Can anyone explain to me why this house has not sold (Baltimore: sales, rental)

[Calvert Hall '62]

Originally Posted by bufflove

A price/sqft of $144 for a gem like that is hardly crazy. It's just a specific buyer who needs or wants that much space.

a gem in a cesspool, eh.

[pwduvall]

Originally Posted by AeroGuyDC

Yes, lots of stupid people.

Sometimes I wonder why freedom loving people (like AeroGuyDC I presume) don't believe that other people should make a different decision than they would about where they want to live. I grew up on a farm but I always wanted to live in a city. Most people are not; but I am willing to but up with all of the crime, costs, and hassles that are a given when you live in Baltimore. People tread on dangerous ground when they start calling other people's preferences stupid. Personally, I support AeroGuyDC's decision to live where he wants.

[Calvert Hall '62]

I wonder what the property tax would be on this "gem."

[james777]

Originally Posted by Calvert Hall '62

I wonder what the property tax would be on this "gem."

$9,919.00 in 2015 according to the listing, which is quite a break compared to the $9,660.00 it was in 2013.

[BMoreJuice]

You can do cheaper in Reservoir Hill.

[james777]

Originally Posted by BMoreJuice

You can do cheaper in Reservoir Hill.

Yes you can, and you can do a lot cheaper in Sandtown, but in each case you get what you pay for.

[BMoreJuice]

Originally Posted by james777

Yes you can, and you can do a lot cheaper in Sandtown, but in each case you get what you pay for.

Those two neighborhoods are not even comparable.

[640TAG]

Originally Posted by james777

$9,919.00 in 2015 according to the listing, which is quite a break compared to the $9,660.00 it was in 2013.

Is that what you would actually pay annually? Really? Or is it just a multiplier by a decimal of some kind?

[james777]

Originally Posted by 640TAG

Is that what you would actually pay annually? Really? Or is it just a multiplier by a decimal of some kind?

Yep, that's what one would pay annually, and you have only a few months to pay it or your property will go to tax sale. This money goes to pay for local services, such as the some of the worst schools in the world, police that might show up if you call them a few times, and the mayor's chauffeur driven car. Even after one owns a property here in the US, the property owner is still a tax slave to the local officials.

The property taxes are much higher in Baltimore City as opposed to the surrounding counties. That is probably one reason why the mayor does not live in the city.

[640TAG]

Originally Posted by james777

Yep, that's what one would pay annually, and you have only a few months to pay it or your property will go to tax sale. This money goes to pay for local services, such as the some of the worst schools in the world, police that might show up if you call them a few times, and the mayor's chauffeur driven car. Even after one owns a property here in the US, the property owner is still a tax slave to the local officials.

The property taxes are much higher in Baltimore City as opposed to the surrounding counties. That is probably one reason why the mayor does not live in the city.

WOW!

I read continually about the high taxes in Baltimore, but I didn't realise they were that high. That's incredible. That equates to about £6700, and you would not pay that anywhere in the UK on any property of any value. Here we have "council tax" - it's much the same sort of thing - there are 8 bands, A - H, according to property value. Each borough levels their own charge, but government legislation restricts increases to no more than 2% annually. They vary, but not massively. In my London borough, on our "F" rated house (worth about $1.9M) we will pay $3,000 in 2016. If we had a $5M mansion, the highest it could be is $4100 in tax. If there is only one occupant, they get a 25% discount.

If the Bolton Hill house were in my borough, the tax would be $1850 a year. And this borough usually ranks in the top 5 in the country for schools.

How can anyone afford to live in Baltimore at those kind of tax rates? It's incredible. I now understand a lot more about why folk live in the county rather than the city. Considering how much of the city looks pretty much abandoned, what exactly do they do with the revenue? Even Bolton Hill looks like it needs its roads re-surfacing and sidewalks weeding.

I guess the main reason for this is that the majority of our council funding comes from central government, with local tax only making up about 30% (and the central funding is currently being ruthlessly cut to try and reduce our crippling deficit). Does Baltimore get state and/or federal funding of any kind?