Talked to my UPS driver yesterday. I think I told you guys he sold his house and now he is looking for another home. He has made several offers, all over the asking price and lost to someone else. He said he was living in an RV park with his wife and 2 kids. This is a 'new this year' RV park. It is full. He said most everyone in there are families looking for homes but have been unable to buy one. A lot of out of state people are coming in from states where the housing was overpriced (California/New York) so they are offering obscene amounts of money for unseen property. He told me he was waiting for a call on a house he bid on that he offered $15,000 over asking for a $490,000 bid. It is only 2500 square feet. Insanity has taken over the real estate market in Texas! I have less than $300,000 invested in a 2700 sq. ft. house on a 107 acre farm, I don't want to think what it is worth, crazy! I am land poor! (Old Texas saying for someone who has land they won't sell that is worth more than all other assets.)
JWilsonphoto wrote:
Don't say that too loud Ray, the county tax assessor is listening...........................
Yeah. Our state administration told Bell County Tax Appraisal District 2 years ago they were too low on their ag exemptions and they should raise them. (Land used for Texas agriculture is taxed on it's productivity value, i.e. it is taxed at a percentage of the potential value for the price of the crops raised.). Thus my ag taxes on our land went up 50%. Thankfully my home value is frozen thanks to my age, and my rates are the same. The issue I have is half of my house is 140 years old. They don't care, they go by the size. They also appraised the 107 acres at a ridiculous $6500/acre. That is not a fight for me because I have the ag exemption. Even though I have a minimal impact from this craziness, things are ridiculous now.
School districts, cities and counties are getting ridiculous amounts of income from the new appraisals. Some entities in Bell County have lowered their tax rates to give some relief to the taxpayer. The school districts are not. They have to budget their annual income based on expected taxes and have to spend all of this new found money. I guess there will be a lot of school bonds paid off early in the next couple of years. Of course, I am sure this new found money will make its way to new coliseums for football vs teacher pay. We have our priorities.
The other inflationary factor is home insurance. With the price of building materials escalating at Jimmy Carter inflationary rates I have to raise my insurance value for home replacement and contents. That is a big hit for a retired guy. Should have kept the home smaller, but there would be no room for grandkids.
Talked to my UPS driver yesterday. I think I told you guys he sold his house and now he is looking for another home. He has made several offers, all over the asking price and lost to someone else. He said he was living in an RV park with his wife and 2 kids. This is a 'new this year' RV park. It is full. He said most everyone in there are families looking for homes but have been unable to buy one. A lot of out of state people are coming in from states where the housing was overpriced (California/New York) so they are offering obscene amounts of money for unseen property. He told me he was waiting for a call on a house he bid on that he offered $15,000 over asking for a $490,000 bid. It is only 2500 square feet. Insanity has taken over the real estate market in Texas! I have less than $300,000 invested in a 2700 sq. ft. house on a 107 acre farm, I don't want to think what it is worth, crazy! I am land poor! (Old Texas saying for someone who has land they won't sell that is worth more than all other assets.)
Ray, the housing market here in my area is INSANE!!!! Huge bidding wars for available homes!!! tens of thousands of denaro above asking prices!!!! No questions asked!!!!!
Now real estate taxes....rising like the price of gas!!!!!!! Seniors used to get a credit if you were over a certain age and your income was below a certain level.
Well with all the "social welfare funding" the County is hurting!! Sooooo, what do they do Cancel the Senior tax credits and raise the real estate tax to a really absurd rate!!!!
I knew it would happen! Someone has to pay for all the "free stuff"!!!!!!!
House insurance? We are the original owners and my June home insurance went up 400% since we moved in(2002). Yes I do expect replacement costs to rise but geez..no claims in 19 years and 400% increase( over the years)
Thank you Allstate! Your hand is indeed in my wallet!!!
Now you guyz have GOT to stop talking about BBQ!!!!!!
Maryland has very few good BBQ places and I am dying for some. As is Suzanne!!!!
I think Douglas and I need a "road trip" to Texas!!!
Danpbphoto wrote:
Ray, the housing market here in my area is INSANE!!!! Huge bidding wars for available homes!!! tens of thousands of denaro above asking prices!!!! No questions asked!!!!!
Now real estate taxes....rising like the price of gas!!!!!!! Seniors used to get a credit if you were over a certain age and your income was below a certain level.
Well with all the "social welfare funding" the County is hurting!! Sooooo, what do they do Cancel the Senior tax credits and raise the real estate tax to a really absurd rate!!!!
I knew it would happen! Someone has to pay for all the "free stuff"!!!!!!!
House insurance? We are the original owners and my June home insurance went up 400% since we moved in(2002). Yes I do expect replacement costs to rise but geez..no claims in 19 years and 400% increase( over the years)
Thank you Allstate! Your hand is indeed in my wallet!!!
Now you guyz have GOT to stop talking about BBQ!!!!!!
Maryland has very few good BBQ places and I am dying for some. As is Suzanne!!!!
I think Douglas and I need a "road trip" to Texas!!!
Danpbphoto wrote:
There are 5 or 6 good BBQ places in Texas where you can stand in line for 4 hours before you are seated or served. The great thing about Texas BBQ is there are 1000's of BBQ places just as good with no waiting. But the best is always cooked at home. Come on down!
Talked to my UPS driver yesterday. I think I told you guys he sold his house and now he is looking for another home. He has made several offers, all over the asking price and lost to someone else. He said he was living in an RV park with his wife and 2 kids. This is a 'new this year' RV park. It is full. He said most everyone in there are families looking for homes but have been unable to buy one. A lot of out of state people are coming in from states where the housing was overpriced (California/New York) so they are offering obscene amounts of money for unseen property. He told me he was waiting for a call on a house he bid on that he offered $15,000 over asking for a $490,000 bid. It is only 2500 square feet. Insanity has taken over the real estate market in Texas! I have less than $300,000 invested in a 2700 sq. ft. house on a 107 acre farm, I don't want to think what it is worth, crazy! I am land poor! (Old Texas saying for someone who has land they won't sell that is worth more than all other assets.)
It's the same over here Ray, my apartment is 72 square meters that's about 780 square feet.
I have a four room apartment.
I bought that just before we went to the Euro, for 220.000 Dutch guilders about 99.000 euro's
That's about 120.426 $ that was in 2000
It has just been appraised for 185.000 Euro's that's 225.039$, so because of the madness the current house market is in Ill make a profit of about 104.613 $ crazy right?
So if someone makes a higher offer i will have almost 100% profit.
So it will stay like this if they don't build any new homes.
Jan-Arie wrote:
It's the same over here Ray, my apartment is 72 square meters that's about 780 square feet.
I have a four room apartment.
I bought that just before we went to the Euro, for 220.000 Dutch guilders about 99.000 euro's
That's about 120.426 $ that was in 2000
It has just been appraised for 185.000 Euro's that's 225.039$, so because of the madness the current house market is in Ill make a profit of about 104.613 $ crazy right?
So if someone makes a higher offer i will have almost 100% profit.
So it will stay like this if they don't build any new homes.
JR just dropped by with something special. He had a Winchester lever action rifle (scarce as hen's teeth) restored for me and the gunsmith finished it up earlier this week. Apparently he had one of his gun collectors scouring the universe for it, then took it to a very sought after firearm restoration artist for a complete restoration. The rifle is a work of art! I'm going to photograph it when I have time to do it correctly. After holding it this afternoon, I really don't believe I'll ever shoot it, seems like it should go in a display case at HQ actually, it's simply beautiful.
Ray Swindle wrote:
Man, we could take you on a BBQ tour and never run out of great spots to eat. Jan Arie, didn't I take you to "The Hard Eight" when you were here last? Their BBQ is very good, side are "meh". Hutchin's in McKinney is good, I've had that catered to a couple of our AFW Thursday get togethers at HQ. There are a couple of spots between here and AFW that have incredible ribs. The Hard Eight has a pork chop that tastes like filet ($30) and is about 3 inches thick. I think a couple of MA2A AFW attendees had those at one time or another. I know Erich Linder has eaten at The Hard Eight at least once. Last year we changed it up and took everyone to Babe's Fried Chicken, the chicken is unmatched and the sides match the chicken..............Show more →
Austin has "Salt Lick", which is legendary BBQ, but BBQ is a very subjective thing. Salt Lick is, to me, was like liking a salt block, not my favorite. Glenn and I meet up at Rudy's whenever I'm in town and it's good and now we have Rudy's all over Texas, one is a couple of blocks from our house in Allen. Dickey's is Texas born, but they have begun to franchise, Chandler and I eat at one outside of San Diego when we go to El Centro. Dickey's is pretty good overall. So, you can see how easy it would be to OD on Texas BBQ...................although I personally don't think that is possible................
Danpbphoto wrote: ..gud un Douglas!!!
I spent some time at Ft Hood in my military days and part of the 1st Cavalry Div Association-75th Rangers Assoc for reunions...but that is it!
I..we ...need to go down and visit, eat and shoot!!!!
Dan
For Dan...did they have the horse soldier Honor Guard when you were there? They really look cool. I do my medical and ID cards at Ft. Hood, 40 minutes away.
Anyone noticed that we are about 50,000 views away from 8 million? Amazing! We've lost a few, but as the song says.........."too few to mention".....................
Cancel the Senior tax credits and raise the real estate tax to a really absurd rate!!!!
