How to Fight High Property Taxes | Waccabuc Real Estate

-
Death and taxes. Benjamin Franklin espoused their certainty, but it’s doubtful even he knew how difficult it would be to avoid the latter – especially property taxes.
No matter where you live in the United States, if you own real estate, you must pay property taxes. According to a recent study by Zillow, a U.S. property owner pays an average of around $2,800, or approximately 1.4 percent of their home’s value each year in property taxes. Of course, that “average” figure indicates some homeowners pay more while others pay less. The counties with the highest averages are Westchester County, NY ($14,829 per year); Essex County, NY ($12,051 per year) and Bergen County, NJ ($11,172 per year).
Tax Bill
Do you know how much you pay in property taxes? Look up your home on Zillow – the information is there on your home details page.

Deciphering how property tax rates are set is not easy. There is no single formula used by states and counties to calculate property taxes. In fact, more than 13,500 local governments have the authority to assess property taxes; all states allow local governments to set their own tax rates even though many states place limits on their rates.
Still, understanding the process is your first step toward knowing whether or not you’re paying too much in property taxes. Start by visiting your local assessor’s office to find out how they assess properties. Ask how you might go about appealing your assessment. Most municipalities require property owners to lodge their appeal within 60 days of when annual assessments are mailed; check with local authorities for details regarding your city or county and get copies of the forms you’ll need to complete. Homeowners cannot contest their property tax rates, but they may be able to lower the assessed value of their home by filing an appeal.
Once you have a basic understanding of the assessment process, you’ll want to do your due diligence to determine whether you’re being overtaxed:

Fact check

Get your property card from your local assessor’s office; in some municipalities, these documents can be accessed online. Your property card – also known as a property’s “working papers” or “worksheet” – includes factors used to determine your home’s assessed value: square footage, lot size, number of bedrooms and bathrooms, etc. If, for example, the assessor’s office believes your home includes a three-car garage but no such feature exists, it’s likely your assessment is incorrect.




https://homes.yahoo.com/news/fight-high-property-taxes-163809136.html

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Four Regional Banks Discuss Settlement Over Foreclosures | Waccabuc Real Estate

-
Image
U.S. state attorneys general are pressing four banks to accept a legal settlement over botched foreclosures similar to a deal reached with larger competitors this year, according to three people briefed on the matter. U.S. Bancorp (SFBC) , PNC Financial Services Group (PNC) Inc., SunTrust Banks Inc. (STI) and HSBC Holdings Plc (HSBA) have held talks with state and federal officials who investigated claims that loan servicers mishandled foreclosure documents, according to the people, who spoke on condition of anonymity because the talks are private. U.S. Bancorp Said to Join PNC in Talks on Mortgage Settlement Jeff Kowalsky/Bloomberg Mortgage servicers typically handle billing and collections, as well as foreclosures when borrowers fail to pay. Neil Brazil , a spokesman for HSBC’s North America unit, said in an e-mail that the London-based lender has conducted “preliminary discussions with its bank regulators and other ...
Read more

Bedford Corners Real Estate by Robert Paul | 3 Perks of Google+ for Doctors: Spend a Little Time, Make Big Online Marketing Gains

-
Image
For doctors trying to reach their patients online, using Google+ can provide surprising marketing benefits that help them be more “findable” on the web. Consider that 44 percent of all Internet users search online to find information about health professionals, and suddenly the importance for doctors of having a good online presence should be more clear. In this article I’ll discuss three reasons why I think that, if you participate in Google+, the newest social network, you can improve the chances your name will come up when prospective patients search for something you’ve written about. If you’re not a doctor but you do know that many prospective clients use the web as a way to find you and your competitors, this article will also be relevant to you. 1. Rise in the Rankings First, participating in Google+ gives doctors an advantage because content you share on Google+ has an “edge” against other stories. That’s right–Google (the search engine) likes stories that’ve gotten sha...
Read more