Anyone familar with the Alturas, California area?

[AlaskaJack]

After over 40 years up here in Alaska the winters are just too much for me!! ... too dark.... too cold and toooooo long!

I've done LOTS of internet research all over the country, and while the best real estate deals seem to be in the mid-west.... I am a west coast boy! (can't take the humidity of the mid-west!)
So, it has to be in the west!

I'm retired, so work is not an issue. I think the Alturas, CA area looks ideal, as it is somewhat rural and there are fishing streams in the area! .... plus there appear to be some affordable properties!

Just curious if anyone on the board is familiar with the area and can give some pro's and con's.

I am somewhat familiar with the areas around Bishop, CA... but not so much north of there. Anyway, I'd appreciate any input.

Thanks in advance.

[Gage]

Grant or even Dean, maybe even Doug might be your best bet for information in that area. I would think you'd have about the same weather. Just not quite so cold and the nights and days would be more normal (well, for us down here). Why don't you look on down here in the high desert, Antelope Valley area. That way we could compare notes on the proper installation of a fan. But then again, like the Bishop area. This area has also gotten kind of pricey.

[AlaskaJack]

Grant or even Dean, maybe even Doug might be your best bet for information in that area. I would think you'd have about the same weather. Just not quite so cold and the nights and days would be more normal (well, for us down here). Why don't you look on down here in the high desert, Antelope Valley area. That way we could compare notes on the proper installation of a fan. But then again, like the Bishop area. This area has also gotten kind of pricey.

Thanks Gage,
I've always liked the eastern sierras. A little more "rural" and cheaper than the I-5 corridor.... But guess the word "cheap" doesn't apply to California at all. Went through Susanville a few years back.... WOW. Half a million for a chicken coop!
Maybe some of the NorCal guys will chime in here... I need to be kinda close to some good fishing... cuz as you know, I don't drive all that fast.... anymore!

[doug hodder]

Jack....the thing is that the real estate is really inflated here right now, where I live, I doubled my investment in about 4 years, but it's starting to take a down turn right now. Lots of BAP's "Bay Area Persons" are moving up to this area and have driven prices up. I'd do eastern Sierras, like in Nevada...lots cheaper on taxes.... Doug

[AlaskaJack]

Jack....the thing is that the real estate is really inflated here right now, where I live, I doubled my investment in about 4 years, but it's starting to take a down turn right now. Lots of BAP's "Bay Area Persons" are moving up to this area and have driven prices up. I'd do eastern Sierras, like in Nevada...lots cheaper on taxes.... Doug

Doug, got any feel for property taxes in Modoc county?
Are you on the western side of the Sierras?

Property taxes here in Anchorage are OUTRAGEOUS! My house is assessed at ~$250k and the taxes are ~$3600 per year!! My cousin in Orange county pays like $1600 on his house which is valued at ~$600k!!

Just wondering....

From realtor sites around Alturas it appears that you can get into something (either older or a mobile on small acreage) for something around $200k...

I wish they'd hurry up and start the gas pipeline up here..... property values would go up and I could bail out! ... these winters are no longer any fun!!

[martha24]

Property taxes here in Anchorage are OUTRAGEOUS! My house is assessed at ~$250k and the taxes are ~$3600 per year!! My cousin in Orange county pays like $1600 on his house which is valued at ~$600k!!

The question is how long as your cousin lived in his house in Orange county?
California with prop 13 makes property taxes a good deal for someone who has lived in their house a long time. My dad who bought his house in 1960 before prop 13, so was at the start of it, pays around $1,000 a year and his home is worth 900 to 1000K. For anyone just buying a house, that is a whole other story.
Martha

[Q]

I have a good friend who lives in Alturas. Good area for open space and outdoor activity. Get's pretty cold there during the winter, but maybe not by your standards. Gas, groceries, etc., are usually a bit cheaper in Lakeview Oregon just to the north.

Q (Bend, OR)

[AlaskaJack]

Property taxes here in Anchorage are OUTRAGEOUS! My house is assessed at ~$250k and the taxes are ~$3600 per year!! My cousin in Orange county pays like $1600 on his house which is valued at ~$600k!!

The question is how long as your cousin lived in his house in Orange county?
California with prop 13 makes property taxes a good deal for someone who has lived in their house a long time. My dad who bought his house in 1960 before prop 13, so was at the start of it, pays around $1,000 a year and his home is worth 900 to 1000K. For anyone just buying a house, that is a whole other story.
Martha

Yes... I did fail to mention that he falls under the prop 13 ruling...

[martha24]

Yes... I did fail to mention that he falls under the prop 13 ruling..

AJ,
In California everyone falls under prop 13, the longer you have owned the property the better the deal you get for property tax. That's why here if politicians speak against it, their approval ratings fall like a rock. When it was first passed, retired people were finding that the values had gone up so much that they couldn't afford their property tax.
Martha

[doug hodder]

Get in touch with Airspeed...he's rural northern Ca. more up in the area like you are thinking about...Doug

[Elumia]

propert taxes will amount to about 1.1% of your purchase price.

Last Summer I vacationed in McCloud area. Might look there, great river for fishing. It is kinda depressed since they closed the lumber mill, but that works in your favor.

Mark

[AlaskaJack]

Martha - My cousin has lived in his current house since around '84 or so. So what you're saying is that your taxes are "prorated" based on how long you've owned it?

Mark - 1.1%? ... ouch! Still not quite as bad as what I'm paying now. Just wondering if they give a break to seniors or have any sort of "homestead" exemption? Do you know if "manufactured homes" are taxed at the same rate as stick built?? Ahhh.... yes! .... a depressed area sounds good!

Q - I don't mind some cold/snow .... just not 6 months of it!

Thanks to all responders!

[martha24]

Martha - My cousin has lived in his current house since around '84 or so. So what you're saying is that your taxes are "prorated" based on how long you've owned it?

AJ,
Basically the way it works is, as Mark said when you buy the property, it is taxed at 1.1%, but every year they are only allowed to increase the value by a certain percent (sorry I don't remember what that percentage is) but my property tax went up $50 this year from last year. There are certain circumstances when they can revalue your property, like doing a remodel when it greatly adds value to the property. Or the reverse if you paid a lot for your property and the market goes south, you could demand a reappraisal.
So people owning an equal valuable home, could be paying a wide range of property tax. I think with seniors there is a law where they can sell once and take their prop 13 tax bracket with them, I'm not sure.
With most people they continue to live in their home for a number of years, so as time passes their property tax deal gets better and wouldn't want property tax tied to current California values.
Martha

[Elumia]

The Idea with Prop 13 is that, if you can afford the taxes when you buy the house, you shouldn't be priced out if your value goes up but your pay doesn't. Lots of older folks were being priced out of staying in their house due to escalating property values.

I don't beleive there is a difference in tax if it is stick built or factory built if the home is on your land. The value of the improvements will affect your tax, but still it will in all likelyhood still be about 1.1% - you'll just pay less for a manufacuted home so your tax will be less. I suspect if you own a mobile home in a park, that is different as you are then likely to pay use tax like you would on a boat or an RV.

Here's more info on McCloud. http://www.mccloudchamber.com/ I think there are only 1600 people there, kinda remote so if emergency health care is an issue... but not too far off the beaten path. Weather is high desert so it can get pretty hot, they do get some snow and the view of Mt Shasta is amazing.

I hear there is a Nestle water plant coming in with a little controversy. Check it out, at least for a vacation!

Mark

[Esteban]

Property taxes in California are 1% of the assessed value (usually purchase price) at time of purchase. Local bonds and assessments get added on top of the 1% rate. In Calif. for general ballpark purposes a 1.1% tax rate works to estimate your cost. It's wise to inquire what the local tax rate is before you buy so you're not surprised if it's higher than a ballpark figure.

For example, if you purchase a $300,000 property and the local tax rate is 1.1% your taxes would be $3,300/year. If it's your primary residence, there is a homeowners exemption off the assessed value that will lower your taxes a little.

The tax you pay can go up, for inflation, no more than 2% each year. If you add improvements (esp. with building permits) that will probably cause a reassessment for the market value of the improvement and increase your property tax.

In Calif. two identical homes can have very different taxes. One purchased years ago will have lower taxes. Another one recently purchased will have higher taxes.

Taxes are reassessed, to current market values, when a property is sold to a new owner. Don't buy a property just because the current owner's taxes are low. You don't get to take over their low taxes.

HTH, Steve B.