Did you know?

DID YOU KNOW that you're entitled to grieve your Real Estate Taxes? Yes...as the owner of Real Estate...its your legal right to challenge your real estate tax bill.

CONSIDER GRIEVING YOUR REAL ESTATE TAXES NOW....TIME IS RUNNING OUT!

This is is also going on all across the country so please check with your county for more information.

Don't let all your hard earned money go to waste...we've all been burned enough.

Don't assume that your local authorities will contact you because they won't....if you believe your assessments should be lower ... then you've got to act now!

Only a small percentage of all property owners ever try to obtain a reduction in their property assessment. "WHY?"...because they aren't aware that it's actually available to you right now. For those who do challenge their property assessment...many in South Florida are successful in obtaining sizable tax reductions using the Value Adjustment Board Petition process with assessment reductions in the millions annually.

In just the past few years, property taxes have increased at an alarming rate.

Even if tax cuts are passed by the state government...it still doesn't change the fact that you may be overassessed by your local county officials. Reducing your assessments now is the basis for lower future assessments and savings on future property taxes.

County assessment records can be inaccurate in many different ways and that includes errors in property descriptions....land and building square footage.....building condition....even simple mathematical or clerical errors.

The number 1 reason for over-assessment is.....failure by local authorities to fully recognize the sharp decreases in market value due to a steep decline in the South Florida Real Estate Market.

IMPORTANT DATES FOR DADE....BROWARD AND PALM BEACH COUNTIES.

Sept 14th 2009 -This is the deadline for filing petitions to contest the proposed assessed value of the property in Palm Beach County.
 
Sept 18th 2009 -This is the deadline for filing petitions to contest the proposed assessed value of the property in Broward and Miami-Dade Counties. 

Nov 1st 2009 -This is the date when the Revenue Collector mails the tax bills to property owners of record.

 

  • Taxe payments are due by March 1, 2010.


Most consumers who have owned home are aware that if you had an equity line of credit on your home.....most likely they''ve had their accounts frozen or suspended. It's been going on for a long time now and it doesn't seem like most people can get one. They're pretty much non-existent.

I was one of the lucky ones who didn't get theirs suspended until June 2009. The bank claimed that they informed me but I never received the letter they claimed to have sent out...I found out by checking my online account.

The reason I took out an equity line of credit on my home was only for emergency reasons...such as a need for quick cash in order to pay a bill or to use it as my operating expenses for my business. It was actually something that I didn't even know about back in 2001. I was short on cash and I was spending a lot on expenses to get my business back up and running. You see...back then I had to take a part time job just so I had enough to lay out for my marketing. I figured that once the money came rolling in from the deals I anticipated would close...I would then pay it back either monthly or all of it at once. I got a great rate...my agreement was to get prime rate minus .50 basis points. At the time I thought this was a great idea. I couldn't figure out where I was going to come up with money and now I had my answer.

After we sold our home in 2005....we paid off the last one at 60K and then when we purchase our new home...we qualified for 110K. We took it and used it as we needed it. Just like before....we paid it back. We didn't owe the bank a dime...still we had an open checkbook just in case. I know that some people used these accounts just to cash out all the equity in their homes and go on a spending spree. I was lucky not to take advantage of it and use it occasionally on some toys but I always paid it back.

A few months ago my bank informed me that they were suspending the account due to the fact that the value of my home just went down 50%! when I purchase the home ...I put down about 40%. You would think that by putting down that much that there would still be some equity in the home. Well by trying to do the right thing...we just lost a quarter of a million dollars and if we had to sell the home today...we'd still be up side down.

The bank wouldn't even consider us for a loan modification unless we start being late on our payments....why would we want to do this? Even if we refinanced...the difference in our payments would be minimal and we'd have to add back another 10K to the original loan and start back at 30 yrs.

My wife said it best....let's not use our home as a piggy bank...only for emergency reasons.

It's interesting enough that since our second mortgage is with a dfferent bank than our first.......they think our home is worth less and yet the first mortgage holder could care less as long we still are paying based on the original sales price value. Whats even more disturbing to me is that the second mortgage holder said our value was X but the county showed it a bit higher. This makes absolutely no sense to me.... so why would it make sense for the consumer?

Researching

In closing...if your banks aren't willing to help you then it's time to grieve your Real Estate taxes.

Don't let your bank or local government take all your hard-earned money.

It is every property owner's Legal right to challenge the real estate tax bill they receive.

SO NOW YOU KNOW.

If you want to learn more about the process and what you can do please visit >>>HERE

Some of the excerpts above were brought to you by www.propertytaxreductionservices.com

For more information please contact Neal The Real Deal Bloom-Realtor® /Keller Williams Properties

                                                                                       Weston Realtor(R) Neal Bloom-copyright 2007

1625 N. Commerce Parkway,Suite 105

Weston FL 33326

(954)608-5556

The Real Deal tells it Like it is in Real Estate-copyright © 2009-All rights reserved

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10 Comments on DID YOU KNOW.. that you have the right to grieve your Real Estate Taxes?

AUG
31
226,022 Points 1 Featured Post Outside Blog

I know more and more people are doing this but I hear they dont budge on it much.

5:03pm • #1
Outside Blog

CONSUMERS BEWARE!! The ability to contest your tax bill is FREE. You do not need a private party to do this for you! Here in San Diego County, I have been contacted by past clients that have received a solicitation in the mail from private companies offering to help homeowners decrease their tax bills. YOU DO NOT NEED ANYONE ELSE TO DO THIS FOR YOU!

As the homeowner, you are able to contact your local tax assessors office and if they determine the value of your home is less than what the assessed value of the home currently is, they will decrease your taxes. I have heard of substantial reductions here in the San Diego County area.

Please do not be lured into paying anyone else for this service! It is free and simple to do! Thanks for the post Neal!

5:18pm • #2
408,296 Points 74 Featured Posts Outside Blog

Stephanie,

Although I know the process of what has to be done myself and I totally agree with you but I actually chose to pay someone that was referred to me to get mine reduced. But that was my choice so if someone wishes to try for free I'm all for it.

7:38pm • #3
674,085 Points 145 Featured Posts Localism Sponsor Outside Blog Hit Router

We also have a process for requesting a reassessment of property taxes, on a temporary basis, and many have benefited. Some towns have done this automatically but in most cases you have to apply and provide comps.

Jeff

11:51pm • #4
SEP
01
564,827 Points 95 Featured Posts Localism Sponsor Outside Blog Hit Router

It is hard to do in my area. We are governed by Townships, Villages and Cities. A few of the smaller townships I have helped past clients with have reduced the taxes. But, the cities NO. I would bring up comps, send them on their way, excel sheets, data, a good case. The cities said NO. So I still do the work for them so they do their best to fight it.

Over the years we have come to know which municipalities are open to reducing and those that smile and say NO.

6:41am • #5
408,296 Points 74 Featured Posts Outside Blog

Jeff,

I decided that it is the only way I can reduce some of our debt and they can't have it both ways...my neighbors home is almost double the size yet their taxes aren't much more so I have to go to the county and get it back.

Missy,

I could easily attempt this myself but its a long process so I would rather pay someone...if they get me the reduction then I pay them and if they don't I owe them nothing other then the initial research fee to see if I'm even a candidate. You have to go down and fill out many forms...wait on line...talk to someone who even sounds like they know what they are doing...I simply don't have that time and the lines are sooooo long. I know there are companies out there that aren't good but it sounds easier then people think if you try it yourself.

6:49am • #6
464,909 Points 54 Featured Posts Outside Blog

Neil we go through re-assessment every five years, so we went to re-assessment last year.  When I saw my assessment an bill I got on the phone with the Tax Assessors Office and it was a good thing I did, because they messed up on my bill.  If I had not called it might not have been corrected.

7:36pm • #7
SEP
02
408,296 Points 74 Featured Posts Outside Blog

George,

They do it here too or claim to but you should see what they say on the website...they claim not to set these rates yet they dictate everything to us...they say if we are upset to deal with our local entities yet they set the values and there is no way for value to be so low and taxes to still reflect the high in my opinion...its a joke. And I agree...they screw up down there...they isn't nothing more then a bunch of clerks who let things slide...what about all the other years I overpaid? Are they planning on giving me back money for that ? I don't think so.

7:37am • #8
SEP
04
514,028 Points 52 Featured Posts Localism Sponsor Outside Blog

I need to protest too!  Our value is way down and we have several deadlines approaching.  Good idea for a blog post!

6:47pm • #9
SEP
22
2 Featured Posts

Neal: Lot's of folks here don't protest their assessments becasue they think it makes their house worth more. In listing presentations and offer situations I often butt up against the "assessment". I simply point out the fact that it's a bunch of buerocrats arbitrarily assigning a value so they can get tax money from property owners. Some times it works.

11:40pm • #10

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Neal Bloom-Realtor ® Assoc.-CRS-Weston FL

Weston, FL

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Keller Williams Properties

Address: 1625 N. Commerce Parkway ,Suite 105, Weston, FL, 33326

Office Phone: (954) 608-5556

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