Anyone live in Bakersfield, Ca or familiar with the area?

Rehabbing & House Flipping
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Anyone live in Bakersfield, Ca or familiar with the area?

Kristyn Sanchez
New to Real Estate · Bakersfield, CA · Member since 2020 · 3 posts · 5 votes

I would like to start investing in Bakersfield since I live here. Looking for advice and opinions on the current market here and also would be nice to meet new people.

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Richard Phipps
Member since 2021 · 1 post · 2 votes
5y

I am new to investing myself. I work in a government office where I see investors make mistakes everyday. Now this may be obvious to the experienced investors but someone new might not know this but one mistake is accepting the tax rate that the realtors give you. Taxes are calculated based on net assessed value times a series of tax rates plus the special assessments in the area and these can vary conceivably from one parcel to the parcel right next door. The percentages of the tax rates that the taxing agencies use are voted on by the supervisors usually in September or early October. The special assessments are created by the voters with propositions and measures.

If you go to the Kern County Treasurer/Tax Collector's website: https://kcttc.co.kern.ca.us, click on the blue box to your left that has credit card icons and the phrase, "Pay Your Taxes Online." This will take you to a security page, where you'll type in a code that you'll see on the screen and hit, "Enter." This will take you to a search page where you can type in an Assessor's Tax Number (ATN) or below that, an address. If you type in the ATN, it will take you directly to the bill. If you type in the address, only key in the street number and the street name, then click search. This will take you to a list of properties, where the property your looking for is more than likely at the top of the list. You would then click the link to the left for your property to get to the bill.

When you are at the bill, click on the link (i.e. the tax bill number) to get to a page that will show you the tax bill again but it will also show the net assessed value and most importantly, a "Bill Details" button. The "Bill Details" page will show you all the taxing agencies taxing this property, their phone numbers, the tax rates, and the tax amounts for each agency. In addition, at the bottom the page, it will show the sum of the tax rates, which is not the true tax rate yet but only a subtotal.

Underneath all of the rates that show a percentage there will usually be other entries with no percentages. These are the special assessments. The tax rate for your particular property will be again the net assessed value, times a series of tax rates, plus the special assessments and each of these can and do change from year to year. In the bottom right hand corner is the total yearly bill, which is then split into two installments. 

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  • Gene HackerPro Member
    Flipper/Rehabber · Lake Isabella, CA · Member since 2011 · 974 posts · 488 votes
    5y

    Hi @Kristyn Sanchez,  Good to meet you. There is a fairly active group of investors in the Bakersfield here on Bigger Pockets.  You can search "Bakersfield" to see recent and past threads. We also have a local meet up group.  We used to meet at Rusty's Pizza but with covid it is now on zoom.  There are over 800 investors in the meetup group and the meetings always have a good showing.  I personally invest mostly in the communities around Lake Isabella (45 minutes into the mountains from Bakersfield), but my inspection service works in Bakersfield so I am in Bakersfield several time a week.  The market is hot right now.  Rents and prices are way up. Bakersfield still has cashflow potential and it is the growth story of California.  

    0Reply
  • Gene HackerPro Member
    Flipper/Rehabber · Lake Isabella, CA · Member since 2011 · 974 posts · 488 votes
    5y

    Here is the link to the next meetup if you are interested: https://www.biggerpockets.com/...

    0Reply
  • Sanjeev Advani
    Investor · Bakersfield, CA · Member since 2015 · 483 posts · 234 votes
    5y

    @Kristyn Sanchez you're looking at a good market to invest in, in my opinion.  Given the growth of Bakersfield, especially in the past few years, I think there is a lot of good potential in the market.  The new job opportunities coming to the area will sustain the market, if not increase the value of property over the long haul, and it really depends on your investing preferences, but there are many different opportunities depending on the type of property that you are looking to invest in as well.  Feel free to PM me if you would like to chat further as well!

    Best of luck!

    Sunny

    0Reply
  • Brendan WinansBusiness Member
    Real Estate Agent / Investor · Bakersfield, CA · Member since 2015 · 48 posts · 25 votes
    5y

    Hello @Kristyn Sanchez, yes there are a few of us on here. My wife and I own our own Brokerage here in Bakersfield, and have been working/investing in this market for 12 years. Please feel free to send us a message if there's anything we can do for you. 

    Winans & Associates4.714 Reviews
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  • Brooke WilsonPro Member
    Realtor · Bakersfield, CA · Member since 2017 · 60 posts · 17 votes
    5y

    Hi @Kristyn Sanchez ! Thanks for looking us up, would love to connect with you! It's a great market to invest in!

    0Reply
  • Kristyn Sanchez
    OP
    New to Real Estate · Bakersfield, CA · Member since 2020 · 3 posts · 5 votes
    5y

    Thank you @Gene Hacker this is what I was looking for. I want to start networking and learning from others. I will be sure to attend.

    1Reply
  • Kristyn Sanchez
    OP
    New to Real Estate · Bakersfield, CA · Member since 2020 · 3 posts · 5 votes
    5y

    Thank you @Brooke Wilson I look forward to connecting with you!

    1Reply
  • Jo-Ann LapinPro Member
    Loan Officer · Tustin, CA · Member since 2015 · 3k+ posts · 713 votes
    5y

    Sanjeev advani will be a tremendous  resource too you. I just posted a article yesterday on our media highlighting how rents have increased in Bakersfield and we are a pandemic !

    [email protected]
    0Reply
  • Arman Oduya
    Member since 2021 · 1 post · 0 votes
    5y

    @Kristyn Sanchez

    I am also looking at investing in Bakersfield as well and would be interested in connecting with fellow members.

    0Reply
  • Brooke WilsonPro Member
    Realtor · Bakersfield, CA · Member since 2017 · 60 posts · 17 votes
    5y

    @Arman Oduya - Welcome to the market! Bakersfield continues to be a great place to invest!

    0Reply
  • Richard Phipps
    Member since 2021 · 1 post · 2 votes
    5y

    I am new to investing myself. I work in a government office where I see investors make mistakes everyday. Now this may be obvious to the experienced investors but someone new might not know this but one mistake is accepting the tax rate that the realtors give you. Taxes are calculated based on net assessed value times a series of tax rates plus the special assessments in the area and these can vary conceivably from one parcel to the parcel right next door. The percentages of the tax rates that the taxing agencies use are voted on by the supervisors usually in September or early October. The special assessments are created by the voters with propositions and measures.

    If you go to the Kern County Treasurer/Tax Collector's website: https://kcttc.co.kern.ca.us, click on the blue box to your left that has credit card icons and the phrase, "Pay Your Taxes Online." This will take you to a security page, where you'll type in a code that you'll see on the screen and hit, "Enter." This will take you to a search page where you can type in an Assessor's Tax Number (ATN) or below that, an address. If you type in the ATN, it will take you directly to the bill. If you type in the address, only key in the street number and the street name, then click search. This will take you to a list of properties, where the property your looking for is more than likely at the top of the list. You would then click the link to the left for your property to get to the bill.

    When you are at the bill, click on the link (i.e. the tax bill number) to get to a page that will show you the tax bill again but it will also show the net assessed value and most importantly, a "Bill Details" button. The "Bill Details" page will show you all the taxing agencies taxing this property, their phone numbers, the tax rates, and the tax amounts for each agency. In addition, at the bottom the page, it will show the sum of the tax rates, which is not the true tax rate yet but only a subtotal.

    Underneath all of the rates that show a percentage there will usually be other entries with no percentages. These are the special assessments. The tax rate for your particular property will be again the net assessed value, times a series of tax rates, plus the special assessments and each of these can and do change from year to year. In the bottom right hand corner is the total yearly bill, which is then split into two installments. 

    2Reply
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