[Guest]

what do you consider exspensive? I see people comparing areas and cost based on their experience, so lets have some numbers!
How much is property tax for the average home on a few acres?
How much is your sales tax? What's your state income tax rate(if appl)?
Living in New Jersey I wonder when people say this area or that area is exspensive. For instance our prop. tax on a 3 bdrm home on less than one acre is over 3,000 a year, how would that compare to say rural N.C. or Virginia? We have 6% or 3% sales tax depending on what your "zone" is classified as. The other thing is what do you consider to be crowded?
I live in a town of about 20,000 and consider it small. What would you think? As far as real "crowding", how close and how many neighbors make you feel crowded?

 

[Guest]

A city of 20,000 has a walmart in Maine . The Tightwad Gazette books has a piece on taxes wages cost of living where the author rated 50 states that is interesting/applicable to what you are asking.

 

[comfortablynumb]

ok.. el cheapo grande here shall toss his coupon for 2 cents in, but if no one wants it I will take it back when I am done. :haha:

I have 2 homes on one chunk of property my whole tax bill combined is about 600 bucks a year. Outragous "rent" paid to my communist masters.

sales tax is 6%, but one county over it is 7%.

$500 is my top limit for a car/truck, but i confess The last one I paid 700 for, but its an atique, so that was ok.

When heating oil rose above 85 cents a gallon I ripped out the furnace and sold it for 150 bucks and installed a woodstove.

$1.50 for a tin box of altiods is hyway robbery, so I make one tin last a month by breaking the altiods in 2.

Coffee is to expensive at 7 bucks a 3 pound can, i drink hot water. I just scored some repacked FULL 5 pound bags of mixed columbian dark and some other mild coffe, for 3 bucks a bag.... its really good, I can live with three bucks. the almost new coffee perker was 2 bucks at the 2nd hand store, very nice, all stainless not aluminum that makes the coffe taste funny. for 5 bucks I will drink coffee till late springtime.

Dont ask me to leave my driveway unless you have gas$$. I dont take myself places I wanna go because our bombs were defective... huh? well we dropped a lot of em and the price went down to 1.35 a gal, then shot back up to 1.65 a gal. the bombs obviously didnt do the job, I say use a nuke maybe itll stick. WIAT! better yet lets buy that super cheap oil from west africa...nah, we would rather pay twice what its worth and buy it from the arabs. :no:

Why buy tires when half used tires are ina pile beside the gas station for FREE. Now that I use 16" tires, its amazing how many almost new 16 inch tires people toss out. as a used tire connasuir, I will tell you the hardest good tires to find are 14", better chance finding 15" and you can eat your fill of fine ones at 16". forget finding 12 and 13", people run those off the rims. I am proud to sayI have never bought a new tire, ever. I had a new set once but thats because the different tire tread bugged my GF and she wouldnt use the car to go to work in so whe came home with a new set of pep boy specials... that was more than 3 yrs ago I am still running them, but they are getting close to replacement day.

Any food item over 3 bucks is to rich for my system, I either will become spoiled ot it will give me cramps eating it. Unless i can devide it into pieces and make it last more than one setting. Foods a tricky thing, but in general its all overpriced.

my cable internet is 60 bucks a month... I cut it after a few months and I only have it now because my nephew wanted it, and for hoooking it up and keeping his computer running my fee is full access, but I'm not totally cheap I did buy the router. :haha:

Forget new clothes... 30 bucks for a pair of jeans?? i'll wait a month till you tire of them and toss em in the goodwill bin, and then buy them for $1.50, by then they are shrunk streached and broken in.

the only thing I dont skimp on cashwise is shoes and underoos, (shoes are pretty overpriced too) but if you havent got sound feet your a doorstop, right? and no one wants to wear second hand skivvies or socks, not even me.

everthing is expensive....
as my sister says "If sh1t whas valuable, the poor would be born without ice-holes."

 

[Laura]

I live in a pretty remote area. The nearest town, 9 miles away is 3,000 people, the nearest Walmart is 70 miles.

To purchase 5 acres with doublewide manufactured home run $100,000-$135,000. Property tax on a $100,000 property in our end of the county is $1,000 a year. Sales tax is around 7% and there is no state income tax. Our power rates are probably the lowest in the country because we have hydropower.

Petroleum is probably the highest in the country, even though ours travels a short distance from Alaska. Food is higher than anywhere else, but we do have a mild climate and can grow almost anything and the hunting and fishing is good.

 

[Mudwoman]

Quachita area of Arkansas.

Sales Tax: 8.2% even on food. In Dallas, TX we paid 7.85%, but no tax on food

State Income Tax: Top bracket is 7%. Social Security is not taxed. We paid no state income tax in Texas.

Property Tax: 13 acres with small trailer. We are in the process of building. With the homestead exemption, we paid two dollars last year. When the house is done, it will be around $300 with the exemption. We also pay personal tax on cars and trailers etc. We expect that this won't stay so low for long as education funding under new regulations is causing a huge shortfall. We paid over $4000 per year for a 3/2/2 valued at $125,000 in the Dallas area.

Renewals for Tags on cars is $27 year for each car. We paid $65 each in Dallas.

Auto ins. We have liability and collision. $500 deductible. Two 1997 cars. No tickets or wrecks. $1350 year. We paid $1100 in Dallas.

Homeowner's/Property ins. is about $1000 per year. Mostly because we are rural and the fire dept is all volunteer. We paid $1800 in Dallas.

Average price of land around here is about $3000 to $5000 per acre. In Dallas, $80,000 per acre.

Going rate to have an average home built by a contractor and crew is $85 per sq ft. In Dallas, $200 per sq ft.

Our town is population 981. The county is about 4000. There are no traffic lights in the entire county: just stop signs. Hot Springs is the nearest large town of about 37,000. Little Rock is 2 hours away. Dallas has a population greater than the entire state of Arkansas.

There are no car inspections or yearly inspection stickers here. In Dallas, all kinds of emmission tests were required and cost was $45 and you hoped the car passed if it was more than 4 years old.

 

[comfortablynumb]

they tax yer food?
PA doesnt tax food or clothes.
we do have wage tax, which is illegal.
my truck tags are @90 bucks, the inspection is 35 and the emissions is 35, an exemtion sticker is still 5 bucks.

Only certain counties in PA have emissions testing, its pretty stupid, we have had it so long even the governor says most cars that cant pass are off the roads now anyhow. The also noted, the counties that have NO emissions testing compared to the ones that do, the air quality is the same.

 

[Guest]

comfortablynumb....

You speak the truths of my Universe. My hubby and I got quite a chuckle out of (the realities) your post. We have 3 children that LOVE handmedowns, Goodwill and fast food....deer, rabbit, and the goat at milking time! Golden Arches are goats and dogs peeing funny in the snow!

 

[Guest]

un huh, Comfortably numb, you are or were a Red Green watcher. You're my kind of guy/gal. Jean from Ky.

 

[Dreams30]

OK, expensive= more than 300 a month for a house or any payment on a vehicle.

Taxes in the city run 500 a year for a 1,600 sq ft house on a small 50-100 lot (this is with the homestead exemption). Insurance is 350 a year for the house and lot.

There is no state income tax or tax on food.

Thrift stores and flea markets abound. Huge underground economy.

Vehicle tags 50.00 per year with 12.00 inspection per year.
Vehicle insurance is 900.00/ year with 2 vehicles.

Public transportation is available but, not easy to access.

Sales tax is 7.85%

Land can go for a much as 10,000.00 and up an acre.

 

[Jack in VA]

I pay .5% property tax , 4.5 sales tax , and $0.035 per KWH for elec. Nickel a pack cig. tax , in VA

 

[Buffy in Dallas]

Hey, land isn't that expensive in texas. I saw an ad for $85 an acre. Ok, so it was in the middle of nowhere in a desert and it was 50,000 acres.
You can find land within about an hour of dallas for $1,000. an acre.
We have a 2.67 ac piece for sale for $11,000 an ac. It's 40 minutes NE of dallas.
Yes, Dallas is expensive.

 

[heidith]

Arrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrgggggggggghhhhhh! New York state! Need I say more?
Anyway, we have five acres just outside the capital, house was built in 1985, 3200 square feet (heating with wood is interesting...), neighborhoody-development type place with RA zoning and 3-10 acre lots, very good school district (that we don't use since we homeschool) NO services, no streetlights, no garbage pickup, no sidewalks, none of that stuff (which we don't really care about anyway since we LIKE it dark and do our own garbage) and our taxes are...hold your breath...$7200 year. Yes, folks. That's right. Seven thousand two hundred dollars a year gives me the dubious "privilege" of living here. We'd move, but who would buy a house with that tax bill???? We didn't !! They doubled the year after we moved in. And yes we've challenged them and no there's nothing we can do about it.
Cars...well, being carschoolers, I mean homeschoolers, we need at least one good vehicle (with good traction to get up our looooooooooooong driveway) so we bought a 7 year old Volvo and hubby drives an early-paid-off 7 year old Camry to work..we got what we thought was a good deal and are happy with it but must say that it was more than I wanted to spend. Course, I wanted it for free!
So we spend a great deal on housing and transportation... BUT we have our own eggs from our hens, do a work exchange for food with a local farm (I weed, we get food!), homeschool our children, used cloth diapers on two out of three (and the first year on the third till both our dads died within four months of each other and I just couldn't cope with the laundry), cut our own hair, pay for things with cash, grow and can our own food, make our own cheese, beer and mead, heat with wood, buy our clothes second hand or drastically reduced, quilt, sew, knit, and pretty much do everything for ourselves that we can. I feel frugal in many, many ways and honor Amy D. of Tightwad Gazette fame as my mentor and I HATE spending money on things!

 

[cathanna]

Do tell! How does one find a car for $500? I'm in the market for such a vehicle. Tips and pointers appreciated. Thank you.

 

[Lt. Wombat]

South Dakota:

6% sales tax, including a food tax that is in the process of being repealed.

1544 acres with 1900sf moble and 100' x 350' barn: $148k. $1,600 annual property taxes.

Vehicles: new are $63 year, goes down each year.

Firearms: Shall issue concealed permit to anyone not prohibited from possessing.

Total state population: 700 to 750k. My area 4k max.

Employment: Bring your own cause there isn't any here for you :waa:

 

[Blu3duk]

near the Cultural hub of the universe [Kooskia Idaho] we have 5 .05 acres +/- in a subdivision created by former presidential candidiate "Bo" Gritz [ive only had to shoot at one of my neighbors in 3 years] we pay just over $400 for the permission to remain in possessionary rights of this small 2 story house +/- 1800 sqft, with 50x50 barn and 16x20 chicken coop.

$35 for 9600# tags [car or pickup that does not pull a trailer]
$52 for up to 16,000 gross [mandatory for trailer towing]
$65 for 16,000 to 24,000 gross plus any commercial permits needed for special vehicles not covered as farm vehicles.

6% sales tax, but we do get a $85.00 tax credit on income tax forms for the state on food purchases if you qualify.....

tax on my portable sawmill is only $34.00 per year, however if not paid by Jan 20, the sheriff posse comes to collect double or put it up for sale [differs from real property of 3 year non payment].... found out the hard way... overlooked paying it one year several years back..... cost over $100.... but i havent missed it since.

uninproved ground in Idaho county Idaho [largest county in lower 48] 5 acres $25,000.00 no power, no phone.... no well. Drill a well average here $15,000.00

House like mine.... about $100K.... a new house will run about $130K and a bigger one can set you back over $200K and still no ground to do anything on except cut the lawn.

Farmable tracts of ground run about $1000 - 2500.00 per acre and generally are passed to family members that want to farm for some reason.... some people have a ulcer wish i guess [ever price a piece of new farm machinery? or used in workable condition]

William

 

[comfortablynumb]

You're my kind of guy/gal

guy/gal? no just a guy, if I was a guy/gal I could make a few sideshow bucks.

:haha:

Do tell! How does one find a car for $500?

just go lookin for em... how else?
when they ask 1500 you list a whole pack of obvious stuff wrong with the thing and offer em 500, and you meet in the midsdle at about 800.

as for 500 buck cars trucks they are all over, look in small papers, little store ad boards ect. take a ride to a small town, the more remote the better, and look around for cars sittin out, and make offers.

.o3 cents a KWH? holy crap... I pay .09 a KWH for power.

 

[Runners]

I pay .5% property tax , 4.5 sales tax , and $0.035 per KWH for elec. Nickel a pack cig. tax , in VA

Yup, there are also land use programs that further reduce your property tax rate, if you got 5 or more acres (not a set-aside program!). We pay less than $600 for 27 acres with a 1700squ ft, 3BD, 2BA, full 1700' basement. The actual cost of electric with taxes is more like .05 per KWH. Electric is SO CHEAP, it's getting harder to find LP gas appliances in the stores.

"....prop. tax on a 3 bdrm home on less than one acre is over 3,000 a year, how would that compare to say rural N.C. or Virginia?...."
Time to ask yourself, "What's all that money going to...????" or is that "Who"

VA also has a property tax on vehicles, older they are the cheaper it gets. Some counties tax boats, trailers and whatever else they can squeeze.


Since we live in Rural south central Virginia, with too many people moving down from the north, I'm thinking of writing Gov Warner about a special "New Jersey immigration tax". (a true politician, so it oughta fly)


We got some interesting town names here too... "Tightsqeeze" is just down the road from "Hurt", which is not far from "Climax". What else would you find in "Brosville" but "Redeye" at the "Bachelors Hall", till the crew gets "Motley" and the joint becomes "Pittsville" and you gotta visit "Leaksville" ...and to clean up that "Cascade" mess there's "Ajax" until it's all "Brights"... Vegan? Take your "Dry Fork" over to "Spring Garden", maybe a little "Pickerel" with "Grit" & "Java", but if it gives ya gas, we just "Markham" and send 'em to "Mt. Airy"!
The "Worlds" is just full of "Witt", 'eh? Just "Sharon" with the "Kentuck" folk a little "Sutherlin" humor.

 

[Guest]

heidith The NY tax sound bad but when I figure my place in NJ is only 1,000 square feet and on nearly half an acre at just over 3,000 a year in property tax, compare dto 3200 feet on 3-10 our rates seem similar.

runners
"....prop. tax on a 3 bdrm home on less than one acre is over 3,000 a year, how would that compare to say rural N.C. or Virginia?...."
Time to ask yourself, "What's all that money going to...????" or is that "Who"
Well, all that money goes to our school system and a sewer project and then their pockets! We have Volunteer fire and rescue and no local police. We have a school and a sewer that I don't use. Hence my desire to move.
I can understand people in Virginia wanting to tax people from Jersey moving down. South Jersey(not to be confused with North Jersey) residents have payed the price for surrounding states residents vacation homes and vacationing at our beaches for years. Pollution,DUI, General crime, those damn casinos, high taxes and land values. Mainly Penn. tourists, honestly many South Jersey residents would like to declare war on Penn and take back our shore!! Rest easy though I am not moving there I'll be moving north!
On that note what really burns me up is when "wealthy" types build trophy homes in small rural areas and they attract more just like grackles
before you know it you can't touch land in the area and the original residents can't afford it!!

 

[barbarake]

Let's see - five bedroom house (2,500 sq. ft.) on 1/4 acre lot - $620.00. (That includes excellent garbage pickup, street lights, fire/police protection.) But - in all honesty - that will go up soon because they didn't change the tax even though I added three rooms almost two years ago. (Yes, I did it legally - permits and everything - but my tax hasn't changed.)

9 acres land valued at $52,000 - $700 tax (this will go down when I move there).

Car - three year old minivan - $540/year insurance, about $280/year property tax.

Five percent sales tax.

 

[Runners]

LOL!!!!

"vacation homes and vacationing at our beaches for years. Pollution,DUI, General crime, those damn casinos, high taxes and land values. Mainly Penn. tourists, honestly many South Jersey residents would like to declare war on Penn and take back our shore!!"

Go for it! Easy pickin's since the Amish won't put up a fight - a sneak attack 'cause they shun modern stuff like HT! ...trying to imagine the interstate clogged up with horses & buggys!

Come on down here to vacation, bring those fat wallets and live it up! We'll be in the Carolinas spending all our money! The grass is always greener looking on the other side of the county!

Nothing jacks up land values & taxes, faster then some rich dude forking out the big $$$ for your neighborhood's spread and then building a mansion.