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Old 05-04-2014, 09:54 PM
 
Location: Holly Neighborhood, Austin, Texas
3,982 posts, read 6,705,546 times
Reputation: 2882

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Quote:
Originally Posted by orngkat View Post
Maybe the city could provide incentives to those of us who live in the central area to build rental cottages in our sometimes very large backyards to help with the influx of new residents - that would increase density, provide income to pay our exorbitant taxes and allow us to stay in our homes.
This can work quite easily in older central neighborhoods that have alleys and the city does allow 850 sq. foot second units on lots in certain neighborhoods. I guess it could be done in other areas if the lots are wide enough to allow a driveway to get to the back of the lot. Newer neighborhoods with HOAs are probably more of a restriction to this type of development than any COA zoning ordinance.
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Old 05-04-2014, 10:09 PM
 
Location: Austin
4,105 posts, read 8,266,051 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by centralaustinite View Post
Yes, well it is the second home owners that are going to kill central Austin as a place where people actually live.
Couldn't city council just double or triple property taxes on units that aren't occupied as primary homes?
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Old 05-04-2014, 10:12 PM
 
269 posts, read 426,926 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by brattpowered View Post
Couldn't city council just double or triple property taxes on units that aren't occupied as primary homes?
That would kill renters. Landlords already don't get home exemptions so their taxes are higher. A lot of ppl with families would much rather prefer to rent a house than an apartment so something like this would be a terrible solution. Why penalize people for having extra $$?
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Old 05-04-2014, 10:14 PM
 
Location: Austin
4,105 posts, read 8,266,051 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ppp38 View Post
That would kill renters.
OK. Units that aren't occupied by anyone as a primary residence, then? (Vacation homes, specifically)
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Old 05-04-2014, 10:40 PM
 
Location: The People's Republic of Austin
5,184 posts, read 7,249,913 times
Reputation: 2575
Quote:
Originally Posted by brattpowered View Post
Couldn't city council just double or triple property taxes on units that aren't occupied as primary homes?
Fortunately, that would be illegal.
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Old 05-05-2014, 01:20 PM
 
Location: Austin, TX
16,787 posts, read 48,885,787 times
Reputation: 9477
Quote:
Originally Posted by centralaustinite View Post
This is allowed in nearly every place that has SF-3 zoning BUT note, building a rental unit (garage apartment, granny flat) will increase your property taxes and could possibly increase the taxes of your neighbors with a similar lot and zoning because you can be taxed on the "highest and best" use of a property (in other words the greatest possibility) even if that use is not utilized. The threat of higher taxes is why there wasn't a building boom of secondary structures in central areas 10 years ago when Council loosened the rules, some areas even fought again it worried about higher taxes on those who didn't build.
Most of those subdivision lots created since the 80's are not large enough to allow an additional rental unit to be added to the property and still stay under the 45% maximum impervious cover development restriction.
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Old 05-05-2014, 07:17 PM
 
Location: Holly Neighborhood, Austin, Texas
3,982 posts, read 6,705,546 times
Reputation: 2882
Quote:
Originally Posted by centralaustinite View Post
This is allowed in nearly every place that has SF-3 zoning BUT note, building a rental unit (garage apartment, granny flat) will increase your property taxes and could possibly increase the taxes of your neighbors with a similar lot and zoning because you can be taxed on the "highest and best" use of a property (in other words the greatest possibility) even if that use is not utilized. The threat of higher taxes is why there wasn't a building boom of secondary structures in central areas 10 years ago when Council loosened the rules, some areas even fought again it worried about higher taxes on those who didn't build.
Hypothetical: If the owner keep residence in the 1st unit, but then rents the second unit out, how are the taxes assessed?

Last edited by verybadgnome; 05-05-2014 at 07:38 PM..
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Old 05-06-2014, 06:44 AM
 
Location: central Austin
7,228 posts, read 16,039,518 times
Reputation: 3915
Quote:
Originally Posted by verybadgnome View Post
Hypothetical: If the owner keep residence in the 1st unit, but then rents the second unit out, how are the taxes assessed?
The owner can get homestead on the value of the unit that is declared as their primary residence and the second unit is valued at market rate (so with no 10% cap).
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Old 05-06-2014, 09:56 AM
 
625 posts, read 1,130,173 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by centralaustinite View Post
The owner can get homestead on the value of the unit that is declared as their primary residence and the second unit is valued at market rate (so with no 10% cap).
Where do you see that difference being indicated on a property that is "HS" exempt, with a secondary (garage) unit? Or, what about an owner occupied duplex? Plus, what about those who HS, yet rent one or more bedrooms out? Doing the math, it seems that both dwellings are being factored at total value.

My understanding of the HS exemption is either 100% or none. Where is it delineated on TCAD?
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Old 05-06-2014, 09:58 AM
 
Location: Holly Neighborhood, Austin, Texas
3,982 posts, read 6,705,546 times
Reputation: 2882
Quote:
Originally Posted by centralaustinite View Post
The owner can get homestead on the value of the unit that is declared as their primary residence and the second unit is valued at market rate (so with no 10% cap).
That makes sense. What about the land value?
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