Moving to Wichita area (Derby, Andover: loan, how much, buying a house)

[3beautifulboys]

I am considering buying/building in Andover, Derby, or Rose Hill (reassigned to McConnell AFB will arrive between Dec 09-Jan 2010). I am wondering what these "special" taxes/addendums consist of and what are most people paying monthly for these concessions. I find it weird that homeowners are having to suck up these fees rather than the builder. I have owned 3 homes in some of the most desirable areas of the country and Kansas is the only place I have seen this in practice. I can't seem to get a firm answer on what this extra expense will cost. If anyone has input on monthly or flat rate "specials," I would appreciate the info (cost and subdivision location/name). Thanks!

[bluede78]

We recently just moved to Wichita and I thought the same thing about the "Specials Taxes." I don't know much about them other than most houses have them for 15-20 years, then there are no more specials taxes. So my husband and I are looking to buy an older, probably bigger home for the same price it would cost us to purchase a smaller cheaper home. Personal preference, I guess.

Don't know too much about Rose Hill, but Derby is a great area. It is the closest to McConnell Airforce Base, also. It is really growing even since we have lived here. Andover... is really growing too, but it is too expensive for as small as the town is and they don't really have much to offer. Just my thoughts=)

Good Luck with your search.

[StuckinOZ]

"Specials" are the fees (taxes) a buyer of a new home pays to cover the costs of sidewalks, access roads, new sewer lines, etc. If you buy a house that is already built but is fairly new, you will have to pay the remainder of the specials left on the property. If you buy in an older well-established neighborhood, chances are the specials were paid for long ago. I've lived in several states and every state has "specials".

Ever wonder why stretches of country roads may be paved then suddenly a stretch of non-paved road will "pop" up? The owners of property on that unpaved stretcg chose not to "enjoy" the amenities that special taxes provide for their neighbors.

[talbet]

Don't buy a lot until you see the specials, they are now running around 30k and you have to pay it in a yearly tax form. Many homes priced at say 125k have a hidden tax of 1200 a year or more along with the 2400 a year property tax. It is nothing to have a tax of 3500 on a 125k home. Some of the homes older than 10 years have paid them off, but taxes are still among the highest for the price range in the mid west. You have to go to Florida or Cal, to find higher taxes.

[drjones96]

As talbet says if you buy an older home you may not have to deal with specials. HOWEVER....if the neighborhood is in need of some repairs like sidewalks, streetlights, etc. they may include you in a new specials tax. So just because you have an old house it doesn't mean you'll never pay specials.

I believe the specials on my home were in the $20k range and pay out over 13 years (parts of it will be done in 10 years).

I live in Park Hill on the South end of Derby.

[4myfam]

The amount of the specials will depend on how much work the city or county did in the neighborhood, and what the developer negotiated in the deal. It is usually split between all the property owners and paid out over 10 or 15 years. Your specials may be different than your neighbors too, depending if your lot has more or less square footage than his.

If you are buying a house previously built, you can request the seller pay off the specials at closing, or sometimes you can roll them into your loan (depending on if you are buying the house at a price giving you that much equity). The specials would no longer be needed in your escrow which would lower your house payment a bit.

If you know of an address you are interested in for Sedgwick county (Wichita, Derby) look it up here to see if there are specials: https://ssc.sedgwickcounty.org/taxwebapp/rpaddress.aspx (broken link)

For Butler County (Andover, Rose Hill): TAX INFORMATION MODULE (http://www.bucoks.com/tax/Search/search_tax.aspx - broken link)

Good luck!