For the love of Home Ownership

Easy to say and yes I am happy, actually I am ecstatic that I finally entered the home owner elite. Well it seems that way at the moment even though I know we are no more elite than anyone else. In actual fact nothing has really changed. I have to pay money to someone else every month for the privileged of staying in a house. I do not like where I am going with this. I love my new house, all mine now I need to make it my own. The mortgage and insurance are taken care of and I have my new carpets arriving next week so all is well.

Friday, June 19, 2009

What Are Mellow-Roos Property Taxes?

By Valerie Faltas

Proposition 13 was passed in 1978 by the Howard Jarvis Administration to limit propety taxes in the state of California. Proposition 13 extremely controlled the ability of government to use property taxes to build public improvements and services. As a result, California Residents had to discover different ways to fund government community facilities in their communities like roads, schools, parks, etc. The Mello-Roos Community Facilities Act of 1982 was enacted by the State legislature, the Act created Community Facilities Districts (CFD's) to be established as a means of obtaining this critical community financing.

Each Community Financial District has varies Mellow-Roos Property Tax. Normally|Generally|Typically, an adopted method that applies to the residence size or parcel size is utilized to ascertain the quantity of specific assessment. So a smaller home in a community will pay less than a larger house in the same neighborhood. In general, the special property tax and assessments do not exceed 1% to 1.5% of the market value of new homes. Also, the total quantity of all yearly property tax normally do not go above 2% to 2.5% of the residence's taxable property base value. If you take action to lower your taxable base value meaning, your property taxes you will save a substantial amount of money especially, if you have Mellow-Roos Taxes on your house since of the increased percentage in property taxes you pay. Most likely you will save thousands every year because even though the percentages are low values in California are high enough to make them significant.

In California many homeowners in most urban areas have lost in excess of $200,000 in market value on their houses and at the normal rate of 1.25% in property taxes they will save $2,500 per year for every year they keep their house! Yet, that same taxpayer at a 2% property tax rate because of Mellow-Roos taxes will save over $4,000 every year in property taxes! If you are paying Mellow-Roos and have lost $200,000 since you purchased your home and let's say you intend to stay in your home for the next 10 years, you will save $40,000! Don't settle for Proposition 8 the temporary decline in property taxes, its only temporary. Learning to PERMANENTLY lower your taxable base value in California is the key to saving thousands over the course of your home ownership which is disclosed in the California Little Black Book.

Frequently Mellow-Roos Property Taxes are applicable to newly built communities like large Planned Unit Developments (PUD) where there have been many new homes built at once and the property taxes are needed to establish city services. Ive seen Planned Unit Developments that had more than 5,000 homes built! So, the county and city governments need to scramble for financing to establish the roads, sewage systems, schools, recreation centers, parks and so much more. Prior to purchasing a home with Mellow-Roos property taxes you will be notified in the initial negotiation stages of buying the house and while in escrow that these property taxes apply. You will never be blind sighted by Mellow-Roos Taxes, it is required that you are notified prior to buying.

About the Author: Valerie Faltas, Property Tax Expert has been involved in all facets of real estate for over ten years including assessments, appraisals, estates and trusts, investing and much more. She is a Certified Property Tax Appraiser, Licensed Residential Appraiser and a member of the International Association of Assessment Officers. As a real estate investor and advisor she is well versed in all aspects of real estate. To contact Valerie Faltas go to her website: www.propertytaxlittleblackbook.com.

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