Property Tax Assessments.... (Vancouver, Camas, Chelan: fit in, sale, assessors)

[Grlzrl]

Originally Posted by StealthRabbit

Maybe you should get a western WA addy to send your assessment to. The assessor might have an algorithm to increase assessments sent to local zips more than distant zips. (That would be counterproductive to keeping his gravy job).

I run the std deviation on 100 nearest properties for increases. They average 11-17%< and mine is always over 20%. Assessor claims it's because I protest and make him answer to Olympia, so I cost him more trouble. He always warns "don't do that!, or I'll hit you hard next yr". He's always true to that threat.

Are you kidding? That's outrageous.

[NORTY FLATZ]

Originally Posted by 509

Just got my new property tax assessment in Chelan County.

1800 square foot house, 2 bedrooms, 2 baths, no garage on one acre. On a dirt road for 1.5 miles that needs to be plowed in winter. NO ELECTRICITY, NO WATER, no county services, except for law enforcement which takes 45 minutes to arrive. NOT WATERFRONT. 30 minutes from town.

Chelan County, thinks the house is worth $516,000 dollars!!!

Increase of 200% over last year.

What are you assessments showing??

So, how much is ur tax? (For comparison purposes, only.)

[Ultrarunner]

The writing was on the wall after voters passed I-747 and it was gutted by a King County Judge… correct me if I’m wrong.

In 15 years my taxes tripled and it takes 8 months rent income to cover just the tax.

I truly love Washington but how in the world could anyone let alone me sustain another tripling over the next 15 years… maybe that’s the idea?

Makes California seem like a bargain we’re my 89 year old mom could live out her days in her home of 54 years on social security.

With I-747 vanquished it’s really anyones guess.

Just last week speaking to some friends out near Shelton and the elderly couple said you know you never really own property in Washington… you just rent it from tax collector.

[Transmition]

The amount of land probably makes a pretty big difference in more rural areas, often more than the value of the home sitting on it. And if there has been any nearby rezoning, the value can go up even if you've not made any improvements.

[Hemlock140]

Originally Posted by Transmition

The amount of land probably makes a pretty big difference in more rural areas, often more than the value of the home sitting on it. And if there has been any nearby rezoning, the value can go up even if you've not made any improvements.

It's not just the acreage, but where it is, what services are there, and how it's zoned. My parents sold their 3/2 1,600 sf house on 4 acres in unincorporated Port Angeles in January 2023. The new owner's tax is just $1,532/year. It's assessed at $246k, and the buyers paid $255k for it. They are on a well and septic, even the cable system is 2 miles away on Highway 101. Zoning is currently 1 home on minimum 5 acres.

[Transmition]

Yes, certainly. Just seemed to be an odd thing to miss out of the original post, it's like complaining about the cost of a hamburger while showing only the meal-deal price. I don't know how Chelan county does things, but my property taxes price up the unimproved land and buildings separately before combining them to say how much I owe.

[Ultrarunner]

My home is on two parcels. The vacant parcel went down a lot due to wetland setbacks...

The parcel with the house went up a lot because it would not be able to be built with the new wetland setbacks... so it's even more valuable.

[StealthRabbit]

Originally Posted by Transmition

The amount of land probably makes a pretty big difference in more rural areas, often more than the value of the home sitting on it. And if there has been any nearby rezoning, the value can go up even if you've not made any improvements.

Rural land can get exemptions / valuation reductions.

Most common in WA is Forestry or Ag. It reduces bare property to very minimal tax hit (few hundred $), but requires special application and consideration and minimum acreage sizes. (It helps to file a IRS form F(arm income))

The homestead will usually require a 1 acre minimum set OUTSIDE of Forest / AG exemptions for 'building lot'. This valuation adds well, septic, utilities, homesite, driveways, fences, landscaping, concrete / decks.

ALL of my land is exempt (too steep to build, in a federally restricted area, cannot be harvested for timber, or used for commercial purposes) - My building site is excluded from the exempt acreage, to the valuation amount exceeding $500k (for the dirt). (Cost me <$25k) I built my own roads, septic, fences... VERY cheap, of course . No well, because I have a 'small community water source' from adjacent properties.

My home (and acreage) was completed for $38/sf, including all improvements. (I tend to do things myself, and nearly all my supplies are purchased from Habitat ReStore or the Rebuilding Center. (You'll find me shopping on the days they offer Doors and and Light Fixtures for $1, thermal windows for $10). But... I never see my assessor there shopping on discount days No need, he has my blank checkbook.

[texasdiver]

Originally Posted by Ultrarunner

The writing was on the wall after voters passed I-747 and it was gutted by a King County Judge… correct me if I’m wrong.

In 15 years my taxes tripled and it takes 8 months rent income to cover just the tax.

I truly love Washington but how in the world could anyone let alone me sustain another tripling over the next 15 years… maybe that’s the idea?

Makes California seem like a bargain we’re my 89 year old mom could live out her days in her home of 54 years on social security.

With I-747 vanquished it’s really anyones guess.

Just last week speaking to some friends out near Shelton and the elderly couple said you know you never really own property in Washington… you just rent it from tax collector.

TRIPLED in 15 years? I don't buy it.

What city do you live in?

I live in Camas next to Vancouver in Clark County which has seen a lot of growth and appreciation in the past 15 years. We've only lived in this home for 8 years but I looked up the tax records on the county web site.

In 2008 taxes were $6,830
In 2013 taxes were 8,820

That is a 29% increase in 15 years, not a 300% increase.

[Ultrarunner]

No city... in the direction of Boston Harbor WA with saltwater and 2 salmon bearing creeks with old growth cedar... etc...

The Assessor absolutely loves my place...

Growth is extremely restricted now... it was not always this way and one assessor point is the restrictions on building make existing property that much more valuable...