What do you hate the most: The Texas property taxes or the toll roads? (Austin: condo, mobile home)

[KathrynAragon]

Originally Posted by Ghost Town

I don't care about toll roads. Never needed EZ Tag. But really hate property taxes.
State income tax is not that bad compared to property tax. You lose job and don't have to pay state income tax, but huge property tax will strangle you.

Most homeowners who are not retired pay their property taxes along with their mortgage payments.

If you can't pay your mortgage payments, you've got a much bigger problem than simply property taxes.

There have been numerous studies showing that in Texas, property taxes dollar for dollar are only slightly above the national average, and in spite of this, Texas residents still pay a lower than average state and local tax bill than residents of 46 other states.

[Ghost Town]

Originally Posted by KathrynAragon

Most homeowners who are not retired pay their property taxes along with their mortgage payments.

If you can't pay your mortgage payments, you've got a much bigger problem than simply property taxes.

There have been numerous studies showing that in Texas, property taxes dollar for dollar are only slightly above the national average, and in spite of this, Texas residents still pay a lower than average state and local tax bill than residents of 46 other states.

Well my mortgage interest is much less than property tax. If I don't move out of here any time soon, I can pay off my 15 yr mortgage in 3-5 years. But will still have huge property tax. And many other people can pay off their mortgages earlier, but they still remain enslaved with property taxes.

However I agree: without mud taxes, TX property taxes are not that bad in general.

[Lowexpectations]

Originally Posted by Ghost Town

Well my mortgage interest is much less than property tax. If I don't move out of here any time soon, I can pay off my 15 yr mortgage in 3-5 years. But will still have huge property tax. And many other people can pay off their mortgages earlier, but they still remain enslaved with property taxes.

However I agree: without mud taxes, TX property taxes are not that bad in general.

Mud tax was likely a choice you made to accept because there are plenty of neighborhoods without mud tax. This is similar to choosing a state with income tax to move to.

[Ghost Town]

Originally Posted by Lowexpectations

Mud tax was likely a choice you made to accept because there are plenty of neighborhoods without mud tax. This is similar to choosing a state with income tax to move to.

Well this is not so easy to avoid in Houston area, considering many different factors altogether.

[Lowexpectations]

Originally Posted by Ghost Town

Well this is not so easy to avoid in Houston area, considering many different factors altogether.

It can be avoided is the point. If you bought where you have to pay a mud district it was your choosing, typically

[Restrain]

We moved from Texas a couple of years ago, after spending the last 30 in the north DFW suburbs. Freeway construction is the biggest complaint. Between taxes and traffic, we decided to get out of the rat race. My son lives in Denton, 30 miles N of FW, hour and a half commute due to construction to downtown FW.

[Canine*Castle]

Neither, but the homeowner's insurance is beyond ridiculous.

[KathrynAragon]

Originally Posted by Canine*Castle

Neither, but the homeowner's insurance is beyond ridiculous.

Gosh, we pay about $1100 a year - what do you pay?

I don't really consider $1100 a year for a very comfortable 2500 square foot home in a good neighborhood to be exorbitant but that's just me. Plus we have additional insurance for some specific items as well as an upcharge for being in an area that has a higher than average chance of wind damage, which are included in that price.

[Lowexpectations]

Originally Posted by Canine*Castle

Neither, but the homeowner's insurance is beyond ridiculous.

Just pay off your mortgage and then you wouldn't have to carry that insurance

[Ivory Lee Spurlock]

Originally Posted by PCALMike

In your opinion what is the worst of the worst in terms of peskiness of these two?

Last week I paid 1187 $$$ to the Travis County Tax Office for my half acre lot with over 20 trees and a 1995 mobile home soundly anchored on it in far South Austin 78745.

Compared to just about everybody I know in Austin, I got a real good deal. But, still, only 3 or 4 years ago I was paying less than 600 $$$ a year in property taxes and that 1187 $$$ is a heck of alot of money for me to come up with all at once.

I would love to move to one of those downtown condos, but even if I could afford it, I would probably have to delay retirement and take on a 2nd job just to be able to pay the taxes and the maintenance and landscaping fees to the condo, which I understand can cost as much 5 to 600 $$$ a month. Unless I hit the lottery, me living in a downtown condo ain't gonna happen. But that's ok. I'm just thankful my place is paid for and can still be able to afford to live in what I consider to be the nicest city in the entire country.

I don't have a problem with the toll roads as long as the traffic is moving fast and safe, but then I don't use the toll roads all that much either. I have a Texas Toll Tag on my vehicle and I put 20$$ in it. I've had it for about a year and I still haven't had to add any more money to it. If I had to take the toll roads on a daily basis, I'm sure I'd have a different opinion. But, still, I like the idea of smooth and free flowing traffic where traffic jams are about as rare as hens teeth and I don't mind paying for that "pleasure".

The property tax situation is more of an issue with me than toll roads. Property taxes are mandatory. Taking a toll road is a choice of convenience. That's how it looks from my perspective.