How to make purchase price lower (but seller gets same amount)

Question

Hypothetical — If you wanted to reduce the purchase price value of the property you are buying because it is taxed a good 20% over all the other houses on the street (It was the only house used as a rental and I can’t figure out why it would have a assessed tax value so much higher than the other properties) ... But anyways what are some things you might be able to do?

Paying for all the sellers closing costs and reducing the purchase price by that amount and seller commissions for two things I was thinking.

I know this might not matter in the end but I would plan on challenging the assessed value of the property and property taxes are decent in Florida (This one has a tax bill of about 20,000 a year).

Anything else you think could be accommodated for to reduce the purchase price but not put seller in a worse position?

Wayne Brooks · Answer

@Matt NewmanThe difference in taxes is the fact that it is a rental.....not only fo the other houses have homestead exemptions, their tax assessments are limited to 3% /year increase due to the Save Our Homes law. Also....your tax value is Not affected by your purchase price.....it is Solely based on comparable sales in your neighborhood during the 4th quarter of the previous year.

Also, if you read the values on the property appraiser site carefully, you will see a Market value and a lower Assessed value, which reflects the parameters mentioned above.