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How exactly does this work? I am considering purchasing a house [[to live in, not rent out) located in an NEZ Homestead District.
Are there requirements for the homestead exemption other than location? [[Like income?) How is the exemption amount calculated? How long does it last?
The page I found was light on details: http://www.detroitmi.gov/Departments...tDivision.aspx
Thanks.
Quote:
Originally Posted by jolla
It is an outstanding program. It can lower your taxes by about 1/3. I live in EEV and it really does make home ownership in Detroit more appealing.
You have to live in it [[as you plan to) and fill out a simple form. There is a small area where you have to write $500 worth of improvements you plan to make, but they don't follow up on this, and I'd hope you'd make at least that in improvements.
A couple issues: Of course it took Wayne County several months to process my deed - so I couldn't convince the people at the Coleman A. Young Building, even by showing them the deed, that I owned the house. The scary part was they simply didn't understand the deed [[i.e. what it said, what the dates meant) even if they could read it, they couldn't understand it. They started giving me bizarre instructions about changing dates on the deed. A Warranty Deed isn't that complicated but I'm fairly certain the people I talked to were part of the functionally illiterate. I'd lived in Detroit for a while but this was my first awakening to the true level of incompetance in city government. Call me a hater, but my experience is true. For every 6 employees in that building you could fire them and replace them with 1 recent college grad.
It took me going in there about half a dozen times and my behavior ranging from sweet and understanding to demanding and belligerent. Eventually they got sick of me and just processed the damn form like their damn brainless asses are paid to do in the first place.
Anywho...
It also took about 6 months for the thing to kick in, and it applies it to the next tax year if I'm not mistaken. It lasts for either 12 or 15 years.
I know I'm also short on specifics but other than having to deal with actual mouth-breathing Detroit government functionaries it's pretty simple. Eventually you get a letter stating your new taxes. I'm not sure the computation, either. It worked for me though.
Thanks for the reply!
I hope you are looking in EEV. Enterprize zones last for 12 years but city never checks its records.
I live elsewhere in the city now but have nothing but praise for the EEV community. Great houses, great people, strong community organization.
I would like to say however that the city has amazing workers. Yes, I have run into a few turkeys but mostly great folks who do a great job. Personally impressed with the Ombudsman's office. They have helped me with big and also small issues. Start with them if you have a question about city service or programs.
The house is in West Village.
It probably won't happen [[because my husband and I have a house in da burbs that we are upside down on), but I'm trying to find every possible advantage just in case. :)
We still live in one of the villages on the eastside. LEAP, MOSEs and other orgs keep track of crime. West Village [[Vandyke) specifically has a bad track record for crime. Just sayin.
Mostly West Village has some serious cool folk living there.
I always love to hear that people are interested in moving back to the city. Mostly it truely is a great place to be.