By Evan Karwowski · WR Properties ·
What to look for on each bill
1. Match the parcel and the year.
Get the assessor’s parcel number (APN) for each listing. Use Contra Costa County’s property tax lookup to find each secured bill. Match the APN to the house, then check that both bills cover the same fiscal year. Use the annual figures, not one installment.
2. Separate value-based taxes from other charges.
In two columns, write down each special tax or assessment by its label, annual amount and issuing agency. Keep taxes calculated on assessed value in a separate row. A charge might be for a community facilities district (CFD, often called Mello-Roos), an assessment district or another service. They aren’t interchangeable. The county explains the categories in Where Your Taxes Go.
3. Put the difference in monthly terms.
Here’s an example with made-up figures. Suppose the listed special taxes and assessments total $1,200 per year for Home A and $2,040 for Home B. The difference is $840 a year, or $70 a month. That’s a budgeting comparison of those lines only. It isn’t a tax estimate for either property.
4. Check what can change.
If a line names a City of Brentwood CFD, match the district number to Brentwood’s annual special-tax reports. For other charges, ask the issuing agency shown on the bill. Two useful questions: “Can this amount increase?” and “Is there a scheduled end date for this parcel?” Write down the answer and who confirmed it.
Why the seller’s total isn’t your forecast
A longtime owner’s assessed value may be quite different from yours after a sale. A change in ownership can also trigger a separate supplemental bill. Read the county’s supplemental tax explanation before treating the current total as your budget. Ask your lender how it estimates taxes for the proposed purchase and handles any supplemental bill.