Scorpions, rattlesnakes and #@%$*&! property taxes

[cute fuzzy bunny]

God bless californias prop 13. Not only are my property taxes restricted to an inflationary increase, now that property values are down I can actually apply for a reduction annually to match area comps.

So I'll be enjoying a small property tax cut for at least the next year or two or three or...?

Income taxes arent too bad unless you're a high earner. Sales tax around 8% stinks though.

 

[RDamien]

Cry me a river. If you want real fun, come on up to "God's country" (AKA NJ). Home of the 10% property tax increase every year.

Seriously. I pay over 12k a year in property taxes here in NJ. That's for about 3/4 of an acre. I'm sure people pay way more than me but that's a LOT of money. It depresses me every time I think about it.

 

[ziggy29]

Perhaps another Texan could answer a question. A speaker on a radio program the other day was talking about this issue, and he said that the state was pressuring the appraisal districts to really boost appraisals across the board. Why would the state care, we don't pay a state RE tax, why would it matter?

I suspect they figure that the more they can jack up local city, county and school taxes by inflating appraisals, the less these jurisdictions would scream poverty and demand aid from Austin. I suspect that's particularly true for the school taxes. I doubt the lege wants a lot of reports about "starving schools" screaming to Austin for help. So better to inflate their coffers with bloated assessments.

Assuming this speaker is factual, anyway.

 

[Dawg52]

Wahoo,

You have an RV, correct? Maybe it's time to become 'George & Tioga II'. Sell everything and go mobile. Camp in the wild and live off the fat of the land. I hear rattlesnakes taste like chicken.

I built a house about 5 miles outside the city limits in a new subdivision a few years ago. Low and behold the city decided to invite us in the the city through annexation. Been tied up in the courts for a few years but the city will win. Means an automatic 50% increase in taxes. Property values have been adjusted upward in the mean time as well. Glad I sold mine when I did. In a subdivision of around 75 houses, 18 are for sale right now. I'm living in my aunt's small old house. Cheap cheap cheap living.

 

[REWahoo]

I suspect they figure that the more they can jack up local city, county and school taxes by inflating appraisals, the less these jurisdictions would scream poverty and demand aid from Austin. I suspect that's particularly true for the school taxes. I doubt the lege wants a lot of reports about "starving schools" screaming to Austin for help. So better to inflate their coffers with bloated assessments.

This would be my guess as well. What politician wants to defend the failed property tax relief bill they helped pass in 2005 come re-election time?

 

[REWahoo]

Wahoo,

You have an RV, correct? Maybe it's time to become 'George & Tioga II'. Sell everything and go mobile. Camp in the wild and live off the fat of the land. I hear rattlesnakes taste like chicken.

If I didn't already know you were bachelor, this would have been a dead giveaway.... DW does not share my sense of adventure and would definitely not be willing to give up her stick built house.

Speaking of rattlesnakes, did anyone see "Dirty Jobs" last night? A guy working on one of those huge wind generators was bitten on the hand by a rattler - 250 feet above ground. Man, can those things fly?

 

[ziggy29]

Speaking of taxes, I took the liberty of looking at the assessments for my neighbors. I'm getting ripped.

My assessed value on the structure (not including the land) is $66.59 per square foot.

My next door neighbor's home was assessed at $17.15 per square foot.

And the house beyond that? $40.41 per square foot. In fact, this house has 1760 square feet versus 1167 for mine, and it's appraised lower!

The next door neighbor on the other side of me? $38.99.

In fact, nothing in the vicinity seems to be assessed at more than $46 per square foot...except for my house.

Truth be told, I think my appraisal is close to market value. But the others are ridiculously and insanely low. They have stuff appraised at $50K or less that would likely sell for close to $100K or even more.

 

[W2R]

Speaking of taxes, I took the liberty of looking at the assessments for my neighbors. I'm getting ripped.

My assessed value on the structure (not including the land) is $66.59 per square foot.

My next door neighbor's home was assessed at $17.15 per square foot.

And the house beyond that? $40.41 per square foot. In fact, this house has 1760 square feet versus 1167 for mine, and it's appraised lower!

The next door neighbor on the other side of me? $38.99.

In fact, nothing in the vicinity seems to be assessed at more than $46 per square foot...except for my house.

Truth be told, I think my appraisal is close to market value. But the others are ridiculously and insanely low. They have stuff appraised at $50K or less that would likely sell for close to $100K or even more.

I made similar observations about my assessment during the first few years I owned my house. But now (after 6 years), mine is lower than some others, who have bought more recently.

 

[REWahoo]

Speaking of taxes, I took the liberty of looking at the assessments for my neighbors. I'm getting ripped.

Man, those hangovers are a real pain...

Oh, you mean ripped as in "off"! Yep, sounds like you've got some great ammunition for a protest. You'll either get your appraisal lowered or your neighbors increased - maybe both!

I'm envious of you living in one of those progressive counties with information available online. Out here in the 19th century we still have to go to the tax office over at the county seat to get that kind of information. It's a long ride for the horses in this heat, too....

 

[W2R]

Out here in the 19th century we still have to go to the tax office over at the county seat to get that kind of information. It's a long ride for the horses in this heat, too....

Not to mention the fire ants, rattlesnakes, scorpions, and tornados... probably baby-eating coyotes, too.

 

[Art G]

Speaking of property taxes and Texas. They are now appraising my house for the estimated value of the natural gas they will soon be drilling for under my house. They have no idea how much is under there, but they're surely not missing the chance to tax me for it.

 

[ziggy29]

Man, those hangovers are a real pain...

Oh, you mean ripped as in "off"! Yep, sounds like you've got some great ammunition for a protest. You'll either get your appraisal lowered or your neighbors increased - maybe both!

I'd like to think I've got them. Here's a spreadsheet comparing my appraisal with eight homes directly surrounding me.

Bend Over!

As you can see, if this is allowed to stick, I'm getting screwed.

 

[REWahoo]

Zig, I noticed the appraisal doesn't include land. Any significant differences in lot size that could skew the numbers?

 

[Leonidas]

Speaking of rattlesnakes, did anyone see "Dirty Jobs" last night? A guy working on one of those huge wind generators was bitten on the hand by a rattler - 250 feet above ground. Man, can those things fly?

Yes, but only in coach.

 

[ziggy29]

Zig, I noticed the appraisal doesn't include land. Any significant differences in lot size that could skew the numbers?

I excluded land to make it an apples and apples comparison. The appraised values I listed in determining value per square foot are for the improvements only and did not include the land. The land is pretty much consistently valued at 60 cents per square foot (about $25,000 per acre) for everyone. Since the land appraisal seems very equitable, it works better to look at the appraisals minus the land for direct comparison.

 

[Dawg52]

Yes, but only in coach.

Mmmmm that baby would fry up nicely. Better than KFC. He must calling Bobby Flay to see how to season it.

 

[cute fuzzy bunny]

It doesnt matter, the airline would figure out how to make it taste worse than a $1 frozen dinner before serving it in coach.

 

[Art G]

Yes, but only in coach.

LOL! That was a pretty funny line! too bad it goes unappreciated in here.

 

[rs0460a]

Seriously. I pay over 12k a year in property taxes here in NJ. That's for about 3/4 of an acre.

For comparison (I'm 75 miles west of NYC, in PA) I paid $4,500 property tax in '07 for 1.1 acres (yes, with my home on it ).

Just to show you that nothing is consistent as far as property tax.

Oh - BTW, I used to "live" in Texas (stationed in Lubbock). I used to tell the "locals" (after a few drinks) the definition of a Texan. It was a Mexican that didn't make it to Oklahoma ...

Anyway, I left the "dry heat" of west Texas (along with the dust storms, the scorpions, rattlesnakes <and tarantulas> for the "wet heat" of SEA (that's Southeast Asia). It was a coin toss to say what "environmentals" were better/worse...

- Ron

 

[REWahoo]

Oh - BTW, I used to "live" in Texas (stationed in Lubbock). I used to tell the "locals" (after a few drinks) the definition of a Texan. It was a Mexican that didn't make it to Oklahoma ...

Please don't insult our neighbors to the South...

 

[FANOFJESUS]

I thought about moving to texas. Are you paying about 2.5% of your house's total value in property taxes? Does that sound about right?

 

[Rustic23]

OK, here is a dodge that works in Texas. Buy a trailer, put it on a cheap lot and homestead it. Turn 65 and the value freezes for school taxes. The trailer is cheap and has little value so with the exemptions the Taxes paid are $0. This ratio can now be transfered to another purchase of a home.

How does portability work?

Your school tax-freeze portability is calculated in the following way: Your county tax appraisal district uses your current home's tax appraisal value and your current frozen school taxes to calculate a ratio. That ratio is applied to the appraised value of your new home to determine the school tax rate on that home. This new tax rate is frozen for as long as you live in that home. The formula is designed to keep your new tax freeze in proportion with your old tax freeze so you don't experience a huge increase in school taxes when you move.​

 

[REWahoo]

Are you paying about 2.5% of your house's total value in property taxes? Does that sound about right?

Probably in the ballpark but I'd recommend you use something closer to 3%. In some cities it may be close to 4% while in some rural areas it may be under 2%.

 

[FANOFJESUS]

Thanks for the info. Boy those are high taxes. The only way to fight them is buy a small house.

 

[sweetana3]

We got hit with a 100% increase this year from $1700 to approx. $3700. No wonder the s**t hit the fan. Personally I believe that the government hid a whole lot of other changes in a court suit mandated change to the way houses are assessed.

Same house and same fair market value as 8 years ago.