When Property Taxes Got Tough, My Family Got Going

I'd often laugh with the local tax collector about my fantasy move to a place where my annual property taxes would be equivalent to the $3,000 I shelled out each quarter about two years ago. "Where are you gonna go?" he once asked, as if there were no other place on earth.

I may have chuckled in response. But I wasn't joking.

Thinking about moving, and actually taking the plunge, however, are two very different thought processes. A company that offers a transfer to a better job makes the decision for you. But uprooting three children from a comfortable house on a cul de sac because there may be a better deal -- and even a better life -- someplace else, is a tough call. We stayed put for about three years after the first thoughts about moving crept into our heads. My children were happy in our neighborhood and the area was still our home.

However, two converging factors finally precipitated our big decision -- a son who was about to start middle school and a $14,200 tax bill.

Sometimes, you just have to draw a line in the sand. I drew mine at $1,183 per month on property taxes.

No more. No way.

I now live only 30 minutes from my old home, but it could just as well be a world away. My taxes are now $7,000 per year less than the $15,000 tax bill I passed along to my buyers at settlement last summer (and they're even lower further west in Pennsylvania).

I'm also enjoying the advantage of a vastly improved quality of life. The Delaware River is within walking distance of our home. Lower population density means I'm less likely to stress over not finding a parking space at the supermarket.

Surprisingly, I also notice retirement-age people in my neighborhood and on the nearby walking trails -- an uncommon sight in my former high-tax state.

My friends often ask, "Are the schools good?" Yes -- unequivocally. High taxes don't necessarily guarantee better schools -- only a greater percentage of your money that government is more likely to waste.

Not everyone can make the same decision I did for my family. A job or business may keep you tethered to a high property tax location, at least for now.

But property tax reform is attainable for just about everyone else. Just move elsewhere.