Mhen a dollar was a dollar

[berwyn senator]

When I bought my first home 20% down no debt,steady employment for male,spouses didn't count.The bank also wanted proof we had the money.wasn't borrowed,all this and we were friends with the S&L owner.The house was paid off in 5 years!!!!!!!! Drove used cars no debt,never went out to eat unless parents took us.Just think no cable tv,computers,cell phones,or video games,What the hell did we do for entertainment??? We worked hard and saved our money!! how about that! Today everything is credit new cars equity lines on the home,all the fancy toys.Then we wonder why when employment is lost,or just too much debt,there goes the house.

[pkd50]

Sounds like my early life, except for paying off the house in five years,  OMG I'm old!!!!!

[berwyn senator]

I don't believe people today are willing to eliminate debt,which is what controls their lives.What would the economy be like if all bought cars and paid cash,no equity loans,and never used a credit card again.

[chandasz]

Wages have not kept up with inflation-- percentage of income spent on housing has skyrocketed. This model is no longer valid.

[berwyn senator]

First time I nave heard such a sensible statement,lets look at taxes we pay today.

[MRS. NORTHSIDER]

First time I nave heard such a sensible statement,lets look at taxes we pay today.

We bought our first home here in North Berwyn in 1988 - a smaller frame farmhouse that the assessor lists out at about 1000 square feet on a 25 x 125 lot and our taxes were about $500 that year.  We bought out American 4 square with about 2000 square feet on a 50 x 125 lot in 1994 and out taxes were about $2200 - they are now $6600 with me battling the assessor on a regular basis and having our assessment reduced several times.  Based on the value of our home now I really feel like that is too much - basically the value has gone down every year since around 2005 but the taxes keep on rising.  How does that make sense? 

[chandasz]

Because expenses to run a city continue to rise-- that is the reason behind the tax increases. Life doesn't get cheaper-- it gets more expensive. More residents, more need for public services, aging infrastructure that needs fixing....

[berwyn senator]

Ok! here we go! costs do go up yes,.We have been in a recession yet how many cuts were made? Interesting how corporations respond by cutting expenses,benefits,expansion,and jobs.Yet I see towns spending more,along with the schools,etc.politics I presume at its best,more debt at the tax payers expense. Factor in the state and federal,along with all the everyday taxes we pay, but printing money doesn't help.Real estate taxes are such a mess very little continuity for similar structures in the county, assessors office is just a dumping ground,full of political nepotism.One thing for sure you'll never get a correct answer from anyone,keep appealing maybe you will reach the right person?

[MRS. NORTHSIDER]

Because expenses to run a city continue to rise-- that is the reason behind the tax increases. Life doesn't get cheaper-- it gets more expensive. More residents, more need for public services, aging infrastructure that needs fixing....

You are quite right on all of those counts - except for the fact that the number of residents in the city hasn't increased by that much so there is not much more need for public services and we do pay for water and garbage services separately.  As for infrastructure, wasn't there a huge project done within the last 15 years that was supposed to improve the roads, sewers, streetlights, etc. that we are still paying for?  If you're talking about schools, that's another subject entirely. 

[buzz]

We have been in a recession yet how many cuts were made? Interesting how corporations respond by cutting expenses,benefits,expansion,and jobs.

BLASPHEMY !

[berwynson]

First time I nave heard such a sensible statement,lets look at taxes we pay today.

We bought our first home here in North Berwyn in 1988 - a smaller frame farmhouse that the assessor lists out at about 1000 square feet on a 25 x 125 lot and our taxes were about $500 that year.  We bought out American 4 square with about 2000 square feet on a 50 x 125 lot in 1994 and out taxes were about $2200 - they are now $6600 with me battling the assessor on a regular basis and having our assessment reduced several times.  Based on the value of our home now I really feel like that is too much - basically the value has gone down every year since around 2005 but the taxes keep on rising.  How does that make sense?

Mrs., it doesn't! When I sold the bungalow, taxes were about $300; we got $28,000 for it. But, after 30 years in Crook County, and having scoped out how things are handled elsewhere in the country, I decided everything in my hometown area seemed "lopsided" economically.

As an example, my wife & I just bought a nice home on 2 acres, unincorporated area, not a foreclosure or short sale, though we looked at many, many of those, the owner of ours had died, was an out-of-state owner, used it for recreational purposes only (located near the Colorado River). Built 2002, he paid $ 190,000 for it, his son, also out of state, accepted our $ 90,000 offer.

The kicker? His taxes were $ 1,300, not too bad for a hundred ninety grand, our first tax bill was $600. They set the tax based on actual sold price. I could no longer possibly live in Berwyn with income (Social Security) of $1040 a month, obviously. I miss the old neighborhoods, the old folks I knew, the stores, shopping, snow shoveling...(oops!), remember January, 1967 all to well.   berwynson

[berwyn senator]

The bottom line is were looking at residents that never answer the census,the ones living in attacks and basements.I know this town like the back of my hand,open your eyes pay attention to crowding on the streets,lights in the basements,attics.Pay attention to the hammering on the weekends,dry wall being hauled from the garage. How did our schools become over crowded?bumper to bumper traffic on our streets,and do we really believe the population of Berwyn remains the same? The building dept. does!!!!!!