Moving to Northern Virginia soon. Mind answering some questions?

[Whooppee777]

Originally Posted by Yardjass

For all your trouble dealing with all of this, they'll send you a bill for well over $1000 for the "privilege" of driving your car in Virginia for a year. This bill will come back next year for the depreciated value, which will still be over a grand. This kind of begs the question where all of that money is going, because it certainly isn't into the roads.

I just moved to Fairfax about a month ago and bought a BRZ last week. Did not realize property tax was going to be a thousand a year. Oh well still worth it.

Do you still pay property tax on cars registered as antique? I have an '87 Buick I'd like to get tagged.

[mdm]

Originally Posted by shayangh

Wow I really appreciate you taking the time to type this all out. I'm moving to McLean so I'm not sure where exactly that's considered.

You're welcome! My experiences are mostly from the southern part of NoVa (southern Fairfax County), McLean is further north, but it's going to be very similar.

One nice part about the area, is that you can find quite a lot of small, winding and hilly back roads, where driving is fun. Still, people live there so you cannot push it too much ;-).

Originally Posted by Yardjass

A general lack of commitment to keeping the infrastructure built up enough to support the amount of traffic.

This is related to the fact than NoVa has very different needs than the southern/rural part of the state (sometimes called RoVa, "rest of Virginia" ), but the state is mostly run by people from RoVa. They don't care and probably dislike NoVa, because in general it's culturally and politically different from RoVa.

Originally Posted by Yardjass

cracking a civil engineering textbook and going to the section of examples of things you don't do.

I was in San Diego recently, and saw how route 163 is designed, with beautifully superelevated turns. Then I recalled Fairfax County Parkway and I almost cried....

Originally Posted by Yardjass

they'll send you a bill for well over $1000 for the "privilege" of driving your car in Virginia for a year

$1000? On a twin? Only if the car qualifies as "business use", I think. Yes, the tax rate is $4.57 on each $100 of assessed value, but for personal use vehicles, you pay only a part of the bill. If I remember correctly, you pay 38% of the tax on the first $20,000 of the assessment.

Originally Posted by Yardjass

This kind of begs the question where all of that money is going, because it certainly isn't into the roads

I think that roads are mostly funded from gas tax, which is very low in VA, has been low for a very long time, is assessed in cents per gallon not in % so it does not keep with inflation, and generally improving fuel efficiency does not help. There will never be enough money for roads in NoVa unless gas tax is sensibly raised, but again RoVa won't agree.

The bottom line is that a Californian may despise the state of the roads here, but he will be probably plesantly surprised by gas prices.

[mdm]

Originally Posted by Whooppee777

I just moved to Fairfax about a month ago and bought a BRZ last week. Did not realize property tax was going to be a thousand a year.

IMO it won't unless your car qualifies as used for "business purpose" See my comment above.

Originally Posted by Whooppee777

Do you still pay property tax on cars registered as antique? I have an '87 Buick I'd like to get tagged.

The following are currently taxed at a rate of one cent per $100: antique automobiles with antique or permanent vintage license plates, certified van pool vehicles, vehicles equipped for the transportation of persons with disabilities, some vehicles owned by members of volunteer fire and rescue squads and auxiliary police, vehicles owned by certain elderly and disabled individuals, aircraft and flight simulators, and homeowner associations furniture, office and maintenance equipment.
http://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/dta/cartax_faq.htm#2

[Whooppee777]

Originally Posted by mdm

IMO it won't unless your car qualifies as used for "business purpose" See my comment above.




The following are currently taxed at a rate of one cent per $100: antique automobiles with antique or permanent vintage license plates, certified van pool vehicles, vehicles equipped for the transportation of persons with disabilities, some vehicles owned by members of volunteer fire and rescue squads and auxiliary police, vehicles owned by certain elderly and disabled individuals, aircraft and flight simulators, and homeowner associations furniture, office and maintenance equipment.
http://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/dta/cartax_faq.htm#2

Awesome. Thanks for your info.

[Yardjass]

I apologize for causing a panic. I thought I had listed over a grand for a $40,000 car but I must have deleted that figure when I reworded something. Our cars will probably be in the $400-700 range depending on age.

Originally Posted by mdm

This is related to the fact than NoVa has very different needs than the southern/rural part of the state (sometimes called RoVa, "rest of Virginia" ), but the state is mostly run by people from RoVa. They don't care and probably dislike NoVa, because in general it's culturally and politically different from RoVa.


I think that roads are mostly funded from gas tax, which is very low in VA, has been low for a very long time, is assessed in cents per gallon not in % so it does not keep with inflation, and generally improving fuel efficiency does not help. There will never be enough money for roads in NoVa unless gas tax is sensibly raised, but again RoVa won't agree.

That's very interesting that you mention that. I'm actually in Hampton Roads and the perception here is that all of the road money goes to NoVa and as an area that is also highly populated, we kind of get choked out.

[Yardjass]

Originally Posted by Whooppee777

I just moved to Fairfax about a month ago and bought a BRZ last week. Did not realize property tax was going to be a thousand a year. Oh well still worth it.

Do you still pay property tax on cars registered as antique? I have an '87 Buick I'd like to get tagged.

I think you do but they cut it off in under $2000 of assessed value. My Z is there, so I pay nothing, and it has antique plates so I don't even have to pay registration. There is a much lower rate for really old cars but I think they have to be like 40 or 50 years old. Your Buick may be under the cutoff though, even in pristine shape. Their computer spits out a number and that's what the vehicle is worth to them. The only way that changes is when people dispute the appraisal and it almost always goes down in value.

[mdm]

Originally Posted by Yardjass

That's very interesting that you mention that. I'm actually in Hampton Roads and the perception here is that all of the road money goes to NoVa and as an area that is also highly populated, we kind of get choked out.

Ha ha, obviously everybody thinks their money is taken away by other people .


More seriously, I knowingly oversimplified the picture by posing rural Virginia vs NoVa. It's more complicated like that and quite possible that Hampton Roads gets screwed even worse, by both rural west and south, and by NoVa.

[Whooppee777]

I don't mind paying taxes. I do mind those collected taxes being squandered.

[finch1750]

Originally Posted by shayangh

So I will be moving to Northern Virginia from California next month and have been looking for a twin to pick up since I lost mine due to family complications. I found this one on Craigslist https://fredericksburg.craigslist.or...896279524.html and it seems like it has the SBD turbo kit. Being from the land of F.U. emission laws I was wonder how Va is on smoging a modified car.

They monitor people from CA extra tough cuz they know they come to break every emmision law they used to obide by. Takes like 3 years before they loosen up.





















This post is simply me giving my buddy shit btw

[shayangh]

another question. is Mclean considered a part of Nova?

[mdm]

Originally Posted by shayangh

another question. is Mclean considered a part of Nova?

Yes it is.


McLean is a place in Fairfax County, and Fairfax County is for sure a part of NoVa.


NoVa is not a formal entity, so definitions vary, but Fairfax County is included even in the narrowest one, together with Arlington County, and cities of Alexandria, Falls Church and Fairfax (in Va, we have "independent cities" which are not included in any counties, but they are basically equivalent to counties).


Probably the most common definition of NoVa includes also Loudoun and Prince William counties and cities of Manassas and Manassas Park.


An even wider definition would include other counties like Faquier, Culpeper, Stafford, etc.

[DCBeltwaymoveright]

One positive about NoVA, MD and DC is that there is a committed WAZE community. I almost never encounter a cop who was not already listed on Waze.

Sent from my SM-G900T using Tapatalk

[SCQTT]

God bless other places.

Population (really, competition for resources) F-s up everything, unless you live for that urban, crowded life. The population centers control everything else, and they are sort of starting to control the whole country.

NYC controls NY, Chicago controls IL, SD,LA&SF controls CA, DC controls VA. I know a guy in LA that thinks there is plenty of room, but he is from Shanghai.

All those urban areas are great to visit, but after a week I start getting claustrophobic

[Spairo]

One GREAT thing you may find about living in NoVa is the proximity to Summit Point Raceway and it's Friday At The Track program. I was amazed when I moved to San Diego at the lack of road courses south of LA.