10-03-2008, 05:12 AM
Sorry Lquade, as far as the tax folks are concerned, permit or no permit, any existing house does exist and it IS taxable. Our house is a very old (100 years in 2011) "tear down" with no building permit (not required for buildings built prior to 1915, I think it is) and it has been taxed for as long as the tax department has been around. The homeowners exemption does not "lock in" the tax assessment, it merely chops a big chunk off the taxed value since you live in it. The taxed value is still assessed each year and the number can change from year to year. They tax construction as it is built, too. If it is half built, your taxes will go up and it will go up even more when it is finished. Putting an old cane house on an existing lot gets you to the lower "old house" taxes really quick, though. Then if you can add the homeowners' exemption it can be a substantial savings.
One of the reasons why we have low property taxes in this state is because we have very few services for the property taxes to pay for. Very few sewage systems, wastewater plants, not a lot of paved roads (although those have road fees to pay for them), limited fire stations, police presence, etc. We also have a general excise tax which is paid on EVERYTHING which generates more taxes than in many states. So even non-homeowners get to help pay for things.
It is the banks who give a mortgage on houses who do not see a building as existing until the permit is final and I think the electric company also has various levels they charge depending on the status of the building permit.
Well, just checked a few numbers. Our neighbor behind us built a new house several years ago in 2002-2003. Their land is worth $30K more than ours since they have a bigger lot but our houses are similar sized, theirs is, however significantly newer than ours and valued accordingly. Their annual taxes are $1,400 and another neighbor across the road from us also built that year and has similar taxes. Another neighbor has a house twice the size of ours on a similar sized lot and theirs is a bit newer but still an "old" house (circa 1924)and their taxes are approximately $600 a year. Our house is older and half the size so our taxes are half of that.
One of the reasons why we have low property taxes in this state is because we have very few services for the property taxes to pay for. Very few sewage systems, wastewater plants, not a lot of paved roads (although those have road fees to pay for them), limited fire stations, police presence, etc. We also have a general excise tax which is paid on EVERYTHING which generates more taxes than in many states. So even non-homeowners get to help pay for things.
It is the banks who give a mortgage on houses who do not see a building as existing until the permit is final and I think the electric company also has various levels they charge depending on the status of the building permit.
Well, just checked a few numbers. Our neighbor behind us built a new house several years ago in 2002-2003. Their land is worth $30K more than ours since they have a bigger lot but our houses are similar sized, theirs is, however significantly newer than ours and valued accordingly. Their annual taxes are $1,400 and another neighbor across the road from us also built that year and has similar taxes. Another neighbor has a house twice the size of ours on a similar sized lot and theirs is a bit newer but still an "old" house (circa 1924)and their taxes are approximately $600 a year. Our house is older and half the size so our taxes are half of that.
Kurt Wilson