When buying a home, property taxes are one of the expenses that can make a significant difference in your monthly payment. Do you know how much you might pay for property taxes in your area or the area you want to relocate to?
Get the Details on Texas Property Taxes
When applying for a mortgage, you’ll see one of two acronyms in your paperwork—P&I or PITI—depending on whether you’re including your taxes in your mortgage payment, thus creating an escrow account.
- P&I stands for Principal and Interest. Both are parts of your monthly mortgage payment that go toward paying off the loan you borrow.
- PITI stands for Principal, Interest, Taxes, and Insurance. These are all important factors to calculate when you want to determine the cost of your new home. In this case, the lender collects money to pay future taxes and insurance when they become due. This is commonly known as an escrow account.
Property Taxes and New Construction
If you’re buying new construction, understand the basis of your taxes for the first year. Often, the tax is based on unimproved property, which is land only, before construction. This can create a shortage in your escrow account, and the lender will increase your payments to make up for the shortage. This oversight alone has forced home buyers into financial problems with catastrophic results, even foreclosure. Don’t let this sneak up on you! That’s another reason you need an experienced real estate professional (shameless plug, hire us 🙂.
All States Property Tax Rates
TaxRates.org defines property taxes as,
“A municipal tax levied by counties, cities, or special tax districts on most types of real estate – including homes, businesses, and parcels of land. The amount of property tax owed depends on the appraised fair market value of the property, as determined by the property tax assessor.”
It shows you tax rates by state. This organization also provides a map showing annual property taxes by state from lowest to highest. The numbers are reflected as a percentage of median home value.
The top 5 states with the highest median property taxes are New Jersey, New Hampshire, Texas, Nebraska, and Wisconsin. The states with the lowest median property taxes are Louisiana, Hawaii, Alabama, and Delaware, followed by the District of Columbia.
Want to know more? Look at the details from the Collin County Tax Assessor, Denton County Tax Assessor, and Dallas County Tax Assessor.
Conclusion
Property taxes can have a big impact on your monthly payment. Make sure your estimated taxes will fall within your desired budget. We can help! Let’s get together to determine how the neighborhood you choose can make a difference in your overall costs when buying a home.
Here’s a related story about Texas property taxes
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