Question on how much my taxes would go up adding a couple used double wides at a ranch property (Houston: house)

[Redneck Russell]

Question on how much my taxes would go up adding a couple used "double wides" at a ranch property.
The ranch is a few hundred acres an hour and a half East of Houston TX

[groovamos]

I bought a well-used FEMA single wide in 2007 to put on my property in Montgomery county 7 miles south of Magnolia. It was there in plain view of the road for about 5~6 years before the county noticed and then they bumped up the property value by $30,000. With a $6,000 receipt for the unit, I protested and they were very fair, they factored in depreciation for the time since the purchase.

I have heard that counties hire aerial photography services to look for changes to building stock. This may explain why it took so long for them to notice mine as the unit I have is mostly under wooded canopy.

[marksmu]

Originally Posted by Redneck Russell

Question on how much my taxes would go up adding a couple used "double wides" at a ranch property.
The ranch is a few hundred acres an hour and a half East of Houston TX

Your biggest tax increase will come from losing the open space exemption on the area that does not currently have improvements on it...Assuming of course you have no improvements on it now.

When you go from an open space or Ag-exemption to residential you have to pay roll back taxes - which means the last 5 years of taxes which were previously ag-exempt (or open space) are now due at the rate as if they had a house on them only without the improvements.

The value of the improvements will matter, but not nearly as much as your loss of exemption. Most folks will survey off a sepearate tract (as small as possible) to put the improvements on so that the MAXIMUM amount of the land as possible stays exempt.