I share these sentiments.

I find property tax to be most offensive of all taxes. It bears no relation to income or ability to pay, is a tax on property that has already been paid for with after tax dollars and it works a great hardship on elderly people or others on fixed incomes whose property has appreciated in value but who do not have the cash flow to service the increased tax.

Tax revolt anyone?

Same thing happened here Jay. Property taxes are soaring. Insurance costs are soaring and housing costs have soares to the point where most cannot afford to live here.

I bought my little 1500 Sq. Ft. home before the real estate boom and it was very cheap. By todays standards you can not buy a vacant 1/4 acre lot for what I paid for my house.

You can remove Franklin County and replace it with a lot of counties across the country. You can also insert our local subdivision names in place of yours and its the same story everywhere.

The bad part? National news declared your area the real estate hot spot in this country for the 1st quarter of 2006.

That means the vultures are coming. The investors that drive up the market like its the dot coms all over again. The prices will go to a point where you just shake your head in disbelief.

What to do?

Stand by and watch? Or jump in and make enough to retire in 3 years.

No matter how you do it, someone will get irritated, but we 'fixed' this in CA years ago with Proposition 13. Property taxes are based on a percentage of purchase price, with inflationary increases.

So on my street of tract homes, one neighbor who bought 12 years ago pays $3000 per year and another who bought at today's prices pays $10,000 (identical house). Fair? I guess. At least you don't get taxed out of your home.

I agree, I do not like what is happening and sometimes feel guilty and embarressed to tell people there I am not from there but have a vacation home there.

The only thing that makes me feel better is the fact that I am not there to "flip" my home and thus add to the problem. I am more trying to transition slowly up there and to be honest if things do not get better here I might be up there in the next year permenantly, selling my home here in Florida.

Trust me, I do not like it any more than you and wonder how my son will be able to afford a home when he is old enough to buy one. Its not an option here in Florida and quickly not becoming one where you are and watch what happens when the vultures show up. You can see them from a mile away. Mr. Hooper hit the nail on the head, they are driving the Escelades and H-2's and are as obnoxious as hell thinking they own the joint with all their "buying power".

I have had to deal with them here and glad to see they have moved on. Unfortunatly they are heading to a place I considered a haven.

BTW - My last question above was sarcastic. Like I said I just watched and shook my head as 1/4 acre lots were being "traded on the exchange" for $125K they are really worth 25K at best.

Anyone familiar with Hawaii's real estate laws?

I had a roomate that was Hawiian and he mentioned his family was deeded land as natives in Hawaii from the government. It was some sort of deal that helped the natives be able to live there.

"The vultures"...good description. The problem is, County and local officials don't care...maximizing tax income is the name of the game. They want you to sell your home & leave...the next person on the property will pay. The ONLY chance you have is a tax revolt through initiative. This is NOT an easy battle. Read
"I'm Mad As Hell", by Howard Jarvis. Published in 1979, so it may not still be in print. You'll then learn just how nasty bureaucrats, their unions, and politicians can become when they think their growth in income is threatened.

Most county and local officials are too short sighted to see that the boom is bad in the long run. They look at the boom as a giant cock extender and it makes them feel powerful.


It sucks I agree, it has left me feeling bitter and I believe I am insulting vulture by describing these people as such.

What can you do? Get involved with the local govt. let them know that you want your town to be small and anti-development is a good thing.

Actually, that is not your big problem. You big problem is the guy from Florida, California or Arizona that has cashed in in those markets and has a ton of money.

He has a LLC set up and his only reason for being in your neck of the woods is to set up his little "stock exchange" with his cronies. They will start building homes 100 at a time and flipping them over and over driving up the cost of land and homes to proportions that are just unbelievable.

2 years from now a gouse that could be purchased for 100K there will be priced in the 250-300K range. Vacant land? Same deal it will be worth a ton of money. You'll keep hearing the slogan "they aren't making any more land" while you watch the price shoot through the ceiling.

I have not taken this personally Jay, I know that you know we have been most respectful to your town. I have taken great pains to make sure I pump my money I spend there with the locals and try to stay away from the chains. I also looked for an existing home not some "little boxes" brand new subdivision with no character. Like I said I plan on living there one day.

Same thing is happening in the Bitter Root Valley in Montana. People who have lived on farms for generations are being squeezed out by VERY wealthy newcomers who just want to have a summer home there.

My father lives in Hamilton and not far from the local airport. What was once a quiet little airstrip now has frequent visits by private and corporate jets.

The landscape is changing everywhere.

It's the inevitable result of government being about money instead of what's in the public interest of the constituencies they supposedly represent.

If the residents didn't want out-of-state people coming to their area, why didn't they lobby to pass a law to make residency a requirement for land ownership or something?

A problem all over. Folks leave the suburbs or city complaining of high taxes to move to the country.. Soon they want a new library, swimming pool at the school and their garbage picked up... They drag their expectations with them and impose them on the new community.

That being said - new subdivisions should be taxed at 110% of the cost for all new schools, sewage, roads & etc. Developers are killing rural America.

When I lived in Atlanta (97-99), I'd come up to Tsali (Lake Fontana) and ride my moutain bike. Usually spend some time in Andrews or Bryson City (where ever I could get a room). Pretty sleepy little area. When I visited in 2002, I was suprised to see some construction on the road that leads to the park. I was shocked one day a couple of years ago to see an add in the WSJ for property up there (executive retreats) within a short drive of a little airport. Nothing's safe anymore. :(

Of course, what you don't realize is all of those 'Californians' were originally carpet-baggers from the flyover states who came out West and drove up our real estate prices.

And someone is selling out your heritage to these people - that's whom you need to target.

I agree totally. I live in a model of suburban sprawl. The schools & roads can't keep up with the development. In Ohio, our schools are paid out of property taxes and the first tax bill lags construction by at least one year. We have a community of about 80K governed by THREE township trustees. They are always pushing their pet projects while neglecting the essential needs of the community. The old timers who moved out to the country years ago have had their property reassessed several times and have their taxes go up to where they can't afford to stay anymore.

I smell a lawsuit...;)

Ya know, it could be worse: the local city council could decide they'd make more in tax revenue by kicking you out and giving your land away to a developer.

You mean like this:

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1157123341.jpg

This was in another Cincy suburb of Norwood. The remaining homeowners eventually won the eminent domain case after they leveled the rest of the neighborhood & rezoned...