Skagit Valley, Washington (Olympia, Klickitat: apartment complex, to rent, attorney)

[PartIrish]

Originally Posted by Ruth4Truth

I thought WA State enacted a CA Proposition 13-like measure a few years ago...?

California has Prop 13 but also heavily taxes income. Washington cannot operate the state with a Prop 13-style limit in place and no state income tax. In CA the balance of tax revenue just shifted to income.

Last year we sold a property that we owned in CA, and the state taxes we paid on the capital gains were shockingly high (we had owned it since 2012 but do not live in CA). Never again!

[StealthRabbit]

Capital gains are usually a very easy tax to pay, because you presumably have gains.!

In 1960, CA should have required all equity beyond USA average home value to STAY invested in CA, would have preserved affordable housing in other states and not displaced millions of elderly and residents who made those states great places to live. Unfortunately, CA did not have that foresight, so billions of $ in escalated RE valuations generate tax $ for inflated agencies, and the elderly and unemployed (who may have had their homes paid off,), have no place to lay their heads at night. Really tragic, I watched it ruin Colorado, Wyoming, Idaho, Montana, Oregon and Washington, and know many from those states who were forced out due to Californication of property valuation. Who cares if my $100k home is valued at $1m? Not me, it is (was) just a place to lay my head. It all goes to charity, and eventually it will all burn to dust. As will I, (after needlessly paying ~ $500k in artificially inflated property values. Californication cost us locals about one week / month of our labor / paycheck. That is a tad steep for ZERO benefit, and vast disruption of life. (Moved 3 times trying to escape it). Moving a farm takes years, and a lot of semitruck loads. Too old to live through another farm move.

Btw, my WA property taxes are 2x my highest ever mortgage payment.

[nowhereman427]

Originally Posted by StealthRabbit

Voter approved, but Struck down by WA State supreme Court (too restrictive to counties and schools, ie, no more 'blank check'.)

Property taxes? Mine from $800 / yr to $14,700 / yr. Same home, no improvements, just more worn out. No job / income since 2005. Assessor wins, and will get my house. (Again)

[Ruth4Truth]

Originally Posted by StealthRabbit

Voter approved, but Struck down by WA State supreme Court (too restrictive to counties and schools, ie, no more 'blank check'.)

Property taxes? Mine from $800 / yr to $14,700 / yr. Same home, no improvements, just more worn out. No job / income since 2005. Assessor wins, and will get my house. (Again)

Ooooh-kayyyyy. Guess I won't need to be reminded not to buy in WA!

[nowhereman427]

[elkotronics]

Ooooh-kayyyyy. Guess I won't need to be reminded not to buy in WA!

Ruth - you're already in a great place. I wouldn't waste any time looking in to buying in Washington. My birth state is, on one hand turning in to a shambles (downtown Seattle) and on the other hand still set in some of the most beautiful land in the U.S. It is beautiful, but it's the rest of it that I can't stand any more.

Stay out of Washington. They've got enough on their hands right now.

[nowhereman427]

This is the reason why I didn't go to Washington. I was going to the Canadian border until I heard aboutt he property tax problem along with all the other problems with their laws etc.

[PartIrish]

Originally Posted by StealthRabbit

Voter approved, but Struck down by WA State supreme Court (too restrictive to counties and schools, ie, no more 'blank check'.)

Property taxes? Mine from $800 / yr to $14,700 / yr. Same home, no improvements, just more worn out. No job / income since 2005. Assessor wins, and will get my house. (Again)

Stealthrabbit, I'm trying to understand this extraordinary 18x increase you mention above. I just researched our WA home and since 2005 (15 years), the property taxes have risen 62 percent. Since we have owned it (4 years), the property taxes have increased 24 percent. The market value of the home has risen 36 percent, so that's not out of line with the tax increases.

Did the land use code or zoning on your property change? Any chance you can receive a senior exemption?

[nowhereman427]

Originally Posted by elkotronics

Ooooh-kayyyyy. Guess I won't need to be reminded not to buy in WA!

Ruth - you're already in a great place. I wouldn't waste any time looking in to buying in Washington. My birth state is, on one hand turning in to a shambles (downtown Seattle) and on the other hand still set in some of the most beautiful land in the U.S. It is beautiful, but it's the rest of it that I can't stand any more.

Stay out of Washington. They've got enough on their hands right now.

[Ruth4Truth]

Originally Posted by elkotronics

Ooooh-kayyyyy. Guess I won't need to be reminded not to buy in WA!

Ruth - you're already in a great place. I wouldn't waste any time looking in to buying in Washington. My birth state is, on one hand turning in to a shambles (downtown Seattle) and on the other hand still set in some of the most beautiful land in the U.S. It is beautiful, but it's the rest of it that I can't stand any more.

Stay out of Washington. They've got enough on their hands right now.

Yeah, but CA has fire + electricity-delivery issues during fire season. And the SW climatologists' prognosis for AZ/NM water supply-wise, plus the dozen yrs or so of significantly higher temps we had before you moved to NM (and predicted to become the norm), have me looking to get back to the coast. Everything is on hold, though, due to Covid. My life is in limbo. Thx for thinking of me, though.