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CATHERINE REAGOR REAL ESTATE
AZ property tax rate lag may end
Tips for blending big-screen televisions into living room
SCREEN D
ecorating a room around a flatscreen TV can be challenging. Here are a few tips to make sure the big black shiny screen fits in rather than sticks out like a sore thumb in the living or family room.  Add a few black accents to the room to tie the TV in to the overall decor.  Place above a fireplace, a console or large piece of furniture.  Hanging a TV too high makes a room feel like a movie theater. Hang it as low as possible to make the room feel like a room.  Place artwork or collectables above and around the TV.  Frame TV with a decorative picture frame.  Decorate with an eclectic mix of styles, textures and colors to help the TV blend into the room. — Karen Fernau TOP LEFT: Lynda Person and John Peterson hung their TV above a floating credenza. MICHAEL SCHENNUM/THE REPUBLIC TOP RIGHT: The Oberghs of Phoenix mounted their TV over the fireplace. DAVID KADLUBOWSKI/THE REPUBLIC
MIDDLE RIGHT: Todd and Donna Himes set their set on a bright shelf unit. MICHAEL SCHENNUM/THE REPUBLIC
BOTTOM RIGHT: Tom Conner and Lauren Kelly’s TV fits with their Midcentury Modern style. MICHAEL CHOW/THE REPUBLIC
Metro Phoenix homeowners saw their values climb an average 7 percent when they received their latest property valuations last week. Many may expect to be taxed on the higher worth of their house this fall. That’s not going to happen, at least not this year anyway. In September, Phoenix-area homeowners will be taxed on valuations they received a year ago, when the average value of a house in the region jumped 23 percent. In Arizona, there’s an 18month lag between property valuations, and the tax bills tied to them. Confused? Arizona’s property tax system, considered one of the most convoluted in the nation, is baffling tow many. But all of the state’s county assessors are trying now to simplify the process with legislation to do away with the year-and-a-half span between valuations and correlating taxes. House Bill 2253 calls for property owners to be taxed on the valuation they receive in February by October starting in 2018. The change has drawn support of big real estate groups. “By shortening the time (between valuations and tax bills), the assessed value more closely aligns with value of the property,â€? Arizona Association of Realtors CEO Michelle Lind told me. “In the last economic downturn, numerous homeowners were concerned and dismayed when their tax bill arrived because their assessed property value was substantially higher than the actual value of the property,â€? she said. The 18-month lag was built into Arizona’s property tax system to allow property owners time to appeal their valuations, something that doesn’t always lead to lower taxes. Robert Pizorno, communications director for the Maricopa Assessor, said property owners will still have time to appeal with the change to a one-year cycle for property valuations and taxes. The legislation calls for the appeal time to go from 60 to 45 days. Appeals dropped more than 50 percent last year, something Pizorno attributes partly to a law passed in 2012 that limits the increase on a specific valuation to no more than 5 percent a year. A quick explanation of Arizona’s property valuation system: •The full-cash value, listed first on a valuation report, is a conservative estimate of what a house is worth and See REAGOR, Page R3
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