cheap house & high taxes vs. expensive house & low taxes

Sandcreek,
Location, Location, Location, affordability, practicality, and value to your tax dollar.  During these hard economic times, proximate to your job could be equally important.  To me taxes are the biggest factor that deters a buyer(s) from making a purchase.  With the overspending, taxes are going to keep soaring in Northern Jersey. Take for example the Township of Montclair with 9600 plus homes and 1000+ saleries on the payroll including pensions each year.  There's not much vacant land for new ratables, so by mathamatics, you know there are going to be substantial tax increases every year, unless the town lays employees off or change the current pension system.  (If there is another solution to the problem I would love feedback, its the million dollar question).  Mathematics would tell you that just over 9 homes pays for one salery or pension in Montclair, thats a strong indicator that the town has had extremely poor management over the years, as well as a recipe for financial disaster in the present, and future for any town.  Part of the problem lies with the State mandating towns pick up the cost of pensions. Many towns in New Jersey are spending much more than what they bring in from a tax point, with substaitial debt, that the local residents have to share the burden to repay.  If you are looking for a highend house, luxury street, and the house has substantial taxes, compared to similar houses in other towns, and the road has not been paved in 40+ years.  It would be wise to search other communities, because your not getting much in return for your taxes.  You also have to look at the low price point homes/condos of a community.  If you have single bedroom condos in a community go up $1400 to $2000 in taxes over four years, the community is no longer affordable at the entry level and prime for deappreciation. When the entrance price point homes have difficulty selling and retail stores become vacant for long periods of time, the entire town loses perspective of value to a buyer and property values decline.  We are going to see a further decline of property values with higher interest rates, substanial short sales with banks not releasing properties, and the expiration of the $8,000 because foreign goverments no longer want to lend us money.  There is room for more signifcant pain in the real estate market, and will take years for the market to recover.  As a professional the most important factor should be that you, the buyer, should research the town you want to buy in, and see if what your cost of living in the community, including taxes, location, condition of house, and lifestyle has to offer compared to other neighboring communities. The formula is always changing and is voltile like a commodity.  There are big differences in every town and you have to do your homework to obtain the right answers for your needs.  A seasoned profressional realtor can help guide you along the way to help you make the right decisions. 
I would be glad to have your business as your trusted advisor, skilled negotiator and expert facilitator to help you make the right decission(s) with regards to your purchase.
Sincerely,
James R. Matarazzo Jr., Broker-Salesperson
(973) 885-2190
http://www.JamesMatarazzoJr.com
http:/www.RealLivingElegantHomes.com

Email:  JamesMatarazzoJr@aol.com