Property Taxes....please help!

[tls]

Hi! I am in the process of buying a place in which to homestead and have a small farm in Parker County, Texas (near Weatherford). Property taxes are higher than where I live now and I am trying to find the least expensive way to go while getting the most homesteading potential, and am having a very difficult time getting a straight answer about tax ramifications and exemptions. I know an agricultural exemption will significantly reduce the burden, however, I'm having a hard time determining if 10 acres is a firm requirement or just a guideline in getting this exemption. Same goes for the wildlife exemption, which I'll be supporting regardless. I will have to work at least in the beginning, but want my small farm to become as self-sufficient as possible as soon as possible. Since I want a couple of horses for pleasure, I'm looking for enough acres to minimize feeding, but many of the 10+ acre properties with homes are out of my budget, and I don't know whether 5-8 acres will qualify me for any exemptions other than the homestead exemption. I'm trying to consider all ramifications BEFORE buying, but with interest rates on the rise, I'm getting in a hurry! I've already sold my current home and am able to rent it back until I buy. I will also be keeping honeybees - any advice on how much room they need? The books I've read so far don't say much about their room requirements.
Any advice or ideas for me?
Thanks for all help!
Terri

help:

[urbanfarmer]

They will tax your house just as they would anyway, but if you have some acres devoted to agricultural purposes only, you can apply for agricultural exemption on those acres.

Can save you a bit of money, but not a whole lot because on a 10 acre place, the house will be where they tax the most.

Texas has high property taxes because of the schools.

[suitcase_sally]

I'm not from Texas but where I live you have to produce a certain amount of farm "produce" (veggies, eggs, or beef, ect.) to get an agriculture designation. Most places will tell you how many acres you have to have in order to raise animals. In most areas 5 acres does not a farm make.

Also, the county reister of deeds could probably help you, or try the tax assessor.

[agmantoo]

Here in NC it takes 20 contiguous acres for forestry and for ag it takes10 acres , excluding the house, with $1000 gross for 3 years to qualify. Your county tax office should have the details, in printed form, needed to qualify. In VA, the counties, not the state, decide whether they want to participate in a deferred tax system. In SC, they just look at you and give you tax relief if you look as if you may grow a tree or a plant.

[WAB]

I live in SC and have 5 acres. 1 acre is for the house and the rest is classified as agricultural. It does save on taxes. When I bought my tractor I didnt have to pay sales tax because I was "farming"!

[quietstar]

Hi Terri...Pull up texascountydata.com or trueautomation under Texas tax information and you will likely find your new county listed. From there you can read that county's tax policy and even how much the tax burden is for a next door neighbor. PM me if you have difficulty....Glen

[dlwelch]

I live in Central Texas and own 10 acres. Seven of those are under
the Ag exemption with 3 being attached to the house, shop, garden,
lawn, etc. We had to prove that we had been raising calves on this
7 acres when we applied for the exemption. Luckily, our neighbor
worked at the Appraisal District and signed off for us.

I'm not sure.......but......I think you need to raise food animals
also as pleasure horses will not fall under the Ag exemption.

A phone call to the Appraisal office should help answer most of
your questions.

Good luck with your move!

Linda Welch
Freestone County
90 miles south of Dallas

[jill.costello]

We are in Texas, and not many folks realise that you can get full ag exemption for "improved pasture". Simply put, if it was SEEDED, FERTILIZED, SPRAYED or in ANY other way "improved", it can qualify for Ag exemption!!!

So, we have 9 acres (not 10!) that the previous owners planted in Coastal. It had simply been bushhogged every year thereafter and STILL qualifies for Ag.

No, horses do not count as ag, but goats do. You must have more than 1 goat, or a "flock" of chickens, etc. Any pair of ag animals count, and they don't have to be a breeding pair.

ALSO, you can get your "Homestead Exemption" AND Ag Exemption at the same time. Homestead exemption simply means that this is your "primary" residence.

[modineg44]

[QUOTE=tls]Hi! I am in the process of buying a place in which to homestead and have a small farm in Parker County, Texas (near Weatherford). Property taxes are higher than where I live now and I am trying to find the least expensive way to go while getting the most homesteading potential, and am having a very difficult time getting a straight answer about tax ramifications

Try to find a property that already has the ag exemption in place. It takes 5 years to get a new exemption in Montague County (north of Decatur) & I think it's that way in all Texas counties. Perhaps the county agent will know.

Nancy

[tls]

Thanks everyone! No wonder I've heard great things about this forum. Sounds like I need to move to SC!!!
The horses will probably be pleasure only, but my sister-in-laws dad breeds TN Walkers on a large ranch and offers help if I go that route...it would have to be very small scale with so few acres. I'm mainly looking at luffas, herbs, lavender, heritage roses (all of which I've done), leeks, and mushrooms; maybe cashmere goats or alpacas as well. I'd have a hard time slaughtering an animal I've named, loved and cared for. Or one I've never seen! I know it's a better existence for them than at most larger farms an more humane; I just couldn't handle it. So I'm interested in fiber animals and plants. And honeybees. And bats (mosquitos love me). I'm not trying to get rich...just self-sufficeint enough to spend more time homesteading, growing my own food, etc, and less working somewhere else. Part of the quandry for me has been a couple of options I've had of either a fabulous historic home with a smaller amount of land, or larger acreage with a run down mobile, where I'd probably have to build eventually, but could get an exemption someday and more room to diversify.

I would have never dreamed "improved" acreage might qualify! And I'll check out the website you mentioned Glen. Thanks! I spoke to someone at the appraisal district that either didn't know or wasn't very helpful, but the extension agent has now given me a name of a guy to speak with that should know more. I just thought maybe they wanted to keep the exemption issues fuzzy to get more tax $$ !! I'm from the area originally, but didn't have my own home when I grew up there.

I appreciate all responses and will be regularly checking these forums from now on!
Thanks!
Terri

[Wolf mom]

I just had the assessor out. Such double talk. I still can't get a straight answer.

Seems I'm being taxed for my stemwall on the doublewide and my telephone pole. Un effing believable! Seems today, that mobiles are appreciating - not depreciating.

I was even being taxed on the price of my doublewide when it was new rather than the repo price I bought it at. I think that's resolved tho as I showed her the sales contract.

Anything that is attached to the land can be taxed. Put all buildings on skids. Don't attach your porch to the house.

Just beware and check the tax rolls often! I don't think my story is unusual.

[RenieB]

Our taxes are high and going up all the time here. I live in the town of Poland Spring in Maine, the spring water town. It was found that the town had over taxed Poland Spring Bottling to the tune of 4 million dollars. Now the town is working on a payback plan with the plant. I hate to think how this will affect the taxes, since Poland Spring bottling is the highest tax payer in town. Most of our taxes go to the schools also.

RenieB