2020 taxes were $1075. (If realtor.com can list them, why can’t Zillow??) However 2015 taxes were $5401–so WTH? Property divided? Reclassified?
As I understand it in SC the taxes will reset on your new purchase price, not an assessment.
I admit that confuses me. I work in an Assessment capacity for a municipality. I was working towards becoming an Assessor, but now IDK. Anyway, tangent aside –
In most states that I am aware of the assessed value of the property is supposed to fall within 5-10% of fair market value. So there should not really be a jump between FMV and assessment. If there is the DOR gets involved and it can get ugly. Every year the Assessor’s office (or whatever department controls assessments in your municipality) takes arms-length-sales and compares them to past years and must fully update all assessment records to reflect the market’s current fair market value. This list is then submitted, reviewed, and audited by the DOR.
Regarding purchase prices – they should not immediately factor into your real estate taxes and you should not be paying real estate taxes based on that purchase price… at least in my state (which operates like most states). The real estate taxes are based on the tax rate (residential or commercial) and assessed value. Not what you purchased the property for. In my town the tax rate is $12.83 per $1000 for residential properties, just to give you a rough idea – so a $780,000 home has a ~$10,000 tax rate plus/minus any CPAs, exemptions, betterment surcharges, etc.
I knew some people that lived in Augusta, and during the two weeks around the Masters they would move out, and rent their place fully furnished. They made a bundle.
For the housing costs alone, I would choose Augusta, or Aiken over Asheville. Asheville is getting very pricey. However, I would definitely rent for six months or a year before buying.
According to my google search, you DO have alligators.
After looking at real estate prices (realtor. com), I would cross Asheville off the list. Aiken, and the Augusta area (Fort Gordon) have a lot more affordable prices. Fort Gordon area has a lot of area not actually in Augusta, (Evans, Martinez, Hephzibah, etc.) that have a lot of housing, and should have rentals available. However, Fort Gordon, like any military installation, may have 24/7 entry gates, and some that aren’t open all of the time. You want to live near a 24/7 gate. I actually knew someone who owned a house in Hephzibah, and after they were assigned to other bases, they rented it out for about 10 years or more total. Some installations will rent to civilian employees, but I personally wouldn’t consider that.
