Every now and then I check out the Extreme Makeover Home show where people are blessed with home repairs, and sometimes complete rebuilds, due to life situations they cannot handle. It’s hard to not look at the completed homes through the eyes of a real estate agent. Most of the time the homes are double or triple the size of the old home, and I have to wonder, who is going to pay the taxes on these homes once the county assessor gets wind of the increased square footage, and reassesses the property taxes. The home owners have not increased their incomes, so it must come as a shock when the tax bill arrives.
Imagine sitting in your new home, thinking finally that everything is going to be ok. You have a chance at making everything work out. Then you go through your mail, reading the most recent bills. Not only has your energy bill gone up two fold, but now your taxes have gone from $600 per year to $3000. Maybe this new home isn’t so great after all. Amazingly, I am surprised that no one thought of these catches when they let these homes be built.
Well, it looks like a few of these Extreme Homes are going on the market. One couple is down sizing since some of the kids have moved out, and a few others cannot afford the higher taxes. Check out the two homes that are currently on the market, one in Atlanta, the other in Idaho. I wish them all the best with a successful sale of their homes. Too bad they could not stay in them longer then three years.
