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To All Mass Residents Thinking of Leaving
- Thread starter soloman02
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![[laugh]](/xen/styles/default/xenforo/smilies.vb/012.gif "Laugh [laugh]")
I've spent longer crossing from one end to the other of the Tobin coming home from skiing when I was a kid.
Cool story bro. Do you do that every single day to get to work and then come home from work? Spending 4+ hours commuting every day leaves very little time for anything else after a 60 hour work week.
Depends on what time you leave in the morning. I take Boston Express out if Nashua into South Station - 1 hour in the morning (leave 5:20 am) and about 1.5 hours on the way back (leave SS at 4 pm).
Add at least 15 minutes to get to the bus station in Nashua and another 15 minutes from South Station to your office, then the same going home. Now you're taking 3 1/2 hours each day commuting. It sucks the life out of living.
xtry51
NES Member
Be careful on the tax map. The percentage is meaningless if you don't know the average valuation in the town. For instance, you can look at Jaffrey and Fitzwilliam. The tax range is same on the mil rate map. The avg tax bill in Jaffrey is far higher than Fitzwilliam due to the grand list valuations. About 25-40% higher when you compare land and square footage of similar properties
I'm about to buy a 2,000sqft house in Richmond on a little under 10 acres and the annual taxes are about $6k. For me moving from CT that's a bargain. In NE CT I was paying $8k to just the town and then paying sales tax and state income tax on top of that. It adds up quick.
I'm about to buy a 2,000sqft house in Richmond on a little under 10 acres and the annual taxes are about $6k. For me moving from CT that's a bargain. In NE CT I was paying $8k to just the town and then paying sales tax and state income tax on top of that. It adds up quick.
That Map is really outdated.
Here is the current tax rates from the state. http://revenue.nh.gov/mun-prop/municipal/documents/15-final-tax-rates.pdf
Yeah. it's no picnic, but I prefer it to the Commiewealth. Not many high-tech jobs up here so I'm stuck for a few more years.
When I lived on the North Shore, it still took over an hour to get into North Station using public transportation.
headednorth
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Of course, the time you leave makes all the difference. Iirc, her shift starts at 830 and he starts at 730 fwiw.
That depends, was the property sold after the valuation numbers were set? Was it a qualified sale? When was the last revaluation or update to values in the town?
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I've been looking for a first house over the past year and have looked in southern NH as there are gorgeous properties that you just couldn't get in MA unless you were rich.
My question is, how likely is it to get a non resident MA LTC? I've had my non restricted for the last 5 years & was just renewed in June. As of now, I have a dream job and CANNOT leave. Thanks for any info.
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My question is, how likely is it to get a non resident MA LTC? I've had my non restricted for the last 5 years & was just renewed in June. As of now, I have a dream job and CANNOT leave. Thanks for any info.
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My assumption was that after a property is sold, that the valuation is changed to the most recent sale price. Browsing properties on Zillow and looking at the sale and tax history, that doesn't seem to be the case. Of course, that data might not be correct.
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I understand. I'm a software developer in biotech, so I'm stuck working in Kendall Square or the Seaport District. Nothing in NH is going to match the pay and benefits.
I've never asked this, but I'm sure it's something the NH folks know.
While living in Mass. I've traveled to many other places. With my current LTCC being in Mass and nobody else accepting it I knew I was going to have to get some more.
For RI, I was told by anyone and everyone not to go for it because the AG rejects and that could go on my record for rejection, but I could fall asleep applying for NH. They were like, "oh you got an LTC? You're cool!" Copy LTCC for NH. I'm also from Virginia and Florida so they obliged me quicker than you can say "is that a gun in your pocket or are you just happy to see me?" Did I mention they don't reciprocate so I had to get some other places too.
The problem is I don't know what it's like to live in either place and acquire an LTCC in Mass. Is it difficult? Is there potential to get rejected? How did it go for you?
I understand some "rules warriors" are going to start spouting laws, etc. I need "real life experiences" because, as we know, law doesn't really apply in Mass.
Also, please reply to this post so it'll let me know and I can view it.
While living in Mass. I've traveled to many other places. With my current LTCC being in Mass and nobody else accepting it I knew I was going to have to get some more.
For RI, I was told by anyone and everyone not to go for it because the AG rejects and that could go on my record for rejection, but I could fall asleep applying for NH. They were like, "oh you got an LTC? You're cool!" Copy LTCC for NH. I'm also from Virginia and Florida so they obliged me quicker than you can say "is that a gun in your pocket or are you just happy to see me?" Did I mention they don't reciprocate so I had to get some other places too.
The problem is I don't know what it's like to live in either place and acquire an LTCC in Mass. Is it difficult? Is there potential to get rejected? How did it go for you?
I understand some "rules warriors" are going to start spouting laws, etc. I need "real life experiences" because, as we know, law doesn't really apply in Mass.
Also, please reply to this post so it'll let me know and I can view it.
Our town just went through an assessment, apparently it happens every five years. I looked at some properties (sold vs assessed) because ours seemed high. Seems hit or miss between the two, some correlated and some did not.
P.S. - I'm in Kendall too for the same reason.
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True, but too bad it isn't updated to reflect the 2015 rates. The colored towns makes it easy to see and flag places to look vs. ignore.
Of course the real key is town policies on increasing assessments:
- Do they increase them to sales price when you buy?
- Do they reassess every x years, and if so is the town you're looking at due to reassess soon?
D, can you shed any light on those questions?
xtry51
NES Member
If a house was sold the following reval should adjust it. In NH hats once every 5 years and it's a statistical analysis with some bearing on market direction and comps in your neighborhood. So it's a complicated answer depending on where you are in that cycle and what happens around you during it. Most assessments will be slightly below a rough sale value on a grand list, 5-10%.
Again the valuation of your house is meaningless. What matters is the town population and what the town budget actually is. They just adjust the numbers to make the budget they want.
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It's easier to get a nonresident MA than a resident in many cases. The only real drawback is you need to physically go to the office once a year to renew and it's $100.
This is not supposed to happen. Boston did this per policy but IIRC there was either a court case or AG ruling that stopped the practice back in the 1970s.
For example, I've lived in my current house for 40+ years and the house across the street has had 4 or 5 owners in that timeframe. That would make my taxes low (I wish!) and theirs higher than mine due to turnover. It is patently unfair and why the practice was stopped. I'd think NH was smart enough not to do this.
Given that you've had resident LTC unrestricted for years, according to the FRB Director, you would have a very strong chance of getting an unrestricted NR LTC. The process takes forever (4-6 months typically) for a 1 year LTC and is a hassle (trip to Chelsea every year), but they don't add any BS to the requirements like many cities and towns do.
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NH town valuations are often entirely divorced from fair market value.
I say ignore the published tax rates, look at just the actual tax bill for the property you are interested in, and that town's tax rate history -- was there a recent hike to cover a one time major expense (e.g. a new school), or is it a town where the long-term budget trend is ever higher, faster than neighboring towns?
I say ignore the published tax rates, look at just the actual tax bill for the property you are interested in, and that town's tax rate history -- was there a recent hike to cover a one time major expense (e.g. a new school), or is it a town where the long-term budget trend is ever higher, faster than neighboring towns?
That has not been my experience in NH -- when I bought, the valuation was higher than the price I paid, then after the town-wide re-valuation a year or two after my transaction, the new assessed value was less than my purchase price. My assessed value was always at least $50K off from the transaction price, first higher, then lower.
By state law, all towns in NH have a minimum five-year assessment revaluation cycle.
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1903Collector
NES Member
There are a lot of factors for me and my wife that prevent us from leaving now, that being said we're hoping to be out in about five years. Not sure where at this point but it definitely will not be in New England, looking at the south for sure. If I never see another snow flake I'll be just fine!!!
When my wife got a job in NH, I made out on taxes. I was looking at central border towns (i.e. Townsend, etc), and there was about a $2k property tax difference between MA and NH, for the price range we were looking in (4k vs 6k per year). The lack of state income tax for my wife's salary more than made up that difference.
In other words, the lack of state income in NH should make up for the higher property taxes. Also, your property dollar goes much farther in NH, so in the grand scheme, slightly higher property tax doesn't bother me so much.
My town is doing assessments right now, so I'm about to find out.
And for those wondering about other taxes... I used this site to evaluate ALL the state tax burdens.
https://www.retirementliving.com/taxes-by-state
https://www.retirementliving.com/taxes-by-state
ChevyGuy91
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You also write your property taxes off on your fed taxes, so the increase in property taxes makes for a larger fed return in NH. It may not be much, but don't forget to factor that into your total tax difference.
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Choices bro.
Don't want a shitty commute, don't live so far from work. Or has the act of commuting to work now joined the ranks of the victim movement in America?
ChevyGuy91
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Just saw this on FB this morning, and thought it was relevant to this thread. Not because of the number 1 spot, but for total consideration.
http://www.freedominthe50states.org/
http://www.freedominthe50states.org/
You're screwed getting there no matter which way you go. South on I-93 through Boston is horrific. The southern end of 128 is also horrific. Basically, you can't there from [strike=line]here[/strike] NH.
You can. If you don't mind sitting in a car for four to five hours, Monday through Friday.
