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Location: We_tside PNW (Columbia Gorge) / CO / SA TX / Thailand
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Domicile in SD, and don't stay in OR or CA long enough at one time to trigger a domicile. (many RVrs do that)
AND watch your property taxes (go up).
Buy and keep a 'beater' house ! (unless you have Prop 13 benefits, then by all means enjoy them!)
I'm in nearby WA and watched my property taxes go from $800 / yr to $14,400 / yr (same place, 20 yrs later, no capital improvements). Very location / county dependent. I have a rental place with the same cost basis, and 1/10th the property tax burden) 2 minutes away (different county). As if $14,400 was not enough... my valuation just increased 18% this yr... I have fought in court many times and they hammer me the next yr. Bought the land for $22k and built the home for $120k, assessed at a million, have tried to sell at $600k, no offers.
You are both wrong. Property taxes in Oregon are based on the base year of 1997. What you paid for the property has nothing to do with it. The annual increase in property tax is limited to 3%. The market value of the property has nothing to do with property taxes unless the market value drops below the 1996 value, such as if there is a fire and the owner decides not to rebuild.
Actually market value does matter. There are two values. Tax assessed value and real market value. Tax assessed value goes up 3% every year regardless, and real market value fluctuates. They do your taxes based on the lower of the two amounts. So in the bust, if your real market value fell below tax assessed value your taxes went down. When people contest their property tax value, they are contesting the real market value number. I helped several clients with market comps as the market was dropping to lower their taxes.
The market value does matter, but it isn't based on sales price. It is based on the comps between Oct-Dec of the previous year as homes are assessed in January for November's bill. The 1997 number is what kicked off the tax assessed value number that the 3% is based on.
Actually market value does matter. There are two values. Tax assessed value and real market value. Tax assessed value goes up 3% every year regardless, and real market value fluctuates. They do your taxes based on the lower of the two amounts. So in the bust, if your real market value fell below tax assessed value your taxes went down. When people contest their property tax value, they are contesting the real market value number. I helped several clients with market comps as the market was dropping to lower their taxes.
The market value does matter, but it isn't based on sales price. It is based on the comps between Oct-Dec of the previous year as homes are assessed in January for November's bill. The 1997 number is what kicked off the tax assessed value number that the 3% is based on.
This was certainly my understanding.
I know that in the Bend area, coming out of the "bust," taxes shot up because the MAV and RAV crossed over each other - taxes had dropped back to the RAV, which was below the MAV, and then the RAV increased back above the MAV so the taxes jumped back to the MAV, resulting in a higher than 3% jump.
Last edited by PNW-type-gal; 07-14-2015 at 09:29 AM..
Reason: lol, gotta keep all those acronyms straight!
There were some questions addressed to me that I started answering in full this morning, between making and eating breakfast and lunch, so I will get back to them today.
I do need to make an appointment for financial advice in the meantime.
Is/are there any specific accreditation(s) I should look for other than merely an accredited CPA?
How about the financial planner? I'm guessing they are kind of one in the same, just with more certifications, but which ones will give me the most for my buck. No sense paying the same fee for less expertise.
I called a couple and they give the first half hour free, then it's hourly. My finances aren't even close to being complicated, I'm sure it wouldn't even take the half hour.
...Why did you decide on OR? Would you consider WA? Or is the weather too cold?
Actually, NV would be even better tax-wise. But, if you want to stay at the coast, WA would be better than both OR and CA.
Now I'm curious, OP. Why did you choose OR for your retirement home?
During lunch breaks at work(OK sometimes while we were working too!), we'd get to talking about moving out of Los Angeles and/or California and where to go upon retirement. I mentioned I liked the rain and the resulting green vegetation that it promotes.
An older chap who traveled quite a bit immediately blurted out that if I like more rain etc., I should try Oregon, as it is also beautiful. That always stuck in my mind.
No mention of the financial aspect entered the conversation then or even later when talking with others, with the exception of paying no sales tax.
Things I like about Oregon are:
People – friendlier. Not afraid to initiate or return a hello or small talk, though not necessary
Drivers – more times than not are courteous. If they’re on a main street they will stop and let you turn into it. If they want to pass you on a street, highway, or freeway, they’ll calmly get within a couple of car lengths behind. If you can’t change lanes right away, they won’t accelerate and start trying to kiss your bumper and give you the one finger salute, they back off and patiently wait until you can pull over and let them pass. When you approach a slower vehicle in the passing lane they will usually pull over the first chance they get and let you pass. Those that don’t, usually will once you or a couple of drivers pass them on the right. There is no using their right blinker intermittently to say if you want to get in front of me, go around me.
Road maintenance – when they fix the roads here, They Fix The Roads Here. Whether it’s the city streets or a great spot on the 101 with ocean and/or mountain views, they’re in and out before it starts becoming a major production and ultimately a daily nuisance
Climate – it still rains here more than most of California. It doesn’t get as hot in the Willamette Valley as it does in a quite a bit of California, and certainly for not as long. Not quite as sunny in the winter as I’d like, but I do prefer the Willamette Valley
Whenever I visited Malibu Beach, I used to think I would love to have a house right on the beach, until I saw the forests in Oregon and Northern California.
Although some may critics argue that each ocean wave and tiny little ripple may have a personalty all of it's own(albeit cold looking, IMO), I prefer lush landscaping and greenery.
I did give Gold Beach a half-a thought a while back. I guess I'm not too game on coastal communities now, possibly due to the fog, for one. Lack of decent medical/dental healthcare, routine or emergency, may be another, as well as grocery shopping choices.
I wish I knew about the City Data forum back then.
It would be nice to be an hour or so from an actual beach, but it's not a deal breaker, if I had a decent yard.
I would prefer to have at least half an acre. Ideally, whatever size it takes, so if I decide to turn up my stereo on rare occasions, my neighbor doesn't have to hear it, even if it happens to be their favorite song(s).
More acreage limits my areas, as some parts of Oregon have very little to offer acreage wise and yet be affordable.
What I didn't/don't like about the LA/Calif. area:
Traffic - way too much, even on Sundays on some areas of some freeways
Earthquakes - life does happen, but there are no warnings such as with hurricanes, tornadoes, etc. Even though Oregon is having some tremors of late, I'll take my chances, as long as they don't start requiring earthquake insurance, I'll feel safer than in LA
Weather/heat - I would rather have it too cold (one can always bundle up) than too hot (one can only take off so many articles of clothing legally, and it's still just as hot) California does have it's share of 100+ degree weather, (sometimes for a week or so), lots of high nineties for days and weeks in a row. Even when the weather was nice, it was all the time...no changes
Smog/air quality - if I can't see mountains that I know are there, I would rather it be due to fog than smog
Drought - although lots of the west is experiencing less rain, California seems to be hardest hit since it usually doesn't rain that much to begin with
Nevada proper, won't work for me.
Not only is it quite hot in some areas, I wouldn't know where to begin, if I did have the time and money to invest. Time marches on and I want the second part of my life to be at least as good as the first.
Indeed, Washington does have it's financial advantages, however rumor has it that it is quite gloomy(more than parts of Oregon), and like Nevada, I wouldn't know where to start.
Hotels are expensive everywhere. Furnished apartments require leases and those that are slightly cheaper than hotels are less desirable than the latter, from what I've seen in other areas.
I am a bored retiree who once I purchase a property, will start a small business to keep active and use the cash to help cushion any tax surprises.
I have checked with SS and I can work. From what they say, if I make more than a certain amount, my monthly SS payments will be reduced for now, but not forfeited, and when I do fully retire, the extra money will make future monthly payments higher.
All this of course I will check out with a financial planner/CPA
Hopefully this semi-blog answered your questions w/o being too long.
Thanks again everyone for all the suggestions and postings.
During lunch breaks at work(OK sometimes while we were working too!), we'd get to talking about moving out of Los Angeles and/or California and where to go upon retirement. I mentioned I liked the rain and the resulting green vegetation that it promotes.
An older chap who traveled quite a bit immediately blurted out that if I like more rain etc., I should try Oregon, as it is also beautiful. That always stuck in my mind.
No mention of the financial aspect entered the conversation then or even later when talking with others, with the exception of paying no sales tax.
Things I like about Oregon are:
People – friendlier. Not afraid to initiate or return a hello or small talk, though not necessary
Drivers – more times than not are courteous. If they’re on a main street they will stop and let you turn into it. If they want to pass you on a street, highway, or freeway, they’ll calmly get within a couple of car lengths behind. If you can’t change lanes right away, they won’t accelerate and start trying to kiss your bumper and give you the one finger salute, they back off and patiently wait until you can pull over and let them pass. When you approach a slower vehicle in the passing lane they will usually pull over the first chance they get and let you pass. Those that don’t, usually will once you or a couple of drivers pass them on the right. There is no using their right blinker intermittently to say if you want to get in front of me, go around me.
Road maintenance – when they fix the roads here, They Fix The Roads Here. Whether it’s the city streets or a great spot on the 101 with ocean and/or mountain views, they’re in and out before it starts becoming a major production and ultimately a daily nuisance
Climate – it still rains here more than most of California. It doesn’t get as hot in the Willamette Valley as it does in a quite a bit of California, and certainly for not as long. Not quite as sunny in the winter as I’d like, but I do prefer the Willamette Valley
Whenever I visited Malibu Beach, I used to think I would love to have a house right on the beach, until I saw the forests in Oregon and Northern California.
Although some may critics argue that each ocean wave and tiny little ripple may have a personalty all of it's own(albeit cold looking, IMO), I prefer lush landscaping and greenery.
I did give Gold Beach a half-a thought a while back. I guess I'm not too game on coastal communities now, possibly due to the fog, for one. Lack of decent medical/dental healthcare, routine or emergency, may be another, as well as grocery shopping choices.
I wish I knew about the City Data forum back then.
It would be nice to be an hour or so from an actual beach, but it's not a deal breaker, if I had a decent yard.
I would prefer to have at least half an acre. Ideally, whatever size it takes, so if I decide to turn up my stereo on rare occasions, my neighbor doesn't have to hear it, even if it happens to be their favorite song(s).
More acreage limits my areas, as some parts of Oregon have very little to offer acreage wise and yet be affordable.
What I didn't/don't like about the LA/Calif. area:
Traffic - way too much, even on Sundays on some areas of some freeways
Earthquakes - life does happen, but there are no warnings such as with hurricanes, tornadoes, etc. Even though Oregon is having some tremors of late, I'll take my chances, as long as they don't start requiring earthquake insurance, I'll feel safer than in LA
Weather/heat - I would rather have it too cold (one can always bundle up) than too hot (one can only take off so many articles of clothing legally, and it's still just as hot) California does have it's share of 100+ degree weather, (sometimes for a week or so), lots of high nineties for days and weeks in a row. Even when the weather was nice, it was all the time...no changes
Smog/air quality - if I can't see mountains that I know are there, I would rather it be due to fog than smog
Drought - although lots of the west is experiencing less rain, California seems to be hardest hit since it usually doesn't rain that much to begin with
Nevada proper, won't work for me.
Not only is it quite hot in some areas, I wouldn't know where to begin, if I did have the time and money to invest. Time marches on and I want the second part of my life to be at least as good as the first.
Indeed, Washington does have it's financial advantages, however rumor has it that it is quite gloomy(more than parts of Oregon), and like Nevada, I wouldn't know where to start.
Hotels are expensive everywhere. Furnished apartments require leases and those that are slightly cheaper than hotels are less desirable than the latter, from what I've seen in other areas.
I am a bored retiree who once I purchase a property, will start a small business to keep active and use the cash to help cushion any tax surprises.
I have checked with SS and I can work. From what they say, if I make more than a certain amount, my monthly SS payments will be reduced for now, but not forfeited, and when I do fully retire, the extra money will make future monthly payments higher.
All this of course I will check out with a financial planner/CPA
Hopefully this semi-blog answered your questions w/o being too long.
Thanks again everyone for all the suggestions and postings.
Thanks for sharing your thinking. I must admit that I do get frustrated with people who live in large metropolises like LA or the SF Bay Area, who throw out the entire state with the bathwater. The entire state of CA does not have bad traffic, etc. But, if you are happier in a completely different state, then good for you.
Do know, though, that Central OR is also very hot. I have a good friend who lives in Oyama, BC, with is basically north of the same inland valley here, and it's really hot there in summer, too. Basically, their summertime temps are as hot as Redding or Grants Pass. Winter is a different story, but the summers are fairly brutal.
Location: We_tside PNW (Columbia Gorge) / CO / SA TX / Thailand
34,712 posts, read 58,054,000 times
Reputation: 46182
Quote:
Originally Posted by 365247
..
Indeed, Washington does have it's financial advantages, however rumor has it that it is quite gloomy(more than parts of Oregon), and like Nevada, I wouldn't know where to start.
Hotels are expensive everywhere. Furnished apartments require leases and those that are slightly cheaper than hotels are less desirable than the latter, from what I've seen in other areas.
I am a bored retiree who once I purchase a property, will start a small business to keep active and use the cash to help cushion any tax surprises.
.
WA is nearly identical to OR weatherwise, but more diverse climate and economy and terrain.
Thanks for sharing your thinking. I must admit that I do get frustrated with people who live in large metropolises like LA or the SF Bay Area, who throw out the entire state with the bathwater. The entire state of CA does not have bad traffic, etc. But, if you are happier in a completely different state, then good for you...
First off, I must admit that I really do like your style in the first paragraph of your post. You made your point in a cool headed way. And you're right, I did not use adverbs enough in this post. For instance I did not insert the word "some" as much as I usually try to do, especially in a subjective conversation; "sometimes", "some people" etc..
Quote:
Originally Posted by NoMoreSnowForMe
...Do know, though, that Central OR is also very hot. I have a good friend who lives in Oyama, BC, with is basically north of the same inland valley here, and it's really hot there in summer, too. Basically, their summertime temps are as hot as Redding or Grants Pass. Winter is a different story, but the summers are fairly brutal.
The second paragraph of your post was at least just as good because you voluntarily gave me what I was looking for...helpful information throughout.
Excluding the "what I like and don't like" novelettes, temporarily(!), I did babble on for a purpose...to get some input and direction from you, since you originally asked(and possibly others)to see if what I liked and didn't like, coincided with what I did and didn't want, in the form of possible areas to relocate etc.
As I sort of hinted at in another post in this thread, I spent the better part(as it were) of four hours composing this and another post. You should have seen how long post #27 originally was! Then again, it's best you didn't!
I did find that the many of the people in the Sacramento and surrounding areas were comparable to the same sort of folk that much of Oregon has to offer.
I hear that San Diego is the same.
I try to associate with people of opposing viewpoints away from the computer as well as in front of it, because I always learn something...either it's a new way to look at something, or it just solidifies my way of thinking even more, whether that knowledge is in the form of a fact, or even just an opinion.
I don't have as much fun with people who agree with everything I say or think, even if it's genuine.
Again, I salute your presentation.
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