Lots of Houses For Sale Lately

With the better weather, we’ve been traveling around town and out of town more frequently. As I travel, I usually take in the local flavor of the places we go, paying attention to house architecture (gives me a good idea of when the town was founded, or when it went through a period of prosperity), businesses, cleanliness of the town, and — most of all — whether there are many homes for sale. Here in Upstate New York, small communities tend to suffer economically more than the national average, as we have extremely high taxes and living costs from the get-go. When the nation’s economy suffers, it usually compounds the community problems around here. Taxes are exorbitantly high, and lots and lots of people are poking For Sale signs in their lawns and hiring Dallas movers to take them away. But even in far-away places like the Midwest and West, property values are starting to decline and taxes are increasing. Some of my pals out west are looking into those “we buy houses Dallas” companies to sell their homes fast and get out of a declining neighborhood.

I personally cannot fathom how you guys out west and down south do it…. It’s just so hot down there, even with the lower taxes and better property values. Here in New York State, the climate is wonderful most of the time (except July). What you all pay for first class heat and air probably equals that to what we pay in taxes here, right?

Anyway, I’m seeing lots of For Sale signs up now. Part of it has to do with the season (people rarely put their homes up for sale in the winter around here), but part of it has to do with the massive migration out of the state for greener (and less expensive) pastures. It’s sad that people must leave their homes because they can no longer afford the cost of their government and public schools….

If you like this post, please share it!

•