Any of you fellow homeowners receive the new assessed value of your home? Any of you have experience in challenging increases in your assessment before? Any assistance would be appreciated.
I have the basic forms and information on how to do it. But I'm looking to see how others have approached their argument for a decrease in the assessment. So far, I'm not sure we have grounds to challenge it on the basis of current real estate prices. Maybe I can only challenge it on the basis that the house needs a lot of updating. We have an outdated electrical system, a roof in need or repair, etc....
I just can't believe that our house would increase in value by $15,000 in 20 months, a little less than two years.
Janelle's Journal
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12/03/2008 15:19 #46937
House Assessments11/29/2008 10:17 #46881
HomeI enjoyed my drive to Illinois.
I spent time over beer with my good high school friends.
I've had my Steak n Shake fix.
I'm gonna go to Avantis to grab some food for the drive home.
I had fun with my family, but I also endured my family.
And now I'm ready to go home to Buffalo.
I spent time over beer with my good high school friends.
I've had my Steak n Shake fix.
I'm gonna go to Avantis to grab some food for the drive home.
I had fun with my family, but I also endured my family.
And now I'm ready to go home to Buffalo.
james - 11/29/08 16:57
"I had fun with my family, but I also endured my family.
And now I'm ready to go home to Buffalo."
amen.
"I had fun with my family, but I also endured my family.
And now I'm ready to go home to Buffalo."
amen.
11/26/2008 09:33 #46845
Thanksgiving in IllinoisWe're driving to Illinois for Thanksgiving.
This afternoon we're driving to Indianapolis and tomorrow morning we'll be up at the crack of dawn to finish the trip to Illinois.
Flying to my hometown would be more convenient and take less time, but more expense and less fun.
We'll be driving out of western New York and into the hills of Ohio. Then come the flat farmlands of Indiana and that's my first signal that we're almost home. The vast farmland stretching out as far as I can see is warm and comfortable. At this point, I put down my book I'm reading and I just watch the landscape and wide open sky go by.
In Indiana, we stop at the Amish cheese store. A little shack. With its own exit off the interstate. Every cheese imaginable. All made by the Amish. Incredibly good. We buy all the favorite cheeses for ourselves and my family.
We cross the state and eventually come to the Indiana Visitor Center at the Indiana-Illinois border. I feel nostalgic and happy when we cross the state line. We'll drive by small towns where I traveled for track meets and basketball games and marching band competitions. A nice way to spend a childhood.
We'll spend a few days in my childhood home. It feels comfortable, but new at the same time. After my time there, I'll remember why I needed to leave it behind. But I'm happy that it's a warm place to return.
This afternoon we're driving to Indianapolis and tomorrow morning we'll be up at the crack of dawn to finish the trip to Illinois.
Flying to my hometown would be more convenient and take less time, but more expense and less fun.
We'll be driving out of western New York and into the hills of Ohio. Then come the flat farmlands of Indiana and that's my first signal that we're almost home. The vast farmland stretching out as far as I can see is warm and comfortable. At this point, I put down my book I'm reading and I just watch the landscape and wide open sky go by.
In Indiana, we stop at the Amish cheese store. A little shack. With its own exit off the interstate. Every cheese imaginable. All made by the Amish. Incredibly good. We buy all the favorite cheeses for ourselves and my family.
We cross the state and eventually come to the Indiana Visitor Center at the Indiana-Illinois border. I feel nostalgic and happy when we cross the state line. We'll drive by small towns where I traveled for track meets and basketball games and marching band competitions. A nice way to spend a childhood.
We'll spend a few days in my childhood home. It feels comfortable, but new at the same time. After my time there, I'll remember why I needed to leave it behind. But I'm happy that it's a warm place to return.
mrmike - 11/26/08 10:41
I've made a similar drive a few times. Best part is since the geography is so flat you can almost see Illinois while you are still in Ohio. Hope it's a blast and you can enjoy that anticipatory feeling of "almost there" in the final few minutes of the journey.
Drive safe
I've made a similar drive a few times. Best part is since the geography is so flat you can almost see Illinois while you are still in Ohio. Hope it's a blast and you can enjoy that anticipatory feeling of "almost there" in the final few minutes of the journey.
Drive safe
drew - 11/26/08 10:17
I can't believe I forgot about the Amish cheese shop! Now I can't wait to go home!
We are going to have to drive fast, in case they close at night (which they probably do.)
Maybe we should bring a crow bar in case we have to break in.
I know some of you may be shocked but:
1. this is really good cheese.
2. they are Amish. It's not like they will shoot us. They won't even hit us.
I can't believe I forgot about the Amish cheese shop! Now I can't wait to go home!
We are going to have to drive fast, in case they close at night (which they probably do.)
Maybe we should bring a crow bar in case we have to break in.
I know some of you may be shocked but:
1. this is really good cheese.
2. they are Amish. It's not like they will shoot us. They won't even hit us.
jenks - 11/26/08 10:14
ooooh I love that part of the trip home when you're finally almost there... You get in total autopilot mode and could make it with your eyes closed.
i drove home once and surprised my parents- The anticipation for the last ten miles or so was so awesome. [until i got a *^&^% speeding ticket! I made it 500 miles, and then 3 miles from my house I get pulled over??]
I love going home. It's too bad I never get to. :(
ooooh I love that part of the trip home when you're finally almost there... You get in total autopilot mode and could make it with your eyes closed.
i drove home once and surprised my parents- The anticipation for the last ten miles or so was so awesome. [until i got a *^&^% speeding ticket! I made it 500 miles, and then 3 miles from my house I get pulled over??]
I love going home. It's too bad I never get to. :(
lauren - 11/26/08 10:09
oh janelle...this reminds me so much of my trips "home" to my birthplace...we would travel through Columbus, then to St. Louis...the mini arch that welcomes you to Missouri was always the "we're almost there" sign...flat flat flat for as far as the eye can see. Missouri (miz-er-ah) was the last stretch before reaching Oklahoma...I haven't been back there since mid-high school but i always feel a strange connection to that place, even though i only lived there for the first two years of my life.
oh and...totally jealous of your cheese store. I <3 cheese. happy thanksgiving!
oh janelle...this reminds me so much of my trips "home" to my birthplace...we would travel through Columbus, then to St. Louis...the mini arch that welcomes you to Missouri was always the "we're almost there" sign...flat flat flat for as far as the eye can see. Missouri (miz-er-ah) was the last stretch before reaching Oklahoma...I haven't been back there since mid-high school but i always feel a strange connection to that place, even though i only lived there for the first two years of my life.
oh and...totally jealous of your cheese store. I <3 cheese. happy thanksgiving!
leetee - 11/26/08 09:45
I hope you have a lovely time! :o)
I hope you have a lovely time! :o)
tinypliny - 11/26/08 09:39
I want to go home to all the pollution! :D
I want to go home to all the pollution! :D
11/09/2008 18:08 #46616
OopsI just set my hair on fire. Yikes! Singed hair smells yucky.
mike - 11/10/08 23:03
ahh singed hair is the worst. I singed my friends hair in technology class in middle school. It smelled so bad!
ahh singed hair is the worst. I singed my friends hair in technology class in middle school. It smelled so bad!
metalpeter - 11/10/08 18:04
I did that once cooking and didn't even know I singed it. When I fried chicken I would put the chicken in then and oil then heat it up. Well this time I heated up the oil and then tossed in the frozen chicken and flames shot right stright up out of the the pan. I turned the heat off and away went the fire later I noticed I burnt some Hair, I never did that again. Maybe the chicken wasn't frozen maybe it was covered in flower and seasoning I can't remember but it was scary, glad you are ok.
I did that once cooking and didn't even know I singed it. When I fried chicken I would put the chicken in then and oil then heat it up. Well this time I heated up the oil and then tossed in the frozen chicken and flames shot right stright up out of the the pan. I turned the heat off and away went the fire later I noticed I burnt some Hair, I never did that again. Maybe the chicken wasn't frozen maybe it was covered in flower and seasoning I can't remember but it was scary, glad you are ok.
mrdeadlier - 11/10/08 11:07
Typing at the computer and playing with fire are not apparently two great tastes that taste great together.
Typing at the computer and playing with fire are not apparently two great tastes that taste great together.
tinypliny - 11/09/08 18:59
Yikes. I hate singed hair smell as well. I once singed both my eyebrows blowing a glass vase. The upshot of that was everyone called me Mona Lisa for a couple months afterwards.
Yikes. I hate singed hair smell as well. I once singed both my eyebrows blowing a glass vase. The upshot of that was everyone called me Mona Lisa for a couple months afterwards.
paul - 11/09/08 18:33
Hope it wasn't too bad!
Hope it wasn't too bad!
11/07/2008 15:58 #46589
LeviticusIn reference to (e:paul,46588)
Leviticus is an interesting book of the bible and one that kept me thoroughly entertained during church services when I was too young to follow the sermon.
(e:Paul) asked, "Why not edit the book and just have a whole new book?"
I was totally dismissive of the Old Testament for a while and totally ignored it. But now I appreciate how the entire bible gives great context and insight to the teachings of Jesus and his apostle Paul.
Take for example this story from the gospel of Mark.
A woman who has been bleeding for 12 years is in a crowd surrounding Jesus. She reaches out and touches his cloak and is healed. He asks who touched him and the woman in fear admits that it was her. He says, "Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace and be freed from your suffering."
She approaches in fear because according to Leviticus she is unclean and shouldn't be going around touching people and people's stuff. Now she's made this man who's a teacher "unclean". So she's expecting Jesus to be pissed off. But nope, Jesus healed her and treated her with compassion.
WITHOUT the context of Leviticus, we can see that Jesus is compassionate and brings healing to the sick.
WITH the context of Leviticus, we see that he is much more than a compassionate healer. He is revolutionary. He brings healing to a suffering woman despite her "uncleanliness" which is in direct contradiction to the law of the land and in direct contradiction to what everyone in the crowd practices. He offers hope to people who suffer under the law - which was never meant to burden people, but had been twisted in such a way that it did.
Leviticus is an interesting book of the bible and one that kept me thoroughly entertained during church services when I was too young to follow the sermon.
(e:Paul) asked, "Why not edit the book and just have a whole new book?"
I was totally dismissive of the Old Testament for a while and totally ignored it. But now I appreciate how the entire bible gives great context and insight to the teachings of Jesus and his apostle Paul.
Take for example this story from the gospel of Mark.
A woman who has been bleeding for 12 years is in a crowd surrounding Jesus. She reaches out and touches his cloak and is healed. He asks who touched him and the woman in fear admits that it was her. He says, "Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace and be freed from your suffering."
She approaches in fear because according to Leviticus
she is unclean and shouldn't be going around touching people and people's stuff. Now she's made this man who's a teacher "unclean". So she's expecting Jesus to be pissed off. But nope, Jesus healed her and treated her with compassion. WITHOUT the context of Leviticus, we can see that Jesus is compassionate and brings healing to the sick.
WITH the context of Leviticus, we see that he is much more than a compassionate healer. He is revolutionary. He brings healing to a suffering woman despite her "uncleanliness" which is in direct contradiction to the law of the land and in direct contradiction to what everyone in the crowd practices. He offers hope to people who suffer under the law - which was never meant to burden people, but had been twisted in such a way that it did.
janelle - 11/08/08 08:37
I meant to add, it blows me away too how people pick and choose what Leviticus OT laws to follow and what not to follow. If you're really interested in learning more about how different types of Christians deal with OT law, I'd be happy to share it.
I meant to add, it blows me away too how people pick and choose what Leviticus OT laws to follow and what not to follow. If you're really interested in learning more about how different types of Christians deal with OT law, I'd be happy to share it.
janelle - 11/08/08 08:35
Rewriting the bible would decrease it's integrity and be a problem for the Christian community at large. Who decides how to rewrite it? Will all Christians follow the rewrite? Is it the inspired word of God through men if we decide to change it? Will if further splinter a faith community that is already tenuously held together?
From another perspective, many atheists already argue that the bible doesn't have integrity because of its translations over the years. So which atheist view should Christians please?? Neither. We have to be true to ourselves.
I think you're overlooking the fact that there is a huge industry of scholarly works and books that do just what you suggest; explain the bible in context and give new understanding to the word without having to touch rewriting the bible.
On one hand, the most important message of the Bible for me is simple, repent and be saved for the kingdom of God is near (aka, turn to God, live a brand new life, and we'll experience great things in the here and after). Then we can tackle the more difficult things like Leviticus.
But I get what you're saying, that the OT stuff really trips people up so they can't even hear the simple and most important message that Christianity offers. But I still think it's better to leave the ugly in and say, there is the ugly. Because life is ugly and we have to contend with that ugliness, rather than just sweep it away and ignore it. Not to mention, sweeping it away and ignoring it would again bring a lot of criticisms from atheists, skeptics, etc...
I think changing the bible wouldn't stop crazy Christian people from hate mongering. I really don't. Obsessive personalities will always find something in the text to take to some extreme over which they can be divisive and hateful. For me, it's a sin problem - not a bible content problem.
Rewriting the bible would decrease it's integrity and be a problem for the Christian community at large. Who decides how to rewrite it? Will all Christians follow the rewrite? Is it the inspired word of God through men if we decide to change it? Will if further splinter a faith community that is already tenuously held together?
From another perspective, many atheists already argue that the bible doesn't have integrity because of its translations over the years. So which atheist view should Christians please?? Neither. We have to be true to ourselves.
I think you're overlooking the fact that there is a huge industry of scholarly works and books that do just what you suggest; explain the bible in context and give new understanding to the word without having to touch rewriting the bible.
On one hand, the most important message of the Bible for me is simple, repent and be saved for the kingdom of God is near (aka, turn to God, live a brand new life, and we'll experience great things in the here and after). Then we can tackle the more difficult things like Leviticus.
But I get what you're saying, that the OT stuff really trips people up so they can't even hear the simple and most important message that Christianity offers. But I still think it's better to leave the ugly in and say, there is the ugly. Because life is ugly and we have to contend with that ugliness, rather than just sweep it away and ignore it. Not to mention, sweeping it away and ignoring it would again bring a lot of criticisms from atheists, skeptics, etc...
I think changing the bible wouldn't stop crazy Christian people from hate mongering. I really don't. Obsessive personalities will always find something in the text to take to some extreme over which they can be divisive and hateful. For me, it's a sin problem - not a bible content problem.
paul - 11/07/08 17:08
I see what you are saying but why not a new book of christ and let christian teachers explain what it was like to bring context to it, or even just as a separate book of the before christ. Having it altogether lets people and many a hate mongering christian mix it all up.
Its still pretty hard for most people to decipher which OT laws are still reasonable and which are archane. I think, honestly, we live in an isolated place where there are progressive christians and not that being a progressive christian is the norm.
The thing that blows my mind still is how people they decide which of the OT laws are reasonable. Its okay to be hating on the gays but eating hooved animals, shell fish and letting their bleeding wives stay in the village and touch their stuff is acceptable.
I see what you are saying but why not a new book of christ and let christian teachers explain what it was like to bring context to it, or even just as a separate book of the before christ. Having it altogether lets people and many a hate mongering christian mix it all up.
Its still pretty hard for most people to decipher which OT laws are still reasonable and which are archane. I think, honestly, we live in an isolated place where there are progressive christians and not that being a progressive christian is the norm.
The thing that blows my mind still is how people they decide which of the OT laws are reasonable. Its okay to be hating on the gays but eating hooved animals, shell fish and letting their bleeding wives stay in the village and touch their stuff is acceptable.
new paint jobs make a big difference.
You can take pictures if you have older electric - like fuses instead of breakers, also, if you need work in the bathroom, if the basement leaks, if you have an older furnace/water heater, etc. There are other things you can compare also - do you have no garage/driveway when maybe others do; or is yours a one-car when others have a two-car? Older windows? Yard size... You just updated the kitchen so you don’t want them to see that. You might want to be a little careful about the roof business because you don't want the city to send out the inspectors who will then cite you for a roof in disrepair, which then might require you to get it fixed sooner than you had planned. They would expect you to compare prices to other houses that are comparable in size that have sold on your street or very nearby. If you don’t do any price comparison they will assume their assessment is on target. You could also hire someone to do an independent assessment but it usually costs around $250 and, therefore, might not be worth it in the short run but perhaps could be over time.
For some reason the city of Buffalo has skyrocketing home values when they assess it.
Ours went up $50,000! Check out (e:pmrk)'s journal.
We might be sending a letter as well, if we do I'll let you know our details. I think the cut off date for filing a complaint is December 31st.
See two posts down in the recent posts list. ;)