Your real estate taxes...

[Bichon Barb]

Just curious. With some of the states having such low property taxes, how are schools funded?

 

[Pugdog007]

Originally posted by Simba's Mom
Anyone from Alabama want to volunteer what their real estate taxes are like? We just sold our house for $185,000-taxes are $5000. Bought a new house for $125,000 with real estate taxes are a little less than $3000/yr. Hoping Alabama is much less-the real estate taxes seem very high here, so that's where we hope to retire in about 10 years. I'd love some input from that state.

You will be pleased. I can't believe what some of you guys pay for prop taxes! Unbelievable!

Just sold house for $152k, taxes $655. New home purchased $269k, taxes will be around $1400 (with homestead exemption.) Taxes double if you do not file homestead. This is Jefferson County, the largest county in AL.

 

[Pugdog007]

Originally posted by Bichon Barb
Just curious. With some of the states having such low property taxes, how are schools funded?

We have very good county schools, city of B'ham schools are not so good. School funding is a constant debate, but a tax hike (for schools specifically) proposed by our Governor about 2 years ago failed miserably. Alabamians will not vote a tax increase, and instead insist that our state learn to better manage the funds they have now. We do pay state income taxes.

Our schools offer most of the same extracurricular activities you mention at your schools, but these things are paid for by parents, not the state or local govt. As it should be, IMO.

 

[aprilgail2]

My house goes for around 329,000 right now (its a small house and on 60x100 property) taxes are just over 6,000. My cousin has a nice house a few town ocer, property just a little bigger and pays 10,500. $10,000 a year taxes are not uncommon around here. It includes garbage pickup. police, fire (we have volunteer FD's here and they are awesome) and school taxes, which make up the bulk of the property taxes. That is another sore spot...I can pay 6,000 a year property taxes yet the schools dont supply tissues for the kids, you have to send a box in the beginning of the school year...the teachers can make 70,000 a year for 180 working days but tissues, the parents have to pay for!

 

[Mskanga]

We have two different types of taxes , property tax ( real estate ) and school tax. They both come in separate bills and at different times.
We pay $500 in property tax and $2800 in school tax. This may not look like a lot to some people, but it is high for this area. We do not pay any school fees yet, and if they ever impose one I think there will be a big problem.

 

[Mskanga]

Oh , and I forgot to say , out taxes here do not include anything other than maintenance of the roads, garbage pick up and all that other stuff, we pay for.

 

[mep319]

Originally posted by Mskanga
We have two different types of taxes , property tax ( real estate ) and school tax. They both come in separate bills and at different times.
We pay $500 in property tax and $2800 in school tax. This may not look like a lot to some people, but it is high for this area. We do not pay any school fees yet, and if they ever impose one I think there will be a big problem.

Me too. We just got our school tax it was about $4700 w/ the 2% discount for early payment. I think the county tax is about 2500.00 but it may be a bit higher. Our house is assessed at $249,000....which was the base price of the model we purchased a few years ago...the accessor we had was lazy I guess. But we could now sell it easily for $325,000.00 or more. Houses under that amount are hard to come by in our area unless you live in a row home in "town" & we have only a 1/4 of an acre land. Its a new development and no one has sold yet..I'll be curious when the time comes. Of course we have excellent schools so I don't feel too bad paying the school tax....I would be worried about the school districts that only tax about $1000.00! How could they provide a good education? JMHO .

 

[Mskanga]

Mep , you and I are on the same boat, I'm in the Poconos. My bill will be coming out anyday now. And yes, that also includes the 2% discount for early payment.

 

[kilee]

We pay our taxes separate too. We have the school, county, and village tax. My taxes all together are $3000.00. Almost 75% of that is going to school. Now my house is only assessed at $75,000. I live about 45 miles west of Buffalo NY in a "country" town. Pick my house up and move it 3 towns over and it would be worth about $300,000 and taxes would be about $6000-7500 a year.

 

[Pugdog007]

AL doesn't have a school tax, only prop tax and it covers roads, police, schools, etc. We have a separate fee for fire dues, about $180 per year (where I live... this differs from county to county).

 

[grinningghost]

Pretty safe to say, New Yorkers get the royal kick in the butt when it comes to taxes.

And we haven't even discussed sales taxes.

 

[las3888]

You might have it tough in NY, but we sure have it tough here around Chicagoland. I live in the northern suburbs and first of all, a house for $100,00 or $200,00 is just about unheard of...no such thing. Taxes in my area are 2 1/4 to 2 1/2% of what the home price is. Let's just say it's not a retirement haven here...

 

[FINFAN]

I agree las3888....we're in Naperville...just the school portion of our taxes is currently 5,600, just finished writing out school fees for the kids...about $400 (not including sports, booster club etc.)....and yes, ANOTHER refferendum is trying to be passed I have 8 more school years left 'till youngest is done, but his projected graduating class size is 1,400...for these taxes and that size class, I think a move will occur...sounds AL is a good place to be! My niece attends Auburn for college and likes it just fine.