1 of 1

Write now Article Tools

The northeast is notorious for expensive housing and property taxes and I live in the most taxed area of them all, New York's eastern Long Island area. No surprise the current recession has impacted the area in a big way. Even before the recession, the quality of life here on the island has been deteriorating. From over-priced school taxes for obviously poor performing schools to the high brow and high pension of the Suffolk Police department, eastern Long Island has been seeing an understandable youth exodus. The cost of living has risen so much in the past 6-8 years that most people on Long Island, especially those who would have been first time home buyers, simply can't afford the obvious thievery caused by the past generation's lack of foresight and their greed.

Selden is a town on the eastern part of Suffolk County in New York. Most homes in the area are far from the Hamptons in terms of size and quality homes, but the prices are pathetically similar. Small homes, hardly an acre in total lot size and mainly one story tall, go for a whopping $350K now even after prices have "dramatically fallen" as some news outlets would boast. The very cause of the recession could be traced to the real estate and property tax debacle here in this town. These very small homes were only about $80-$120K just about 8-10 years ago. The recession was brought about by real estate practices in which a company like Century 21 would try to flip a house in only 2-3 years for almost double what it was worth prior. Obviously the average wage doesn't come close to this type of growth and thus the recession came to be from these almost criminal acts on the part of homeowners and real estate companies.

The situation now in the Selden area has a very sad scenario with the recession it partially caused. The youth of the area are leaving in droves to areas like the Carolinas since a home here on the island that now goes for almost $1 million, can be bought for only about $250K there. Obviously much less for comparable homes that would go for the average $350K here.

Taxes in those areas are much cheaper as well. Drug ridden schools here in the Selden area have greedy administrations that would rather put money toward diamond encrusted lights at the local school football field than even come to terms that their schools aren't performing nor that they even have drug problems. High taxes from the greedy Suffolk police department has also ruined the home market. Commonly known in the area as the

• 1
• 2
• next page >>

Add your voice

Know something about Northeast, New York: How has the recession impacted home owners & the real estate industry??
We want to hear your view. Write now!