How to figure out exact Property Tax on property for sale

[Darian Sanayei]

I am having a tough time figuring what the property tax amount will be on a new home purchase i am thinking about making. Generally I look up what the owner paid in taxes the previous year, and then divide that by the assessed value and boom that’s the percentage rate on that property.

Now I am looking into 2 properties in the same neighborhood and the taxes paid the previous years are outrageously high. One around 3% and the other 4% nearly. That just doesn’t seem correct. I understand that there could be Liens placed on the property, but I’m not sure it’s the case here.

I was just wondering if anyone had a website or number/ place to look up to get more accurate information? As it would kill the deal if numbers are too high.

Thank you!

[Jon Martin]

For which state? The way property taxes are assessed varies widely by state and even between neighboring counties. The sale of a property will likely trigger a new assessment. 

Where is gets really confusing is when there are "mill" points/rates, which can have multipliers and extra assessments for non-owner occupied properties. Usually the estimate displayed in the listing is based on owner occupied.