Pros and Cons of living in PA?

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  • Second Amendment

    Ultimate Member
    May 11, 2011
    8,665
    I investigated moving up there. It would have been more expensive, and add to that three to four hours a day commuting.
     

    highli99

    Ultimate Member
    Nov 10, 2015
    2,551
    West Side
    Pro - Your have stores that sell REAL fireworks.
    Con - You can't shop in them.

    It would be like if MD stores were allowed to sell 15 round mags, but only to non-MD residents. How much of a troll would that be?
     

    j_h_smith

    Ultimate Member
    Jul 28, 2007
    28,516
    While looking at houses 3 years ago, we compared the housing costs alone. For a house in PA on .3 acres the monthly costs were almost $200 MORE than buying my house in Harford County (just about the same house) on .26 acres.
    Since we both work in and around Baltimore, we had to be concerned about the added cost of gasoline which would have added more to the monthly budget.

    Other than still living in Maryland, it's been a blast living in Hazzard County. The best part is when buying an NFA firearm. I drive into Bel Air, drop off the paperwork in the Sheriff's office. Usually within 3-5 days (has taken as long as 8 days) I get my paperwork back. I have neighbors that don't mind a suppressed rifle or pistol being fired off into the woods from my backyard. I can go out into my yard and I have 400 acres of woods where I have permission to hunt deer. If I could just somehow live in the STATE of HARFORD and do away with Maryland. I think I live in a perfect area for being in Maryland.
     

    why2kmax

    Jacka$$
    Nov 22, 2008
    1,180
    Shrewsbury PA
    How about car and motorcycle insurance. When I moved from PA to MD 20+ years ago my insurance almost tripled. Now considering moving back to PA and Im finding my car and especially MC insurance going UP by 1/3 or more.
     

    j_h_smith

    Ultimate Member
    Jul 28, 2007
    28,516
    In my case, living in PA and commuting to Baltimore, I was told to look for an increase. The agent didn't know how much of an increase until he quoted officially.

    I know that didn't help much at all.
     

    why2kmax

    Jacka$$
    Nov 22, 2008
    1,180
    Shrewsbury PA
    In my case, living in PA and commuting to Baltimore, I was told to look for an increase. The agent didn't know how much of an increase until he quoted officially.

    I know that didn't help much at all.

    my car insurance looks like it will increase $200-300/yr, but the motorcycles will nearly double, which to me is insane. Id be moving from 20 miles outside of Baltimore to nowhere amishville. No helmet laws and the increased chance of hitting a horse really adds that much to coverage?!

    Weird thing is, guy in the same neighborhood, same bike, same age as me, paying exactly the same rate there as me here in MD, but as soon as I go there, Im suddenly charged twice that or more.
     

    Boom Boom

    Hold my beer. Watch this.
    Jul 16, 2010
    16,834
    Carroll
    Buddy of mine moved to PA last year. He said state taxes are night and day compared to MD, with PA being much higher.

    Yep. I seriously considered moving to PA last year. Ran into the same problem. Between property tax, school tax, and income taxes, it was more expensive there than where I am now in Carroll County. Never mind that my house here is *much* nicer and worth twice as much as houses I was looking at there.
     

    PapiBarcelona

    Ultimate Member
    Jan 1, 2011
    7,343
    I'm not sure the annual PA car inspection is all that considering there seems to be the same amount of junkers driving around as you see in Maryland.

    I bought my last diesel truck in PA and one (used truck) I looked at had a straight pipe, 2006 or a 2007. I asked the salesman and he said Diesels don't go through emissions in PA, same as MD, but I guess that also meant they don't care if the factory emission equipment is installed on the exhaust too. This was pretty far into PA, wasn't an "out of state sale" only gimmick or whatever.
     

    Fester60

    Active Member
    Feb 1, 2010
    782
    PA
    I left MD for PA just over 4 years ago. My wife and I still both work in Harford county, but our commutes are 10 and 15 minutes respectively. My school taxes are about $3,600 a year and property taxes another $1,200. This is on a property assessed at $167,000. That seems high but as soon as I moved I started getting an extra $100 in my paycheck every other week because the state income tax is much lower. My wife's paycheck increased as well. We do have to pay a York county local income tax every year but it is only 1%. I crunched all the numbers the first year after we moved and it works out about the same.

    As far as gun laws. No comparison, $20 for a 5 year LTCF permit. I mailed that application on a Saturday, got an email on Tuesday to come pick it up. Had it in my hands that Tuesday evening. No class, no fingerprints, no test. I can walk into any gun store on any day of the week and buy any gun I want and walk out with it minutes later. For the first year I lived here I felt like I was doing something illegal just by exercising my rights. Battered MD gun owner syndrome I believe.

    The yearly car inspections are a little annoying but if you find an honest local shop it's usually not too bad. When it comes to the family vehicle I don't particularly mind having someone I trust put it on a lift once a year to check it out. One license plate is nice. Way easier to get your drivers license renewed as well. I just did that for the first time in PA. My car insurance rates went down as well after I moved.

    As far as gas prices since we both work in MD we usually get gas in MD at the lower prices. The liquor laws are a little weird with the beer distributers and state run liquor stores being separate. I still end up shopping in MD a lot of the time, but if I do have to buy in PA it's just a matter of knowing where the different stores are.

    Overall I don't regret moving at all and don't really plan on ever going back.
     

    Boom Boom

    Hold my beer. Watch this.
    Jul 16, 2010
    16,834
    Carroll
    I'm not sure the annual PA car inspection is all that considering there seems to be the same amount of junkers driving around as you see in Maryland.

    Been there and done that for too many years of my life. It's a racket for repair shops to find something (anything) to fix. 100K on the odometer? Oh, you need new struts, ball joints, or an exhaust system. Maybe all three. Mechanic thinks there's a little too much suspension movement or thinks he hears an exhaust leak. Gots to be "fixed" or you're gonna die! :rolleyes:
     

    Fester60

    Active Member
    Feb 1, 2010
    782
    PA
    I'm not sure the annual PA car inspection is all that considering there seems to be the same amount of junkers driving around as you see in Maryland.

    I bought my last diesel truck in PA and one (used truck) I looked at had a straight pipe, 2006 or a 2007. I asked the salesman and he said Diesels don't go through emissions in PA, same as MD, but I guess that also meant they don't care if the factory emission equipment is installed on the exhaust too. This was pretty far into PA, wasn't an "out of state sale" only gimmick or whatever.

    In York county diesels are exempt from emissions. Even with a gas vehicle as long as you don't have a check engine light on and your gas cap is good you pass the emissions test. Even if you have messed with your diesel's exhaust they don't look for anything. As far as the vehicle inspection some elements of it are pretty lax. I have seen rusted out bodies pass the inspection by applying some real foil type duct tape. My truck is currently missing part of the front bumper from a deer incident and it just passed inspection. As long as the headlights and fog lights work it doesn't matter.
     

    Fester60

    Active Member
    Feb 1, 2010
    782
    PA
    Been there and done that for too many years of my life. It's a racket for repair shops to find something (anything) to fix. 100K on the odometer? Oh, you need new struts, ball joints, or an exhaust system. Maybe all three. Mechanic thinks there's a little too much suspension movement or thinks he hears an exhaust leak. Gots to be "fixed" or you're gonna die! :rolleyes:

    The first shop I went to was doing crap like this. The guy I go to now is real good. He won't do anything without approval first either. He called last inspection to ask if he could replace a side marker light for $1.50. He will give you a heads up about brakes that pass for now but might need replacing by next year and stuff like that as well. Some of the places are definitely predatory, you have to talk to locals and find out which places are good.
     

    6-Pack

    NRA Life Member
    MDS Supporter
    Jan 17, 2013
    5,647
    Carroll Co.
    I grew up in PA outside of Erie and I still practice law in PA (as well as MD).

    PA is very gun friendly, and the income tax rate is lower, but that's about it for tax friendliness (unless you are retried and drawing on retirement benefits).

    If you do the math, and factor in extra fuel for the extra distance, you'll be financially ahead living in this communist paradise of Maryland. One thing I like about Maryland is how the property taxes are predictable. In PA if your school district needs a new building, guess what happens to your school taxes the next year?

    I'll retire in PA without a doubt (probably move back to the family farm), but I'm not moving there while I'm still working.
     

    j_h_smith

    Ultimate Member
    Jul 28, 2007
    28,516
    I grew up in PA outside of Erie and I still practice law in PA (as well as MD).

    PA is very gun friendly, and the income tax rate is lower, but that's about it for tax friendliness (unless you are retried and drawing on retirement benefits).

    If you do the math, and factor in extra fuel for the extra distance, you'll be financially ahead living in this communist paradise of Maryland. One thing I like about Maryland is how the property taxes are predictable. In PA if your school district needs a new building, guess what happens to your school taxes the next year?

    I'll retire in PA without a doubt (probably move back to the family farm), but I'm not moving there while I'm still working.

    That's the exact reason we didn't move into PA 3 years ago. Dallastown built I believe a new middle school and then a new high school. The school taxes would have been out of this world. Other than that, we would have moved there.
     

    Bohlieve410

    Ultimate Member
    Feb 21, 2011
    1,575
    The 2nd Amendment and CHP actually exists here. People are by far friendlier. Kraut and pork. Smoking in bars. Cheap rent in decent areas.

    Cons: Tint laws. Crazy potholes. Yearly car inspection. York city.
     

    j_h_smith

    Ultimate Member
    Jul 28, 2007
    28,516
    The 2nd Amendment and CHP actually exists here. People are by far friendlier. Kraut and pork. Smoking in bars.

    That's as long as you don't live in the Baltimore North communities. We went to one community and asked the sales woman if many folks commuted to the Baltimore area. She told us that 30% of the community was from Baltimore. It was a community of about 30-40 homes if I remember correctly.
     

    Bohlieve410

    Ultimate Member
    Feb 21, 2011
    1,575
    That's as long as you don't live in the Baltimore North communities. We went to one community and asked the sales woman if many folks commuted to the Baltimore area. She told us that 30% of the community was from Baltimore. It was a community of about 30-40 homes if I remember correctly.

    I know there's some transplants in south Hanover, York, etc. Most of the folks I knew moved here from Bmore or MD did so for the same reasons I did - to get out of the grasp of Annapolis and the libtard mafia.
     

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