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For those that like to argue about statistics...

Simon, i have found this document from DOS. It discusses the privacy issues around information provided by applicants. It also describes the selection process, about what they call the 'clean' cases. It also says there is a secondary screening ('second quality check') after the cases are registrered and the forms are sent to KCC. Only after this second screening are the valid applications transferred to the Visa Office (VO) and monthly cutoffs determined for the visa bulletin.

Do you see there the possibilty that KCC scrutinizes more than before the winning cases, and do not call some winners for nterviews because they dont pass this secondary check? Would that be one of the reasons they have 'pre-selected' more winners in dv14?

http://foia.state.gov/_docs/PIA/Diversity Visa Information System (DVIS).pdf

Good info. The secondary check mentioned in the document is to make sure no data entry error (data quality check) into the DVIS System and KCC will not disqualify any applicants.
 
This is something I have heard somewhere before ... but it was pointed out as something that speaks against living in California, versus Florida! Is there a chance that what you are stating here refers to California property tax jurisdiction?
I don't understand the logic behind such a vastly different tax amount...but I actually think it would be way fairer to assess based on the SIZE of the property (like it's done in some EU nations)...not the VALUE or AGE!
This way...the stupid situation where cash strapped but asset rich retirees will not have to sell and move on (downsize) by force, as they can no longer afford to pay exorbitant property taxes (that were assessed on the "value" ... which has no meaning to someone, for as long as they still live there and not actually sell and make a profit).

But no point to argue, we are not here to lecture them...lol.

Properties in Florida are generally less expensive, so the tax rates are less, although the percentages in Florida (in my experience) are higher.
 
The variance is primarily due to homesteading rules. Remember that most often the land value is what determines the price. For example land value is 400k bug replacement costs are only 250k. So when you insure you don't use the assessed tax value or market value but simply the smaller replacement cost.

To obtain homestead benefits it has to be your primary residence. So if you buy a property got 600k where the owners have lived 10 years they may pay 4k pa in property taxes but you will be paying more like 8k. If you homestead your taxes will remain around 8k for a long time. So looking at what property taxes someone pays is in no way an indication of what you would pay if you bought the same property.

Homestead exemptions are not available in every state and certainly do not affect the numbers I quoted earlier (California) where the homestead exemption covers the first $7000 of assessed value. The differences in California are based on values, which are lower on older property because the assessed value cannot grow outside certain percentages annually, meaning older homes are generally cheaper than newer property. Sadly I like newer houses!
 
Property tax is not depending in age or size it's assessed value. Variations is due to homesteading. In Florida always assumed 2 percent when you buy. Upfront you will pay 2 percent of purchase value next year 2 percent of assessed value with homestead deductions

Yep again, you are really talking about Florida rules. It's very different in other states and homesteading is only important in a few states where the homestead exemption is high relative to the overall values.
 
Ok so what would lead them to make OC move at a slower rate and then give ur visa numbers to another region?

How is it that not all of us could get an interview and they give our visa allocation to another region.

Actually Mijoro I read that post too quickly. Aruably, the slow regions are likely to be AS and AF - because the "average" EU/SA/OC case is less likely to come from a country with developing public records systems and with high Muslim populations. AS and AF cases will more often go to AP (administrative processing) and AP cases natually take more manpower. So. EU/SA/OC cases are easier to process and should go faster. SA and OC regions also have smaller quotas, so a small global change (say 500 visas extra for SA/OC) would have an enormous in those regions and barely be noticed elsewhere.
 
Every regions have their own region quota. The only time that one region allows to use other regions quota is when that one region do not have any more selectees which I don't think is going to happen in DV14.

Correct. However, not all regions will move ahead at the same pace. So if the global limit hits early you might see a fast moving region having hit 95% of its quota at the point the global limit is filled and a slow moving region sitting on 85% of its quota. In that case, the quota will effectively be skewed in favour of the fast moving regions.
 
Correct. However, not all regions will move ahead at the same pace. So if the global limit hits early you might see a fast moving region having hit 95% of its quota at the point the global limit is filled and a slow moving region sitting on 85% of its quota. In that case, the quota will effectively be skewed in favour of the fast moving regions.

I don't think so. If the regionals quota are divided by 100% and the slow regions still have enough selectees then one region visa slots cannot be use by other regions. I believe the last 2 fiscal months are reserve for this kind of adjustment if any.
 
Yep again, you are really talking about Florida rules. It's very different in other states and homesteading is only important in a few states where the homestead exemption is high relative to the overall values.

Sorry simon but the most important element of homesteading is the limit to the growth of the assessed value not the exemption. However the ca exemption is 75000 usd
 
Homestead exemptions are not available in every state and certainly do not affect the numbers I quoted earlier (California) where the homestead exemption covers the first $7000 of assessed value. The differences in California are based on values, which are lower on older property because the assessed value cannot grow outside certain percentages annually, meaning older homes are generally cheaper than newer property. Sadly I like newer houses!

Simon that's not entirely correct. The limit to the growth of the assessment has nothing to do with the age of the house. If you buy an old house tomorrow your tax will be significantly higher than what the current owner pays further the exemption is at least 10 times higher in ca than what you mention.
 
Sorry simon but the most important element of homesteading is the limit to the growth of the assessed value not the exemption. However the ca exemption is 75000 usd

The assessed value resetting with a sale is something that I have seen avoided, but it might have been to do with the way the house was sold, and I have certainly seen more were the assessed value has reset on sale (both of those comments being about California). Having said that the numbers in Florida were far less and in an already depreciated market so I don't suppose I paid as much attention as I am looking at homes in California.
The discussion is about property tax. The CA exemption on property tax is $7k but the exemption on forced sale in CA is $75k (for single people). However, I don't think we are talking about bankruptcy here are we???
The tax rate in California is 1% not 2%.

I guess neither one of us was entirely correct!
 
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Further reading shows that California has differences to Florida because a of a change in law in the late 70's that limited the tax to 1% and the growth to 2% per year. Thank goodness for that - before that law people were paying 3% and with unlimited increases - so people were losing their homes because they couldn't afford to pay the property taxes.

This is all still a big shock to my wallet though as in the UK we have a banded system and even though my house is in the highest band I still only pay about $3000 per year. Houses I am looking at in California will cost 5 times that amount!
 
Further reading shows that California has differences to Florida because a of a change in law in the late 70's that limited the tax to 1% and the growth to 2% per year. Thank goodness for that - before that law people were paying 3% and with unlimited increases - so people were losing their homes because they couldn't afford to pay the property taxes.

This is all still a big shock to my wallet though as in the UK we have a banded system and even though my house is in the highest band I still only pay about $3000 per year. Houses I am looking at in California will cost 5 times that amount!

Simon, I don't quite understand the highlighted...could you illustrate with an example of what that means (limited to 1% and growth to 2% p.a. / 3% an unlimited increases) ..?
 
Simon, I don't quite understand the highlighted...could you illustrate with an example of what that means (limited to 1% and growth to 2% p.a. / 3% an unlimited increases) ..?


OK, in California - if you buy a house with a value assessed at $800,000 the tax in the first year should be $8,000 (although you can apply for the homestead exemption which would save a wopping $70 per year). In the second year, that $800,000 can only be increased by 2% so the assessed value the following year could rise to $816k which would then increase the tax by $160. So, in the case of an old couple who have lived in a house for 20 years they aren't being forced to sell their homes because of massive increases in property tax.

The 3% tax and unlimited increases was the situation until the late 70's when the local house price rises meant constant rising property tax bills which were 3% of the homes assessed value and could increase in line with market values (generally higher than the 2% limit now in place). So if you bought your house 5 years ago and a similar house sold for double your original price then you would find your property tax could literally double. This caused a lot of problems and a changed was agreed. This change was due to proposition 13.
 
Ah. Muchas gracias ... eso lo entiendo :). By 'growth' (the 2% example) you meant the increase of the asset tax base (= value of the property). That was the main thing I wasn't sure about...but your examples make real sense and illustrate what fair or unfair can do to people and their livelihoods.

I think this system of charging a property tax solely based on the assessed value is unfair. While I agree that people need to be protected from having to sell their house because of sky rocketing property tax demands, on the flip side I think it's also unfair that new buyers who already have to cop, say double the purchase price compared to a few years ago, would then also have to cop double the tax to start with, compared to those who were fortunate enough to buy at the lower price (often just a couple of years prior).

$800k as an example would barely buy you a simple shack in some of the better suburbs of LA, so that doesn't mean people can afford massive ongoing costs of owning the property just because the shack was expensive.

Again, no point in arguing the system but compared to Australia, in what we call "Council rates" the assessed property value will only make up one of several criteria for calculating the "rates due" ... one of which is the location of the property for instance, i.e. a canal home will be charged higher rates than properties in standard residential areas, and what they classify as a 'rural property' (i.e. a small acreage) will be cheaper again.

From what I've heard now a few times, property taxes and state income taxes are two of the main reasons why people keep abandoning California in favor of other states, namely Texas and Florida apparently.


OK, in California - if you buy a house with a value assessed at $800,000 the tax in the first year should be $8,000 (although you can apply for the homestead exemption which would save a wopping $70 per year). In the second year, that $800,000 can only be increased by 2% so the assessed value the following year could rise to $816k which would then increase the tax by $160. So, in the case of an old couple who have lived in a house for 20 years they aren't being forced to sell their homes because of massive increases in property tax.

The 3% tax and unlimited increases was the situation until the late 70's when the local house price rises meant constant rising property tax bills which were 3% of the homes assessed value and could increase in line with market values (generally higher than the 2% limit now in place). So if you bought your house 5 years ago and a similar house sold for double your original price then you would find your property tax could literally double. This caused a lot of problems and a changed was agreed. This change was due to proposition 13.
 
Ah. Muchas gracias ... eso lo entiendo :). By 'growth' (the 2% example) you meant the increase of the asset tax base (= value of the property). That was the main thing I wasn't sure about...but your examples make real sense and illustrate what fair or unfair can do to people and their livelihoods.

I think this system of charging a property tax solely based on the assessed value is unfair. While I agree that people need to be protected from having to sell their house because of sky rocketing property tax demands, on the flip side I think it's also unfair that new buyers who already have to cop, say double the purchase price compared to a few years ago, would then also have to cop double the tax to start with, compared to those who were fortunate enough to buy at the lower price (often just a couple of years prior).

$800k as an example would barely buy you a simple shack in some of the better suburbs of LA, so that doesn't mean people can afford massive ongoing costs of owning the property just because the shack was expensive.

Again, no point in arguing the system but compared to Australia, in what we call "Council rates" the assessed property value will only make up one of several criteria for calculating the "rates due" ... one of which is the location of the property for instance, i.e. a canal home will be charged higher rates than properties in standard residential areas, and what they classify as a 'rural property' (i.e. a small acreage) will be cheaper again.

From what I've heard now a few times, property taxes and state income taxes are two of the main reasons why people keep abandoning California in favor of other states, namely Texas and Florida apparently.

First time I have heard anything like that!!! I wish they would all bugger off so I could drive on uncongested 6 lane highways. I seriously doubt there is much population movement to other states from CA...

FYI $800k won't buy much in North CA either, but it depends where of course - some places are more affordable than others. I'm thinking I'll need to spend at least $1million to get a nice sized house (2500/3000 square feet), within a good school district and still commutable to SF. Either that or pay less for the house and then pay for private education.
 
I wish they would all bugger off so I could drive on uncongested 6 lane highways. I seriously doubt there is much population movement to other states from CA...
[...].

I will try to find some of these articles (next year...lol...in preparations for NYE now).

LOL at the highlighted!!
 
Great calculations, if we take the real number 3500. You now have hammered a nail into in theory Semen.
Semen, all your calculations is nonsense.

Sloner; simon's calculation are more than correct, because him using the succes rate for dv11 and dv13 automatically includes the county quotas (3500)..... :p
 
I had been quite determined to stay off this thread for personal reasons, but at this stage, I just can't contain myself anymore!

From what I've heard now a few times, property taxes and state income taxes are two of the main reasons why people keep abandoning California in favor of other states, namely Texas and Florida apparently.

My goodness! :eek::confused:

First time I have heard anything like that!!! I wish they would all bugger off so I could drive on uncongested 6 lane highways. I seriously doubt there is much population movement to other states from CA...

FYI $800k won't buy much in North CA either, but it depends where of course - some places are more affordable than others. I'm thinking I'll need to spend at least $1million to get a nice sized house (2500/3000 square feet), within a good school district and still commutable to SF. Either that or pay less for the house and then pay for private education.

Great response, as usual, Simon :)

I will try to find some of these articles (next year...lol...in preparations for NYE now).

LOL at the highlighted!!

Precisely why I tell my kids don't believe everything you read on the internet whenever they tell me something ridiculous and I ask how they came about it, to which they respond "oh, it's on the internet".

For sheez! I live about 1 hour's drive away from Southern Cali, I've lived there ever since I moved to the US, and it's still as congested as the first day I stepped foot into the State. Congestion is the main reason why I couldn't and still can't bear to live there. Same reason I can't stand places likes San Francisco and it's immediate suburbs in Northern Cali.

People abandoning California for places like Florida and Texas??? Majority of the people living in California don't give a hoot about the property or State income taxes. Yes, they may grumble about it now and then, but not enough for them to abandon the State in favor of some other.

Just like those living outside of the US who are supposedly "massively renouncing" their US citizenship or LPR status for tax reasons, those "abandoning California in favor of other states, namely Texas and Florida apparently" are like a drop in the ocean!
 
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