Looking Out From the Garage

Wayback Wednesday... Property Tax Valuations...

International Money Pile in Cash and Coins
Image by epSos.de via Flickr

It's that time again.  Last week we got our tax valuation reassessed.  For us, it wasn't a bad thing and honestly, it hasn't been for the folks I have talked with.  Let me qualify that... for the amount of tax we pay, it wasn't a bad thing.

Two years ago, Gwinnett County re-assessed our home.  The jacked us up by about 12%, even though there was NO justification in the comps.  They got away with it because it wasn't worth the fight for us to carry on.  We disputed it a couple of levels, but eventually dropped it.

Oddly, this was almost exactly two months after the State of Georgia passed a law requiring the counties to consider foreclosures and short sales in the valuation process.  I think it might have been their "last hurrah" before having the valuations that were based in reality.

As mentioned, we got our valuation last week.  And it went down... way down.  in fact, it dropped by more than twice as much as it went up... we were down over 25%.  Good news for the house payment.  Bad news for the value of our house.  Bad news for Gwinnett county... the budget is not going to be happy with all of these lower valuations.

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Unless otherwise noted, all content of this blog is the property of Lane Bailey, ©2012 Lane Bailey. 

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2 commentsLane Bailey - REALTOR & Car Guy • April 27 2011 10:23PM

"Attention Drivers Statewide" and other Cheesy Pick-Up Lines...

Marketers and other businesses know that the world has become smaller... but that we stilllike to do business locally... 

There is a national insurance company that has an ad running in at least several states that begins...

Attention Drivers Statewide...

They want to tap into that "local" feeling by inferring that they are only talking to people in one state.  At the same time, they weren't so interested in talking to drivers in just one state that they limited the ad to one state... 

It plays on Satellite TV, on national channels.  If it were on cable, there would be a chance that they could have bought local time, but on satellite, not so much...  That would be why they can't say "Attention Drivers all over Georgia..."  Too many people from Florida, California and 47 other states would ignore the message... 

But they know that we want to deal with someone local when we can...

It doesn't matter if it is insurance, real estate or cars... or anything else.  We would rather have someone that knows the area, understands our needs and lives in the community they service.  We don't want a call center in Fiji... although we might want to VISIT Fiji... 

 

Attention Home Buyers and Sellers around Lilburn...

We live in Mountain Park...  My kids are in school here in Lilburn.  One of them ice skates at the Duluth Ice Forum.  We swim at the Mountian Park Aquatic Center...  My wife was raised in Sugar Hill.  I have spent most of the last 21 years living in Gwinnett County.  We understand Gwinnett County.  It is where we have chosen to raise our family. 

If you are looking to buy or sell property in Gwinnett County, GA, you deserve a real estate agent that knows Gwinnett County.  Check out the three images just below this paragraph...  Find your Dream Home, Find out what YOUR Home is Worth or Find out about the Market in Gwinnett County.

 

Find YOUR Dream HomeWhat's YOUR Home Worth?How's the Market?

Unless otherwise noted, all content of this blog is the property of Lane Bailey, ©2012 Lane Bailey. 

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3 commentsLane Bailey - REALTOR & Car Guy • February 27 2010 10:51PM

(Get a) Home for the Holidays...

I was talking with one of my mortgage guys a few days ago, and the subject of mortgage timelines came up… and there is still time to get your dream home for the holidays…  OK, not Thanksgiving… but Christmas is still possible for a few days… New Year’s is possible for about a week.

New York Times Square New year celebrations in...
Image via Wikipedia

But think about this for a minute…

You could start the New Year with a New Home…

Happy New Home!

Don’t forget, there are a couple of presents that you might find under your tree…

  • Uncle Sam is giving a First Time Home Buyer’s Tax Credit of up to $8000 or Move Up Buyer’s Tax Credit up to $6500.
  • Uncle Sam also has favorable treatment for mortgage interest…  It is deductible for many home owners, and can results in a tax savings.
  • Don’t worry, Ken Cook & I have something to put in the stocking, too.  We are offering “Pink Slip Protection” (Job Loss Insurance to pay your mortgage) for a limited number of qualified buyers.

There are some great deals in the market right now, and around December and early January, the deals generally get better.  “Casual” buyers aren’t in the market, so sellers have to compete for the serious buyers.

Getting a house around the holidays can be the gift that keeps on giving…

Find YOUR Dream HomeWhat's YOUR Home Worth?How's the Market?

Unless otherwise noted, all content of this blog is the property of Lane Bailey, ©2012 Lane Bailey. 

I'd love to hear from you...

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4 commentsLane Bailey - REALTOR & Car Guy • November 29 2009 11:55PM