<p>@NJres Taxes actually can make NYC more affordable. Although you will be living in a shoebox for the same price as a NJ split level, the taxes are piddling–thanks in part to the local income tax.</p>
<p>Bookworm, S & DIL found that MV was more expensive than Sunnyvale. Is there some place else that is cheaper and within a biking commute?</p>
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<p>Sunnyvale an “in” spot? Really? That’s not my experience. Mountain View, yes, definitely. Palo Alto for sure. But Sunnyvale? Murphy Street has become a hopping destination, but the rest of the city is pretty staid. Don’t get me wrong, I liked living there, but it doesn’t seem like it would be attractive to the Google generation.</p>
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<p>Are you asking about biking to Mountain View or Sunnyvale? Any house in Old Mountain View that comes on the market is immediately snapped up with multiple offers. The rest of Mountain View is a bit of a mixed bag, with houses in the Los Altos elementary school district selling at a premium to those in the MV school district. Most are probably still more expensive than Sunnyvale per square foot of house and lot. My impression is that Santa Clara was a bit overbuilt, particularly the new townhouses, so there are less-expensive homes to be found. There are also mid-century homes in Santa Clara, some of which might be a bike commute to Sunnyvale. Then there’s Cupertino which has a new Stevens Creek Trail overpass over I-280.</p>
<p>I have a friend who bikes from Los Altos to Milpitas most days, going through Mountain View, so there are options along Highway 237 on the South Bay as well.</p>
<p>[Friends</a> of Stevens Creek Trail](<a href=“http://www.stevenscreektrail.org/]Friends”>http://www.stevenscreektrail.org/)</p>
<p>Big sigh… We live in a million dollar house in San Jose, CA. It’s a 2300 square-foot tract house on a smallish lot.</p>
<p>I promise to get his address and post again. Jacque, I feel for you with the CA prices of real estate.
I wish Google was building their new facility in Oregon or Washington. Just crazy taxes and real estate in CA.</p>
<p>Northern Michigan [11945</a> N Foxview Dr, Northport, MI 49670 - Home For Sale and Real Estate Listing - realtor.com®](<a href=“11945 N Foxview Dr, Northport, MI 49670 | realtor.com®”>11945 N Foxview Dr, Northport, MI 49670 | realtor.com®)</p>
<p>Lake Michigan frontage, if you scroll through the pictures you can see the view through the great room. Amazing, stunning views!</p>
<p>Ok…I am bringing this thread back up even though this house is 2 million plus.</p>
<p>This is the cleanest house I have ever been inside. I am not talking because the house was cleaned up to sell. It did not need to be cleaned up for sale.</p>
<p>[4210</a> Paradise Dr, Tiburon, CA 94920 (MLS# 21313698) - Tiburon CA Real Estate - CaliforniaMoves.com](<a href=“Find Real Estate & Homes For Sale - ColdwellBankerHomes.com”>Find Real Estate & Homes For Sale - ColdwellBankerHomes.com)</p>
<p>^$10,000/yr real estate taxes for the Paradise Dr house seem cheap for a $2 million property. Are there other tax assessments typically additionally associated with Ca. homes? How do the taxes work in Ca. for sale with a new owner? If I bought the Paradise house for $2 million and made it my primary residence after relocating from another state, would the taxes remain about the same or would the tax meter be reset?</p>
<p>[4210</a> Paradise Dr, Tiburon, CA 94920 - Zillow](<a href=“Real Estate & Homes For Sale - 18349 Homes For Sale | Zillow”>http://www.zillow.com/homedetails/4210-Paradise-Dr-Tiburon-CA-94920/19260518_zpid/)</p>
<p>One million in Santa Barbara will get you this 1500 square foot fixer in a marginal neighborhood:</p>
<p>[222</a> Adair Dr, Santa Barbara, CA 93105 - Zillow](<a href=“http://www.zillow.com/homedetails/222-Adair-Dr-Santa-Barbara-CA-93105/15900339_zpid/]222”>http://www.zillow.com/homedetails/222-Adair-Dr-Santa-Barbara-CA-93105/15900339_zpid/)</p>
<p>^$1,100/yr real estate taxes for a $1,000,000 value home in Ca. seems crazy to me in Florida. We don’t have state personal income taxes to pay in Florida, but it seems from these Ca. tax examples we pay a lot more in real estate taxes than Ca.</p>
<p>lizard,</p>
<p>I think either you had the facts wrong or that Zillow is misinformed. In CA the real estate tax is typically around 1.25% of your purchase price(considering all the special assessments) which is the beginning accessed value. The assessed value is adjust up by 2% maximum per year for as long as you own the property without major renovations/additions.</p>
<p>Of course, in the recent years, people challenge the assessed value and it has been reduced to the market.</p>
<p>“would the taxes remain about the same or would the tax meter be reset?”</p>
<p>The tax meter is reset.</p>
<p>My neighbor, who bought his home last year, pays a tax rate six times more than mine. His home is much smaller and valued at about 60% of what my home is worth. But I bought my house in 1984.</p>
<p>The $10,531 tax bill in 2012 on the $2mil Tiburon property is due to the fact that is hasn’t changed hands in at least 7 years, which is as far back as the Zillow tax history goes. The tax meter will be reset when it sells, so the tax bill to the new owner will be well over $25,000/year. This is how neighbors in very similar homes have wildly varying property tax bills in California.</p>
<p>Property tax on for sale properties should be recalculated based on the list price, the actual tax bill is meaningless in CA, as you could pay a $500 tax bill on properties bought in 1960’s that currently is worth $2M.</p>
<p>wow…no wonder California has revenue issues! </p>
<p>My property taxes are $26,000 on a house worth $850,000ish. Our town has very few commercial properties. </p>
<p>My shore house is worth $500,000ish and taxes are only $7,000.</p>
<p>Florida has a cap on annual assessment increases called ‘Save Our Homes’ that in theory is supposed to help existing homeowners not being taxed out of their homes. It isn’t entirely fair to new buyers; the law was put in place by voters in 1990s for Florida.</p>
<p>[FL</a> Dept Rev - Florida Property Tax Valuation and Income Limitation Rates](<a href=“http://dor.myflorida.com/dor/property/resources/limitations.html]FL”>http://dor.myflorida.com/dor/property/resources/limitations.html)</p>
<p>Property taxes in California are very unique. Taxes are subject to ‘Proposition 13’ which was a property tax revolt back in the 70s. Seniors were being driven from their homes because of property taxes.</p>
<p>Property taxes are based on 1% of the assessed value of your home (plus some voter-approved bonds and stuff which might bring you to about 1.2% of value). Assessed value is NOT the current market value of the home. Assessed value is frozen at the price paid by the owner. So, if you bought your house in 1980 at $400,000, that is the frozen assessed value until the home is sold to a new buyer.</p>
<p>Assessed values can only increase by 2% or Consumer Price Index, whichever is less. So, that $400,000 home will increase in tax value about 2% a year, compounded. Also, if you purchased high (say 2006), you can appeal your value and it can go down to current market value. </p>
<p>The only thing that can raise your base assessed value is new construction (room additions, etc) or a sale. So, if you add a room addition that is valued at current pricing $60,000, that amount will be added to your original base value of $400,000 and you will have a new base value of $460,000. </p>
<p>It makes for a very complicated tax system.</p>
<p>[Yahoo![/url</a>]</p>
<p>And I have been in this house in San Mateo. The rule is if I visit your house, you must put the house up for sale within a year. 3 couples I know are selling their homes this year. That is so far. It is only Jun.</p>
<p>[url=<a href=“http://www.redfin.com/CA/San-Mateo/1911-Lexington-Ave-94402/home/1676504]1911”>http://www.redfin.com/CA/San-Mateo/1911-Lexington-Ave-94402/home/1676504]1911</a> LEXINGTON Ave, San Mateo, CA 94402 | MLS# 81322159 | Redfin](<a href=“http://homes.yahoo.com/blogs/spaces/less-1-million-buy-ellen-degeneres-condo-161739406.html]Yahoo</p>
<p>Here is one at a paltry $705 per sq. ft.</p>
<p>[4848</a> Shadywood Lane Dallas, TX 75209-2022](<a href=“http://www.ebby.com/property/18725140/4848-Shadywood-Lane-Dallas-TX-75209-2022]4848”>http://www.ebby.com/property/18725140/4848-Shadywood-Lane-Dallas-TX-75209-2022)</p>
<p>But as they say, location, location, location.</p>