#Kitsap Property Taxes, and You

One fact of life for anyone who becomes a property owner, is property tax.  It's a key way county governments fund their necessary annual operations and services in the community - schools, roads, community health, parks, and more.  If you're a new homeowner, you may be wondering how the process is managed.

For most fresh homeowners, the bill goes directly to their mortgage servicer, who pays it out of funds that have been collected ahead of time and held in escrow on your behalf; you fill up that fund as a portion of your monthly payment.  (It also includes repayment of the principal loan, interest, and funds held in escrow to pay your homeowner's insurance policy.)  So in one sense, as long as you're keeping up with your monthly payment to the servicer, you don't have to really think much about property tax - it's pretty seamless.  And for plenty of homeowning citizens - that's plenty. And that's fine if it includes you!  There's something to be said for "Pay Your Bills and You Won't Have to Worry About It" school of thought.

But some people want to keep their finger a little tighter to the pulse, and Kitsap County makes it easy.  For one thing, they offer a great website that makes it easy to check on the status of your tax account, view your own property record, and take a look at any other properties in your you are interested in.

People who have either paid off their mortgages or paid cash for a property, will still owe property taxes to the county, but will receive their bill directly.  The county gives you many options for paying.  You can mail in a check, you can pay by phone, or you can pick among several online payment options. They have direct links to assistance for people who find the bill difficult to pay, as well.

Your property tax is charged as a percentage of your assessed property value.  That might seem a little nebulous as property values rise and fall with the fortunes of a local housing market, but the county must base their assessment upon something of course.  They typically assume a small increase in value for all properties across the board - but sometimes, it's not a fit for events at your place.  If you've experienced a serious devaluation, you can ask the county to reassess, which can positively impact your bill.

Also noteworthy, the county gives an exemption to seniors and disabled individuals, a program you can look into more here.

And this is one subject that it definitely doesn't pay to say, "That's it - property taxes are just too much.  I'm staying a RENTER!"  Landlords definitely are passing their property tax expenses onto you in the form of (ever increasing) rents.  You might as well pay it directly, and reap the many benefits of becoming a homeowner!  Give us a ring at Dupuis Team when you're ready to make the move!