Lancaster Taxes are going up up & up (Buffalo, Syracuse: for sale, real estate)

[VegasRocks]

I hear Lancaster has just reassessed all
the houses at 100% value of what they were over the last 5 years
Many people are freaking out at high their taxes bills have gone up
and many are putting there houses for sale asap and heading
West & South

[BuffaloTransplant]

Do you live in Lancaster?

It went from 92% assessment to a 100% assessment. Every person in our family had the assessment stay about the same. (That is 3 families and 4 plots of land)

[sabredrew]

Taxes may be high here, but the low cost of real estate really neutralizes that. Believe me, there are plenty of places, including some in the south and west, that have very high taxes and real estate.

The cost of living in Buffalo is so low in virtually every area that real estate taxes is really the only financial evil we have to deal with.

[donbuy]

Originally Posted by VegasRocks

I hear Lancaster has just reassessed all
the houses at 100% value of what they were over the last 5 years
Many people are freaking out at high their taxes bills have gone up
and many are putting there houses for sale asap and heading
West & South

That is a total misunderstanding of what assessments do. It is a combination of the "Tax Levy" and the "Property Assessment" that determins a tax bill. If everyone's assesment goes from 80% to 100% and the tax levy stays the same. Then the property bill will stay the same too. The higher the total assessments in the town the lower the tax rate becomes as long as the tax levy remains the same. The only way a reassessment alone will raise your taxes is if your assessment rises by a higher percentage than the town's a s a whole.

[Checkered24]

Good luck on everyone moving west and south in this economy. If you have a job here, I cannot see leaving it over an assessment. If your unemployed... well... your house probably would be for sale one way or another anyway.

So are actual taxes due increasing?

[VegasRocks]

Every year town employees get large raises =
Every single year property and school taxes going up up up up
vs
Just about everywhere else City and and town employees have not got raises in years
do to the poor economy and now are even geting their pays cut, and are forcing them to take 15 to 20 unpaid days off and they refuse to raise property taxes

[donbuy]

Well at least we can be thankful we have not suffered the economic body blow that our countrymen in Las Vegas and Detroit have.

[ckhthankgod]

Originally Posted by donbuy

Well at least we can be thankful we have not suffered the economic body blow that our countryment in Las Vagas and Detroit have.

Among others. Even NC, FL and AZ are getting hit pretty hard too.

[accbqjx]

There is no doubt that taxes across the WNY area will continue to rise , especially if we want to keep the quality of life ammenities currently offered to us. As this happens, empty nesters may decide it's time to sell and move to one of the many Rocco Termini apartments currently being developed downtown.

[ckhthankgod]

Originally Posted by accbqjx

There is no doubt that taxes across the WNY area will continue to rise , especially if we want to keep the quality of life ammenities currently offered to us. As this happens, empty nesters may decide it's time to sell and move to one of the many Rocco Termini apartments currently being developed downtown.

I think this is something to observe in the near future. I've heard people talk about this in the Syracuse area, in terms of moving out of the house once the kids are gone and getting an apartment in the city(downtown or near Syracuse University). So, this might be a trend in Upstate NY cities.