Wednesday, 3 June 2009

Lower Mellow-Roos Property Tax

By Valerie Faltas

The Howard Jarvis Administration was the driving force in implementing Proposition 13 which put a cap on propety taxes in the state of California. Consequently, of Proposition 13 California Homeowners had to find new methods to fund government community improvements in their neighborhoods like streets, schools, parks, etc. The Mello-Roos Community Facilities Act of 1982 was implemented by the California legislature, the Act created Community Facilities Districts (CFDs) to be put into place as a means of getting this critical neighborhood financing.

The amount of Mellow-Roos Property Taxes is different from one CFD to another. Normally, an approved method that applies to the size of the residence (square footage or lot size) is used to determine the amount of particular assessment. Generally, the special property tax and assessments do not go above 1% to 1.5% of the market value of new homes. In Addition to, the total amount of all yearly property taxes usually does not go above 2% to 2.5% of the homes taxable property base value. So if you are able to lower your taxable base value or in other words, your propety taxes you will save a significant amount of money if you have Mellow-Roos Taxes on your residence because of the higher percentage in property taxes you pay.

In California thousands of taxpayers in many urban areas have lost in excess of $200,000 in market value on their houses and paying 1.25% in property taxes they will save at least $2,500 per year for every year they keep their residence! Yet, that same homeowner at a 2% property tax rate based on 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 bought your house and let's say you plan to own 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 scale Planned Unit Developments (PUD) where there have been many new houses built at once and the property taxes are necessary to create city services. Ive seen Planned Unit Developments that had upwards of 5,000 homes built! So, the county and city municipalities need to scramble for financing to build the roads, sewage systems, schools, recreation centers, parks and so much more. Before purchasing a residence with Mellow-Roos property taxes you will be informed in the initial negotiation stages of buying the home 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 informed 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.

About the Author:

No comments:

Post a Comment