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Blogging to you from the Northeastern Badlands of The County of Lake, in the state currently known as Fatmanistan, DEEP DEEP DEEP DEEP DEEP inside the heartland of the Banana Republic formerly known as the USA, WELCOME TO THE NEXT CHAPTER! WARNING! ALL FORMS OF SOCIAL MEDIA ARE ADDICTIVE; EXCESSIVE USE MAY LEAD TO MENTAL HEALTH DISORDERS, REDUCED JOB PRODUCTIVITY, INSOMNIA, SOCIAL ALIENATION, GENITAL ULCERS, BLINDNESS, POLITICAL EROTICISM, AND / OR DEVIANT FUNAMBULISM. NOTICE: NO GUNS OR AMMUNITION ARE FOR SALE VIA THIS BLOG. (No, I will not trade my Colt Python for some lubricious adventures with your trophy wife and a future first-round draft pick.) CAVEAT: This blog is not suitable for viewing while at work, while inside a public library, while inside any public or private school, or while inside any public or private restroom. Do not view this blog while driving a motor vehicle or while piloting an aircraft. Viewing this blog may be illegal inside the EU, NYC, Chicago, Seattle, and other parts of the Third World. THIS BLOG CONTAINS (albeit often very childish) ADULT-CONTENT. DISCLAIMER: This blog is a hobby, it is not a livelihood. Even though much of what I blog about relates to firearms collecting and recreational shooting, I am not an expert (by any measure) on any facet of guns, shooting, hunting, or personal defense. Entries at this blog are akin to good old-fashioned campfire chats or post hunt bourbon-fueled barroom-bluster; I offer no opinion on what you should or should not purchase, or what you should be using or doing. What does or does not work for me could be rugged-country-miles away from your tastes and your needs. All products, places, and miscellany that I review for this blog are purchased / rented / leased at retail price by me. I do not accept payment, gifts, discounts, freebies, products on loan, distilled spirits, recreational pharmaceuticals, plea-bargains, probation, parole, Papal Blessings, Presidential Pardons, or sexual favors for doing any review or blog post. TRACKING COOKIES: Google et al stick tracking cookies on everybody. If you are online, you are being spied on via one method or another, for one reason or another; 'nuff said. You may be able to minimize your online DNA residue by using Tor and Duck Duck Go. Vive la liberté! Vive all y'all! Ante omnia armari. To each of you, thanks for stopping by!

Tuesday, February 22, 2011

11% of American houses are vacant; that comes as no surprise to those living in Lake County, Illinois

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It is a sad fact that 11 of every 100 U.S. houses are empty. It is hard for folks to qualify for loans and many people are saddled with credit card debts that may be decades old. However, I am here to tell you that property taxes are a big part of the reason why homes are not selling and are why many folks are losing their homes. Property taxes have long been the cash cow used to fund schools and local governments, and they just will not quit milking the source.

Lake County not only has the highest taxes in the State of Illinois, we pay the highest taxes in all of the Midwest and rank #16 nationally (Forbes, 2010). The Lake County Board brags that their budget is balanced, but they do it on the backs of the homeowners by using unrealistic valuations. My 3-bedroom home is taxed on a market value of $330,000 (I pay over $9,000 property taxes a year, along with $400 for homeowner association dues), but a larger 4-bedroom home down the street is expected to go at auction for less than $150,000. No houses are selling for anywhere near the assessed value. We are being taxed out of our homes and all potential buyers are ever leery of the tax burden they will incur. Further still, many homeowner associations (ours included) have adopted “no rent” bylaws, which discourages investment purchases. If you are looking for a place to live, I cannot recommend Lake County, Illinois. I have been in this house for almost a dozen years and would never have bought if I knew the taxes would balloon to where they are.

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By at

4 comments:

  1. RuthFebruary 22, 2011 at 4:01 PM

    When we were looking for a house last year we paid very close attention to not only the taxes currently paid on the house, but where the rates where going in the area as well. I can't imagine we're the only ones!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Z@XFebruary 22, 2011 at 5:47 PM

    This house (and the entire subdivision) was brand new when I bought it, so there was no tax history. The sales agent may have not been truthful when I asked what the taxes were going to be; I should have checked with the assessor.

    ReplyDelete
  3. RuthFebruary 22, 2011 at 9:46 PM

    That would make it harder to track! But I can understand the attraction of new too. Course, the HOA would have been a turnoff for me anyways, I have authority issues....

    ReplyDelete
  4. Arthur B. BurnettFebruary 23, 2011 at 4:05 AM

    Greetings from Texas,
    I am grateful Helene and I found this place when we did, land prices here have gone crazy since. Taxes would be a real pain if it weren't for the gardens and Chickens and Rabbits. Because we sell these products, we are a farm, even if my family in the panhandle can't think of anything less than a section as more than a garden.

    ReplyDelete

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