Houston area property taxes/Dalllas a good place to live?
 

Just returned from a 5 day trip through Texas (Houston-Galveston-Dallas)and loved every minute of it! My fiance and I have been looking at possibly relocating to the Houston area sometime in 2007. There is one issue that came up at dinner the other night with some friends of mine. One of them said his best friend moved to the Houston area last year and works in pharm sales. He says that she really wants to purchase a home but she can't afford to because the property taxes are too high. I do not know how much she makes or anything but of course having visited Houston 3 or 4 times and falling in love with the place we are concerned. My question is (and I know there are probably 500 answers) but what area would be considered a safe place to live with good schools and a decent tax rate? I understand that Pearland, Katy, and some other areas are higher than the norm because they have outstanding schools. What is a decent tax rate or better yet how much extra per month "taxes/insurance" would you expect to pay on say like a 180k home. I have searched the web over for a site that provides estimates to no avail. Since I also visisted Dallas for the first time last week the Metroplex intrigues me now. If our choices came down to the Dallas-FW area or Houston which would you choose and why?

subzero...Cant help with Houston...My TA lives in Far North Carrollton about 25 miles north northwest of Dallas proper.He lives in Denton County.His house is "appraised" @ $150K and his taxes are just under $4K.He pays taxes to Lewisville ISD, Dallas County (tho I have never understood why he pays taxes to a county he doesnt live in!!Someone said 'shared' services).And to one other supplemental type of reclamation tax all totally just under $4,000 yearly. Hope this helps!

Sorry, can't help you with neighborhoods cause I live in Austin. But, I can help with property taxes. Yes, they are very high in Texas. Figure about 3% although some places are lower. That would be under $5K a year for a $180K house. Just divide that by 12 to get your monthly escrow. Ask an insurance agent what you might expect to pay for homeowners insurance. We pay about $1,500 a year here in Austin and our house is assessed at $500K. Our taxes are $10K a year.

But, just because you buy a house for $180K doesn't mean that the tax collector will say it's worth that. You don't have to tell them how much you paid, so more than likely your taxes will be lower. But, it's good to estimate on the high side just to make sure. Also, you'll want to file for a homestead exemption after you move in.

Also, if you choose Houston, make sure you aren't in a flood-prone area. Or if you are, you should definitely get flood insurance.

As for which city to choose, that is totally up to you. Hearing someone say they absolutely fell in love with Houston is so rare and it just goes to show that everyone is different.

I really wouldn't let the property taxes scare me off moving to Texas though. If you think you can't handle the monthly payments, just buy a less expensive house. Also, those taxes are a great tax deduction at the end of the year! At least that's what I keep telling myself!

Good luck to you and your fiance.

Ah, you're once again inviting the Dallas vs. Houston brawl. If you do a search, you will find many Dallas vs. Houston threads. Those of us in Dallas can't see how anyone could stand to live in humid, no-zoning Houston, and the folks in Houston can't understand how anyone could stand to live in Dallas.

I will say that if you have a strong independent streak and don't want to be under the control of a strong homeowner's association, avoid Houston. Since there is no zoning, the homeowners' asociations act like little cities and that really irritates some folks. I personally think it's great that there's someone around to make sure that my neighbor doesn't paint his house purple, but if you're the folks who WANT to paint their house purple, best not live in an area with a HOA.

Both cities have traffic issues.

And if you really do want to paint your house purple then you must come live in Austin!

Just curious Austin, when you say you don't have to tell the tax assessor how much you paid for your house... In most states, purchase prices are public record and the assessor gets the info from the conveyance office.

Do they actually ask you in Texas? No wonder the the tax rate has to be set so high if they're depending on the honesty of homeowners!!

The lack of zoning laws can be a little scary. If I had $5.00 for every Exxon and McDonalds I saw from I-45 North Fwy near Bush Airport-BW 8 all the way to my hotel on Nasa Road 1 I may have had enough money to rescue Enron all by myself. However I will say that i have never had any trouble locating a good mall , restaurant, or gas station, Starbucks in Houston or North Dallas for that matter....they are all lined up on either side of the freeway unlike up here in the midwest where you have to exit the freeway and turn left or right to find these services....From what I have experienced/read: Dallas is smaller than Houston, has less humidity, and less commercialization (better zoning)....however it has a higher crime rate, more expensive housing, and seems to have hit its peak in terms of popularity.....Houston on the other hand at this rate will catch Chicago!! in another 10 years if the current population estimates are correct (2.5 mil with the LA residents)....not including the LA residents Houston was seeing a huge boost in population as it went over the 2million mark just over 2 yrs ago.....Good thing they have all that space down there.....the one thing that really concerns me about Houston is the flooding (as we in Northern Ohio have just experienced over the last few weeks)....Flooding happens anywhere a torrential downpour takes place however I still have nightmares about the tv reports of all the people trying to get out before the hurricane struck last summer. Makes you think that Dallas may be the smarter option?

Yes, it's very strange because the purchase price doesn't have to be put on the closing papers that get recorded with the county. They are actually trying to change that now.

And yes, they actually send out a form when you apply for homestead asking you how much you paid! But, they came really close anyway with the tax assessment so they must have a pretty good handle on the market prices.

subz...Speaking of Enron, did you see that Ken Lay died of a massive coronary earlier today? Sad.......

I have a friend who had to pull her kid out of private school in her junior year of high school and now can't retire for about 10 extra years, thanks to Ken Lay and cronies. Don't think sad would be the word she'd use to define his unexpectedly early death... 8-|

icuy...Yes,I feel a lot more empathy for all those thousands of employees who lost everything......According to an article I was just reading on CNN, the only thing the complainants will not be able to recover is punitive damages.Its a big mess and will doubtless take years to filter thru.

Can't they sue his estate?

In most counties, the assessed value of property is not the same as the market value. In some counties, the assessed valued ---that you are taxed on---is less than half of the market value. That situation is less and less common, though.

In Texas there are many county websites that will allow you to look up property tax information by address, ID, or owner name. Sites vary, but usually the assessed value and the tax bill is listed, along with sale history (dates) and deed numbers. In many counties, the sale date lists the recorded sale price, the square footage of the home, amenities (pool, fp, etc.), and rates the construction quality of the building (fair, poor, good, average, excellent).

Go to this webpage and look at some values in counties you're considering:

http://www.traviscad.org/rellinks.htm

And a single call to a realtor's office in any of the areas you're interested in will give you the millage rate of the county, municipality, city, etc. Make sure you get all the rates.

I'm surprised at the high taxes in Texas! Florida has high property taxes, but no state income tax. Does TX have an income tax?

My house cost 150k and I pay 3600.00 in Collin Co taxes (Sachse)
I honestly don't 'get' the issue with taxes from outsiders.
I mean the cost of housing is sooooo cheap compared to many cities and there is no state income tax, so isn't it pretty well a wash?
I do understand people who live here complaining about property tax, because people on fixed incomes, like my Mom get eaten up by these taxes. Her house has been paid off for years yet her tax payments continue to grow, just like rent!

GT....Yes, according to the lead attorney of the firm that is handling either the class action or simply the majority of the suits: the only thing that will change is the "punitive" damages.Actual damamges can be pursued.And will be.But there is so much to it.Apparanelty different sources, including various courts, are seeking payment from both Skilling and now Lay's estate, payments for this payments for that.Very very complicated.

If you access realtor.com and search the different areas of Houston and Dallas, many times in the profile the school district and approximate annual tax amount is listed.

I agree with TxTravelPro. We have no state income tax in Texas, so the property taxes really aren't that bad by comparison. And, our housing values are still reasonable, so you can get a nice house for what a toolshed would cost in many other cities. We've always escrowed our taxes and insurance into the monthly payments, and we never had a problem affording to be homeowners.

What line of work are you and your fiancee in? Dallas and Houston have different economies, so your profession may dictate where you move. Houston's economy is more blue-collar and petrochemicals, while Dallas is more high-tech and banking. (Of course, those are generalizations...YMMV.)

Keep in mind, too, that the school district will also influence home prices. Dallas ISD is generally bad, so homes in DISD will usually be less than those in better-rated suburban school districts.

If you decide on Houston, you should find lower tax rate inside Harris County and inside City of Houston, compared to suburbs in other cities and counties.

Since you mention good school, let me recommend one area you may want to consider. I have relatives who live there, and one of my colleagues (a young doctor) also purchased his first home there. The zip code is 77096 in the SW Houston in the Meyerland area. While it is not in the City of Bellaire (much more expensive houses and higher tax rate), <b>part of it</b> is zoned to the excellent Bellaire HS, one of the top public HS in the country. Make sure you check the zones.

There are still single family houses in that zip code for $200K. Definitely 40-50yr houses, but many are pretty well kept and should require minimal refurbishment to move in. And if you work in Downtown, Galleria or Medical Center, the commute is really really short in Houston standard. &lt;20minutes to all 3 major employment, shopping and dining area.

I live in Austin and my property taxes are 2.8% of the appraised value of my home. Property taxes are high in TX, but we don't have a state income tax.

there's usually a trade-off of that kind somewhere in order to fund public schools. Except in AL, where the property taxes are the lowest and schools are funded with them mostly locally.

would you not feel some concern over the changing characteristics of the gulf of mexico.... higher temperatures and increasing numbers of hurricanes and intensity/impact on coastal cities when considering a move to houston?
i was a child in a houston high rise when hurricane carla hit. (early 1960s??) it was scary. i couldn't imagine why, in a city where you couldn't even see the coastal water, how a hurricane could have such an impact. i've learned a lot since that time, probably as we all have, with the increase in # and intensity of storms hitting florida and now new orleans. hmmm.

my cousin (born and raised in texas) has lived last 20 yrs in a pleasant houston proper neighborhood on maroneal, has youngish children, for whom she cares intensely about quality of education. i would be willing to field specific questions her way if you like.
a grad of UT at austin, i must side with austin traveler. austin is unarguably the best town in texas if you are not conservative, which describes me pretty well.
corwin

Most parts of the Houston metropolitan is at least 30-40 miles away from the Gulf Coast, and many areas are not prone to flooding. You just need to choose the area more carefully.

Hurricanes do not kill that many people in normal circumstances in cities that far off the coast. And people can die anywhere - for example, Dallas is much more likely to see tornadoes than Houston.

Getting back to the questions at hand.

1. Property tax rates are higher than other states, but that is offset by lack of state income tax. Property taxes will be an issue regardless of where you live in the state.

2. Hopefully, because of property tax reform, rates should go down. It is possible housing values will rise since payments will be lower.

3. Go to www.har.com (Houston Association of Realtors) to research neighborhoods. It can give you a good idea as to home prices in each area.

4. www.hcad.org (Harris County Appraisal District) can show you tax bills for any house in Harris County.

5. My experience in Houston is at current rates, assuming 5% down; total monthly payment (principal, interest, taxes and insurance) is around %1 of the purchase price. That may fluctuate +/- .1%, but it is a reasonable guideline.

6. As for Dallas or Houston, that is up to you. I was raised in Houston, went to school in Austin, and now live in Houston. Spent some serious time in both Dallas and San Antonio. I like it here. My wife is from Austin, went to school at Rice, and will not leave. It just fits us.

7. I have never had a problem with flooding. I do not live in a flood plain. Since Allison, there has been a lot of work with the watershed to improve drainage. When you look at a house, the disclosure will tell you whether it is in a flood plain. If it is, run away.

8. Choosing a neighborhood to consider depends on where you will be working. Worst thing you could do is buy a house in Clear Lake City, then work in Conroe. The suburban neighborhoods (Kingwood, First Colony, The Woodlands) are all good places for first time buyers. I know several people who are buying in Spring Shadows Ranch down near Pearland.

9. Isn't it curious that this person has only one post, and it starts the ever popular Hosuton vs. Dallas debate.

What is this Dallas-Houston thing? I had a business meeting in Galveston and two people I had lunch with were from Dallas and Houston and they were making snide comments left and right...I live in Ohio and sometimes you hear about the rvivalries between the three C's (Cincy, Cleveland, Columbus)but nothing on the scale of Hou-Dal...except for football.. if one is better than the other then I would like to hear why. I would be able to appreciate it more since I was in both cities 2 weeks ago.

Well subzero, now I'm suspicious of you for sure. Your first post here and you got great answers to all your questions but now you want to dredge up the Houston vs. Dallas crap.

If you're really interested, just do a search here and you'll see endless posts on the subject. I hope nobody bites and turns this post into yet another one about how much better Dallas is than Houston or vice versa.

I'm a northerner. Just curious. Not meaning to start anything. It is just that i have never heard of serious city rivalries before outside of football....

See Sperling's Best Places, The Tax Foundation and Retirement Living web sites for comparative tax data by state.
Some states such as Texas have no state income tax, and apparently the property taxes are getting higher than they used to be. Some states have not supported public schools in the past, and most people send their children to private schools because the public schools are of poor quality. Add up all the likely taxes, fees and school tuition you would pay to live in a certain area. Remember to consider the cost of property insurance in your chosen area. I would imagine it is high in Houston due to the hurricane/flooding exposure.

Topping for Traveler... who posted a similar question.