Spokane7
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June 2, 2011 in City
Property values fall for year two
But decline is half as much as last year’s assessments
To appeal
Property owners may still check their values on the assessor’s website and appeal their values by July 1, Assessor Vicki Horton said. She said the website – www.spokanecounty.org/ assessor – has detailed information on how to file an appeal.
The silver lining in newly released Spokane County property values is that they didn’t decline as much as last year’s.
The county’s overall assessed value fell for the second year in a row, but only about half as much as last year’s $794.9 million drop.
Assessor Vicki Horton said the picture will improve in September when new construction, estimated at $200 million to $300 million, is folded into the calculation.
“We’re not looking for a great deal of new construction this year,” Horton said.
In fact, Chief Deputy Assessor Byron Hodgson said the new construction is likely to be only about half to three-fourths of the $413 million added to the tax rolls last year.
More than $1 billion of new construction was added to the rolls in 2006 and 2007, reflecting activity in 2005 and 2006.
Each year’s assessment is based mostly on the previous year’s data, and applies to the following year’s taxes. Assessed values released this week will apply to 2012 taxes.
As things stand, the county’s total assessed value is down about $377 million.
That compares with standout increases of nearly $4.9 billion in 2006 and more than $4.7 billion in 2007.
Even so, Hodgson said, “Our county is very much better off than some counties over on the West Side. They have had enormous drops in their aggregate assessed values.”
While Spokane County’s value has been relatively stable, around $38 billion, Snohomish County has lost about 20 percent of its value in the past several years, Hodgson said.
Horton said 94,860 single-family homes lost value in this year’s assessments, 7,030 gained value and 27,173 had no change.
No postcard notices were mailed to owners of approximately 76,000 homes that didn’t change in value, a move that Horton said will save the county about $16,000.
She said 133,679 notices were mailed.
Although everyone has received notices in recent years, that hasn’t always been the case, Horton said. State law requires notification only when there is a change.
Property owners may still check their values on the assessor’s website and appeal their values by July 1, Horton said. She said the website – www.spokanecounty.org/assessor – has detailed information on how to file an appeal.
“All of our help is free,” Horton said. “You don’t have to pay to have help with your appeals.”
She alluded to former Assessor Ralph Baker’s announcement this week that he has formed an organization, the American Property Tax Institute, and launched a website to sell booklets with information and advice on assessments.
Its Web address is www. AmericanPropertyTaxInstitute.com.
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MrBloggy on June 02 at 7:08 a.m.
The Bush legacy. It would be so much more worse, likely a complete economic collapse - streets awash in blood, gunfighting, road gangs with chained captives kept for meat, tribal laws, cars with bumpers made from hell, etc, if not for the heroic legislation and cool, deadly decision making of Obama and the Demo Congress foolishly cast aside by greedy old white people teabaggers.
2012 is the bellweather year to reinvigorate this nation with a full Demo Congress again to give Obama the leg body to save this nation. The Rethugs are destroying this nation and need to be ejected into a well deserved oblivion.
MrBloggy on June 02 at 7:10 a.m.
“MrBloggy what do you mean “cars with bumpers made from hell?”
Hey kid, only way to know is to see one and once you’ve seen a car with a bumper made from hell, you never want to again. Capiche?”
lewis8457 on June 02 at 7:41 a.m.
yes my value and equity drops while my property taxes go up every year.
Do not live in Spokane move to a place that likes its residents and doesn’t just treat them as cash cows.
westerly on June 02 at 7:55 a.m.
“Even so, Hodgson said, “Our county is very much better off than some counties over on the West Side. They have had enormous drops in their aggregate assessed values.”
While Spokane County’s value has been relatively stable, around $38 billion, Snohomish County has lost about 20 percent of its value in the past several years, Hodgson said.”
When housing prices are very low, like Spokane, their is no huge drop, it stays about the same. No bubble really in Spokane’s market like in the major metro areas of US. So comparing Spokane to Seattle area is oranges and apples…
johnclarke on June 02 at 8:09 a.m.
Um, if your property values were rock bottom to begin with…duh.
westerly on June 02 at 8:30 a.m.
And if you notice, asssessed values go down, but property taxes go up.Taxes will NEVER drop by 20 percent!!Government cannot live with drops in property taxes. Assessed values go down and the mil rate nudges up to keep taxes on an even keel, land might go up and house down, or house down but land goes up, always keeping the total constant to feed the county goverment’s trough.
Coffee on June 02 at 8:49 a.m.
Nice fairy tail, I have never met anyone whose property taxes went down. Go ahead and waist your time appealing, you will do all the leg work and they will turn it down any way.
DickAdams on June 02 at 9:25 a.m.
I agree with you coffee. I wasted my time 2 years ago with Ralph Baker trying to reduce my property value. The stupid fool said to me no body’s property value has decreased. Baker with his wonderful personality had the chairs taken away so the seniors or anybody else had to stand and wait to see someone in the office. Nice guy? I was glad to see the voters gave him his walking papers. No he was not a nice guy.
DickAdams on June 02 at 9:29 a.m.
Oh, I forgot, my real estate taxes have gone up every year for 25 years living in the same residence.
eagleproducer on June 02 at 10:02 a.m.
Looks like that whole private property thang as a cornerstone of your economy is working out REALLY well…
greenlibertarian on June 02 at 10:08 a.m.
Since there was no REAL economic growth 2000-2010, except that which occurred via fiat by MASSIVE BORROWING, home prices must retreat to 2000 levels, a REALISTIC valuation.
Too bad for you dopes who bought at the high end of the bubble. Suckers and dolts.
Squid on June 02 at 10:28 a.m.
Funny that no one seems to realize that the cause of this stems from all of the foreclosures on the market. When the market is flooded with fixxer upper foreclosures that are below market value, it brings everything else down with it.
Now….. Who made it easy and acceptable to walk away from your mortgage and be a (D)eadbeat? I read that only 1 in 5 actually received Fe(D) money to assist in their foreclosure. Who woul(D) be responsible for giving loans to those who were extra high risk? Who woul(D) be responsible for letting just about anyone to mortgage 110% of the value of their property? Who warned that this policy would become the disaste(R) that it is?
You know the answer to these questions.
Eagleproducer, you are against private ownership of property now? Good grief! Please move to Cuba. The World is running out of Communist countries, in case you haven’t noticed. Even China allows private ownership of property.
eagleproducer on June 02 at 10:32 a.m.
Squid: Now? I’ve seen the folly of private property for decades. Have fun paying three times the arbitrary value for your little fifedom just so that you can’t take it with you.
I’d love to live in Cuba. I’d live longer and more healthily. Plus Cuban women are the bomb!
Squid on June 02 at 10:57 a.m.
I’d gladly buy you a one way ticket to paradise. Send me your mailing address.
woamike on June 02 at 12:25 p.m.
I’m with you Squid. You may have started something here. Perhaps we could all sponsor a dellusional, misguided utopianist Marxist with a one-way ticket to Cuba, North Korea, or other Marxist paradise. It’s win-win. They’d be happy and so would we.
EP - standing by for your mailing list so we can help these poor souls out.
MrBloggy on June 02 at 12:34 p.m.
it is only a home
not a spirit
or a hungry bird
do not over-love
things of wood, brick
stone, or peat
taxes are a hassle
yes, but worse
is a world of road gangs
burning oil fires
cannibalism
please pay your taxes
pay the police
teachers
garbage dudes
this is why
MrBloggy lives
on a houseboat
eagleproducer on June 02 at 12:47 p.m.
delusional? Yep, especially after nine Coronas!
Misguided? On occasion.
Utpoianist? (not really a word, but Tea Baggers invent neologisms all the time) Perhaps.
Giving out my mailing to the wing nut brigades of Spokane? Not in a million years!
Anyone who has paid attention to my posts over the years knows the name of my business and that would lead you to a mailing address if you had a part of your brain that functioned other than the small part that allows you to parrot Rush Limbaugh.
A one way trip to Cuba? I’ll take it, as long as I get to send the Baggers to a place where they can live out their small government, low tax, lax regulation paradise.
I’m thinking The Sudan, for starters. Maybe Chad.
Marksman on June 02 at 1:20 p.m.
So many Lib-tards and so many better things to do. Mr. Bloggy, ever heard of Barney Frank? How about Bill Clinton? The two people responsible for “everyone should have a mortgage; even if they can’t afford it.” Next up; GreenLibertarian; you sound like Alec Baldwin, I would happily leave this country, until someone offers a free ride! I remember Cuba; the Socialist Paradise that hundreds of thousands fled from in the Eighties, in homemade rafts and overcrowded fishing boats. Many drowned on their way to the shores of the US of A. Crack a history book instead of smoking crack..
eagleproducer on June 02 at 1:39 p.m.
Fannie Mae and Mac were both started decades before either Frank or Clinton ran for their first office. I’m guessing that was left out of the history book issued by Koch Industries that Marksman’s school used…
Rob Higgins (head of the Spokane Realtors Association and former city council predident) stated on the Mike Fitzsimmons show yesterday that Fanne and Freddie were positive influences upon the financial health of communities and the nation. But Marksman has bought into the grand illusion that a few million homeowners defaulting on their mortgages crashed the world economy.
I wonder if he likes investing in bridges?
mjeram on June 02 at 1:52 p.m.
Existing property values in the Spokane County have not increased in more than 15 years.
I purchased my home 11 years ago in 2000 and have no home equity from market increase or inflation (meaning my home has actually decreased in value). The previous owners in 1994, 6 years earlier purchased the home for the same price I purchased it in 2000.
If I were to sell my property today it would be selling for the same price it did in 1994.
Why have property taxes increase/changed in spokane county over the last 15 years?
woamike on June 02 at 2:00 p.m.
To the Marxist Standard Bearer EP,
You said:
“A one way trip to Cuba? I’ll take it, as long as I get to send the Baggers to a place where they can live out their small government, low tax, lax regulation paradise.”
If you knew ANYTHING about history (which you apparently don’t), you’d know the U.S of A was founded as (amongst other things) a small, limited government, low tax, limited regulation place. Your types, along with statists, corrupt politicians and their cronies plus a few others have totally messed this place up. YOU are the ones who need to take a hike.
What kind of business do you run? Weed?
How do you find the time to run a business anyway? After all, you’ve bragged before of the untold hours you spend teaching and prepping for class.
johnclarke on June 02 at 2:35 p.m.
um yeah woamike, but as I explained to gmorton this is not longer 1900 and things have changed slightly - like for example the population. If you want a small limited federal government, well then let’s get rid of everything that goes with it. We can start with the largest employer in the US, the military, the highway system etc etc. The 40% of the population that lives only on Social Security can just starve, the elderly can pay for their own medical and tons of banks would be out of business. No more FEMA or response to natural disasters. Best thing ? No TARP, and no bailouts of any kind.
Ron_the_Cop on June 02 at 3:50 p.m.
KREM’s did a report on Baker’s side self-publishing business:
Former Spokane County Assessor now selling book on property taxes
http://tinyurl.com/3tesyap
Ron_the_Cop on June 02 at 4:03 p.m.
Eagleproducer,
True the real rotten apple in the barrel was when Dodd and Frank pushed the Community Redevelopment Act through roof with the aid of ACORN and the trail that followed with liar loans off loaded on Mae and Mac that were in turn monetized into securities that traded a par value. Mind you Frank got his then current boyfriend a high level exec job with either Mae/Mac. I’m not saying there weren’t Republicans responsible for the financial meltdown either.
A good balanced film documentary on this is the doc that won the Oscar this year. It may still be out in the Red Boxes. I would encourage all to see it instead of shooting from the hip here. I little bit of knowledge on this subject would go a long ways to reign in the excesses of the Reps/Dems alike:
Inside Job
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inside_Job_%28film%29
My only criticism is the film treated Frank and George Soros too kindly.
Mwalshwk,
Westerly let the dirty little secret out of the bag as to why your taxes continue to go up even though your property value has declined.
Wait there’s more too as I will post in a few:-) Stay tuned.
I will post another comment in a few.
Ron_the_Cop on June 02 at 5:24 p.m.
Westerly’s GOT IT!
As I said above this is the little dirty secret. Even though your property’s assessed valuation goes down, collectively the tax rate is raised to cover the loss in revenue up to the respective levy lids limits. Hence the taxes you pay go up and not down. No vote required - NADA - hidden tax increase for everyone.
Do I need mention our utility tax? Wait until the water bills start coming in during the summer. I’m all for conservation but the Rathdum Aquifer is not going to go dry anytime soon according to many experts on both sides of cleaning up the Spokane River.
While some here are bashing either political party there is enough blame to go around. I’m not a fan of either political party right now. I tend to be right of center. I wouldn’t blame the Republicans exclusively although our local members of the GOP seem to be stand outs.
There are plenty of politicians acting in concert with others on both sides of the aisle who are literally crooks, committing frauds and then bailing themselves out with other people’s money (OPM) - OUR TAX MONEY!
This isn’t an issue of partisan ideology but more fundamentally the nature of the people we elect to positions of power. These people have abused this power to commit and or were surborned by others to facilitate frauds with taxpayer money.
The answer is simple - those complicit in these crimes need to be brought to justice. NO ONE IS ABOVE THE LAW!
As for Mr. Baker, a Republican, he should be toast with his cronies. Read Tim Connor’s work from the Center for Justice on our former County Assessor Ralph Baker (R):
“Something You Probably Don’t Know”
http://tinyurl.com/3ut4yfa
The French Connection
http://tinyurl.com/633deat
Connor’s articles report rather convincingly that Ralph Baker using the resources of his office teamed up with Al French (R) to do a political hit on Bonnie Mager (D) in the closing days of last year’s election for County Commissioner.
And of course do read this article [ http://tinyurl.com/2454jjf ] with former Sheriff Tony Bamonte’s (D) allegation of criminal activity in preferential property tax appraisals by former County Assessor Ralph Baker:
Fortunately the local voters saw fit not to return Baker to office however they did elect French. I have no use for French even though he’s a Republican. I voted for Mager. I voted for Dr. Kim Thorburn (D) too who ran earlier against Todd Mielke (R).
[Continued]
Ron_the_Cop on June 02 at 5:25 p.m.
[Continued from above]
Dr. Thorburn was given the bum’s rush by the local powers that be. More than likely because of the location of the public health building in the middle of what was to become the defunct Kendall Yards. Amazingly enough this project was saved by Greenstone however we are now quibbling over whether this project gets the TIFF financing that Chesron got previously. Sound familiar - Liberty Lake?
And for those who think Madame Mayor Verner is all ribbons and lace you may be sadly mistaken:
I’ve written volumes in these blog threads on County Prosecutor Steve Tucker, a Repulican, about his incompetence and malfeasance in office and yet the Spokane electorate chose to return him to office. Why?
While at the national level we may not have much influence in the political process, collectively at the local level we can hold those responsible at the ballot box. And where appropriate we must demand that they be brought to justice for the frauds that they have committed.
NO ONE IS ABOVE THE LAW!