So Steve….

01 December 2021, 05:54 PM

pianojuggler

So Steve….

They say being a weatherman in Seattle is the easiest job in the world. It doesn't matter what you say, nobody holds it against you when it doesn't happen.

Sounds like your new home is about the same.

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pj, citizen-poster, unless specifically noted otherwise.

mod-in-training.

pj@ermosworld∙com

All types of erorrs fixed while you wait.

01 December 2021, 07:32 PM

Nina

quote:
Originally posted by pianojuggler:
quote:
All this on top of the highest property tax I’ve ever seen.
I'd bet that Oregon's is higher. They also tax every bit of income they can find. But no sales tax. Makes it not very attractive place to retire. Else, I'd be looking for a place in Corvallis or Salem.

Washington has a moderate property tax, a very high sales tax, and zero income tax. I always wondered why markj doesn't live here.

100% agree on the property tax in Oregon. I almost died the first year we had to file taxes. On the other hand, crazy cheap car licensing costs compared to AZ. Though that may be more related to AZ's proximity to the Mexican border and the relatively high number of unlicensed drivers.

01 December 2021, 09:38 PM

QuirtEvans

The property tax mill rate in Portland, Oregon ranges from $15.00 to $20.30.

The property tax mill rate in the town I used to live in in Massachusetts was $20.23.

I'm just sayin'.

01 December 2021, 09:45 PM

dolmansaxlil

quote:
Originally posted by Steve Miller:
Weather forecasting here is wildly erratic and changes constantly.

Is it the same in, say, Chicago?

Yep. Same across the lake. You never really get used to it and the only thing that really helps is complaining about it, which everyone does constantly.

02 December 2021, 11:19 AM

big al

quote:
Originally posted by QuirtEvans:
The property tax mill rate in Portland, Oregon ranges from $15.00 to $20.30.

The property tax mill rate in the town I used to live in in Massachusetts was $20.23.

I'm just sayin'.

That's only half the story. What assessment values are used to calculate the tax? Here in Pennsylvania, many (all?) counties use a base year figure that can vary anywhere from a little to a lot from current market value assessments.

Also, I pay three different property taxes - county, township, and school district. There is also a state income tax, a local wage tax that is split between the township and the school district, and sales taxes that include the state portion and additional sales taxes in some counties.

It all gets very complicated.

Big Al

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Money seems to buy the most happiness when you give it away.

Why does everything have to be so complicated, all in the name of convenience. -ShiroKuro

A lifetime of experience will change a person. If it doesn't, then you're already dead inside. -MarkJ

02 December 2021, 03:13 PM

QuirtEvans

quote:
Originally posted by big al:
quote:
Originally posted by QuirtEvans:
The property tax mill rate in Portland, Oregon ranges from $15.00 to $20.30.

The property tax mill rate in the town I used to live in in Massachusetts was $20.23.

I'm just sayin'.

That's only half the story. What assessment values are used to calculate the tax? Here in Pennsylvania, many (all?) counties use a base year figure that can vary anywhere from a little to a lot from current market value assessments.

Also, I pay three different property taxes - county, township, and school district. There is also a state income tax, a local wage tax that is split between the township and the school district, and sales taxes that include the state portion and additional sales taxes in some counties.

It all gets very complicated.

Big Al

Agreed. It also depends on property turnover. When I lived in California, the property value for calculating property taxes automatically reset to the purchase price whenever the house was sold.

03 December 2021, 12:47 PM

Nina

Knowing nothing factual, my impression is that you get a lot more for your tax dollar in Massachusetts (like healthcare) than we get in Oregon. I could be wrong, though. Perhaps that difference has been reduced with ACA.

One thing we definitely *don't* get here in Oregon is road/bridge maintenance.

03 December 2021, 05:58 PM

Steve Miller

Behold the glory! The Millers have a car in the garage. I haven't stored a car in a garage since 2002.

If you think it's a bit cluttered, remember that I moved away from this garage. I'm working on it.

03 December 2021, 06:02 PM

Steve Miller

The basement covers a multitude of sins. It's also something of as mess but I'm getting there:

03 December 2021, 06:07 PM

Steve Miller

On a high note, I discovered this place about 5 miles south. It's an "antique mall" owned by men - mostly of a certain age. It doesn't have a woodstove or a cracker barrel but it could. Lots of guys hang out there and it has the most interesting stuff. I guarantee the fire marshal has never seen it and the electrical work is terrifying, but I may have found a new spiritual home:

03 December 2021, 06:34 PM

pianojuggler

Sort of Uncletiques. I could spend hours there. I could add a lot of tidbits. I would try very hard to bring home less than I took there.

I hope that Coke fridge has a few beers in it.

--------------------------------
pj, citizen-poster, unless specifically noted otherwise.

mod-in-training.

pj@ermosworld∙com

All types of erorrs fixed while you wait.