poconnor

Homeownership is one of the  biggest financial commitments  most Americans will make in their lives. Owning a home is not only part of the traditional “American dream,” it also can be a smart investment, as real estate prices tend to go up over time. In order to sell your home for a substantial profit, however, you have to protect your investment so that it will remain marketable. Taking preventative measures to maintain your real estate on a regular basis will keep it looking and functioning properly, and can also potentially spare you unnecessary maintenance or repair costs. Follow these tips for safeguarding your house against weather-related damage. CHECK FOR INTERIOR LEAKS AND SCHEDULE AN EXTERIOR CLEANING AFTER RAINSTORMS After a rainstorm, check for indications of leaks such as water stains and mold growth. If you see  such signs , don’t delay calling a repairman. The problem will only get worse if you don’t fix it, and could result in more expensive damage t...

Texas may not be the most expensive city to live in. In fact, Texas real estate rather has very high demand nowadays. We owe this to the millennials who are looking to invest in their own  real estate properties . But Texas lately had problems with their property tax. Some states like the state of California do have higher income and sales taxes. However Texas still has a higher property tax compared to California. That’s because California is protected by a law that limits the annual tax rate increase. Currently, California only allows up to a 2% increase based on the value of the property. Meanwhile in Texas, property appraisals  have reached 10% . ANNUAL INCREASE LIMIT The current cap for the annual increase is 8%. If a taxing unit raises more than 8% of the property tax revenue of the previous year, voters can file a petition. This election can help roll back the increase. But there are some taxing units such as community colleges that levy property taxes. Th...

Budgets are important to keep a town, city, state, or nation progressive. Places that have higher tax rates are expected to have a better way of life. But who creates these budgets? Do taxpayers have a say on the budget created by governing bodies? Does the  Reformed Property Code  of Texas change the way the Adoption of Budget goes? ADOPTION OF BUDGET Adoption of Budget is the formal process where a governing body approves a budget. Besides cities and states, businesses also adopt a budget. This is to ensure they can maintain their facilities and services. For example, the state of Texas has a budget meant for building and maintaining public infrastructure. But where do they get the money? The government’s budget comes from us, the taxpayers. It comes from the annual tax we pay—from property, income, and product taxes. The governing body of the state of Texas has a formal process to come up with the budget. This happens every year and is done at a certain po...