1.  Appeal your property taxes, even if you are moving. As in the example above, you may have more eligible buyers because a successful appeal will reduced the assessed value of your home, which will reduce the monthly mortgage payment for your home.  A $1,000 reduction in yearly property taxes would lower a potential buyer’s monthly payment more than a $15,000 increase in asking price over the course of a 30 year loan (assuming 4.5% interest rate). 
2.  Claim your homeowner deductions. Deductions are based off the status of the home on January 1st of the relevant tax year.  By filing the necessary paperwork for your deductions, you once again lower the monthly mortgage payment for your home.  If you don’t claim the deduction as the property owner on the 1st of the year, the buyer who purchased your home mid-year will have extra hurdles to climb to get the proper tax breaks. 
3. Know whether you are selling your home on a re-assessment year. If the Assessor’s Office is re-assessing your home in the year that you choose to sell, the re-assessment could drastically change the future property taxes of the home. If property values have gone up over the last 3 years, selling before the re-assessment will provide you and your buyer with a high market value with a low assessed value.  Delaying until after the re-assessment might increase the monthly mortgage payment and reduce the number of eligible buyers.

Contact the Law Office of Clyde Guilamo to file your next property tax appeal.