Welcome to the 907th Metamorphosis Monday! I am often asked in comments if I will ever sell the Georgia house to move to Ohio full-time. Spoiler Alert: If you don’t want to read this post and just want the answer, the answer is—No. There are multiple reasons why I wouldn’t want to sell the home I’ve lived in for the past 36 years in Georgia and move to the Dollhouse cottage in Ohio, but the two biggest reasons are the outrageous Ohio property taxes that continue to go up substantially every year, and the cold, snowy Ohio weather. Here’s a statistic for you: the property taxes for the Dollhouse, a home that is smaller, and worth a good bit less than my home in Georgia, are almost 9 times higher than the property taxes for the Georgia house. Let me repeat that: I pay close to 9 times higher property taxes for a smaller, less-expensive home in Ohio than I do in Georgia.
Most of the counties in Georgia have fairly reasonable property taxes, except maybe Fulton County, which includes Atlanta proper. The average real estate tax in Georgia is $2,554 per year, which is around $660 less than the national median. The county I live in (in Georgia) values and cares for its seniors, so once you turn age 62, you no longer pay school tax. That greatly reduces the tax burden on seniors. Several counties in Georgia have reduced property taxes for seniors, but the county I live in actually eliminates school tax entirely once you turn 62.
When I purchased the Dollhouse, I knew the taxes were going to be higher than in Georgia, but I was shocked to learn that Ohio taxes are the eighth highest in the United States! (Read more about that in this article: Ohioans are paying the eighth highest property tax rate in the U.S.) I can’t find the article now, but when I was first researching this topic last winter, I read an article that said when the Ohio budget was being created, there were attempts made to reduce property taxes across Ohio. Unfortunately, the Governor vetoed all 67 of the recommendations, saying that the schools would suffer. Some governing body overrode a very small number of his vetoes, but those changes would not have had any effect on the existing property taxes for the Dollhouse.
So, in summary, it doesn’t make sense to retire permanently to a state where I would be paying 9 times more in property taxes every single year, while living in a smaller home that’s valued at a good bit less than my current home. The property taxes here have gone up every single year that I’ve owned this house, so it won’t be long before I’ll be paying 10 times what I pay in Georgia. Even the sales tax is higher here than in Georgia. Here’s another way to look at it: If I purchased a home here in Ohio that was similar to my home in Georgia, I would be paying over $20,000 a year in property taxes, probably closer to $25,000!
I asked some of the local tradesmen who have worked in my home (electricians, plumbers, handyman, etc.) how they feel about the property taxes. They hate the taxes and the Ohio weather as much as I do. I asked why they stay, and the answer is what you would expect: for family. They have older parents or siblings, so they stay, but many have told me that they hope to move in the future. Another statistic I found about Ohio is that with each passing year, Ohio is losing population. Ohio saw a small increase in population in a few cities this past year, but overall, Ohio is expected to lose around 675,000 people over the next 24 years. The most common reasons cited for why people are leaving were job opportunities, property taxes, and weather. (You’ll find more information about the population decline here: Ohio Witnessing Migration Wave as Residents Exit State in Search of Better Opportunities and here at the Ohio Department of Development.)
2. The Weather! My second biggest reason for not wanting to live out my golden years here in Ohio is the weather. It rains here a lot during the winter, and when it’s not raining, it’s often cloudy and dismal. If the sun comes out for a day during the wintertime, everyone is talking about it everywhere you go—the grocery store, UPS, etc. like a miracle has occurred. Also, as you may know, Ohio gets a lot of snow each winter, and with that comes additional expenses. Every winter, I have to hire someone to remove the snow from my driveway at least 3-4 times during the winter season. If they have to come out twice for a snowstorm, as they did this winter since it kept snowing and snowing and snowing, they of course charge you for each visit. That adds up after several snow events. I spent around $600 one winter just for snow removal from the driveway and front walkway.
It’s not uncommon to have a snowstorm in north Georgia during the winter, but the big difference is the snow is gone in just a few days—and I mean completely gone. That’s how I like my snow: here today, gone tomorrow. lol In Georgia, the temps always warm back up to above freezing in 2-4 days, and the snow completely melts away, leaving nary a trace.
The longest I’ve ever been trapped in my home in Georgia due to a snow or ice storm was 4 days. I can only think of two times that has ever happened. Normally, it’s all gone by the third day.
The two winters I’ve experienced here in Ohio seemed to never end. The snow stayed on the ground for weeks. The roads in my neighborhood were always cleared within 24 hours, but I still had to hire a company to clear the 10 inches of snow on my driveway, and sometimes multiple times for each storm. When visiting a grocery store, there would be mountains of dirty snow piled high where the parking lot had been scraped, and the dirty gray mountains stayed there for weeks. The sides of the roads were gross and messy for months. I constantly worried what effect the stuff they put out on the roads was having on the underside of my SUV. Ohio is the only time in my entire life that I’ve experienced snow on Halloween. One year, when trick-or-treating with my grandsons, it was so cold and snowing so hard, we had to stop and go back to the house to thaw out before going back out again.
My son, daughter-in-law, and grandsons love the snow and get excited when it starts. They are made for winter weather! They love it here during the winter and even go for long walks in the snow. We are so different! My goal last winter was to leave and head back to Georgia immediately after our New Year’s celebration. I got stuck here until mid-March due to the epic snowstorms all across the Southeast AND staying to take care of pets and kids while family members were out of town for skiing and beach trips. My goal (once again) this year is to leave right after Christmas or immediately after New Year’s, and not return until mid-May. Spring arrives about 4 weeks later here than it does in Georgia, and fall arrives about a month earlier. So my favorite seasons, spring and summer, are shortened here.
There are a lot of other reasons that I would not want to continue living in this particular neighborhood, although it’s considered the safest and nicest community in which to live in this area due to the great schools, the parks, the police presence, and the beautiful, historic homes. Here’s one of many reasons why living in this particular neighborhood is expensive: I was surprised to learn that if a section of the public sidewalk in front of my home ever shifts upward more than the acceptable amount, or needs a repair, I will be required to pay for that. It will be my responsibility to have it repaired/repoured. I saw some paperwork indicating that happened in front of my house quite a few years back, and the family who was living here at that time had to pay for the repairs. It wasn’t cheap—I think around $1,500, if I’m remembering correctly—and that was many years ago. No telling what it would cost today. If you don’t take care of it within a certain period of time, the city will make the repairs and send you the bill. So far, I haven’t had that issue come up, but it’s unreal to me that homeowners here are responsible for public sidewalks, especially on top of the insane property taxes we pay! Every which way you turn, living here is a lot more expensive than living in Georgia, or many other southern states for that matter.
3. In the End, I like the Georgia House Best: The 3rd main reason I don’t want to sell my home in Georgia to move full-time to Ohio is that I like the Georgia house better than the Ohio house. The Ohio house is adorable, and if property taxes were normal here, I would keep it indefinitely. There are so many features I love about the Dollhouse, but between the two houses, I still prefer the Georgia house over the Dollhouse.
The Best Part: Of course, the best part of living in the Dollhouse is seeing family a lot more often since they are just a few homes away. But, if I’m realistic, how much longer will my grandsons want to hang out with Mimi. lol They spent the night with me last night and still enjoy the movie room with friends. They just got back from taking the kitties around the block for a stroll, but I know the day is coming when they will be too busy to visit as often as they do now. That time is coming fast, as they are quickly growing up.
Do I have plans to sell the house this summer? Probably not. The more repairs I make here, the more I love this house. But all in all, it’s not practical to move to a state with the 8th highest property taxes in the union. I do enjoy the summers here, though—not because of the weather, but because I get to spend more time with family. I’m looking forward to summer cookouts and games of cornhole in the backyard.
I hope this answers the question: Will I one day sell my home in Georgia and move to Ohio full-time? No, I won’t. I may eventually sell the Georgia house to move to the Georgia mountains or to move further south, but definitely not for a move farther north. Check out THIS CHART to see which states have the lowest and the highest property taxes. Per that chart, Ohio has the 6th highest property taxes.
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It seems that the two houses are perfect for you now. We have low property tax in Alabama. The cold weather would be hard to get use to after living in the South. I do love your classic home in Georgia!
That is awesome, Pam! I don’t know why they are so high here. A plumber recently told me that Ohio refuses to publish the state’s budget so everyone can see where the money is going. I don’t understand why some states do so well and can have normal property tax rates, and Ohio taxes have to be so high.
I guess it all makes sense now why the previous Dollhouse owners didn’t invest in all the costly maintenance and upkeep. They were probably tapped out. Plus, I think you mentioned one was in the military, so knowing they were leaving anyway within a year or two would be more than reasonable to not make a lot of costly updates.
I live in TN and love the no state income tax here. We save around $25,000 a year on property tax. Plus I love the four seasons here and hate continuous bitter cold weather. I’m also glad when snow comes and goes. I know you would miss your Georgia home if you did decide to move.
Tennessee is a great state, and it consistently ranks as one of the states people are moving to right now. Love that there’s no income tax…that’s awesome!
Yes, we’re Georgia neighbors. I have family in Ga. Sadly, there is that one downside to living in TN with the tax. Too many people moving here and the traffic has become horrible. Too much construction destroying all the gorgeous natural landscape and the animal’s habitat. We’ve seen black bears in our neighborhood. That’s scary!
If you can afford two homes, then go for it. Sounds like the best of both worlds.
It’s tiring, def hadn’t planned on doing that for very long. Thanks, Ila!
But…what about the insane heat and humidity in the Georgia summers? That would kill me. When it’s cold, you can put on a sweater. When it’s hot, there’s only so much you can take off….
I was born in Georgia, so I’m used to that. I don’t mind it and just spend the hottest part of the day inside. Unless you’re out in the full sun, for me it’s not that bad. It gets extremely hot and humid here too during the summer, just not as much, but I’d much rather have heat/humidity than the miserable cold and snow.
It is wonderful that you are able to spend this time with your grandchildren and your son and daughter in law. Aside from the kids growing up, as you age it will be more work and expense to deal with. This was true with our little winter home in Palm Springs. Aside from the usual caretaking and taxes etc, the homeowners fees went from 250 per month to nearly a thousand. Plus they assessed homeowners for things that were supposed to be included such as house painting. We finally sold after 20 years because it was just too much work as well as we were never going anywhere else. We did love it and had a great time there though.
I can’t argue with any of your reasons for not permanently staying but hope you can hang on a bit longer for the kids…such great memories for them. Maybe the to-do list will begin to ease up and you can enjoy more just being there.
That would have driven me nuts, Jillian! I don’t blame you for selling. There’s a mountain community where I would love to buy a home, but just in the last few years that I’ve been looking at homes there, their POA fees have gone from $285 a month to $415 a month, and the board members said they will continue to go up due to inflation. They came right out and said that, and the person who said it is now the President of the board. So, it looks like I won’t ever be able to buy a home there since they just keep charging more and more.
I’m so glad to know you won’t sell Georgia house! I love Georgia home. And I don’t want no part of gloomy cold snow!! I was born southern and don’t care to even travel north. I’ve traveled several states but knowing I was coming home was a blessing. I’m a sunshine person definitely with warm weather and greenery abound.
Thanks so much, Nancy! 100% agree! Me, too!
Very informative . I certainly will not consider moving to Ohio. Taxes that high will drive people elsewhere.
Cute picture of the kitties enjoying an outing.
Your Georgia house is gorgeous.
Aww, thanks, Bonnie! The kitties sure do love their stroller rides. lol
This chart is way off, at least for Texas. I pay 24,000 a year on a house valued at around 1 million. There is no way it is 42 in the nation, at least in the bigger cities. I don’t blame you for not wanting to pay high rates on a second home. You really love your grandsons, to buy a house to be near them!
They did that chart in reverse, showing the lowest taxes at the top, so Texas would have the 10th-highest property taxes. Does that sound more normal?
All I know is that people around here are up in arms about these property taxes. Our only hope is that once DeWhiny is out on his hiney, the next guv will be more responsive to what the taxpayers are saying.
Some of them are so corrupt. Did you see the video caught of Gretchen Whitmer (governor of Michigan) telling some tech big shot that she is used to ignoring what ‘the people’ want. Infuriating!
Yeah, I was wondering if that would help, too. I doubt that the next Gov can reverse things and bring the costs back down to a more normal level. It will be interesting to see what changes happen.
You have definitely thought it all through and the time and money you are investing in the Ohio house is really and investment in your family and grandsons. We can never go wrong with those priorities.
With your family living in the area, you didn’t know about the taxes being so high?????
Your home in Georgia is beautiful. I think many of us think with our hearts first. Living close to family and enjoying their company is wonderful. But reality sets in and choices we’ve made don’t seem so great. Enjoy your homes and family.
No, I never asked them. Plus, they purchased their house many, many years ago when home prices were way more reasonable, so I don’t know if that would effect how much there’s would be compared to my home. Yeah, I was totally led by my heart, otherwise I would never choose to move north toward colder weather.
Well this post answered the lingering question and I couldn’t agree more. The Tax Chart is good overview of tax expectations however if one is considering moving to another state they should go right to the state AND County tax pages. There they will find the local taxes for school, fire departments, EMS, city etc. All those “other” taxes added to the property taxes will add up and usually are not shown on this type of chart. In addition, each state sets a different personal homeowner’s exemption fee which will reduce your tax bill. Was it Ben Franklin who said “two things are certain: death and taxes.”
That’s a great tip, Catherine! I looked up the Homestead exemption for a neighbors since I don’t claim it for this house, and it’s only around $800, so doesn’t save that much compared to the total cost.
Oh my word $800 is nothing! Ours in ID is $150,000.
Susan, I’m glad you were able to make a decision about the Georgia house. You were wise to hang on to it and see how things fared in Ohio. Your reasoning is sound, and those taxes are outrageous! The excuse is always, the schools will suffer. But private Christian schools manage to educate children for a fraction of the price per child, and they are not pushing them through the system, even when they can’t read. I’m glad you’re able to enjoy the best of both worlds.
So true! The statistics I’ve seen about how many children enter college unable to comprehend what they read are really scary. I blame it on so much screen time. Children don’t read books all summer long like we did when I was growing up. I wish we could go back to a time when children loved reading as much as we did.
Oh Susan, you are so lucky to live in an area where you no longer have to pay school taxes. I live in Savannah, am 67, and will be paying school taxes until the day I die!! I think it’s criminal.
You have valid reasons to not want to live in Ohio year round. How do some of those people afford their taxes?! Being from the south I wouldn’t want to live in a place that cold. If you did decide to sell the Dollhouse one day you could just fly up frequently for visits.
That’s what I was thinking. I could pay for 20-25 roundtrip flights a year for what I pay in property taxes, not that would ever fly up that much.
Wow! Im with you about the snow and cold weather. I love a snowy day as long as its gone completely in a day or 2. Id hate to see grey ice mountains and sluss everywhere. Plus, riding amd keeping horses would be a nightmare!!!. I live on a farm in northeast Texas. Thank heavens for ag exemptions and getting your taxes frozen on your homestead when you reach 65. Now matter if you live on the farm like i do or live in a huge city like Houston. Homestead exemptions for everyone owning a home and is 65 or older. Plus, ourcost of living is much better here than in other parts of the country
Can’t believe the prices of things. Wow! I understand about wanting be be with and near family though. My daughter and family live a pasture over. We cant see each others homes, but we are about 1 minute away if needed.
You’re right anout grandsons growing up. Mine are both in the army. They are 24&26. Thank heavens they still come home to visit. They”ve each picked out 20 acres amd a building sight when/ if they retire or opt out of reupping.
Anyway, im happy for you to be able to enjoy both worlds and places.
So glad you are keeping the GA home-the design is so like mine! I live in New York, on Long Island, which has horrendous property taxes. In NY, the property taxes are county, town and school, 90% of which is school. Very high salaries. Then, after we pay over 20,000 a year for the property tax, we have the state income tax. We are both retired and have health issues. Long Island has very good healthcare, and we know the Island. Moving to a lower cost state is attractive but I worry about learning the area when I am approaching 70 and my husband 79. So we stay put. We are blessed and can afford it, but many can’t, so we stay put. And when it snows, we prepare to be snowed in for several days. There is no where we must go now, and don’t want to slip on ice! The kitties are so cute.
WOW. So I have lived in Ohio my entire life and I am shocked. I know we pay a ridiculous amount in taxes but I had no idea we were #8. And I love the 4 seasons but I truly do hate our weather. I can’t blame you one bit.
Thanks for understanding, Michele! Yeah, this girl is not cut out for winter weather. lol
When I’ve read Ohio’s history and how they were thriving and flourishing back in the day, it upsets me what has happened over the years. Hopefully things will turn around and industry will be coming back. I would love to see that for Ohio.
I’m going to visit the local museum and the Wright Brother’s house soon and will post about those.
Thank you thank you for putting this in print !! We are being led to slaughter
in Ohio. We owned a gorgeous brick colonial built by a world famous
architect in another state and taxes were a pittance compared to Ohio.
We were told “oh, the lotto will fund the schools” “the casino will fund the
schools” & on & on with things I won’t repeat. Recently we’re been informed there isn’t even money for necessary fire station equipment. The eternal
question…..where’s all the property tax money ?? It is heartbreaking to think
that we drive wonderful people away because of the situation.
And it is painful to pay these taxes instead of enjoying the opportunities we’ve earned as we advance in years. Your post is an actual public service.
Wow! I did not know there was anywhere in this country that gave seniors a break on school taxes…Thanks for sharing the info…
Thanks so much for hosting this wonderful party!! I really appreciate the time and effort that goes into it along with visiting all the links!! I hope you are having a great week!!
Hugs,
Deb
Debbie-Dabble Blog
Yeah, we should spread the word so everyone knows that things can be different.
I know you have been enjoying being close to your family but with the costs so high why didn’t you just rent? Your home in Georgia is beautiful and so well maintained. You are making the Ohio home lovely as well. Thank you for always having an informative blog!! Have a great summer.
I love the no school taxes when you reach 62. We pay that tax and for a park in our small town. Never use the park as we our rural and have our own “park”. Seems insane to be responsible for a public walkway. I agree with your decision but how long can you keep up taking care of two residences? True, the grandkids are fast approaching teenhood!
Wow, that’s crazy that they make you pay it for a park. I wonder how many people never frequent that park.
As a transplanted Georgia in Tennessee since 1976, I long to be back in Georgia. There is an ad running now that says 500 people/families a day move to Tennessee. No income tax, low property tax, and it’s a “right to work” state (unions are nearly impossible to organize.) The realatively new Volkswagon plant in Chattanooga tried 3 times, and the workers voted against each time. They think they have better pay and benefits than the Union can provide.
I’m your neighbor in Michigan our Esther is about the same. I love our change of seasons. I’m also happy to pay fair taxes. How else can we pay for the roads, infrastructures, schools, police and all else our taxes pay for. Come to Michigan it’s beautiful even in the winter.
The county I live in in Georgia manages beautifully. They even won a national award for being such a well-run county. The year they won that award, they were able to purchase additional police cars and a lot of other things that are often used. The roads in our county are kept really great and the schools are the best. My home, before I became 62 and they eliminated the school tax, the taxes were around $3,500 per year. Now they are much less. The same house in Ohio would be taxed at between $20,000 to 25,000 a year. There’s just no reason to charge people insane amounts like that. A county or state can be run great without killing people with property taxes. The other thing I’ve been told is that Ohio refuses to publish their budget online where everyone can see where the money goes. It would be interesting to see where it is going.
I can’t help but bring to mind the old saying about how nobody from the South retires up North.
LOL So true!
I’d love to live in Tennessee. It’s so beautiful, the countryside etc. I live in Georgia and pay a lot in school tax with no hope for ever getting ours to go away for seniors. Our officials love to spend others money too much and why does a county superintendent need to drive a brand new car every two years? Money could be well spent in other ways in my opinion!
Nita, what county are you in? Here’s a list of all the counties in Georgia that give seniors a break in property taxes: https://www.hankbailey.com/Senior-Tax-Exemption-for-Georgia-Property-Taxes
Nita, I’m sure you’ve done this, but make sure you have filed for the Homestead Exemption.
A very interesting post! I love your dollhouse, and I also love your Georgia home. Home truly is where your heart is. My brother and sister-in-law are getting ready to move permanently to TX from their home of 40 years they built here in WV. Health issues can make a sudden impact in home decisions, as it did for my brother after a stroke last year. I love my sister-in-law’s comment, “home is wherever Tommy is.” So wherever the next move is, I would highly recommend considering the ability of aging in place with either ground level bed, bath and laundry, or having a place with an elevator installed!
If you think Ohio is bad for taxes try New York State! I think we are a runner up to California who is #1. Escape from New York 2025 stripped New York City of an estimated TEN BILLION DOLLARS as so many of the wealthy went to places South! Now our halfwit governor wants those millionaires back! Too little too late Kathy Hochul! You can only initiate so many giveaways & tax people so much! Your place in Georgia would cost you a fortune in taxes in New York!
After reading the comments from your followers, I can only emphasize how much state governments – all governments, federal, state and local – mismanagement our tax dollars, and when they discover they are short, they just find another way to raise taxes. I live in crazy California, so I’m very familiar with taxes. I was born here, and grew up here. I think about moving often, but California is my home, and home has a strong emotional attachment. CA has definitely become something of a mess, but I’m fortunate enough to live in a very beautiful and desirable part of CA.
I thought states were required to disclose to their residents how tax dollars were spent. That sounds suspect to me, especially with all the fraud that is being discovered.
Susan, following your own heart and budget are the way to go. Enjoy wherever you live. I live far from most family and appreciate the value of being near.
The Ohio budget IS published online: https://obm.ohio.gov/state-budgets
Ohio is one of the more stable states in terms of people moving in and out: https://www.census.gov/library/stories/2023/06/state-to-state-migration.html
Property taxes are not the whole picture, as you correctly noted, sales and other taxes often make up for lower property taxes.
Cost of living is going up everywhere but governments don’t really control that – and shouldn’t. In fact, that is the true definition of communism (command economy), where the government sets prices.
Maybe the plumber who said they aren’t posted online lives in a county where they don’t post them. Apparently, they aren’t posted for the state, or at least that’s what I read at the link you provided, but instead each county is responsible for posting how the money is used/distributed.
I just looked at my “parcel” for Montgomery, which is the county I live in, and I still can’t tell how the money is being used. It just shows very general categories like Human Services and General Fund Current Expense. So even the posted budget isn’t helpful to see where the money goes. There are 17 categories that are labeled General Fund Current Expense. That tells me nothing. Plus, they reuped or levied a new tax during 2025. Argh!
I also noticed that my taxes went up again for my small cottage. I feel so bad for the people of Ohio that this is happening and there seems to be no stopping the escalation.
Regarding sales tax that you mentioned, in Georgia, I pay 6%. In Ohio, I pay 7.5%, so the sales tax is higher here, too. This has been a huge wakeup call for me, realizing how drastically different taxation is from state to state. Florida has the right idea! I hope Georgia one day eliminates state income tax as Florida has. It will be exciting to see if they eliminate their property tax, too.
Here’s where I found my information that Ohio is expected to lose 675,000 more people over the next 24-25 years: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p134bVQzMBk
Also, the Ohio Department of Development projects the same loss here: https://development.ohio.gov/about-us/research/population/population-projections/pop-projection-overview-2020-2050
All I know is that there are many states, 42 to be exact, that have found a way to run their government without taxing their residents as high as Ohio, Georgia being one of them. Even before I turned 62, my taxes in Georgia were a third of what they are here, and that was for a much larger home. Now that I’m over 62 and receive the senior tax break, my Georgia property taxes are almost 1/10th of what they are here in Ohio. Hopefully, things will turn around here, although I don’t know how with the way they are going currently.
Totally missed the projection is for the next 25 years, that’s not much over that long a period, around 5%. Interesting information. The US population is declining as a whole due to people having fewer children. Children used to be cheap labor in the family business or on farms, now they a luxury given the cost of raising them. I live in a middle of the pack state for taxation but everyone complains here, too. Most people move for jobs or family, and yes, weather and, why not? I love having four seasons and being near the ocean and mountains, with short, mild winters, so no desire to leave.
We have all four seasons in Georgia in the Atlanta area; winter just doesn’t last as long, but it can be bitter cold. We get the fall foliage, too. I wouldn’t mind giving up having all four seasons, since I could travel north for a stay in the Georgia mountains in the fall. Not sure I’m ready for Florida, with it’s gigantic bugs and occasional hurricanes, though. lol
This post made me fall in love with Georgia Hope to visit soon Sounds like it’s governed by very common sense politicians !
Sell the Ohio house! You would be better off financially and emotionally, to just rent a small house for the amount of time you spend in Ohio, in a house, in a state, you obviously do not care for. You wouldn’t have to pay taxes, upkeep, or plowing several times a winter.
Oh I hear you – I live in Connecticut and my town taxes are horrible – no reduction for seniors and all my town wants to do is knock down perfectly good schools that they neglected to maintain, and build new schools, it’s so mismanaged. My kids went to private schools – the senior center is a disgrace (and I live in the suburbs) – I would move South if I could as the weather is better for me however my kids and grands are still up here. – Both of your homes are gorgegous and I just luv your style and purchasing suggestions!