We just got our new tax assessment for our home.

[Skidmore]

Our property value just increased by $14,000...boom! Our neighbor's went up $68,000.

This is in a village of 204 people and in a rural county.

[paparush]

1. Wow! Can you share your state? Region? County? Just curious...

[Skidmore]

2. We're in east central Iowa.

About half hour west of the Iowa City area.

[SharonAnn]

4. Ooh, not to far from my hometown of Waterloo! Go, Hawkeyes!

[havocmom]

3. Sounds like what is happening in areas of Montana

Trust-funders moving here and driving a big jump in prices. Then, they find out Montana comes with some inconveniences they didn't have in California or Colorado. They want those fixed and they want the same comfy infrastructure they grew up with. Counties need $$ to address the growing populations and growing expectations.

Sad thing is lots of older folks who always lived frugally are facing tax hikes they can't afford on old home they have long since scrimped to pay off.

Wages here still suck, but boy, we got expectations to deal with and infrastructure additions we need to make so land developers can keep making a killing while not passing on the real costs to new home buyers.

The Last Best Place is long gone :cry:

[Township75]

5. People in Pittsburgh complain about that stuff all the time too

and I say, you want good teachers, you want good schools, you want heath care, WELL THEN PAY FOR IT!

Unfortunately, they would vote for it, but then they fled when they got the bill to the neighboring counties and their lower property taxes. Now the Pittsburgh schools suck as does the infrastructure.

I am glad you didn't say anything about leaving. I hope you look at it as a means to provide good schools, shelter for the homeless, and hope for the poor. We need to do our part.