Moving to Lakes Region later this summer

[CAVU]

I have lived in two different towns in NH. Tamworth and Moultonborough.. Each has their own appeal.. Tamworth for the record, is near Ossipee and Sandwich.
Tamworth was/is a beautiful small NH town. Not much has changed since the 50's. There is no zoning which means pretty much no rules!! This benefited me in building my home, I didn't have to worry about building inspectors, etc. It was easy. However, I was a bit younger less informed at the time when I purchased the land. What killed me about Tamworth were two issues. The property taxes and services. The home I built, I was hoping it was going to be worth somewhere in the neighborhood of 115-120k, well it turned out to be worth 183k!! Well more than I thought, that had me paying what would have been close to $3500 in property tax. That was well above what I could afford!! Hence, I got it on the market sold before my first $1700 property tax bill came..
Second issue I had with Tamworth was the services issue, meaning road mtx, and plowing. I had bought a nice 1.35ac lot in a quiet little development with community water. The water cost I knew which was $125 each quarter, what I never knew was that it didn't include plowing!! I thought the town plowed the road, after all with the high property taxes I thought it was given.. Again, I'm just chocking this up to being young and naive Well, we had to hire someone to plow the road. Unfortunately, with no association only half the people would pay and the other half would get a "free ride".
So in the end if you chose to live an area like Tamworth, I would personally recommend buying a road that is maintained and plowed in the winter. I would also recommend if you can take advantage of buying large acreage and putting it in current use. That will save money on property tax.
Now, I built a home in Moultonborough. I paid more for the land however, my home is worth 245k vs 183k and I pay $1552 a yr in property tax. Much more affordable for me!! I live in Suissevale, its a large association. It can be a little busy in the summer but, I live in a quiet area, 4 homes on the road, and I can walk to the lake. I love it here. The dues are $850 a yr but, the town plows the road, it includes community water, I don't ever have to worry about drilling a new well someday or testing my own water. I'm paying for piece of mind. Its still much cheaper than Tamworth. It all about exchanging one thing for the other. One thing I didn't realize about Moultonborough is that it had zoning and setback rules. I knew Suissevale had rules. What I didn't realize was Moultonborough trumps Suissevale's rules. Sooo, I had to get a little creative in setting a Cape style home with a garage on .25ac lot. I made it work and it looks great..
When it comes to living in a place like Moultonborough with all the rules, you just have to play the game. I'll admit I built wood shed to go with my house. I heat with wood. I was a little shocked that I got charged a building permit fee for it. Apparently I was suppose to file a building permit to build 4X10 wood shed.. Go figure, it seems they really don't care what you build, it more about revenue generation more than anything.
Anyway, sorry for the long winded reply, I just my experience might help you in someway..

[Oregonrain]

Originally Posted by CAVU

I have lived in two different towns in NH. Tamworth and Moultonborough.. Each has their own appeal.. Tamworth for the record, is near Ossipee and Sandwich.
Tamworth was/is a beautiful small NH town. Not much has changed since the 50's. There is no zoning which means pretty much no rules!! This benefited me in building my home, I didn't have to worry about building inspectors, etc. It was easy. However, I was a bit younger less informed at the time when I purchased the land. What killed me about Tamworth were two issues. The property taxes and services. The home I built, I was hoping it was going to be worth somewhere in the neighborhood of 115-120k, well it turned out to be worth 183k!! Well more than I thought, that had me paying what would have been close to $3500 in property tax. That was well above what I could afford!! Hence, I got it on the market sold before my first $1700 property tax bill came..
Second issue I had with Tamworth was the services issue, meaning road mtx, and plowing. I had bought a nice 1.35ac lot in a quiet little development with community water. The water cost I knew which was $125 each quarter, what I never knew was that it didn't include plowing!! I thought the town plowed the road, after all with the high property taxes I thought it was given.. Again, I'm just chocking this up to being young and naive Well, we had to hire someone to plow the road. Unfortunately, with no association only half the people would pay and the other half would get a "free ride".
So in the end if you chose to live an area like Tamworth, I would personally recommend buying a road that is maintained and plowed in the winter. I would also recommend if you can take advantage of buying large acreage and putting it in current use. That will save money on property tax.
Now, I built a home in Moultonborough. I paid more for the land however, my home is worth 245k vs 183k and I pay $1552 a yr in property tax. Much more affordable for me!! I live in Suissevale, its a large association. It can be a little busy in the summer but, I live in a quiet area, 4 homes on the road, and I can walk to the lake. I love it here. The dues are $850 a yr but, the town plows the road, it includes community water, I don't ever have to worry about drilling a new well someday or testing my own water. I'm paying for piece of mind. Its still much cheaper than Tamworth. It all about exchanging one thing for the other. One thing I didn't realize about Moultonborough is that it had zoning and setback rules. I knew Suissevale had rules. What I didn't realize was Moultonborough trumps Suissevale's rules. Sooo, I had to get a little creative in setting a Cape style home with a garage on .25ac lot. I made it work and it looks great..
When it comes to living in a place like Moultonborough with all the rules, you just have to play the game. I'll admit I built wood shed to go with my house. I heat with wood. I was a little shocked that I got charged a building permit fee for it. Apparently I was suppose to file a building permit to build 4X10 wood shed.. Go figure, it seems they really don't care what you build, it more about revenue generation more than anything.
Anyway, sorry for the long winded reply, I just my experience might help you in someway..

I truly appreciate all the information. Everything seems so different there than here, but I'm sure if I looked into rules and regulations here it would most likely be the same. I'm just used to this area. I like the idea of low taxes. I'm not too hip on associations mostly because of our dogs and all the added rules they have. I've found several places that I like. We're just going to have to make a trip out there before long and look at the places.

[Lakeboater]

I agree with you about the rules that go with associations. But they are a good way to get waterfront. There are some associations that are just for the lakefront area.....the restrictions and rules just apply to the waterfront.

[Weekend Pundit]

Reading the various responses to Oregonrain's query has shown me that for the most part everyone has forwarded good info and advice. More than a few have mentioned the property tax rates for the various towns, but I have to add that the tax rates in and of themselves aren't quite as important as the assessment of the various homes along with the tax rates. (I have seen some towns with higher tax rates than others that have lower property taxes because of the valuation of the properties being taxed.) I have to strongly agree that renting might be a good strategy before buying as there are a number of really great towns here in the Lakes Region. What is great for some folks might not be for others. It all comes down to what makes you feel like you're in the right place. Renting will at least give you a feel for what a town is like before you decide to "pull the trigger" and buy a home there. Every town has its own character and you'll find some will fit better than others. I'm in Gilford and for me it's a good fit. I have also resided in Laconia (Lakeport), Alexandria, and Plymouth. (Yeah, I know Plymouth isn't really Lakes Region, but it still counts towards my experiences.) Each has had its pluses and minuses. If I could no longer reside in Gilford, Alton would be my next choice. (Again, that would be my personal preference based upon my time spent there, the people I know there, and the business my wife and I used to own there.) All I can suggest is take your time. There's no rush. Each and every town has its own character, strengths, and weaknesses. Find the one that fits you and then revel in it! Oh, one more thing: I am also a ham and have enjoyed it for years! There are quite a few active clubs in the area so you'll have another resource to fall back on. The clubs are active in events all year round, and help with a number of local public events throughout the year.

[Oregonrain]

I understand the validity of renting for a while before buying, but coming from someone (me, before I married my husband) who has moved 8 times in 2012-2013, I don't really want to move that many more times. We've a LOT of stuff to move and I don't want to move it any more times than what I absolutely have to, not to mention the outlandish cost it will be to make the move from here to there. **sigh** sometimes I'm overwhelmed!!

[oak grove]

Oregonrain, I grew up in Barnstead, NH, just south of the LR, but moved to Oregon in 1985. The longer I'm in Oregon, the more I miss NH. When I lived in NH, we never went to the LR, but for the past 12 years I've gone back to NH to visit nearly every year and the first thing I do is go to the Lake. I spend as much time around bodies of water as possible!

Even areas away from the Lake, like Barnstead, are great, too, but -- as so many have said -- check the rules and regs for each town. Find out what you're allowed to do on your land. If you live for the water, then by all means check out the LR towns, but if rural with access to the Lake from time to time is all you need, there are so many great towns within 30 minutes of the Lake. You have the Santiam and Foster Lake, but now imagine that you have a few more rivers and a few more lakes in that same area to choose from. That's what much of what NH is like. There's so much more water to play in and, unlike the green water in OR, the water in NH is soooo much clearer!

The people are nicer in NH than they are in OR, in general. NH is laid back but energetic all at the same time. In OR, it seems that everyone is rushing about, but NH has a pace all its own. It's hard to explain.

[Oregonrain]

Originally Posted by oak grove

Oregonrain, I grew up in Barnstead, NH, just south of the LR, but moved to Oregon in 1985. The longer I'm in Oregon, the more I miss NH. When I lived in NH, we never went to the LR, but for the past 12 years I've gone back to NH to visit nearly every year and the first thing I do is go to the Lake. I spend as much time around bodies of water as possible!

Even areas away from the Lake, like Barnstead, are great, too, but -- as so many have said -- check the rules and regs for each town. Find out what you're allowed to do on your land. If you live for the water, then by all means check out the LR towns, but if rural with access to the Lake from time to time is all you need, there are so many great towns within 30 minutes of the Lake. You have the Santiam and Foster Lake, but now imagine that you have a few more rivers and a few more lakes in that same area to choose from. That's what much of what NH is like. There's so much more water to play in and, unlike the green water in OR, the water in NH is soooo much clearer!

The people are nicer in NH than they are in OR, in general. NH is laid back but energetic all at the same time. In OR, it seems that everyone is rushing about, but NH has a pace all its own. It's hard to explain.

Rural is good with me. Being able to grow most of our own food is appealing as is having chickens. I want the freedom to do what ever I want on my property, from raising Ham antenna towers, to raising small farm animals, to making a hobbit home if I so desire. Being near water is fun, but I don't have to be on the edge of the lakes, just near them.

One thing Cavo mentioned about property taxes makes me wonder about how often you pay them. He said he sold his first house before the first $1700 tax payment was made, but his taxes at the time was close to $3500 (?) (I'm trying to remember so my numbers might be off a bit.) Aren't property taxes paid once a year there?

[wifi]

Originally Posted by Oregonrain

,,, Aren't property taxes paid once a year there?

The towns I own property in NH collect in June and December, June is half of last years and December is the difference between the total tax that year and what you paid in June

[Grandpa Redneck]

Property taxes are paid twice a year half in June half in December,

[Merrymeeting]

Originally Posted by Grandpa Redneck

Property taxes are paid twice a year half in June half in December,

It depends on the town. Most are twice a year as has been mentioned. But some are moving to quarterly payments.

Keep in mind that the bill is still (supposedly) for an annual budget, and quarterly payments are only intended to spread out the needed payments.

[camp guy]

Paying taxes semi-annually also spreads out the income to the Towns so that they don't have to borrow up front. The so-called TANs (tax anticipation notes) were necessary when taxes were paid at the end of the year. To meet the distribution needs of the budget, Towns had to borrow money in anticipation of taxes to make those distributions. By paying taxes semi-annually, this isn't necessary and the Towns save the interest charged on the Notes.

[Oregonrain]

Here, our house payments include the property taxes. Do you pay them separately there? It sounds to me like it may be separate.

[Flylady]

Most mortgage lenders give you the option to include your taxes in each house payment then they pay it for you. Still they will pay it twice a year if that is what the town bills for.

[tis]

I hope they don't move to quarterly taxes. Twice is bad enough.

BTW, June payments ARE half of December but the December bills are the rate set by the state (but of course depends on what the town is spending) for that year. So you don't know what the December bill is going to be until you get it.

[Winnisquamguy]

Originally Posted by Oregonrain

Here, our house payments include the property taxes. Do you pay them separately there? It sounds to me like it may be separate.

In order to pay them on your own you need to have 20% down for deposit and not be paying for PMI.

[tis]

Or not have a mortgage on your property.

[Oregonrain]

Originally Posted by tis

Or not have a mortgage on your property.

If you don't have a mortgage on your property (not making house payments) you don't pay property taxes? Or do you mean renting? Because renting is sounding better and better...

[Slickcraft]

Originally Posted by Oregonrain

If you don't have a mortgage on your property (not making house payments) you don't pay property taxes? Or do you mean renting? Because renting is sounding better and better...

No, you misread the post. If no mortgage you pay property taxes directly to the town, not to a mortgage holder.

[Oregonrain]

Originally Posted by Slickcraft

No, you misread the post. If no mortgage you pay property taxes directly to the town, not to a mortgage holder.

Gotcha... sorry.



Can anyone recommend a rental agency for houses, not apartments? Thank you!

[tis]

Sorry I wasn't clear, Oregonrain. You could try Rentals Plus in Wolfeboro and most of the realtors also do rentals. But landlords of course need to add the expense of property taxes into the rent so in a way you do pay it.