Leaving California (Los Angeles, San Diego, Fresno: relocation, real estate, property taxes)

[susie4]

I live in CA and the property tax is at 1 1/4% . The Propisition 13 has helped to keep the taxes down. It could be worse. The problem is when young couples are trying to buy a house that costs $600,000 the taxes are totally outragerous plus the payments on that type of loan.

[EscapeCalifornia]

Originally Posted by susie4

I live in CA and the property tax is at 1 1/4% . The Propisition 13 has helped to keep the taxes down. It could be worse. The problem is when young couples are trying to buy a house that costs $600,000 the taxes are totally outragerous plus the payments on that type of loan.

That's my situation exactly. By the time prop13's savings will make a difference relative to inflation for me, I'll be too old to have a family.

[YakimaBelle]

Originally Posted by davidt1

How did you come up with the 5% - 10% property tax? I thought CA property is 1.5%.

It is *now* since Proposition 13 passed. Prior to that both the assessed value and the rates kept escalating in many areas....

[YakimaBelle]

Originally Posted by EscapeCalifornia

That's my situation exactly. By the time prop13's savings will make a difference relative to inflation for me, I'll be too old to have a family.

The problem is that logical thought is something lacking in California. Everyone here seems to go based on their *feelings.*

Case in point; at our city council meeting this week they are attempting to deal with a 2.5 million dollar budget shortfall. Yet they don't enforce laws against illegal businesses which do not contribute to the tax base. Nor do they enforce limits on the number of people in an "extended family" living in a single family residence. So the taxes paid do not reflect the services used.

To save money they are "working for the future" by funding such things as after school athletics and D.A.R.E. to allegedly keep children from growing up to be criminals. Unfortunately, the evidence doesn't support the idea that after school athletics keeps people from growing up to be criminals - and D.A.R.E. has repeatedly been shown to cause outcomes worse than no drug educaton at all. To do this, they are cutting services in the police and fire departments. They are also trying to take grant money from an after school program that helps children with their school work and redirect it to athletics.

Considering that the great salary divide is between those who went to college and studied majors that required calculus and everyone else - including liberal arts college graduates and high school dropouts - it seems that once again *feelings* trump *logic* and more and more waste and higher taxes will once again result.

[Donna7]

Originally Posted by susie4

I live in CA and the property tax is at 1 1/4% . The Propisition 13 has helped to keep the taxes down. It could be worse. The problem is when young couples are trying to buy a house that costs $600,000 the taxes are totally outragerous plus the payments on that type of loan.

Yes, that appears to be the problem since that generation is the one teaching our children (teachers), firemen/women, policemen/women, and many of the other professions that make our society function smoothly. I'd like to know how good teachers (for example)remain in a state that they cannot to purchase a home in? I prefer a good long-term teacher in the same school system/school over a school system/school that changes teachers every year. Yes, I know, buy a condo and then work up and when you're 50 years old and never had a kid and build a family (if you wanted one) because you were too busy making enormous payments on a condo, then you can maybe move into a single home junker because you can now semi-afford to get into more debt. Wow, what a life. Really not fair for people who want to make California their "home", not just a place to hang a picture on a wall for a few years and then leave.

[davidt1]

Don't blame Prop 13. Without it, seniors, low-income families and even middle-class folks would be taxed out of their homes. Just to make a comparison, a $600K home in Texas would cost you around $18K in property taxes annually. Why so much? Because there is no Prop 13 over there to keep property taxes from getting out of control. As for the cost of housing in CA, more and more people are finding out they don't have to pay $600K for a house. And when enough people refuse to pay inflated prices, something amazing happens -- prices are coming down.

[vfrpilot]

Just to make a comparison, a $600K home in Texas would cost you around $18K in property taxes annually. Why so much? Because there is no Prop 13 over there to keep property taxes from getting out of control.

You really shouldn't compare a $600k house in CA to one in TX. If you compare the same size home in nice areas you would need to compare the actual price. More like $200k in TX will get you a $600k home in CA. So the tax will be triple in TX, but 3% of 200k is about the same as 1% of 600k. But in TX you have a mortgage that is 67% smaller or have $400k bank, plus no state income tax. It's a no brainer if you LOVE CA. You just suck it up and keep saying that it's the best place in the world and work the rest of your life to pay for it. Lot's of folks do it, bazillions of folks. I don't personally like TX, but if you don't LOVE CA, it definitely is worth a look. I made the same comparison with CO and came to the conclusion that, everything considered, CO is much better for us.

[momof2dfw]

Originally Posted by davidt1

Just to make a comparison, a $600K home in Texas would cost you around $18K in property taxes annually. Why so much? Because there is no Prop 13 over there to keep property taxes from getting out of control.

Your wrong. I live in Texas in a house right at $500K and my property taxes for 2007 paid are only around $11K. A house on the tax rolls in my area at $677K is only paying $15,600 in propety taxes. Someone else could very possibly be paying more or less on the same value depending on WHERE they live as the tax rates VARY from one city to the next AND on the condition of the home. Our rates can not be jacked up to what they were going to in California pre Prop 13. There is NO way you can compare the two as the homes I just gave an example of are in a VERY exclusive gated neighborhood in a very well regarded school district. I'll take my Texas taxes anyday to have great schools, roads, parks and city services thank you very much.

If you want to compare the two REALLY then please find a house on the California tax rolls (address, value, property tax rate included) and a house on the Texas tax rolls (address, value, property tax rate included) and post them. Please include the type of neighborhood that both homes are located in. THEN you might learn a thing or two about Texas property taxes and you can maybe compare the two. Right now your not even coming close.

[james203]

your dollar goes alot further in tx then in ca and houston is a very nice,clean city.i hate living in ca and if all goes well ...im outta here !

[Tinkertea]

Leasure,
Los Osos is the last affordable place in SC? The average cost of a house is close to $600k!