RE: and that includes plenty of middle class folks who are paying in the high four to five figs in property taxes.
Tell me about it, I live in Long Island and that’s what we get. Their rationale is that’s the price you pay for having good schools ( and I have to admit that Long Island schools are among the best in the nation ). 70% of our property taxes go to the school system.
But here’s the question -— Lower tax states also have just as good, if not better schools, how come they are able to manage without having to pay 5 figure property taxes?
Except that prop tax money isn’t going to schools, is it? It’s going to pensions and health bennies...
How can other states manage? Take a good look at their budgets. A lot of them aren’t. And the ones who have moved or are trying to move to a defined contribution system are coming in for a ration of excrement from unions and their uniparty pols.
Only advice I can give, and I hate to say it, is own the least expensive home you can bear to live in if you’re fortunate enough to have a choice.