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New Hampshire living?

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I was just in New Hampshire for a week about a month ago, visiting a friend I served with. I was in Sanbornton. I was amazed by the views and scenery. Long story short for the NH guys, I'm actually thinking about moving up from Jersey. What are the good points and what are the bad points of living up there? Lets hear em.

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I was just in New Hampshire for a week about a month ago, visiting a friend I served with. I was in Sanbornton. I was amazed by the views and scenery. Long story short for the NH guys, I'm actually thinking about moving up from Jersey. What are the good points and what are the bad points of living up there? Lets hear em.

good points, we can hunt on sundays, easy gun laws, alcohol right off the highway, no income taxes.

Low points, high property taxes,

I've been here for 40 years and like it, cept for 8k a year property tax bill on my 2200 sqr ft house on 1 acre of land.

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Good; no income tax, no sales tax, not much crime, good education system IMO. Lots of good stuff to do outdoors in every season. Easy access to Boston rim if you need to go there, and sometimes it's good to do that (great hospitals etc.)  Most people stay out of each others' way for the most part. Hey the free staters picked it and the free stuffers don't :) 


Neutral: Not overly diverse if that is important to you.


Bad; Property tax is brutal due to no income tax and it feels like people in a lot of towns never say no to anything on the ballot. IMO too damned many cops for the population and crime rate so they spend a lot of time harassing people for stupid things. Some in my town wanted to investigate getting rid of them but the safety moms came out in force.


Overall, I've enjoyed it here for the last 18 years, but when my youngest heads to college I'm out of here. $12k for property tax doesn't fit in my retirement plan...YMMV..

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My wife moved to NH from Upstate NY almost three years ago for a job and I've been spending time there ever since. I've enjoyed being there and expect one of these days I'll start packing my stuff. I'm retired so its easy enough except for dealing with a lifetimes accumulation of 'stuff'.

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Cant help myself here. Come next door to (Southern) Maine! Not as high taxes, same small town polotics...but you are just that much closer to the ocean. I am originally from way upstate NY, via Ontario Canada, to Maine. Forget the Gov Page, "Open for business" crap and think " The Way Life Should Be". Best of both States and state of minds. Sorry all, just my two cents...

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Cant help myself here. Come next door to (Southern) Maine! Not as high taxes, same small town polotics...but you are just that much closer to the ocean. I am originally from way upstate NY, via Ontario Canada, to Maine. Forget the Gov Page, "Open for business" crap and think " The Way Life Should Be". Best of both States and state of minds. Sorry all, just my two cents...

can't hunt on monday, your state taxes pensions also, and it has an income tax.

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I agree with what has been said. Property taxes in NH are ridiculous, but there's no state income tax. The math is relatively simple. Say you're going to pay an extra $3K in property taxes. If you earn over $60K you're ahead of the game, assuming a 5% state tax rate. Earn less and it's not worth it financially. This does not consider the intangibles such as lower crime rates, quality of schools, space to move around, traffic, etc. Personally, I'd take Maine and NH over anything I've seen anywhere else regardless of financial considerations. Just my $.02.

Marty

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Quote:

Originally Posted by Phantom21 View Post

Cant help myself here. Come next door to (Southern) Maine! Not as high taxes, same small town polotics...but you are just that much closer to the ocean. I am originally from way upstate NY, via Ontario Canada, to Maine. Forget the Gov Page, "Open for business" crap and think " The Way Life Should Be". Best of both States and state of minds. Sorry all, just my two cents...



I moved to NH from Maine, and I really loved Maine (still have a place there). But if you are a working couple their "progressive" income tax kills you, I want to say we were paying around 9% when I was there. Plus property tax. And getting absolutely nothing for it as it all got shipped to build palatial schools up in potatoland. I thought the striper fishing was better than NH, but maybe that was because it was pre-kids and I had more time to fish lol. Back then there was a sticker that said "Tax" that you could put over the "Vac" on your Vacationland license plate. If you're going to have a heart attack Maine Med is a good place to be near.. but LePage, what's up with that? I was there in the Angus King days...  So these 2 ladies in Aroostook county are picking potatos and this woman pulls a huge spud out of the ground. And she says "This reminds me of my husband's scrotum". The other lady says "THAT big??" She says "No, that dirty"  Da Dum.

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Yeah, OK, points taken! Not everyones situation is the same and I get that, and I forget that when I shout my big mouth off. Kinda

Iike a Bluefish hitting on shiny car keys, we all think our part of the world would be better for everyone else. Mea coupa.

 

But hey, all things considered... You are closer to striperville here, just sayin.

 

Squirrel! Go Wings? :moon:

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The high property tax thing is not universal. Depending on the tax base in the town and what its expenditures are, taxes can be quite reasonable (of course that is universally true). I live in what I consider to be a nice old farmhouse (1750sqft- 9 ac) that has seen several renovations and is more or less modern. My property taxes are just over $3500/year. Our town has a much higher tax rate than the three towns just west of us which have a significantly higher tax base. My brother lives in one of those towns and has a similar total assessment as I do, but property taxes that are less than half of mine.

 

This being said, I don't think you can go wrong with either New Hampshire or Maine. I grew up here and went to college in Waldo County Maine. I enjoyed my time there immensly and seriously considered a job offer there right after school. Ended up coming back here to be close to family and to help my folks on their farm. No regrets. I like Maine's slot limit for eating fish though and chose to fish the Piscataqua launching out of Kittery.

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I've been in ME/NH for 16+ yrs, I was a M*******, don't tell anybody, and I don't like putting it in writting. If you come up don't try and change the place, Please. Some of you guys got some High taxes. When I moved here I went to the town hall to change my registaration for my car. The woman asked if I wanted conservation plates, I asked do they cost more? Yes 35 bucks, I said no I just want to get may MA plates off my car, she thought that was pretty funny. My wife, then, always thought I got a better price when I went to reg. the cars than her, she's a bitc*, that's why, but I love going into an old farm house for a town hall with the creaky wood floors.

 

Anyways in NH now and I would take either one. Taxes well it is what you have to pay depending on where your at. I'm in Milton, 30 miles up Rt 16, I jump on the highway north to the mountains and south to the ocean, what more can you ask for?

 

There is my .02. Good luck.

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US Census Bureau figures takes into account income, sales, property, license and other taxes and ranks the individual tax burden by state - overall state tax burden. Maine comes in at 15th and NH comes in at 49th (lower ranking means lower taxes).

 

They are both great states to live in. When deciding where to live, think about where you'll want to travel. You should know that, generally, east-west travel is much more challenging than north-south in northern New England.

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SKS, as an aside, I too am a recovering M***********. I moved up at 6:00 AM on July 2nd 2004. I had temporary Maine plates on my car by 9:15 that morning. On my way home from RMV, I called two people M*************s and I live like 10 miles away. You're absolutely right about moving here and not trying to change the place.

Marty

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I moved from New Hampshire to New Jersey 29 years ago after living in NH for 20 years. I suffered some pretty severe culture shock. Traffic, high speeds, fast paced living etc. Not to mention taxeson everything. I have often wondered how I would make out if I moved back to New Hampshire. I know when I go back to visit I have to grit my teeth at the slow pace however I do like country living. My Jersey girl wife, not so much.

 

I think tax and living expense burdens are relative. If your income can satisfy your responsibilities all is well. NJ gets a bad rap.

 

We own a 2217 sq. ft. house here in NJ and our property taxes are $6K (after Homestead Rebate). Our income tax is only $500 (State of NJ) so if you are making the money it does not matter.

I am old but I'm slow.

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