[southernlady5464]

Since taxes on a $200,000 home average about $3000/year, that would mean your income was only $15,000/year, which would mean a $200,000 home is well outside of your means.

Which is still totally outrageous.

We have a house still in SE MI sitting waiting to sell. Bought a house in NC (Brunswick Co, just outside of Wilmington). It's 1500 sq ft and is valued at $182,100. Had we not been carrying two mortgages, we could have afforded much more. Got our property tax bill for next year, which includes trash pickup and education and the total was $605.41.

A friend of mine lives in NY (Syracuse area) and her house is about 2500 sq ft, much older home than ours. Her taxes...over $6,000 a year.

Lower taxes is part of why NC is growing so fast. We get to keep more of our income. Liz

[TaxBait]

Originally Posted by magellan

Sorry about your situation, but if property taxes are taking 20% of your income, you either way overbought on your home, you live in a high-tax municipality, or you haven't filed for your homestead exemption.

Since taxes on a $200,000 home average about $3000/year, that would mean your income was only $15,000/year, which would mean a $200,000 home is well outside of your means. No?

Your guess is almost spot on. But is a house well outside your means if you build it for cash? I'd never attempt to make a living in northern MI with a mortgage. The $125K came from working 12 years as an engineer in other states. It's my tax assessor that insists a year of my sweat equity is worth another $100K even though I'm lucky to gross $25K and net $15K doing construction work for others.
My mistake was thinking I knew Michigan taxes. Either the homestread tax credit was capped in the 12 years I was gone or I just wasn't aware of the cap before. You'd have to have a home value well under $75K in most area of MI not to lose it to taxes if you had no income. Around here that's an absolute, knockdown dump or a mobile far out of town. So basically we don't deserve to live in a decent house because I can't make enough money to support a government unwilling to make the same sacrifices it expects of its citizens.

[TaxBait]

Originally Posted by southernlady5464

Which is still totally outrageous.
....Lower taxes is part of why NC is growing so fast. We get to keep more of our income. Liz

Exactly. I'd like to leave MI but it's basically impossible to find interim living that would suit my wife. I can't afford to build another house without selling first and my wife is too proud to live in an adapted mobile home. Eventually I will make it happen and will definitely be looking into the local tax situation very closely. I will NEVER build another house without first getting agreement on a valuation from the tax assessor first.

[Siberia]

New state tax proposal on employee healthcare benefits (all benefits actually)...priceless! Both the Repukes and Demotaxes are pumping this taxliciously complex nightmare.

State lawmakers float a first: A tax on health care benefits (http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/artikkel?Dato=20070926&Kategori=NEWS06&Lopenr=7092 6050&Ref=AR&imw=Y - broken link)

What next, placing a turd meter on every residential toliet and charging a nickel each?

[Bydand]

Originally Posted by Siberia

What next, placing a turd meter on every residential toliet and charging a nickel each?

Oh flipping great, just give them more ideas!

[magellan]

Originally Posted by Siberia

New state tax proposal on employee healthcare benefits (all benefits actually)...priceless! Both the Repukes and Demotaxes are pumping this taxliciously complex nightmare.

State lawmakers float a first: A tax on health care benefits (http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/artikkel?Dato=20070926&Kategori=NEWS06&Lopenr=7092 6050&Ref=AR&imw=Y - broken link)

What next, placing a turd meter on every residential toliet and charging a nickel each?

Sounds like a great business idea. More business, more jobs.

[Driller1]

Originally Posted by Siberia

New state tax proposal on employee healthcare benefits (all benefits actually)...priceless! Both the Repukes and Demotaxes are pumping this taxliciously complex nightmare.

State lawmakers float a first: A tax on health care benefits (http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/artikkel?Dato=20070926&Kategori=NEWS06&Lopenr=7092 6050&Ref=AR&imw=Y - broken link)

What next, placing a turd meter on every residential toliet and charging a nickel each?

When the price of city water goes up, that is exactly what happens.

[Br1234]

Originally Posted by Driller1

That would be fine with me. I would be the only one handling my money for my trash. I would decide the time and company. No meetings, no dinners to decide, no favors to friends. A little less of a nanny state. Do not let them have it in the first place. If I want a service, I will contract for it.

Amen, I woud love to have my $148/yr back that I pay on my property tax for trash pickup plus the $1.50 for each 30 gal bag of trash. I fill a bag about every 2 months so I pay over $26 for every 30 gallon bag of trash I have to dispose of. I can take a whole pick-up truck loaded up to the dump for $20.

[Br1234]

Originally Posted by TaxBait

Your guess is almost spot on. But is a house well outside your means if you build it for cash? I'd never attempt to make a living in northern MI with a mortgage. The $125K came from working 12 years as an engineer in other states. It's my tax assessor that insists a year of my sweat equity is worth another $100K even though I'm lucky to gross $25K and net $15K doing construction work for others.
My mistake was thinking I knew Michigan taxes. Either the homestread tax credit was capped in the 12 years I was gone or I just wasn't aware of the cap before. You'd have to have a home value well under $75K in most area of MI not to lose it to taxes if you had no income. Around here that's an absolute, knockdown dump or a mobile far out of town. So basically we don't deserve to live in a decent house because I can't make enough money to support a government unwilling to make the same sacrifices it expects of its citizens.

GR has upped my PT by $800 (42% increase) in the last 5 years and there is no way it is worth 42% more, if anything its worth about 42% less. There is no doubt that assessments are being padded. I will fight it in 08' for sure.

I don't like it when other people tell you that you bought too much house. You can afford the house but not the INCREASED property tax. No one ever told me about the outrageous prop. tax increases I was in store for.

Sure I can sell my house, for a LOSS.

[Frankawitz]

How some of you figure property Tax I get e mail from a RE agent each day of Foreclosed houses and when you look at local taxes in Southfeild the taxes on houses from 76k to 110k range from 4,300 to 9,700 so how is it you come out with 3,000 tax on a 200k house someone must know somebody down at city hall to change those numbers, or maybe you know the Governor