks are giving you info, some folks seem to feel like they know what's best for you. It boils down to do what you and the misses want.

[lancem]

If I ever leave the New Braunfels area, I’m going to West Texas - generally around Big Bend. Alpine, Marathon, etc. Always liked that part of the state, and I can still get to a large city within an hour or so.

I'm 25 miles north of Terlingua, you better hurry cause it's getting crazy around here. Prices have gone sky high and everyone is wanting to move out of the city. I'm figuring in a couple of years there won't be any water and prices will go back down as the city folk go bust and leave.

[uscra112]

I like to tell my desiccated western friends that around here (SE Ohio) water is just a nuisance that we pay to get rid of.

[lancem]

I like to tell my western friends that around here (SE Ohio) water is a nuisance that we pay to get rid of.

I remember those days cussing the sump pump that quit on the rainy day. We've had almost 2" of rain this year, 3rd year in a row of below average amounts. We have enough roof to have been able to capture all of it, around 6000 gallons, we use around 1000 gallons a month so we're praying for rain to at least get us through the end of the year.

[uscra112]

I hope you're not taking that off an asphalt-shingle roof. Nasty chemicals get entrained in the water..

I do that, too, but my roof is slate. I've got a reliable well, but the water is very hard. Rainwater is soft.

[Texas by God]

What is this thing called rain?[emoji848]

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[uscra112]

In Texas it usually comes with a hurricane.

[Chainsaw.]

“The taxes are High”!! HAHAHA!! That’s rich y’all! Very funny!

[HWooldridge]

I'm 25 miles north of Terlingua, you better hurry cause it's getting crazy around here. Prices have gone sky high and everyone is wanting to move out of the city. I'm figuring in a couple of years there won't be any water and prices will go back down as the city folk go bust and leave.

I hear you! My son went to Sul Ross from 2004 to 2006 before switching to Angelo State but I always liked Alpine better San Angelo for scenery and climate.

[jonp]

Wait a bit if you can. Housing and land prices are about to crash. Last month contract cancelations reached 15% and prices in major cities after skyrocketing are going in the opposite direction. Those people who were buying homes $500,000 plus are now pulling out with the rise in mortgage rates and renting instead driving that market higher. I don't think it will be long before those premiums over asking price and bidding wars are over. In Raleigh, NC which has a scorching market as people are leaving the north and it's out of control progressives I just read a story that people should stop expecting 15-20 offers on a house. Contractors are noting building cancellations and even home supply stores are being very careful in credit extension for lumber and stuff going so far as to lower credit limits.

Wife and I are getting to the point of looking at 10-20 acres for retirement and are going to wait a couple of years for the crash to pick up foreclosed land somewhere. With the CARES Act foreclosure moratorium and eviction prohibition expiring at the same time inflation and mortgage rates are going up look for bargains to start being available and don't wait to snap them up.

[uscra112]

If you can afford the time and the travel costs, auctions can sometimes yield a bargain. Especially in a down market.

(In a hot market only the most worthless properties go to auction, but when things start to crash. . . . . . .) Look on the Innertubes for auction listings. Needless to say, never buy sight unseen.

[MaryB]

My house was a tax auction. I walked the lot, walked the house inside(door was missing so... )... $500 + $300 in back taxes got me 1600 sq feet and an acre of land. I kicked all the critters out of the house, replaced a broken out window and the missing door, scrubbed for a week after shop vaccing everything... then started on the remodeling room by room over the next 10 years. Remodeled as I had cash for materials. Never took out a mortgage. That was 35 years ago...

[jonp]

My house was a tax auction. I walked the lot, walked the house inside(door was missing so... )... $500 + $300 in back taxes got me 1600 sq feet and an acre of land. I kicked all the critters out of the house, replaced a broken out window and the missing door, scrubbed for a week after shop vaccing everything... then started on the remodeling room by room over the next 10 years. Remodeled as I had cash for materials. Never took out a mortgage. That was 35 years ago...

I remember you talking about that and was most interested in that nice garage you built. I am on my second distressed home. First was a 3 story with 100ft on lakefront on a coldwater lake with nothing but rainbow and lakers. 2 wrap around porches and curly maple hardwood floors. Best friend was a real estate agent and called me out of the blue. "jp, a guy just walked in with a house you need to buy right now". Guys step son committed a messy suicide and wife wouldn't stay there which was understandable. $75,000 and doubled my money on the way out.

Current guy bought for daughter and boyfriend. She left high and dry and he was so disgusted he just wanted to dump it. 2 story on 1 acre surrounded by soybean fields under $60k. New windows, plumbing, wiring, inside remodeling all done cash as you go by me. 2 yrs ago enclosed porch, walled part for new laundry room. Year before last complete bathroom with heated floors and on demand propane water heater, last year new deck. We expect a nice profit when we sell.

[uscra112]

Flipping RE is, I think off topic inasmuch as the OP is looking for a place to live, not profits.

[lancem]

I hope you're not taking that off an asphalt-shingle roof. Nasty chemicals get entrained in the water..

I do that, too, but my roof is slate. I've got a reliable well, but the water is very hard. Rainwater is soft.

No all steel roofs, I think asphalt would have melted off the roof and be a puddle on the ground here :)

[Idaho45guy]

Wait a bit if you can. Housing and land prices are about to crash.

Yep. In this area, which is one of the most sought after places to live in the country, the average time a home lasted on the market was 10 days a couple of months ago.

It is now 3 weeks.

Most of the people that flooded this area did so because the Covid thing created an incredible amount of work-from-home positions. Mostly in the tech industry. Some doofus from California living in Orange county making $200k a year as a software engineer was suddenly able to work from home. He could sell his million dollar craphole house in California and buy a nice house in Idaho all while keeping his California income.

But, the tech industry is starting to shed jobs and the recession is just starting. So all those work from home folks are soon going to lose their jobs and be forced to look for work locally. The median income here is around $35k a year, so good luck paying taxes and insurance on your $700k home on poverty-level wages.

My parent's home has shot up to over $1 million in value. Their monthly taxes are $900 a month. I pay $700 a month for my mortgage, taxes, and insurance. They are on a fixed income and talking about selling the homestead which has been in our family since the 1800's. I am looking forward to the housing market crash.

[trebor44]

West of the Mississippi the "market" is going down, so what's the rush? Love those parasite emigrants, like the locust they too will crawl back to their holes!

[popper]

Big cities here have had a big $ bump last couple yrs. Previous, was a flipper's market. Low interest low risk caused it. Taxes are high and won't be coming down. More rural, taxes are lower but anything not distressed still pretty high for what you get. Lots of 'sloppy' developments going in around the bigger cities - not 'prime' to me. Toss tooth picks on the dirt and house grows in 2 days type stuff. We do have available water but treatment facilities are operating 100% so more needed.