[2BNTV]

Originally Posted by thekeithfan

Are you kidding me I came from Connecticut I am saving over $1,200.00 a month in just taxes! No income tax, no property tax on cars my property taxes are one fifth of what I paid in CT. And I have 3 Super Walmarts withing 7 miles of my house. CT doesn't allow SuperWalmarts! I'm saving over $125.00 a month there on food and such. NO heat bill! thats $3,000 a year and the electric rates here are 35% less than CT. My electric bill with air on is lowere than ANY ELECTRIC BILL I ever paid in CT (and I didn't have A/C).

I totally agree CT is one of the most taxed states. I came from New York but the taxes in CT are worse. It blew my mind when I first moved 25 years ago when the state makes you pay a semi-annual property tax on your car. A good reason to drive an older car, (the newer the car equals being taxed more).

I'm not kidding anyone.

Taxes on a condo for approximately 1028 sq feet is about $4400 a year. Ouch!!!!

Oh, to be in TV.

[Schaumburger]

Originally Posted by 2BNTV

Everyone must perform a comparative financial analysis when moving for one place to another especially if their going to have a fixed income. Everyone has to decide for themselves if it is feasible.

Most financial people have said that one should not go into retirement with debt and having a mortgage is not the best type of scenario. While this seems too simplistic, it is the way for many Americans.

IMHO - Retirement is not “retirement” if one has to work. Working for a few dollars to pay for something on a short term basis or to have a few bucks for extras or if one feels they will stay healthier. Most financial people say to plan for increased spending habits when not working. As everyone knows, one cannot afford to live outside of their means. Some people are not as fortunate as others in terms of retirement income so they should plan accordingly. With so many options of hobbies and interest in TV, one must be prudent in handling their finances if their income is limited and select options that are doable. At some point, one’s body will tell you when it can’t go no more. To work until one dies is not the way to go.

Two sayings I have been informed of:
1. First you see what you like and then buy what you can afford.
2. Do want to own the house or do you want the house to own you?

Excellent point!

[Schaumburger]

Originally Posted by 2BNTV

I totally agree CT is one of the most taxed states. I came from New York but the taxes in CT are worse. It blew my mind when I first moved 25 years ago when the state makes you pay a semi-annual property tax on your car. A good reason to drive an older car, (the newer the car equals being taxed more).

I'm not kidding anyone.

Taxes on a condo for approximately 1028 sq feet is about $4400 a year. Ouch!!!!

Oh, to be in TV.

2BNTV, And I thought the $2,600 I paid in property taxes for my 1,000 sq. ft. town house in Crook County, Illinois was bad. I feel your pain.

[ivanhoe]

Originally Posted by billethkid

..unless you run your household like the federal government....

C'mon down.

btk

A hahahahahaha. I've been reading for an hour now and it's my first belly laugh!!..Thanks!

[boobear51751]

I agree it is very expensive and the tax on our little slice and I mean little slice of paradise is in line with San Francisco if you figure the square foot of your lot. Now with that said golfing is only as expensive as you make it. You don't have to pay trails fees if you don't want to. Use a pull cart and walk on the executive courses. It is freel. The trash is another story too. Where else in the US do they charge you to pick up recyled items that the town will be paid for when they sell the trash? That is a tax that The Villages mandated a few years back. Before that we had no recyling here in The Villages other than Silver Lake area where Lady Lake does it for them. The federal government (not just the president) is to blame for letting Progresss Energy raise their rates where you can't seem to get a hold of them. But people are not in an uproar over the cost of their electric so they can get away with it.
So yes it is expense to live here and you are very young to be here as well. With working, as you should be at 51, you don't have a lot of time to enjoy some of the activites. Hang in there it will only get worse. I feel your pain and I am not 51.

[Bogie Shooter]

Originally Posted by boobear51751

I agree it is very expensive and the tax on our little slice and I mean little slice of paradise is in line with San Francisco if you figure the square foot of your lot. Now with that said golfing is only as expensive as you make it. You don't have to pay trails fees if you don't want to. Use a pull cart and walk on the executive courses. It is freel. The trash is another story too. Where else in the US do they charge you to pick up recyled items that the town will be paid for when they sell the trash? That is a tax that The Villages mandated a few years back. Before that we had no recyling here in The Villages other than Silver Lake area where Lady Lake does it for them. The federal government (not just the president) is to blame for letting Progresss Energy raise their rates where you can't seem to get a hold of them. But people are not in an uproar over the cost of their electric so they can get away with it.
So yes it is expense to live here and you are very young to be here as well. With working, as you should be at 51, you don't have a lot of time to enjoy some of the activites. Hang in there it will only get worse. I feel your pain and I am not 51.

Aren't the electric rates approved by the Florida State power commission??
The cost of living here is all relative to where you came from, some say it is more and some say it is less.

[buggyone]

Did most people forget about there is NO state income tax in Florida? I came from Maryland and we had BOTH state and county income tax.

Well, I did go back to the initial posting on this topic. The woman says her husband is a golf addict and she has to work 3 jobs in order to keep food on the table. He is darn lucky the wife did not take lessons from Tiger Wood's wife on how to properly use a 7-iron.

[Posh 08]

Originally Posted by buggyone

Did most people forget about there is NO state income tax in Florida? I came from Maryland and we had BOTH state and county income tax.

Well, I did go back to the initial posting on this topic. The woman says her husband is a golf addict and she has to work 3 jobs in order to keep food on the table. He is darn lucky the wife did not take lessons from Tiger Wood's wife on how to properly use a 7-iron.

[janmcn]

Originally Posted by Bogie Shooter

Aren't the electric rates approved by the Florida State power commission??
The cost of living here is all relative to where you came from, some say it is more and some say it is less.

Yes the rates are approved by the state of Florida, not the federal government, and the power commission is loaded with Rick Scott appointees. Progress Energy customers are being forced to pay for repairs to the nuclear reactor, which has been shut down for two years, and also for a new nuclear plant which may or may not ever be built. Read The St Pete Times for in depth articles on this debacle.

[rubicon]

Originally Posted by boobear51751

I agree it is very expensive and the tax on our little slice and I mean little slice of paradise is in line with San Francisco if you figure the square foot of your lot. Now with that said golfing is only as expensive as you make it. You don't have to pay trails fees if you don't want to. Use a pull cart and walk on the executive courses. It is freel. The trash is another story too. Where else in the US do they charge you to pick up recyled items that the town will be paid for when they sell the trash? That is a tax that The Villages mandated a few years back. Before that we had no recyling here in The Villages other than Silver Lake area where Lady Lake does it for them. The federal government (not just the president) is to blame for letting Progresss Energy raise their rates where you can't seem to get a hold of them. But people are not in an uproar over the cost of their electric so they can get away with it.
So yes it is expense to live here and you are very young to be here as well. With working, as you should be at 51, you don't have a lot of time to enjoy some of the activites. Hang in there it will only get worse. I feel your pain and I am not 51.

boobear 51751: Obviously if you moved from a high tax state taxes are going to look good to you. However when you take a closer look property/school taxes are not such a bargain;albeit lack of an income tax helps provided your earning a lot of income. Also a consideration is the weather. Again what you lose in June you gain in January although the last few years I was as cold as I had been when living in Minneapolis.

Golf is the main attraction for moving to TV and you will read or hear the marketing department claim free golf for the rest of your life. You can golf free on the executive courses if you don't ride and don't sign up for the computer tee time service. You can either use the free telephone system which is labor intensive and frustrating or walk on the courses to see if someone cancelled or if they have an opening.

The championship courses will cost you and much more in prime season. I have priority and mus play 66 games in order to break even. Most of my neighborhood plays off campus. When you compare rates off campus rates are verey competitive and even more so because they will provide a cat and sometime lunch. Add the cost of a cart to TV rates and you will get a morerealistic look at what you are paying.

Amenities fees are deducted each month per family. Its a waste for a family because if they do not use the rec centers, pools, courts,etc, and certainly TV isn't going to unbundled recreation items included in the amenity fee to reduce this cost.

What this all means is that TV expense factor depends on a person's personal lifestyle. If you like to party hardy then the price imay be worth it. If you are a homebody and golf occasionally it may be better to live elsewhere in Florida because TV "Lifestyle" sharply increase a home prices.

Finally as the built-out progresses TV is getting more and more crowded every year particularly from October through May. Even this past June thru September population was seen to increase. Population size also factors into quality living calculations. As an example the aforementioned free golf for the rest of your life doesn't mean you will be able to play everyday and /or as often as you like because in the name of fairness their are restrictions

[Xavier]

... I think I hear Charleston calling you! ... and the favorite whine is, "I wish I had settled in Charleston." There is still time.

[eweissenbach]

Originally Posted by boobear51751

I agree it is very expensive and the tax on our little slice and I mean little slice of paradise is in line with San Francisco if you figure the square foot of your lot. Now with that said golfing is only as expensive as you make it. You don't have to pay trails fees if you don't want to. Use a pull cart and walk on the executive courses. It is freel. The trash is another story too. Where else in the US do they charge you to pick up recyled items that the town will be paid for when they sell the trash? That is a tax that The Villages mandated a few years back. Before that we had no recyling here in The Villages other than Silver Lake area where Lady Lake does it for them. The federal government (not just the president) is to blame for letting Progresss Energy raise their rates where you can't seem to get a hold of them. But people are not in an uproar over the cost of their electric so they can get away with it.
So yes it is expense to live here and you are very young to be here as well. With working, as you should be at 51, you don't have a lot of time to enjoy some of the activites. Hang in there it will only get worse. I feel your pain and I am not 51.

With all due respect the cost of living in San Francisco is waaaay higher than TV. According to the CNN cost of living calculator a person making $37,000 a year in Orlando would have to make $60,000 a year in San Francisco to come out even. I have lived in the midsection of America my whole life and the cost of living here is about the lowest in the country, yet my calculations lead me to beleive that TV would be about the same for us. According to the CNN calculator you would have to make $63,000 in Orlando to equal $60,000 in St. Joseph, Mo, near where I live. Now I realize that Orlando is not TV, but most costs would be comparable IMO.

[VillagesFlorida]

My new electric bill from Seco is $55 plus change. I think I would be spending a lot more if I was back in Maine where my bill would probably be more like $120, PLUS I would have the cost of heating oil at $3.50 a gallon. That $55 is my total energy cost for one month. I am not leaving!

[Bogie Shooter]

Originally Posted by rubicon

boobear 51751: Obviously if you moved from a high tax state taxes are going to look good to you. However when you take a closer look property/school taxes are not such a bargain;albeit lack of an income tax helps provided your earning a lot of income. Also a consideration is the weather. Again what you lose in June you gain in January although the last few years I was as cold as I had been when living in Minneapolis.

Golf is the main attraction for moving to TV and you will read or hear the marketing department claim free golf for the rest of your life. You can golf free on the executive courses if you don't ride and don't sign up for the computer tee time service. You can either use the free telephone system which is labor intensive and frustrating or walk on the courses to see if someone cancelled or if they have an opening.

The championship courses will cost you and much more in prime season. I have priority and mus play 66 games in order to break even. Most of my neighborhood plays off campus. When you compare rates off campus rates are verey competitive and even more so because they will provide a cat and sometime lunch. Add the cost of a cart to TV rates and you will get a morerealistic look at what you are paying.

Amenities fees are deducted each month per family. Its a waste for a family because if they do not use the rec centers, pools, courts,etc, and certainly TV isn't going to unbundled recreation items included in the amenity fee to reduce this cost.

What this all means is that TV expense factor depends on a person's personal lifestyle. If you like to party hardy then the price imay be worth it. If you are a homebody and golf occasionally it may be better to live elsewhere in Florida because TV "Lifestyle" sharply increase a home prices.

Finally as the built-out progresses TV is getting more and more crowded every year particularly from October through May. Even this past June thru September population was seen to increase. Population size also factors into quality living calculations. As an example the aforementioned free golf for the rest of your life doesn't mean you will be able to play everyday and /or as often as you like because in the name of fairness their are restrictions

This for sure is not a Chamber of Commerce posting.

[ladydoc]

Originally Posted by VillagesFlorida

My new electric bill from Seco is $55 plus change. I think I would be spending a lot more if I was back in Maine where my bill would probably be more like $120, PLUS I would have the cost of heating oil at $3.50 a gallon. That $55 is my total energy cost for one month. I am not leaving!

What size house do you have? Our bill was a little under $100, but we do have multiple TVs and computers...I was just wondering if that would account for our higher bill. We did not have the air or the heat on hardly at all this past month.