Posts: 6
Threads: 2
Joined: May 2008
Hey y'all - First I love this forum. Mucho, mucho information on many topics and also great fun. Most forums like this devolve into slugfests but this one stays very civil most of the time. Anyway, my wife and i just bought a house in the Volcano area and I finally found the full TMK record and notice the house gets a Fair+ evaluation from the tax office regarding its quality. Does anyone know the criteria used to dsitinguish these ratings or a link to where I can get the info?
Thanks
Larry
Posts: 942
Threads: 17
Joined: Aug 2005
I'm not aware of anywhere you can find the ratings or the criteria for determining them (and believe me, I've looked). I would say this -- don't worry about it. I've seen absolutely FLAWLESS places that were rated at Fair+. I have a house (Carolann R has seen it) that the county rates as Fair-, and I'm sure that before it was renovated a number of years back, it deserved that rating. It doesn't anymore and its not like the County comes back and re-examines it periodically (or at least not that I'm aware of). Another house I own is rated as Poor+ and I know that several people here saw it when I had it for sale and I don't think any of them would call it in Poor condition.
The ratings truly mean nothing.
John Dirgo, R, ABR, e-PRO
Aloha Coast Realty, LLC
808-987-9243 cell
http://www.alohacoastrealty.com
Posts: 79
Threads: 6
Joined: Dec 2007
I've also tried to get some answers about this for a past client, but with little result. What I was told: the scale ranges from 1-9. Most "average" East Hawaii homes will be in the 3-4 range. The assignment of the +/- was not something that the person I was speaking with was able to clarify...she said that if I really needed more information I could contact the tax appraiser for East Hawaii. My client at the time was satisfied with the information, so I haven't investigated the +/- much further...
Here are the contact numbers from the Tax Office website if you want to research it:
If you have a question or comment regarding property assessment,
you can also contact the Assessor's Office at:
Hilo Office:
Aupuni Center
101 Pauahi Street, Suite 4
Hilo, HI
96720
fouye@co.hawaii.hi.us
Appraisal Section: (808) 961-8354
Clerical Section: (808) 961-8201
Collections Section: (808) 961-8282
Fax: (808)961-8415
With aloha,
Cynthia
Cynthia Hoskins, R(S)
Cell: 808 443-6564
Clark Realty Corporation
99 Aupuni St Hilo, HI
Office: 808 961-6015
Posts: 1,727
Threads: 29
Joined: Feb 2006
Go down to the County offices and ask your tax assessor person. They are quite nice folks and can answer most of the puzzling questions we come up with.
"I like yard sales," he said. "All true survivalists like yard sales."
Kurt Wilson
as far as I know, those ratings were assigned when the house was built, and I think they reflect type of construction, flooring, materials, etc.. in the original house.
Like, single wall is always rated less. Package homes less. I don't think it reflects anything important, particularly in a renovated home. What matters is what you see and your home inspector sees.
Posts: 6
Threads: 2
Joined: May 2008
Okay, so thanks to Mike McCall in the Hawaii County Tax office for a quick response to my question. The ratings are based on a system of 1 - 9. The assessment is made when the house is completed and is based on the assessor's judgement of overall materials and construction methods. They use quidelines from the Marshall and Swift company. A "Fair" designation is consistent with a package home and would most often be the designation for a house built in the 70s and 80s in Hawaii County according to Mr. McCall. Fair+ sounds like a bad grade in school. At least I passed.
Thanks for your responses.
Larry
