Real Estate Information Archive

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If you’re a military member or veteran in the market for a VA Home loan, there are two basic things you need in order to get the process moving. One is your basic eligibility for the VA mortgage it self, the other is how much of that entitlement you have coming. First time home buyers with enough time in the service to qualify for a VA mortgage don’t have any worries when it comes to the entitlement issue; if you have never used your VA loan benefits and you qualify, you have 100% of your VA loan entitlement available to you.

To start the process, you must apply for a Certificate of Eligibility from the Department of Veterans Affairs. When the VA responds to your application, they issue qualified applicants a Certificate of Eligibility telling your lender (and you) two things:

* The borrower has served in the military long enough to earn and use VA home loan benefits.
* The amount of the borrower’s entitlement to use for the VA loan.

It’s easy to assume that because you’ve served in the armed forces you’re automatically eligible for ALL the benefits offered by the Department of Veterans Affairs; the truth is that vets and active service members are eligible for VA guaranteed home loans only when they meet certain general rules:

* The applicant must have served on active duty in the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, or Coast Guard after September 15, 1940.
* The applicant must not have a dishonorable discharge.
* The applicant must have served at least 90 days or more during wartime or 181 continuous days or more during peacetime.

For most veterans on active duty today and for many who have retired or separated, the following rules also apply:

There is a two-year duty requirement for those who served

* As an enlisted member after September 7, 1980.
* As an officer after October 16, 1981.

For all who joined after these dates, VA regulations require;

* 24 continuous months of active duty military service.
* The full period for which called or ordered to active duty, but not less than 90 days (any part during wartime) or 181 continuous days during peacetime operations.

These rules mean brand-new recruits, basic trainees and recent graduates of military technical school programs are not eligible for a VA loan…yet.

New recruits and basic training graduates who want a VA home loan should begin working on their credit history between the time they join the service and the time they become eligible for a VA loan so that when the time comes the military member is completely ready to apply for a VA guaranteed mortgage.

Remember you can search for property listings in the Ann Arbor and surrounding areas by going to www.shelterquest1.com for real time MLS listings.

Well its that time of year again when we get our notice's from the local tax assessor.  The notice will contain your new tax assessment and what we can expect to pay for property taxes.  Remember you can appeal this decision if you do not agree.  Generally there will be instructions with your assessment that tell you how to sign up for to appeal initially to the local Tax Board of Review. 

I am please to announce that this past year I was notified that I would be getting back two checks for different properties that I had appealed to the State Tax Tribunal.  It should be noted that initially I did not receive any adjustments on the local level.  Initially, your case is reviewed by individuals appointed by local government that is very concerned about declining tax revenue due to declining tax values (Tax Board of Review).  No mystery here why they smile and tell you they will take your matter into consideration and then send you a denial letter once you are out of their door and confrontation range.  I have a few suggestions if you think your taxable value is higher than 50% of your market value and you want to lower your tax bill.

You will need to start by requesting a meeting with your tax board of review. This is a panel that will meet for several weeks straight following the mailing of your assessment and you need to request a time slot right away while they are convened.  Being a broker I can put together a market report showing comps or sold price data on similar properties.  I did this in the past but was unsuccessful on my appeals.   I would recommend that you spend $2-300. dollars for a formal appraisal.  The appraisal should be dated December 31st of the previous year which is the value date that your assessor is trying to establish.  Often, several of us in the community will go together and negociate a discounted price with a local appraiser for doing several appraisals at once for this purpose.  This makes the process much easier both at the local and state levels.  You now have an unbiased, third party market value opinion to present initially to the Tax board of Review and if needed, the State Tax Tribunal appeal.  I recommend this approach highly.  To start, you will make several copies (4) to supply to the local board and assessor at your first meeting which generally only last 15 minutes or less.  From my own past experience, this yields limited or no satisfaction at the local level, but you could get lucky.  You will receive an opinion from the Board of Review within a few weeks after your informal meeting along with instructions on how to appeal to the State Tax Tribunal.  Unhappy with the results?.... then don't stop and send a copy of your appraisal to the State if you disagree and then be prepared to wait up to two years for a notice from them, though you should receive a confirmation of receipt and case number within 60 days.  You can check you status online to by going to the State Web site as well.  If this is concerning your Home or principle residence, the appeal to the State is Free.  If its for investment property, then there is a $75. charge.  I have found far more receptive ears at the State level, so don't be shy about taking this final step.  

Of course there are more formal approaches involving hiring a tax attorney, but generally most people do not wish to speculate spending money on their fee's.  This is something you will need to weight vs. the potential return. 

Please call me if you have any questions or would like for me to send you some comps just to see if you should start with the appraisal route.  Remember, I got back thousands on each of my appeals to the state so think positive.  

Please scroll down and review other older posts herein for info on this and similar topics while your in this category.  

Good luck!

A Nutshell Lesson for Your 10 Minute Presentation

With our Michigan economy and money supply tight, many people are looking for financial relief. Our 2008 tax assessments have arrived and while they have provided a reprieve for many, some tax payers are scratching their heads wondering, “They say my value dropped, so how can it be that my taxes have again gone up?”

This year, the assessors and Boards of Review have been swarmed by upset tax payers looking to land one of the few available appeal appointments in the next few weeks. Some cities have limited appeal hearings to 10 minutes. My purpose in writing this is twofold: first, to help those who have a case, prepare it; second, to help those who don’t, understand why they don’t so that they don’t waste their time trying.

There is one and only one question that typically matters with a Board of Review… do the SEV(State Equalized Value) or Taxable Value exceed 50% of the market value of the property? Things that are irrelevant and not actionable by the Board of Review include: taxes going up while values are dropping; and the fact that subject property taxes are higher than taxes of neighbors, the fact that a property owner feels her taxes are excessive. Even if the taxpayer is right, it doesn’t matter. What does matter for Board of Review purposes and for a decision that will affect this year’s taxes is that the taxpayer shows their new Taxable value is greater than 50% of the market value of their Home as of the December 31^st of the prior year.

Since 1994 Michigan property taxes have had 3 values:

            SEV = assessor’s estimate of 50% of the market value of your home.

            Capped Value=  the 1994 SEV (or the SEV from the year following the most recent transfer of ownership) plus annual adjustments for cost of living (CPI, not to exceed 5% in any year).

            Taxable Value= the lesser of the SEV or Capped and the factor that is multiplied times the city’s tax rate to determine property taxes.

In the late ‘90’s we had a little tortoise and the hare action as property values and SEVs were shooting up and Capped/Taxables were plodding along behind.  We’re seeing situations today where the tortoise has gotten close or even passed the hare. We rarely saw Capped values exceed SEVs. We are starting to see that now, with declining property values pulling down SEVs and cost of living increases lifting Capped values. It is especially common where there was a recent sale and “uncapping” followed by a reduction in the SEV by the Assessor.

SEVs are adjusted by our Assessors, while our Caps are statutorily adjusted according to the Consumer Price Index (2.3% for 2008 and roughly 2-3% in recent past years).

Back to appeals

While there may be a reason we may want to reduce our SEV (i.e. in anticipation of an upcoming sale), for most taxpayers, the number of most significance is the Taxable value. The other numbers may or may not mean anything to us, but our Taxable Value is the factor that the Assessor multiplies times our tax rate to determine our property taxes. To lower my 2008 taxes, I need to demonstrate to the Assessor and Board of Review that my Taxable Value exceeds 50% of the market value of my home as it sat on December 31, 2007. Be focused. For practical purposes, Nothing Else Matters!  I recommend you get a formal appraisal dated 12/31/07 that  you can use for the board of review and later if needed for the State Tax Tribunal appeal. It makes a presentation much easier and credible. contact me if you need a referral for an appraiser providing a discount.

It doesn’t matter that I think my taxes are too high. It doesn’t matter that I pay more than my neighbor whose house is 75% larger. It doesn’t matter that my taxes went up while my value (even according to the Assessor) dropped. Basically the only way I can get my Taxable Value and/or SEV reduced is to demonstrate to the Assessor and Board of Review that my Taxable Value or SEV exceeded 50% of the market value of my home as of December 31, 2007. Again the number of most significance for a reduction of this year’s taxes is  Taxable Value. Unless I can persuade the Board of Review that my Taxable Value exceeds 50% of the market value of my home, I won’t save anything on my 2008 taxes.

Assembling and presenting your case.

As the tax payer, it is my responsibility to collect the materials and present a case (in about 5 minutes) that will convince the Board of Review that my Taxable Value and/or SEV exceed 50% of the market value of your home. Some people choose to pull together recent sold information on their own. Some hire appraisers. Many who have existing relationships with good real estate professionals call on them for help.

Keep it clear and simple.

Walk in the door with a positive attitude. Be nice. Today you are a salesperson making a sales presentation. Your job is to make it easy for the Board of Review to see and agree with your point. You only have about 5 minutes to present and a few minutes to answer questions. Focus on Value. If you are bringing comparables or other visuals, make copies so each member of the Board of Review has a copy. Keep it simple and tight. Be logical, reasonable and friendly (you are asking the same of the Board members).

If you recently purchased your home and your SEV/Taxable are higher than they should be, it is important that you appeal your assessment in the year following your purchase. By doing so, you preserve what might be the most compelling piece of evidence you have in establishing its market value… the selling price of your home. By doing so in the year following your purchase you will also establish a new starting benchmark which may affect and reduce taxes this year and all future years you live in the home.

The purchase price of a home is not conclusive in itself. We need to establish: that the home was on the open market for a period of time; that the transaction was an arms-length transaction; that the sale price is the best indication of market value as of the date of the sale; and that due to market conditions, the value of the property as of December 31^st in the preceding year had not increased since the sale.

Results from Your Hearing

Appealing taxpayers typically don’t receive an answer while at the Board of Review hearing. Different Boards may work in different ways, but most often, taxpayers present their case and leave. Board members then review and discuss the evidence behind closed doors and make a decision that is then sent to the taxpayer via mail which arrives a few weeks later with directions for appealing the Board of Review decision.

As a community service, I have posted other articels and information under the tax category heading and would suggest that you review them. There are some helpful materials to help you understand this confusing subject.

There has never been a time when homeowners were more in need of professional help from a REALTOR®.  Please feel free to contact me any time at 734-996-0000 or [email protected]

What is the difference between the Assessed Value and the Taxable Value of my Home?

Each year the Assessing Office must calculate the SEV (Assessed Value) and Taxable Value of each property for the 31st of December.  You will ususally get your new tax assessment in early March.  In determining the SEV, the assessor identifies area neighborhoods and used to use a 2 year sales study to analyze market values within each neighborhood, comparing the sale price of a property to its assessed value.  That was just changed and the new 1 year sales study period for the 2008 assessments was 04/01/06 to 03/31/07.  A review of all arms length sales within each neighborhood for the required study period is used to determine individual Assessed Values on a global scale.

The Taxable Value is the value to which the millage rate is applied, thereby determining your taxes.  The Taxable Value on the property is said to be "capped" if the property owner has not had any additions or losses on the property or did not purchase it in the preceding year.  The Taxable Value is calculated by adding the CPI or 5% (whichever is less) to the prior years Taxable Value.  Proposal A intended to put a cap on the Taxable Value of property so that taxpayers wouldn't be as affected by a strong economy and significant increases in valuation, the intention was to make changes to the Taxable Valuation more gradual by tying it to the rate of inflation.

Sales prices in my neighborhood have been decreasing.  Will my property valuation decrease as well?

If you've owned your property for a significant amount of time, it is likely that your SEV exceeds your Taxable Value.  If this is the case, a decrease in market value as determined by city sales studies, would result in a decreased assessed valuation and SEV.  The Taxable Value however, is required by the Michigan Constitution to increase each year by the rate of inflation or 5%, whichever is lower.  In the case of a long time property owner, the SEV should decrease, while the Taxable Value would increase.  The Taxable Value cannot be higher than the SEV.

How does that impact my tax bill?

Because the taxes are based on the Taxable Value rather than the SEV, even with a decrease in the SEV, the taxes could still go up.

I just bought my house.  Will the assessed value automatically be half of what I paid?

By state law, a home's Assessed Value is not half its purchase price, but half of its market value.  The study period and process identified in paragraph 1 is used to determine market values.

I feel the taxable value on my tax bill is too high.  How can I get my taxable value and amount that I pay changed?  Is there a deadline to do this?

In closing, please note:  I have a pdf download providing even more information on property taxes that you can read by clicking here.  Don't forget that you can challenge your taxable value with the assessor by writing them a short letter  or call requesting to be be heard before the tax board of review.  .  Do this right away after you get your new assessment because you do not have much time to protest.  Should the determination they mail you fail to provide the intended results, then you can ask your assessor for an appeal letter bebore the State tax tribunal.  Call me if you have more quetions.  If you need comps showing the sale price of similar properties, just drop me a note requesting them.  I would be happy to safe you money on your property taxes or otherwise.  I also have new home listings or a free market or cma reports on your existing property.

I have to say, one of the smartest investments I have ever made has been to buy residential and commercial income property.  The earlier you buy it the better.  If you are not in a position to buy property on your own, I would suggest that you get together with family or friends and form a sub-chapter S corporation or LLC to purchase larger properties using your combined credit and purchasing power. Shares, estate planning or future transfers can more easily be accomplished without having to either cash out or divest of your investment property using these company investment shells.. 

So how does one get started finding and then selecting the best property available?  I have a rental worksheet that I have used for many years to help me reduce the prospective investment property to "bottom line" numbers.  This really helps in determining which is the best property for you.  I would suggest you download the form and make several copies of it.  Use the sheet while you are in the field looking at the subject property.  Fill it out as you walk through the property, asking questions, noting how many meters are present, who pays the utilities, and confirm what the current rental rates are for the different units.  If you have questions about terms like net operating income (NOI), internal rate of return (IRR), cap rate, gross Rent multiplier (GRM), sinking funds, vacancy factors, etc. please do not hesitate to contact me .  I also converted this rental worksheet to a excel file file as well should you want to use this medium later on.

So how do you get a list of the better properties?  Just click here to search for property and I can always help you find selections that have more potential for income and equity increase.  I most often find when doing a property search that whenever you can make a change in the subject's usage, you stand to increase your equity more that others without that option.  As an example, I once purchased a 4 unit apartment building that was made up of two bedroom units having their own private laundry rooms.  I converted the laundry rooms to bedrooms and was able to offer three bedroom units for rent at a greater monthly rental rate.  I spent about $3,000. to make the conversion and increased the buildings annual income $4,800. (100/mth extra x 12 mths x 4 units).   Using a 10% cap rate, my $3000 investment increased the value of the property $48,000 (4800. x 10%) and provided an equity increase of $45,000 ($48,000 less $3,000) so a good  management adjustment planned as part of the original property investment.  The numbers before this plan were only average which is why we have two sets of numbers on the property field sheet referenced above.  Contact me for more details because it is a Great Time to Buy!