The Sorry Detroit city Tax office (Wayne, Palmer: real estate, broker, house)

[ocean2026]

They have no email.

The phone had me on hold 22 min before I gave up.

Unlike other cities you have to pay to get the tax info on a property.

BAD ATTITUDE TOWARDS PEOPLE is not good for Detroit or investors who might buy there.

I simply wanted to find out what the tax would be on a $400k house and if ibought it for $400 k would it be the market value they would use.

[Coldjensens]

Where are you going to find a house in Detroit for $400,000?

Maybe the Fischer mansion? You might find something in Palmer park or perhaps indian villiage, but it will be hard to find.

[djmilf]

So, Ocean2026....

You've been posting on the Detroit board for the past week. And a couple of other boards as well.

Not that you have to, but maybe you'd like to clue us in as to the reason for your interest in Detroit?

It might make it easier for some of us to guide you along and answer your questions.

[brokerdave]

Originally Posted by ocean2026

They have no email.

The phone had me on hold 22 min before I gave up.

Unlike other cities you have to pay to get the tax info on a property.

BAD ATTITUDE TOWARDS PEOPLE is not good for Detroit or investors who might buy there.

I simply wanted to find out what the tax would be on a $400k house and if ibought it for $400 k would it be the market value they would use.

how about you call a michigan title company.

[ocean2026]

djmilf - fair enough question. First I love old buildings and Buffalo and Detroit have the best and cheapest supply. Where I live is great but our best two older buildings would not even stand out on most Det and Buff streets. 2nd I love it here from October to May, but I do not like hot humid summers avg 92 degrees. Its just no fun going outside - even nights here are high 70s. El Paso is nicer to some degree and I Post there too.

What I would like is to find a cheap architectural gem - maybe a duplex where I could buy it and live in the top when Im there and have the bottom rented and the place therefore watched.

I expect both areas to become cheaper because of a combination of A poor economic outlook and B continued exodus from both cities I only have been to Det once and not for long but Ive wandered around Buffalo - to neighborhoods I was warned to stay away from so this doesnt bother me.

Specifically today i finally got to speak to the broker for 530 Parkview ( this is way I posted about the area west of Marina district that I now know is called Berry. This broker seemed especially honest about his property - almost TOO Honest. He said 530 parkview had no view of the water- I cant believe that. That it needed a new roof $60k- that it had been on the market 4 years and that the water leakage caused problems inside. He also predicted the taxes would go to $9000 as its listed at $495k Knowing this - I would guess this building has a fair market value of about $200k - Zillow has $286 and in Detroit one can buy buildings for less than 1/3 of Zillow. Pretty building though one that kemper designed.

I am selling some land here and hope by spring it will have sold and I can do a 1031 if I see any bargains I really like.

DJM I hope that answers your question - yes now maybe you can offer more advice..

Broker dave I was basically trying to find out if I buy a house for $200k at an arm's length transaction - just off MLS or so - whether that would become the new tax value and what the taxes would be on that Coldjensen had previously explained the outline of the taxes here.

There you have it!

[brokerdave]

yes i know, a title company would be a 2 min phone call and you would know what the taxes were. the city has its own taxes on top of the county, thats where they get you. from my understanding the city taxes are extremely high.

i flew over detroit about a month ago looking at real estate. i would love to rehab the old train station. i have a soft spot for detroit since i am from there. but until the government gets turned around its a lost cause.

[ocean2026]

The train station - the GAR building and the Yacht Club would all be great- however the cost of rehabilitation would not be justified by any monetary return - not even close- It sure would be fun if I had an extra 10 or 20 million to play with.

I was told the taxes - just wanted to know the formula etc

Guess we lost djmilf

[rid0617]

This is what I've been using to estimate. Give you real close idea.

https://treas-secure.state.mi.us/pte...testimator.asp

[ocean2026]

1. Rid that was an excellent link- thank you so much for adding it.

2. That is absolutely horrible news! So If I buy a nice $400k house and its in Wayne County, the city and school districts of Detroit ( I plugged in $200k - 50% of market) My tax if i used it as a primary residence would be over $13k a year or $20k if it wasn't primary????


I thought Buffalo was bad - please tell me something is wrong.

If one has only one residence in Michigan but primarily lives in another state- can they claim primary residence?

Frankly $13k a year would be a deal breaker!

[brokerdave]

Originally Posted by ocean2026

1. Rid that was an excellent link- thank you so much for adding it.

2. That is absolutely horrible news! So If I buy a nice $400k house and its in Wayne County, the city and school districts of Detroit ( I plugged in $200k - 50% of market) My tax if i used it as a primary residence would be over $13k a year or $20k if it wasn't primary????


I thought Buffalo was bad - please tell me something is wrong.

If one has only one residence in Michigan but primarily lives in another state- can they claim primary residence?

Frankly $13k a year would be a deal breaker!

you can only file 1 homestead. so that wouldn't work. but you can see what i was saying. the taxes are way to high. i am in florida now and my home is $800,000 and i pay $12k in taxes and i still think this is way to high, should be half that.

detroit has done nothing to help its own community, the governor makes matters worse. she has turned away toyota twice so they built plants elsewhere. it feeds on its own destruction.

plus if you want to buy anything that the city has taken back, you have to pay all the back taxes on it as well. its ridiculous.

about 6 years ago i was contemplating on buying up block and blocks of homes, to rehab the area and then i was hoping to possibly tear down and rebuild everything as a gated community for security reasons. everyone i spoke to said that the city would not approve anything unless i was paying off the city officials. that was just the way it is and has been for years. they also said the taxes would bankrupt me.

once you leave the casino's or the stadiums its a sh*thole. there is nothing there and offers nothing. the city doesn't even want to help it self. 35 years of out migration, you would think the people of detroit would realize that what they are doing and allowing isn't working. 27,000 people a year leave detroit. 3X higher than any other city in america.