80% Property Tax Increase... Loosing my Home? (Camas: lofts, home builders, buyer)

[cdelena]

Originally Posted by janb

here is an article with a nice US map of 2006 property taxes by county. It is conservative on WA, as it only shows SEA area as most expensive @ $3000-$4500...guess I should send them my tax statement from Clark County. Kansas looks pretty clean. (but it is not good in other taxes)

http://finance.yahoo.com/focus-retir...nt-preparation

overlaying; rain / tax / temp / solar degree days / educational choice maps would rapidly help define my future nesting sites. Now for a 'cheap <$2.00) lapswimming map'

As interesting as that map is it can be misleading... If it showed the taxes as percentage of appraised value instead of average amount there would be a totally different picture. Much of what that map shows is property valuation, not tax rates. Taxes in Washington are not low, but also not the burden some make them out to be.

[sberdrow]

Originally Posted by cdelena

As interesting as that map is it can be misleading... If it showed the taxes as percentage of appraised value instead of average amount there would be a totally different picture. Much of what that map shows is property valuation, not tax rates. Taxes in Washington are not low, but also not the burden some make them out to be.

Right for instance, in Texas you can pay as much as 3.5 percent of the value. imagine paying over $10,000 on a 300K home every year.

[Ultrarunner]

The cover story in today's Thurston County paper The Olympian is about the record number of property owner's filing assessment appeals...

Seems increased assessments have given many cause for concern.

[chris]

update: just a tidbit of information about taxes in Mason county.

My assessment from 2007 to 2008 was a 25% increase, resulting in a roughly 15% tax increase. In this county they reassess the value every 4 years, as well as apply certain levies based on the area you live in.

So at least for here, in looks like an increase every four years. Not sure if the same rules apply to Thurston cty.

[StealthRabbit]

Most heavily populated counties do a reassessment every year based on sales and trends, and do a physical site visit every 3-4 yrs where they take pics and count your out-buildings and look for new decks / concrete slabs. These visits usually create a greater increase, but ours adjust every year.

Some counties do aerial surveillance and use optical recognition software to see if you have built additional SQ ft, or have too many vehicles, or commercial ones on your prop. That is becoming very popular and increasingly easy to do.

[Ultrarunner]

janb... I didn't know the county would be concerned about having too many vehicles, or commercial ones on my property...

Why would they care... (I guess money is the answer)

[cdelena]

I just got my 2008 statement from Clark County. My appraisal went up 7.7% but my taxes went down 1.6%. I hope it is a trend!

[E Roy Slade]

dino rossi won wa state but dems stole the election

be sure to vote republican in nov 08!!

[Ultrarunner]

Don't believe everything you read in the paper about "Modest" increases.

My actual Tax Bill increased 31% this year over last... and is now $11,500!!!

This is for a home built in 1977, that has had no improvements made... I even have all my 1977 appliances. I do have some land, but it is almost totally encompassed by the new Wet Land Buffer designation which means no chance of future building.

I bought in 2005, after the home was on the market for almost a year and looking back, the county figures my home value doubled from when I bought it in 2005 to January 2007 (The Date the county used to calculate the 80% assessment increase from January 2006 to January 2007)

I tried going the appeal route and as others warned me... I didn't get very far. The Assessor's opinion of Residential Property Value is tantamount to Law.

The Assessor could care less how many homes in my neighborhood are going unsold... the only thing that would seem carry any weight would be for me to actually sell

Washington is a Beautiful Place if I could only afford to live there!

[StealthRabbit]

Originally Posted by Ultrarunner

Don't believe everything you read in the paper about "Modest" increases.

My actual Tax Bill increased 31% this year over last... and is now $11,500!!!

This is for a home built in 1977, that has had no improvements made... I even have all my 1977 appliances. I do have some land, but it is almost totally encompassed by the new Wet Land Buffer designation which means no chance of future building.
...
I tried going the appeal route and as others warned me... I didn't get very far. The Assessor's opinion of Residential Property Value is tantamount to Law.
...
Washington is a Beautiful Place if I could only afford to live there!

Ouch, UR, sorry you caught up to me!

Mine went up considerably too, (again...) I can't divide and sell either, as I'm in the "National Scenic Area". I checked all the neighbors for ~ 2 miles and the average was 8% increase, but mine was 18%, probably due to me fighting the assessment, as they told me; "we'll get you next year"... what's new...

Looking for a new spot, fly out on Tues, but... I didn't plan on moving when I built this joint for $100k 13 yrs ago. So much for bringing my tile home from Spain, laying the rock fireplace, and digging the foundation with a pick... Can't support this monster on ZERO income and still 13 yrs from senior exemption (when my taxes will be over $100k / yr). I have some friends who are doing 'micro-finance' with their home equity, which is one avenue, but worrisome. (they use HELOC @ 6-7% and lend at 14% for 1st position 'bridge' loans)

WA will not be home to retirees. My other option is buying commercial space with apartment and leasing to tenants @ NNN, hopefully subsidizing my apartment. I can't risk that in this border county, as commercial rentals will become vacant in WA when businesses flee the WA property tax burden, margins are already tight due to no sales tax across border (5 min)

I have sold almost all my WA investment props and put another on the market Friday, so I will be free to leave, and also capturing the favorable LTCG's rates at the moment (get 'em while they last ...)