No welcome mat for patio homes

      Patio homes are a booming business in Western New York. They offer a single-family home lifestyle without the single-family home upkeep.

   Targeted toward older adults and empty nesters, the homes frequently sell for big bucks. They're special because they look like traditional homes but are built in private developments and carry condominium status.

   Because of that, patio homeowners get huge breaks on their property tax bill. In exchange, they pay hefty homeowner fees to maintain their yards and roadways, which are considered "common areas."

   Town boards in Amherst, Lancaster and Hamburg want tax breaks for these homes to come to and end and support legislation to keep developers from taking advantage of what they consider to be a "loophole" in the state condo law.

   Developers say these homes meet an important housing need in Western New York. Patio homeowners use fewer town services and therefore deserve to be taxed less.

   Who do you believe?

   -- Sandra Tan

Comments

[Chad]

Apologies to Mike Z. Comment was directed toward Bruce B.

[Chad]

Wow, this is a good one. So many silly, unfounded responses.
To Mike Z.
Stick to laying your cable. You obviously have no idea about how or what goes into these homes. Many towns, including Amherst, require soil studies of every lot. Foundations are designed based on these requirements and in many cases exceed the requirements. Many of the patio communities have a finite set of designs and options, that is the way it is intended. The home is easier and quicker to build because of more limited, well thought out options and facades. The production of the home is quicker due to these streamlined designs. Do your homework next time pal!

From the article:
"Looking at two similar homes in Amherst, about a mile apart, this is how the numbers look:
A 1,750-square-foot single-family home with a market value estimated at between $150,000 to $200,000 has annual property taxes of $5,440.
A 1,600-square-foot patio home with a market value of $250,000 to $295,000 has an annual property tax bill of $3,330"

Gee, whats the real problem here? A 150K home adds $453 to the mortgage - per month! That's a car payment! That was the mortgage only payment on my first house in Kenmore - only 4 years ago! I think Amherst and the rest of the state need to wake up and smell the coffee. Even a $275/mo tax payment on a patio home is unreasonable. Wouldn't you rather pay more for the home and have some equity than throwing half of your payment out the window every month?

Want a funny, sarcastic look at what this world will become in the future? Go out and rent "Idiocracy", Some of these posts remind me of that movie. The toilet's been flushed and we're all going down it.

[J.Finton]

It should be noted that not all patio home developments that enjoy these unwarranted tax breaks are on private roads. The new Collingwood Estates subdivision in Getzville, for example, is on a public road served by public utilities - the patio homes there back up to two older subdivisions of large, fully tax-paying homes which will now be competing for sales with these "patio" homes paying 40% less in local taxes. My husband and I and most of our our friends are older, empty nester's who have opted to stay in our non-condominium homes and who pay our fair share for all municipal services whether we use them or not. It is the developers who are making the money by overpricing these homes - at the expense of the rest of the taxpayers. Ironically, some of the older condominium type developments in Amherst, such as Ransom Oaks and Audubon New Community, where residents pay for many services provided by private associations, cannot even qualify for condominium tax breaks because they pre-date the legislation . Congratulations to those Town Boards that are trying to get our State legislators to look out for the majority rather than for a small group of residential developers.

[Lydia Bezou-Hojnacki]

$2800 in taxes for a 1300 sq ft hovel with no basement, no attic-- and a defunct school system, police dept, and a gazillion potholes-- is what you get in New Orleans, not to mention your $2400/yr hazard insurance and termite control for a $250,000 old, old house. And there's probably no driveway or garage, either.

I don't even want to conjecture what the taxes are on a $500,000 piece of shhh!

[Mike Z.]

Lydia Bezou-Hojnacki you are a moron.

You said, "You would be astounded at the difference in taxes and livability between a 2500 sq ft home in New Orleans and a 2500 sq ft home in Orchard Park, Buffalo, or Elma. Compare same with Washington, DC and Annandale, VA."

When is the real world are your taxes based on squarefootage?? You take a home with the same price on Buffalo and compare it to say Annandale (odd choice) and the real estate taxes paid in WNY would be over 50% higher! How is that better?

Plus Annandale is in Fairfaz County which has a significant number of the top school within the county than anywhere else in the country, according to the recent Newsweek Top Public High Schools. You can see where their money is being spent.

[Bruce B]

Over 15 years I've located underground cable. I have seen 1st hand how these homes are built. About 93 days from digging the basement to the For Sale sign. Better get some insurance coverage for cracking basement walls, and a host of other (major) goodies. $150-200k? God Bless & Good Luck!!

[Andy]

They need to tell it like it is. The homeowner doesn't save a nickel. In fact a patio home costs them MORE ($100,000 more on average according to the article). That money goes directly into the pockets of the developer.

So. Let's see... 100,000 divided by 2000 (the savings in property taxes) = 50 years to equal out from the homeowners end.

What DOES happen is the developer gets a huge windfall and the rest of the town residents get stuck with an extra tax burden.

This is a no-brainer. It needs to stop.

[Kathryn]

As newly weds, my husband and I left our native Buffalo upon college graduation. It wasn't because we wanted to leave; it was because we had to. Despite excellent professional credentials, neither of us could find a permanent, steady job. That was 30+ years ago. We have tried unsuccessfully many times to find jobs in WNY over these years, yet we have had no trouble remaining gainfully employed and have lived in several states thanks to corporate America. Our kids are grown and on their own, and we are now soon-to-be retired, empty nesters. We'd love to come back to Buffalo and yes, we want to downsize and would love to find a small, maintenance-free residence. We miss Buffalo! It's sad to think of what was once one the nation's largest cities has continued to decline. BIG GOVERNMENT has hurt WNY.

[louis]

There is no reason why more neighborhoods can't opt out of city or town services and form their own homeowener associations to contract out for services they want. I'd take a 50% - 100% cut in taxes to get services from someone else.

A little equity would be nice for all neighborhoods.

Also, all new developments in WNY should require that 25% or more of the housing be affordable. There is no reason why $150k houses can't be built next to the $500K houses. They should give even more tax breaks to developers who do that.

It's about time people who live here get the tax breaks and not businesses who come and take advantage of residents.

[just read beach bum]

That just HAS to be sarcasm, and if so it's pretty good:

"Without WNY taxes we would have never gotten the new downtown beach built in time for Memorial Day Weekend. We also would not have Canal Side. These high taxes are needed to keep all the tourists coming. Say no to patio homes and yes to the town of Buffalo."

[Jimmy]

Stop complaining about the people who try to havce nice houses and start doing something about the run down
mess on the east side of Buffalo that contributes NOTHING!!

[Jimmy]

Why don't we just keep it up until NOBODY lives here anymore except government workers and parasites. OVER TAXED OVER UNIONIZED ..TOO MANY GOVERMENT JOBS..CUT THE FAT...NOW!!!!!

[Kevin]

It's is just another way for the state to get more money to fund the under worked school teachers, and government/state workers retirement and medical and the welfare cases. They should base the taxes on how much they NEED not on how much they can GET!!

[jim]

Why should it matetr how much my house is worth?? In all fairness, it should be a a flat tax and from there you pay a certian amount for each child you put into the school system. The town snow plow doesn't plow anymore snow for my expesive house than for a shack down the road.

[beach bum]

Without WNY taxes we would have never gotten the new downtown beach built in time for Memorial Day Weekend. We also would not have Canal Side. These high taxes are needed to keep all the tourists coming. Say no to patio homes and yes to the town of Buffalo.

[what's the complaint?]

The patio home owners are using substantially less town services. Nobody disputes that. And they do pay some town taxes, over 50% of what a regular homeowner would pay.

[Lydia Bezou-Hojnacki]

Sorry to offend. I happen to enjoy urban life and wish people would stop leaving for the suburbs. If I had my way, all thruways, expressways that were built for the specific purpose of accessing the suburbs would be demolished and the Humboldt Parkway corridor, as well as the West Side would be restored. Lakefront homes would be built along "residential" Fuhrman and Niagara/Tonawanda/Busti.

Vacant housing would be demolished and new parks and playgrounds developed to attract home buyers.

Buffalo is too valuable a location to be disrespected by those who have fled.

As to other highly taxed areas, try Northern Virginia, Louisiana, Connecticut, and the District of Columbia.

You would be astounded at the difference in taxes and livability between a 2500 sq ft home in New Orleans and a 2500 sq ft home in Orchard Park, Buffalo, or Elma. Compare same with Washington, DC and Annandale, VA.

Count your blessings! Thank you, Lord, for Buffalo, NY!

[jbs]

Lydia, How rude !! You must be one of those "unionized government workers with their hands out" referred to in toe's post.

[Texas Kid]

Patio Homes are a great idea for WNY. Most of the population left is older folks who have a commitment to the area they've lived in all their lives. Most younger "upscale" people have fled for greener pastures. (Texas, North carolina, Tenn, Florida) I think the patio homes are a good idea as most houses in WNY are generally 3 story homes that are difficult for older residents to go up and down stairs. As for tax assessments, that's the voters problems in WNY. They've only got themselves to blame if the property taxes are too high.

[McBea]

Lydia..."As for suburban life in new-builds--shove it."

Thats very crude of you...not your typical style. Sorry to see you sink so low.

[toe]

Lydia,

Please tell us where those other places are. It will be welcome news to many in Western New York, I suspect. How many localites have higher state, local, and sales taxes than Buffalo? Befoe you shove it, better pull your head out of it.

[Lydia Bezou-Hojnacki]

If you only knew how high taxes are in other places where services are even worse!

I happen to like Buffalo because the quality of life, housing costs, and taxes are very reasonable and the city services are more than adequate.

Believe it, and count your blessings.

As for suburban life in new-builds--shove it.

[toe]

I recently relocated to Florida and would not return to Buffalo for any reason. In Western New York taxpayers are the victims of government run amuck. In Florida state taxes are zero, services much better, and best of all government employees will even greet you with a smile. All western new yorkers ever get is unionized government workers with their hands out, and rude behavior.

[R. Nowak]

Glad to see patio assessment problem surface in Amherst. However, greater problems exist in commercial underassessments and consequent higher residential taxes. Look at Canterbury Woods, Phase II, where assessment is only $3.8 million, while land and construction costs exceeded $9 million. Through an EC IDA PILOT program, residents are now locked into a 30 year subsidy for this project. School taxes are also impacted by these underassessments. Need more investigation of these matters!

[DAVID]

Go ahead. Drive more people out. I make about 70,000/year and maintain a much better life style out of state. Too bad...I was born and raised in NT and would consider coming home if all these tax morons that prohibit growth & development in WNY would just go away.