San Antonio was insulted... (Dallas, Howe: renters, loan, buying a house)

[Twinkle Toes]

Income tax is better. There's lots of ways to write off your income taxes.

[Steel Man]

Originally Posted by Twinkle Toes

Okay, here's a question - are there any plans in the works to lower the 3% property tax in Bexar county? And if so, will it be anytime soon?

Hmmm..we've gone from San Antonio was insulted all the way to taxes. Anyway, here is a reply I posted back on 8/22/06 to a similar question. This applies to all of Texas, not just Bexar County.

Property tax is at 2.9%. A $150,000 house would be around $3500 depending if you live in the city or county (about $800 more for living in the city). Don't forget we pay no income taxes here. BTW, the state recently passed a law lowering the maximum school districts can charge per $100 valuation of your house (goes from max of $1.50 to $1.00 in two years). However, proper valuations keep going up around 10% so that will eat up the savings quick.

[LdyApxr]

Well, I am coming from CA whether anyone likes it or not. LOL ALthough I am a born and raised Northern CA girl, I do not share in the attitude that labels make the person(or State for that matter) I could care less what the label is on your car,clothes or house as long as you are a decent person, treat your family and neighbors right and don't impose your views on me. As for culture that I will bring to SA? Well, lets see, my mother was half cherokee and my husband is German and both of our boys are polite and respectful to people, animals, and everyone in general. They do not think that they are entitled and that is due to the fact that my husband and I have raised them to help others and take responsibility. If there is anyone who has an issue with that, then that is their own problem. As my granny always said "Mind your own ranch before tellling others how to mind theirs" LOL

[mystree]

definately went off track somewhere..lol

[Twinkle Toes]

Yeah, we need to have something for random thoughts!

[LdyApxr]

I blame mine on medication. Dilaudid for a migraine will send your mind just wandering all over the place. Sure hope it comes back soon(my mind that is, not the migraine LOL)

[Jaded]

Originally Posted by Steel Man

Hmmm..we've gone from San Antonio was insulted all the way to taxes. Anyway, here is a reply I posted back on 8/22/06 to a similar question. This applies to all of Texas, not just Bexar County.

Property tax is at 2.9%. A $150,000 house would be around $3500 depending if you live in the city or county (about $800 more for living in the city). Don't forget we pay no income taxes here. BTW, the state recently passed a law lowering the maximum school districts can charge per $100 valuation of your house (goes from max of $1.50 to $1.00 in two years). However, proper valuations keep going up around 10% so that will eat up the savings quick.

Please say it ain't so Steel Man. 10%? Is this yearly, monthly, or weekly? AUGH !!

This is not a good thing. My beau and I should know by the end of September if SA will be on our list of cities to move to...I really want it to be. So this sheds some light on all the quasi-banter that's been going on with this particular post.

Coming from CA I hope this trend doesn't continue. I read weekly how areas in CA are heading for a straight downward dive with regard to home prices that have escalated so high that they are now very overpriced. Also, a realtor friend said that banks are actually approving "short sales" for some of these properties.

[elfyum]

Originally Posted by RCL

Yeah, but remember that statue was made in FRANCE by the FRENCH.

(And just look at what a quandary they are in now. Their economy is in the dumper and they have to pass laws to try and preserve their own culture because they've let in so many "tempest-tost, homeless, tired, poor, huddled...masses...of wretched refuse from teeming shores...")

And it's happening here too! Enough of everyone's tired poor & weak! We have plenty of our own!!!


"The only difference between them and someone from CA is that they will put 3 families into one home, whereas the California family will put ONE family into a SINGLE FAMILY home.
Now, which is better for your neighborhood?
Do you want the cars parked in the garage? Or on the lawn?
Do you want to know your neighbors are going to be inside the house quiet at 10pm? Or do you want 6 kids playing in the driveway and/or yard and/or street at 10pm because the parents are in the house doing the love dance?
Hmmmm, well Monty, I think I'd choose door number one."

Thank you!!! I have no problem if someone likes hispanic culture. That is personal preference. However to say you are "rooting" for them in lieu of the SERIOUS ILLEGAL immigration problem we have (especially in the Mexican border states) is quite ignorant & insulting & I'm not even from those states!!!

[paddleshad]

Folks, I have been reading this thread for days now. I just want to thank you all for helping us decide NOT to buy in San Antonio this winter. The sting of property tax was a shock already. It does not seem right that on a $200,000 home, we would have $500 a month tacked on the mortgage payment for property taxes. And that will only go up over time. Just like the interest on an ARM! My parents just moved over the border to Oklahoma because on a fixed income, they couldn't even budget for the future. We are coming down courtesy of the US Air Force, but our housing "allowance" is based on rental prices... so, we would be sucking up utilities, closing costs, and property tax out of our own pocket. At first, I wondered why housing was so cheap, but they always get you some place.
Also, for us... this whole "but we don't pay income tax" thing is a mute point, because for four more years, we keep our home of record state- which does not tax military pay. I don't like that we qualify for less house in a worse neighborhood just because property tax is figured in at such rates. I think we would be better off putting the money away for four years and retiring near our kids. Holding a house for only four years is risky anyway. None of us knows what will happen to the market. We have a friend who is building on the northwest side of SA in a decent subdivision and he was just called and told that his home is vandalized ALREADY. Apparently is was teenagers from a home nearby... one where there is two families living there together. No thanks.

[Steel Man]

Originally Posted by paddleshad

...but our housing "allowance" is based on rental prices... so, we would be sucking up utilities, closing costs, and property tax out of our own pocket...

Be thankful that you get this. Your housing allowance is also tax free (along with your subsistence allowance), so no sympathy here. Too bad these go away when you retire. BTW, I am retired AF.

Sorry you don't like San Antonio.