Tax Advice for Washtenaw County Homeowners With Catherine McClary

Here’s my full discussion with Washtenaw County Treasurer Catherine McClary

I’m joined once again by Catherine McClary, our Washtenaw County Treasurer, to discuss an important topic around this time of year: taxes. She is here to offer her best advice, some tricks of the trade, and more for all of you taxpayers out there.

Feel free to watch the full video, or use these timestamps to browse specific topics at your leisure:

0:00 — Introducing today’s topic

0:38 — The most important thing you can do if you’re in trouble with your taxes

1:45 — Income and property tax resources available to you

3:45 — The property tax timeline in Michigan

5:40 — Deferments for seniors, military members, and those with disabilities

9:28 — A few special tax programs to know about in Michigan for filing purposes

12:20 — More about the Bridge Loans to Affordability program in Washtenaw County

13:50 — The Home for Generations program and how it helps bridge the racial wealth gap

16:30 — Final thoughts

Thanks so much to Catherine for sharing her expertise and time. If you have any tax-specific questions for Catherine, reach out to her today at taxes@washtenaw.gov. It goes directly to her, and she’d love to help out.

If you have any other real estate-related questions for me, don’t hesitate to reach out via phone or email. I look forward to hearing from you soon.

How You Can Appeal Your Home Tax

We talk with Catherine McClary about how you can appeal your home tax.

 

Today we’re going to talk about how to appeal your Michigan taxes. We are blessed with a wonderful guest who is an expert on taxes, Catherine McClary, the treasurer of Washtenaw County. As she explains, if you believe your taxes are too high, it might be because the assessment of your home is too high. You can protest this assessment by yourself; you don’t need an attorney.

Steps to Fight your Michigan Taxes 

1. Make an Appointment for March Board of Review in second week in March.

2. Get Form L 4035 to propose an alternative value

3. You need to submit similar sales to defend your opinion

4. Take this to Board of Review appointment.

5. In June – first Monday, you will receive the Board of Review result and you can then appeal after that if needed.

You can watch the interview above, or you can skip to each section using the timestamps provided below: 

0:00 — Introducing Catherine McClary and today’s topic

0:33 — The deadline for protesting your tax assessment

2:12 — The steps to appeal your assessment

2:49 — How you can propose an alternative value

3:58 — Presenting your information to the board of review

4:30 — Getting the results of your protest and the appeal process

5:18 — Do assessors use the sales price of your house?

5:55 — There are exemptions that may apply to you

6:25 — Wrapping up

We hope this information empowers you and helps you take control of your taxes. You can access the review and appeal brochure here. If you have any tax questions, you can email Catherine at taxes@washtenaw.org. If you need help with your valuation or real estate in general, call us at 734-216-7845. We would love to hear from you.

The Ins and Outs of Property Tax Assessments

Here’s some important information for homeowners in Washtenaw County.

 

Today we’re honored to be joined by a special guest. Catherine McClary has been serving as the treasurer of Washtenaw County after building a solid reputation as a stockbroker and investment banker. She has served as the chair of the Washtenaw County board of commissioners and is recognized as a leader in tax and mortgage foreclosure prevention in Michigan. She’s a great public advocate, and she’s here today to educate all of us about some of the finer points of tax value assessments, the appeal process, and more.

Feel free to watch the full interview, or use these timestamps to browse specific topics at your leisure:

1:25 — A rundown of property tax assessments and the appeal process

2:25 — A closer look at the assessment notice document homeowners will receive in the mail

3:45 — Why you can’t appeal your assessment if you don’t apply to the board of review

4:15 — Where to find detailed information about appealing your assessment at the board of review

4:30 — Breaking down the two types of value included in the assessment

5:25 —  The rate of inflation for 2022 and how that will affect you

6:20 — Wrapping things up

Catherine will be back this spring to give more helpful financial information to homeowners and homebuyers. If you have any additional tax-related questions or need more resources, reach out to Catherine at taxes@washtenaw.org. If you have any other real estate-related questions for us, don’t hesitate to reach out via phone or email. We look forward to hearing from you soon.

How Do Agents’ Services Impact Commissions?

How do an agent’s services impact their commissions? Let’s discuss.

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Everything You Need to Know About HOAs

Buying a home within a homeowners association comes with its own unique set of benefits, challenges, and costs.

Here’s everything you need to know about them.

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Want to Sell a Home? Get a Home Value Report

Make sure you read the CC&Rs.

 

When dealing with an HOA, you will want to read Covenants, Conditions, & Restrictions (CC&Rs). These are the rules that are placed on the properties within the HOA-governed subdivision. These rules and limits are determined by a builder, developer, or the managing members of the homeowners association for that neighborhood.

If you decide to live in an HOA neighborhood, you might have to give up some of your rights and freedoms to do so. Therefore, you have to ask yourself a few questions before making that final decision about whether or not you really want to live in that HOA neighborhood. For example:

  • Do I have any amenities that aren’t allowed under this HOA?
  • Am I willing to pay a higher cost to live in this HOA subdivision?
  • How will I feel about being told I can’t do something I normally do or would like to do? (think paint colors, yard decor, etc.)

Any given HOA will have their own individual rules and regulations, so learn what they are for each HOA subdivision you are considering. Just because you learned the HOA rules for that first house you passed on doesn’t mean all are the same. You need to research and investigate the rules and regulations for each different HOA neighborhood.

Most HOA restrictions are related to the following:

  • Landscaping and outdoor decor
  • Smoking
  • Parking
  • Noise levels
  • Fencing
  • Square footage
  • Pets
  • Home use
  • Amenities

Generally, the HOA is responsible for taking care of all the common area maintenance, upkeep, and repairs. For condos, they are also generally responsible for all major exterior replacements like roofs, fencing, plumbing, etc.

If you have any additional questions for me about HOAs or anything else related to real estate, don’t hesitate to give me a call or send me an email. I look forward to hearing from you soon.

Sellers: Why a home Warranty? Presented by Toth Team

Stacey Kraft with Home Warranty of America is with me today

to answer some questions on all things seller home warranties today.

If you’re a buyer looking at a home warranty, click here!

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Want to Sell a Home? Get a Home Value Report

Protection for home sellers is necessary.

 

Q. From the point of closing and beyond, how long will that coverage last for the buyer?

A: The new-buyer plans are for 13 months or you can buy a two- or three-year plan up front if you wish to.

Q. If an issue were to arise with the home, what would the seller do from there?

A: The seller will call our 800 number and file a claim. Then, our claims representative will set up a time for a contractor to come to the home and assess the situation. If it’s determined that the repair can be accomplished in a cost-effective manner, we’ll repair it. If the issue is beyond repair, we’ll replace the item.

Stacey and Home Warranty of America have always serviced our needs in a highly competent way, and have been quick to action in getting our claims addressed. Without a doubt, Home Warranty of America is a wonderful resource for you if you’re selling your home.

If you have any questions for Stacey, go ahead and give her a call at (248) 330-1076. And if you or someone you know would like help with any real estate needs, please give us a call at 866-OWN-THIS or email us at Team1@KathyToth.com. We look forward to hearing from you!

Buyers: Why a Home Warranty? Presented by Toth Team

Why should you have a home warranty? Our go-to warranty expert is here to explain.

If you’re a seller looking at a home warranty, click here!

Want to Buy a Home? Search All Homes

Want to Sell a Home? Get a Home Value Report

Just think of PEACH:

Plumbing, Electrical, Appliances, Cooling, and Heating.

 

If you’re comparing companies, look for things such as age restrictions. If you have a 30-year-old furnace, for example, you want to be able to have it replaced if it goes bad.

I’d like to thank Stacey for giving us some great insight. Feel free to reach out to her at (248) 330-1076.

If you have any questions or would like more information, contact me. I look forward to hearing from you soon.

4 Ways to Make Buyers Fawn Over Your Home

If you’re ready to sell your home, there are a few things you can do in order to make buyers fall in love with it.

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4 Fast and Effective Home Improvement Tips

Would you like to update your home, but you’re worried about sinking a lot of time and money into it?

Here are some quick and inexpensive alternatives.

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Want to Sell a Home? Get a Home Value Report

Pricing Your Home Correctly in Ann Arbor

Are you ready to sell your home?

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Want to Sell a Home? Get a Home Value Report

Price + Exposure = Sold.

 

On average, 60 percent of potential buyers look at properties that are priced at market value from the beginning. If you price it 10 percent above market value, 30 percent of buyers will look at it. If you price it 15 percent above, only 10 percent will look at it. Similarly, if you price it 10 percent below market value, 75 percent of buyers will look at it, and so on.

When you work with Toth Team Worldwide Network to sell your house, we’ll give you examples of the competition, both active and recently sold. We also explain the pros and cons of listing over, under and at the suggested sale price. For example, at the suggested sale price, buyers will notice your home, your home will be found easier in searches, it will bring buyers in, and you won’t have issues with an appraisal.

Whether it’s a buyer’s market, seller’s market or balanced market also makes an impact on home prices. You can find more information about all of this, along with graphs to help you understand it, in this Pricing It Right pamphlet we’ve created for you.