Property taxes

[iliketosavemoney]

I know property taxes vary but I was wondering what others paid.

I'm looking to buy a townhouse and some of the property taxes are really high.
Property tax on a 2-bedroom townhouse was almost 7000! Some places were a little more reasonable at 4-5000. My 1-bedroom condo is small but the taxes are only 2000.

I was told taxes depend on the township, size of the house, commercial buildings nearby or in the town..

What do you pay and what factors can make the tax go up or down?

[Blessed]

$4500 on a property assessed for taxes at $224,000.00

[MonkeyMama]

All of California is 1% of purchase price. Re-assessed annually, but can't increase more than 2% per year. (Too many elderly lost their homes in earlier real estate booms).

In additions there are bonds, etc. Since we live in a new neighborhood we pay an additional $1k per year in bonds. Around here is called mello-roos. Other than that, our property taxes have always been in the $3k range, since we have purchased two $300k homes (first was a small condo and second was a larger home in a significantly cheaper city). Which is nice because both homes have been all over the place: $250k-$650k. I realy appreciate the consistent and predictable property taxes.

[Wino]

Houston, TX. I paid about $3600 on a house valued around $180K. I have a lawyer who protests the valuation every year. I pay him half of the additional I would have paid to the city. For instance, if my taxes would have been $4400 this year, I pay him $400 or half of the $800 difference between $4400 and $3600. It is likely my house would sell for $280K, but the way property valuations work in Houston is complicated. There are about eight ways that you can protest your property valuation, only one of which is "actual value." The others have to do with comparison between your property and your neighbors' valuation, your location, etc.

Because I protest the property assessment, I keep the valuation lower, and therefore keep the taxes lower.

[boefixepa]

Utah here. I pay about 1,200.00 a year on a 180K house on .1 of an acre.

[Esozh]

Missouri. I pay $1,900 on a $160,000 valuation.

I live in an unincorporated area, with rural everything, and no affiliated police department, ambulance service, or road maintenance. Now, I have all of these things because of mutual aide aggreements, and the local PD is only 3 miles from my house. It's ironic, because one block away from me is a subdivision with average housing values of $350,000 and their property taxes are $500-$600 a month, or $6,000 to $8,000 a year - because they pay local taxes on top of state and county.

[phantom]

I'm in Pennsylvania. We pay property taxes to the county, municipality, and school district. Last year our house was assessed at 197k, and we paid just under $7000 in taxes. This year our house is assessed at 230k, and I'm not sure what we're going to pay in taxes.

In 2012, there was a county-wide, court-ordered reassessment. Prior to the reassessment, home values were based on what houses were worth in 2002, so assessed values went up on most people. The county, municipalities, and school districts were all supposed to drop their millage rates so that the total property taxes they took in remained close to flat. The county and municipality have done so, but the school district is on a different calendar has not adjusted their rates yet. Since most of our property taxes go to the school district, it's hard to say exactly what our new total tax bill will be.

When we decided to buy our house 4 years ago, our school district/municipality combo had one of the lower millage rates in the county. Taxes rates were even lower just over the county line, but houses were more expensive there, so it seemed to even out. Unfortunately, the school district started building a new high school right after we moved in, and they keep raising taxes every year to pay for it.

[Goldy]

We are $2,400 for a house valued at $380,000 and we also have the option to petition our taxes but I have not done that yet.

[Baby_nurse]

Georgia- $3500 for 3000 square feet on 3/4 of an acre.

[macher]

We are in New Jersey one of the highest in the country. We pay $5800/year.

[woodie96]

Southern East coast VA....2400 on $260,000 assessment.

[JoeP]

Some municipalities roll services into property taxes, while others do not. For example, we get a school tax bill which covers all public school expenses, and then a separate property tax bill which covers (IIRC) sewer, police, ambulance, fire, highway, parks, shared county services, town personnel, etc. In some areas, some of those are separate and sometimes optional physical invoices that arrive as a bill.

This is similar to auto registration. My 2001 vintage car costs $65 for 2 years, while other pay based upon value.

So it is really tough to have an apples-to-apples comparison.

[johnystrong]

Property taxes

All information are good and useful about property taxes . and people pay also your own property taxe . thanks for all information. A property tax is called millage tax is a levy on property that the owner is required to pay. The tax is governing authority y of the jurisdiction in which the property is where is located; it may be paid goverment .

[franciswilks21]

hello there

Yes, we really need to pay for the taxes because it is our responsibility to contribute for our community. I don't know how it is being calculated but as long as it is for good then it is okay with me.

[jonidb]

Gee, seems like everyone's property taxes are far better than mine. I'm in North NJ where it's ridiculous. House value $550.00, which would be $250 somewhere else. It's a simple split level home built in the 1960s. Property taxes $13,000. annually. I'll swap with anyone on the board.