We've recently heard many complaints about Arlington's unfair estate assessment system. And we have to wonder what's going on in the Assessor's Office at 2100 Clarendon Boulevard. In Fairlington, and elsewhere, the smallest and most affordable condo units were hit by the biggest assessment increases. Same for small single family homes in the older residential neighborhoods. And several hundred small businesses saw their assessments rise between 20% and 100%.
Arlington's real estate assessment system heavily discounts improvements and relies upon the sales price of similar properties in the various neighborhoods. That results in huge disparities in annual assessments between improved and unimproved properties. According to PR from the County Manager's Office the County will only re-evaluate the most egregious cases for commercial properties whose assessments increased by 50% or more this year.
Meanwhile, the County Manager and County Board are gloating over the pot of gold to be obtained from increased residential and commercial assessments. Much more to come in 2015. Be prepared to be surprised.
Cindy
13 comments:
I don't see any new small homes and condos being planned or constructed in the County. No small buildings for small businesses either. So if you want to buy a small home, condo, or building for your business it will cost you.
How did we get to the point where only large expensive commercial buildings and residential housing are being planned and constructed?
APAH is buying Arna Valley. But you will have to earn at least $42,500 to be able to live there. Apartments, apartments, apartments. If you want to own a starter home or condo you will have to move elsewhere.
GEICO just created 750 new middle class jobs, in affordable Fredericksburg.
Future for the Middle Class is in Fredericksburg, historic downtown, Middle Class suburbs outside downtown.
You will have to earn at least $20 / hour to qualify to live in any dedicated 'affordable' apartment in Arlington.
Era of low-cost domestic help and personal services for the creative class is over.
'Creative Class'? What Creative Class? You mean the Second Generation Yups who parlayed their undergrad degrees and U.S. Citizenship into a day job doing electronic paper shuffling at the CIA and creatively bartending at A Town nights and weekends?
When not attending the latest $tephen $ondheim revival at the $ignature.
Libby Garvey is preaching about "affordable housing" for Tysons? Sheesh. Cost of a tiny condo in her neighborhood in Fairlington has tripled in 15 years - from $150,000 to $450,000.
Solution - Give service workers who can't affored to live here a HOT lanes transponder or discounted VRE tickets.
Hotels should organize van pools for their hospitality workers via HOT and HOV lanes. "Affordable Housing" inside the D.C. Beltway is a huge charade.
Hotel workers have had to brown bag lunch for years 'cause they can't afford $10 hamburgers for lunch.
Restaurant and hospitality workers should be forming union locals. How much are these $10 / hour jobs costing federal, state, and local taxpayers?
HOT lanes take the dumb growth sprawl caused by smart growth to Central Virginia..
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