OK, all ye citizens of North Carolina. Gird your loins for a battle in each and every county.
The legislature, in their infinite wisdown (THROW THE BUMS OUT!), voted to allow the individual counties to have referendum to institute land transfer taxes. Granted, they maxed the allowable tax at 0.4% of the sales price instead of the proposed 1%, but that's still TOO MUCH!
You'll note that in every article written about this tax, it comes up that we as Realtors make oodles and scads of money on transactions, and the poor lil' ole' government isn't getting enough. WHATEVER. When someone can show me that the government is fiscally RESPONSIBLE and can account for the money being spent, at THAT point I will support (possibly) future taxes.
This is ridiculous. A tax which is essentially going to be aimed at the folks who (gasp) choose to upgrade their homes or (gasp again) choose to downsize. Because THOSE are the folks who are taxing the infrastructure. Ahem. The supporters will be the liberals who are NIMBY folks (Not In My BackYard), who want their neighbors who dare to sell to pay back into a wasteful system. The detractors will be the conservatives like myself who can't see the wisdom in pouring more money into government (yes, I'm in the VRWC).
It's going to get ugly everywhere. And you know what? As long as first time buyers and sellers and fourth time buyers and seller entrust ME with their largest financial transaction, I WILL FIGHT THIS CRAP TO ALLOW THEM TO KEEP THEIR OWN EQUITY.
Please folks, talk to your local governments. The counties are going to shoot for this sooner rather than later, I guarantee. Get out there and VOTE your mind.
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