This weekend, I was sorting through my recent mail, taking out the credit card offers for the shredder, gathering tax documents so I can figure out if I owe Uncle Sam anything, and I came across a white envelope from the Arlington County Assessor’s Office. I tore through the corner and slit the end with my finger to extract the single page contained within. I unfolded the sheet to gaze at the table contained therein; it was my property assessment for my condo in Arlington. Since I bought the place in April of 2004, I’d always been worried, did I buy at the peak? Or did I get in early enough that a popping of the bubble might not kill the investment I made?
Last winter, I was not surprised to see the value of the assessed property rise from its low 1990s valuation toward my sale price, but this year’s jump in value shocked me to the core. 25%?! Really? That’s awesome! That’ll make for a great sale when the…
The gravy train in my head derailed at that moment.
This isn’t the market value. It’s the valuation for my property taxes. My mortgage payment is going up. Uh oh. Thankfully, Arlington County hasn’t set their rate of taxation yet, but in a county governed and populated by Democrats, I find it unlikely that there will be a rate decrease of any kind…
Technorati Tags: local politics, real estate
This post appeared in its original form at DC Metblogs
I live and work in the District of Columbia. I write at We Love DC, a blog I helped start, I work at Technolutionary, a company I helped start, and I’m happy doing both. I enjoy watching baseball, cooking, and gardening. I grow a mean pepper, keep a clean scorebook, and wash the dishes when I’m done. Read Why I Love DC.
