Why You Have To Pay Attention To Property Tax

There are a lot of things to consider when buying a home and many of them have to do with costs. For first-timers and even some move-up home buyers, calculating mortgage rates, closing costs, a down payment, and the eventual monthly mortgage payment can be overwhelming. So much so that it’s easy to forget a few things along the way. One of those easily forgotten things is property tax. When looking at the price of homes in a particular neighborhood, don’t forget to have a look at what they pay in taxes per year. Property tax varies from one area to the next and, depending on where you’re looking, can add a significant amount to your bottom line. For example, a recent analysis from RealtyTrac, which looked at data from the nation’s Metropolitan Statistical Areas, revealed that the highest average property taxes were found in the urban centers of New York, northern New Jersey, and eastern Pennsylvania, with communities paying as much as $12,923 a year in taxes. On the other end of the spectrum, homeowners in Fort Smith, Arkansas and portions of Oklahoma paid an annual bill of less than $500 a year. With that in mind, have a look at what taxes have been over the past few years, in the neighborhoods where you’d most like to buy, to get a feel for what it adds to the total cost of buying a house. More here.

Comments are closed.