California County Tax Assessors Are Sending Notices About Property Tax Increases

Do you know about the increase of impending property tax assessments?

A precedent setting California court case allows county assessors to recapture tax cuts as real estate values recover their losses.

Citing a practice called “value restoration” or recapture”, County Assessor's offices throughout the state are sending out notices this week.

County Assessor's offices say they can raise taxes by more than Proposition 13's two percent limit when home prices rebound for properties that had prior assessment reduction; plus two percent each  year for every year they‘ve owned the property.

Many homeowners who got tax cuts during the recession will see their taxable values rise as much as seventeen percent this year.

The California Supreme Court affirmed assessors' right to do this after Seal Beach lawyer Robert Pool lost his court fight to block the Los Angeles County Assessor (and all California assessors) from recapturing lost assessment values after the 1990s housing market crash.

This week 31,803 Orange County homeowners face that same shock via a “blue notice” in the mail.

The Assessor's Office must notify property owners by mail by July 20th. 

Property owners have until Sept. 16, 2013 to file an appeal with the Clerk of the Board of Supervisors. 

C.A.R. Mid-Year Market-Update July 2013

Here is the California Association of REALTORS mid-year market update, it's quick and easy to follow, by analyst Leslie Appleton-Young. While one projection by CAR anticipates a slowing in home price increases, this presentation also points up the continuing lack of home inventory. With the increase in prices since one year ago, investors are having a harder time finding bargains, and we are seeing a majority of sales as "standard" transactions, with short sales being 25% or less of the market statewide.  Where will the home increase be in 2014? With supply and demand coming to closer balance (inventory increased about 2 percent between April and May), CAR's projection is a four percent annual increase in 2014. 

This is a good quick summary and easy to follow:

New Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac Loan Modification Guidelines for July 1, 2013

If you're still an "underwater" homeowner of a single family residence, a condominium, a second

Did you buy when the market was high?

home, or an investment property with a mortgage owned or guaranteed by Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac, you might be eligible for sweeping new changes as of July 1, 2013, known as the "Streamlined Modification Initiative."

Past programs for helping borrowers modify their loans met with less success than hoped for, and Fannie Mae/Freddie Mac are now offering eligible borrowers the opportunity for less documentation and document collection which also removes administrative issues for the lender.  Under this new program, borrowers are not required to document their hardship or financial situations.

This program ends August 1, 2015, so it's basically in effect for 2 years.

What are the borrower eligibility requirements?

• The loan must be owned or guaranteed by Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac.
• Homeowners must be 90 days to 24 months delinquent.
• There must be a first-lien mortgage that is at least 12 months old with a loan-to-value ratio equal to or greater than 80 percent.
• Loans that have been modified at least two times previously are not eligible.
• The borrower must participate in a trial payment plan period of 3 months.

Loan servicers, i.e, Bank of America, Wells Fargo, Chase, or whomever handles your loan payments, will be required to send a Streamlined Modification Solicitation Offer to borrowers who are at least 90 days delinquent and meet the initiative’s eligibility requirements.  The HAMP program (Home Affordable Modification Program) is still available to borrowers, and may offer more favorable payment options to the borrower, however it also requires borrowers to meet certain guidelines and submit full documentation. 

If you are considering selling, and are not yet 90 days delinquent on your loan, you should carefully consider your plan of action.  The proposed monthly payment may or may not be satisfactory to you under this Streamline program, and as a seller, you would ideally have a very clear picture in your mind as to the direction you are going to take.  Borrowers should be aware that "strategic defaulters" will be screened for in advance, so if someone is purposely defaulting in order to obtain this program, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac will be on the lookout for that.

Interestingly, some property owners are not aware of current selling prices in their local market, so obtaining a good market valuation on your property should be a first priority. If your property is a candidate for a non-short sale transaction, you could move on. If on the other hand, you would rather stay put and not sell if you obtained a better mortgage payment, you should find that out as soon as possible to avoid being an unmotivated seller at this time.

For more details about this program, or to find out if you have a Fannie or Freddie mortgage, please contact me via e-mail or phone, I will welcome the opportunity to help you. I serve the Long Beach, Lakewood, Cerritos, Cypress, Seal Beach, Los Alamitos, and San Pedro areas, including adjacent cities such as Huntington Beach.