Black Activists Call for Lynching and Hanging of White People and Cops

[VMI77]

Mrs. RJ and I joke sometimes about going "off the grid"...

This nonsense is making that feel less like a joke every day...

In all seriousness, this is a serious threat and we have to be vigilant, aware, and informed...

I didn't read this thread until after Deputy Goforth was killed. It sure seems like this is one plausible motive the DA is searching for...

Not completely off the grid but I live out in the country. My taxes keep going up. Property valuations have increased an average of 40% a year over the past 6 years. I thought it might have something to do with Eagle Ford shale but the local tax appraiser says it's because people in the Houston area are paying whatever the asking price is to get acreage out in the country. He told me that almost every sale that has been used to establish market value has been to someone from the Houston area, none to any oil company. I'd guess this is probably happening around all the large urban areas, so if you're thinking about getting out of town you might want to start looking for property.

[cb1000rider]

I dunno... Rural areas are hard to assess. The appraisal of our land value doubled (yes, 100%) this year. I thought that was odd, so ran MLS comps and found nothing that justified that sort of increase. I have neighbors that have accepted the value for the last few years, so I suspect that's the basis. I provided Travis county with similar properties for sale that had asking prices of less than the assessment - that never sold - those were not accepted as it wasn't a completed sale. There were no comparable sales in the area anywhere near that price for the last 5 years. Their comparables were in areas without development costs (water, electricity, sewer), amenities, or waterfront...

Basically, it's a catch 22. If you can't show a comparable properties that consistently sell for less, you don't have a valid protest. And you can't show that properties advertised at or below that assessment don't sell - because there is no transaction.

Ask them for the "evidence package" next time you protest - that will show you what they're comping you against.

Look, you really can't go off grid in Texas. With property tax, we're all just leasing from the government.

[dlh]

Run a goat on your property and see if you can get taxation at ag. value.

dlh

[VMI77]

I dunno... Rural areas are hard to assess. The appraisal of our land value doubled (yes, 100%) this year. I thought that was odd, so ran MLS comps and found nothing that justified that sort of increase. I have neighbors that have accepted the value for the last few years, so I suspect that's the basis. I provided Travis county with similar properties for sale that had asking prices of less than the assessment - that never sold - those were not accepted as it wasn't a completed sale. There were no comparable sales in the area anywhere near that price for the last 5 years. Their comparables were in areas without development costs (water, electricity, sewer), amenities, or waterfront...

Basically, it's a catch 22. If you can't show a comparable properties that consistently sell for less, you don't have a valid protest. And you can't show that properties advertised at or below that assessment don't sell - because there is no transaction.

Ask them for the "evidence package" next time you protest - that will show you what they're comping you against.

Look, you really can't go off grid in Texas. With property tax, we're all just leasing from the government.

I actually filed a protest but I withdrew it. Pretty hard to make a case when the assessed value is what I paid for it. On the plus side the assessed value of the residence went down, but it didn't matter much because most of the tax is on the 43 acres of property.

[VMI77]

Run a goat on your property and see if you can get taxation at ag. value.

dlh

I've considered it...or leasing to a neighbor that is running cattle. The problem is twofold...that the 43 acres is only partially fenced and due to the terrain, difficult to fence and effectively contain livestock. At this point, the fencing expense is too high relative to the tax bite, which on 43 acres, including a residence, is still only 1/3 of what I was paying on our house in town.

[Vol Texan]

While the conversation above is interesting, I think it has veered off topic?

PM Sent to VMI

[RJGold]

Mrs. RJ and I joke sometimes about going "off the grid"...

This nonsense is making that feel less like a joke every day...

In all seriousness, this is a serious threat and we have to be vigilant, aware, and informed...

I didn't read this thread until after Deputy Goforth was killed. It sure seems like this is one plausible motive the DA is searching for...

Not completely off the grid but I live out in the country. My taxes keep going up. Property valuations have increased an average of 40% a year over the past 6 years. I thought it might have something to do with Eagle Ford shale but the local tax appraiser says it's because people in the Houston area are paying whatever the asking price is to get acreage out in the country. He told me that almost every sale that has been used to establish market value has been to someone from the Houston area, none to any oil company. I'd guess this is probably happening around all the large urban areas, so if you're thinking about getting out of town you might want to start looking for property.

Thanks for the heads up on property values but our definition of "off the grid" would be something in Wyoming or Montanna.

[philip964]

http://www.bizpacreview.com/2015/09/02/ ... deo-246607

This is a serious declaration of war against white cops and "crackers" by this black lives matter member. Watch the video it is chilling.

I am very supportive of the first amendment. Not sure if his rant crosses that fine line of shouting fire in a crowded movie theater.

I'm wondering what the President's legacy will be.

[philip964]

http://baltimore.cbslocal.com/2015/09/0 ... residents/

Baltimore area police are investigating a tweet where a person threatening to purge all the white people in a La Plata ( I assume a small suburban town near Baltimore)

[suthdj]

http://baltimore.cbslocal.com/2015/09/0 ... residents/

Baltimore area police are investigating a tweet where a person threatening to purge all the white people in a La Plata ( I assume a small suburban town near Baltimore)

https://youtu.be/brX0XcmtVUY

[The Annoyed Man]

Mrs. RJ and I joke sometimes about going "off the grid"...

This nonsense is making that feel less like a joke every day...

In all seriousness, this is a serious threat and we have to be vigilant, aware, and informed...

I didn't read this thread until after Deputy Goforth was killed. It sure seems like this is one plausible motive the DA is searching for...

It isn't a joke, it is smart thinking.

My wife and I have been talking about this for several years, and have been advancing our plans to carry it out. I expect to own such land within 4-5 years. I own my home free and clear, so I could take a mortgage and go into debt to buy a rural property, but I don't want to do that as I will be in a position to pay cash for it in just a few years. That is my plan - owe nobody anything for it, so it cannot be taken away without a protracted legal battle which I have a good chance of winning, and which if I lose (eminent domain) would compensate me with enough money to acquire other, similar property.

I spent the past two opening days of this Dove Season hunting with AndyC on the recently acquired farm of a friend of his - 150 acres fronting the Brazos, about a 3 hour drive from here. 150-200 acres is exactly the amount of land I would like to buy - big enough for some solitude, but small enough to be manageable for a single family. That friend of Andy's bought that farm exactly for the kind of reasons being discussed here. Furthermore, of the 6 men in camp those two days, all either already owned or were on track to acquire rural land exactly for that reason. These men are all people with professional skills, educated, and gainfully employed. During the campfire conversation Tuesday night, I commented that it was a remarkable thing that 6 men, who appear rational and competent in all respects, had all arrived independently at the same conclusion.

Going off the grid is no joke either. I do NOT advocate going completely off the grid for a lot of reasons.....at least for myself. We are of an age that having halfway decent facilities like hospitals, etc., not too far away is a part of our planning. But that said, I DO advocate being prepared to go off the grid if necessary. What that looks like for my wife and me is this: We like country living. We also like town living. We have a beautiful and comfortable home in suburbia, and we like it here. Things here are convenient and living is relatively easy. Once we have acquired the rural property, we'll likely divide our time between the two, and maintain the rural place as a retreat to fall back on if necessary.

[VMI77]

Once we have acquired the rural property, we'll likely divide our time between the two, and maintain the rural place as a retreat to fall back on if necessary.

We started out that way, but as the taxes in town got more and more ridiculous we decided to make it permanent. If it's a fall back and you're in a large urban area, you either need to "fall back" for awhile when things look dicey, probably enduring a few false alarms, or have good routes to your property off main roads if you're forecasting is off.

[RJGold]

We are in the process of downsizing our "in town" digs (recent empty nesters) and looking at rural properties.

At some point we'll begin to split our time between town and rural but have rural as a fall back if we needed it.

As I said in a recent post, if I wanted to get really off the grid, I'd be looking at Wyoming or Montanna.

I agree that it's telling to see rational, educated, professionals come to the the place where they feel they need to be "off the grid" to some extent.