2016 HCAD values are out (Mart: how much, to buy, construction)

[museumdad]

Originally Posted by dkag

What happened? Was it just an error on their part or did they decide to raise it based on the evidence you brought?

They said that they took another look at comps & decided they were low on the original assessment. Which seemed entirely unfair. So, we enlisted one of the companies to deal with the litigation....a year or so later it was reduced below the original assessment. Who knows what went on in that room.

Growing up (elsewhere in the country), my parents would complain about property assessments happening every 5 years. This yearly 'adventure' is ridiculous.

[PinkLadyK]

Originally Posted by detachable arm

My gut feeling is lots of people in here are mortgaged up to their eyeballs or they wouldn't be complaining about taxes which are comparatively low as a whole. If you're not professional enough to work 1 Saturday OT this year to cover your unexpected tax increase you need to move out, and into a place that is more your level. That also tells me you can't afford to maintain your house properly. Low taxes, poor maintenance = running down your entire area.

What professional gets paid extra for working on a Saturday?!?!

[detachable arm]

Originally Posted by PinkLadyK

What professional gets paid extra for working on a Saturday?!?!

My 10s of thousands of colleagues in engineering and construction in ONE company. Young ones get 1.5x overtime, most everyone else gets straight time OT. That is for any days worked that are scheduled off and any hours in excess of 40 per week.

If you are very high up you get nothing -- but those guys total compensation is already north of 200k to begin with. I have no intention of going there as 170k is enough. But in a crunch I can drum up Saturday work and get paid for it. Quite frankly if you don't have some aces in the hole, you're stupid.

And my greater point is people should remember where they came from, know their place and stop bringing down our good neighborhoods. Which is what this thread reeks of. I'm looking at you, transplants.

[Hangster]

Originally Posted by detachable arm

And my greater point is people should remember where they came from, know their place and stop bringing down our good neighborhoods. Which is what this thread reeks of. I'm looking at you, transplants.

How is that again??

[mds83]

Originally Posted by Noregrets11

As a soon to be buyer, new to TX, this is scary. I looked up the houses we've been eyeballing, and both had increases in values that have gone up tremendously over the last 4 years. One house looks like this:

2013- $198k (assuming 3%, $5950)
2016- $318k ($9540 @ 3%)

At a 3% tax rate, that's a $3600k increase from 2013-2016, which equates to a tax obligation increase of $300/month. How the heck do I plan for this? Do I buy a house extremely under what I can afford, so that, 5 years from now I'll still be able to afford a $300-500 per month hike in the taxes?

Will the major appraisal increases stop soon? (Is it good for them to stop?) Maybe the worst is over, and increases should be minimal from now on? We're looking in the Fairfield area of Cypress, if that helps.

The banks say we can "afford" in the upper $400s, but we know better than that, so we've been looking in the lower $300s......now I'm wondering if we really need to be looking in the $200s. :/

It's ridiculous. Our tax rate is 3.25% and has went up by 90k since we moved in. That is with us protesting and getting them to come down every year.




https://www.dropbox.com/s/unydzsneo2hwfep/Photo%20Mar%2029%2C%2012%2012%2028%20PM.jpg?dl=0


https://www.dropbox.com/s/lqril7nlrzjt9k2/Photo%20Mar%2029%2C%2012%2012%2029%20PM.jpg?dl=0

[SuperPollito]

Originally Posted by Hangster

You have to also understand why that is the case, and it is because Texas does not have a State Income Tax.

I think Tennessee has no income tax but does have a 6% tax on interest and dividends.

States without income tax must make up for the tax revenue somehow.

That's an interesting point you raise - I had not considered the interest and dividends tax. Texas does not tax that income?

[Hangster]

Originally Posted by SuperPollito

That's an interesting point you raise - I had not considered the interest and dividends tax. Texas does not tax that income?

Texas has no state income tax, therefore does not tax that income. You still have to pay the Federal Govt for that, but that is true in all states.

[PedroMartinez]

They have taken my market value for $281k last year to $429k this year.


Yes, this is a wonderful system.

[PedroMartinez]

Originally Posted by detachable arm

My 10s of thousands of colleagues in engineering and construction in ONE company. Young ones get 1.5x overtime, most everyone else gets straight time OT. That is for any days worked that are scheduled off and any hours in excess of 40 per week.

If you are very high up you get nothing -- but those guys total compensation is already north of 200k to begin with. I have no intention of going there as 170k is enough. But in a crunch I can drum up Saturday work and get paid for it. Quite frankly if you don't have some aces in the hole, you're stupid.

And my greater point is people should remember where they came from, know their place and stop bringing down our good neighborhoods. Which is what this thread reeks of. I'm looking at you, transplants.

Which company?

[analogkid84]

Originally Posted by detachable arm

My 10s of thousands of colleagues in engineering and construction in ONE company. Young ones get 1.5x overtime, most everyone else gets straight time OT. That is for any days worked that are scheduled off and any hours in excess of 40 per week.

If you are very high up you get nothing -- but those guys total compensation is already north of 200k to begin with. I have no intention of going there as 170k is enough. But in a crunch I can drum up Saturday work and get paid for it. Quite frankly if you don't have some aces in the hole, you're stupid...

Part of the reason people with no clue or real desire get into engineering is strictly from a pay perspective. I've been in cancer research for 20+ years, making well south of $100k per year, but still salaried, and there's no OT for anything. I crunch data, read current scientific articles, and do electronic notebook entries at home many evenings and weekends too. I've got more mathematics on my transcripts than most engineers. Given this alone, why wouldn't you want to go into engineering.