Berkeley CSUA MOTD:Entry 32716
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2025/07/09 [General] UID:1000 Activity:popular
7/9     

2004/8/5 [Reference/RealEstate, Reference/Tax] UID:32716 Activity:high
8/5     Berkeley homeowners:  what are the bad things about owning
        in Berkeley?            -brain
        \_ I have some friendss whose property splits thhe oakland/berkeley
           border, which made them happy because they could get a number of
           permits cheaper in oakland. --scotsman
           \_ your friends should be happy, nay, *proud*, to pay the higher
              berkeley fees because those fees support the community.
        \_ Socialism.
        \_ You can't rent it out without dealing with the
           city rent control board.
        \_ Anyone live near the N. Berkeley BART station? How do you like
           your neighborhood? We're thinking of buying there, within a few
           blocks (walking distance). Thoughts?
           \_ n berkeley is great, by n berkeley bart
           \_ Used to rent a few blocks east of there.  Nice neighborhood but
              busses and emergency vehicles favor taking MLK to I wouldn't
              want to buy a place on MLK or Sacramento.
        \_ Property taxes are thousands more per year than neighboring cities.
           \_ 1.8%/year, versus 1.2% in many other cities.  This adds $50/month
              This is based on the figure that mortgage,taxes, insurance and
              maintainance run you about $750/mo/100k
              per $100,000 your house costs over neighboring cities.  So a
              house in Berkeley is about 7% more expensive to own than a
              house that has the same price but is in a different city.
              \_ A $500,000 house will cost $3000 more per year in
                 property tax. This is significant. What do you get for
                 the extra money?
                 \_ Probably the biggest thing is public schools; Berkeley's
                    one of the better districts in the state, Oakland's one
                    of the worst.
                 \_ wildly inflated profits when your house appreciates? - danh
                    \_ does berkeley house prices appreciate faster than
                       the surrounding cities?
                 \_ A cable-access show where a bunch of hippie retards do
                    naked interprative dance and show off their wrinkles.
                    \_ I could do without http://www.eroplay.com
                       too. - danh
                 \_ What's your point?  If you can afford a half million
                    dollar house, you shouldn't complain about paying extra
                    $3k in property tax.  We should have a graduated property
                    tax schedule so that expensive houses pay a higher rate
                    of property tax.
                    \_ not necessarily, some people might have come across
                       a large wad of cash (inheritance for instance) but
                       do not have a high income.
                       \_ The homebuyer should know how much property tax
                          is owed for the house and should plan according.
                          If he spends his windfall in one wad and does not
                          plan for taxes, insurance, and other fees, then
                          he's an idiot.
                                \_ Hey asshole: maybe the homeowner did
                                   plan for taxes. The question was what
                                   sucks about Berkeley. Paying more taxes
                                   sucks. STFU.
                                   \_ If you planned for the higher tax, then
                                      you shouldn't complain you can't afford
                                      to pay it.  Buy a cheaper house, or buy
                                      it in another city than Berkeley, if you
                                      can't afford the tax here.
                          \_ This is the most stupid reply I've seen,
                             I mean really, STFU. -!op.
                             \_ I take it you're another selfish property
                                owner who doesn't want to pay his fair share?
                                But you'll vote Kerry and go to bed at night
                                with a clear conscience  because you've done
                                your share for democracy.  You make me sick.
                                \_ I agree.  Vote Bush!
                                \_ Ermm.   what does Kerry have to do with
                                   local property taxes?
                     \_ The point is that its $3K less in the city next
                        door. What am I getting for that extra money? By
                        the way, why the hell should more expensive houses
                        pay a higher % of property tax? Property tax is
                        beautiful in that it is FLAT. People pay more if
                        they buy a more expensive place. Why raise the RATE?
                        \_ Because it would be *fair*, the same way the
                           regular income tax is graduated, despite what some
                           Republican zealots would like to do otherwise.
                           Those who have more money, who can afford the big
                           expensive houses, should pay their fair share to
                           maintain the community.  Instead of making the
                           poor family who can barely pay the mortgage for a
                           broken down house in marginal neighborhood pay
                           more taxes, why not make the fat cat who can
                           afford it pay more?  Sounds reasonable to me.
                                \_ Fair share? The most fair system is
                                   the same tax rate, be it the income
                                   tax or the property tax. With
                                   income tax, people who makes more
                                   have the luxury (most of the time)
                                   to pay a slightly higher tax rate.
                                   With property tax, most home owners
                                   in the bay area do not have the
                                   luxury to pay a higher property tax
                                   rate. Ask most working family in
                                   the bay area, do they have extra
                                   10k to burn on property tax each
                                   year? This has nothing to do with
                                   fairness. I worked hard to save up
                                   the money to buy the house while at
                                   the same time paying my share of
                                   taxes. With income tax, we are
                                   talking about the top 1%, with
                                   property tax, you are talking about
                                   50% of the home owners (higher than
                                   the medium price). With income tax,
                                   you only pay when you make money,
                                   with property tax, you pay no
                                   matter what. Do you think it's fair
                                   that older people who have worked
                                   all their life has to move out of
                                   their homes into a dirty shit area
                                   because now they cannot pay the
                                   higher property tax rate you
                                   proposed? And what does this have to
                                   do with Kerry or Bush you troll?
                        \_ Actually, in CA property tax is largely regressive.
                           Because of Prop 13 the peopel who bought their
                           houses earlier are paying tax on a price far below
                           market value.  They are paying a lower tax rate
                           even though they have seen more appreciation and
                           have more equity than a recent buyer.  There are
                           legitimate public-policy reasons for progressive
                           taxation, and instituting it in property taxes would
                           not necessarily raise the average rate, though it
                           *would* raise it for people with more expensive
                           houses.
                           poor family who can barely pay the mortgage for a
                           broken down house in marginal neighborhood pay
                           more taxes, why not make the fat cat who can
                           afford it pay more?  Sounds reasonable to me.
                           \_ Even better, how about we do this?  Keep the
                              property tax rate as it is for houses under
                              some kind of state or regional median price.
                              Have a graduated property tax schedule for
                              houses more expensive than the median, and
                              use the additional tax revenue to fund schools
                              and other projects in poorer neighborboods.
                              \_ You obviously are not a home owner.
                                 Keep dreaming.
                                 \_ I am obviously not a selfish hypocrit.
                                    \_ Have you ever lived in a poor
                                       neighborhood? Do you think more money
                                       is the solution? I for one have lived
                                       in one and a bullet is a much better
                                       solution for some of those fuckers.
                           \_ I don't like the idea of a high property tax
                              at all.  It discourages savings.  It
                              discourages home ownership.  It forces people
                              to work forever.  For instance, I have a
                              good job and is earning big bucks, and
                              already bought a nice home.  Now I want to
                              devote the last 5 years of my working life
                              to charity work, but can't because I want
                              to keep my house but charity work job pays
                              very little and high property tax would be
                              a big hit.  High property tax is also bad
                              for older people and retirees who labored
                              all their life and should now enjoy the
                              fruits of their labor in the form of a
                              nice house.  A home is important part of
                              one's life and highly illiquid in that one
                              can't just move on a whim; but life circum-
                              stances changes, and a high property tax
                              (a recurring cost) would force people to move
                              when they suffer a bad break.  I don't mind
                              a graduated income tax and inheritance tax,
                              but property tax should be low (we are
                              already taxing rent income).
                              \_ You have no right to save money.  You have
                                 no right to live in a nice house.  You have
                                 no right to stop working when you can't
                                 afford to.
                              \_ Very well said, thank you!
                              \_ I don't think it's a good idea to just tax
                                 income and leave assets (like a house)
                                 un-taxable.  Your house needs police and fire
                                 protection whether or not you are retired, and
                                 I think you'd still like schools to run and
                                 roads to be repaired irrespective of how many
                                 of the homeowners are working.  For people
                                 who are retired or in your situation, there is
                                 something called a "reverse mortgage".  In any
                                 case, you still need money for food and
                                 clothes, so you should just budget for your
                                 property taxes too.
                           \_ I don't think housing price necessarily
                              reflects the income level. If you really
                              want the fat cats to pay more, then
                              increase income tax on the rich people.
                              Housing price reflects more than just the
                              income level, it reflects years of hard
                              working, saving up, sacrifice, family
                              contribution, etc. People should not be
                              punished for that. If you and I make the
                              same amount but I saved more than you do
                              and I bought a more expensive house, then
                              why should I cover your share? Home is not
                              a luxury, it is a necessarily.
                              \_ A house is a necessity, but a $750k house is
                                 a luxury.
                              \_ Your 1500 sq. foot half million dollar house
                                 in Berkeley is certainly a luxury and not a
                                 necessity.  Come back to me with that
                                 necessity line when you're in a 10' x 10' hut.

                                 \_ WTF? Can you find ANY DECENT HOUSE under
                                    half a million now a days? shut the fuck up!
        \_ Berkeley Hills homes are very nice.  You just have to worry about
           hill fire.
2025/07/09 [General] UID:1000 Activity:popular
7/9     

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