Kimpossible

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Imagine spending 30 years paying off your mortgage only to realize you still have to pay thousands every year to stay in the house you already own.

That is why I believe America needs a serious conversation about property taxes, especially for retirees.

Think about someone who bought a home decades ago for $150,000.

They worked, raised a family, paid the mortgage, and eventually made that final payment.

Now the home that once cost $150,000 might now be assessed at $500,000, $700,000, or more.

Their house became more valuable, But their retirement income did not necessarily increase with it.

Now imagine that homeowner is 70 years old and living primarily on Social Security, a pension, retirement savings, or some combination of the three.

A property tax bill of $10,000, $15,000, or $20,000 a year can become a serious financial burden.

Paying off your mortgage does not eliminate your housing costs.

You still have property taxes, homeowners insurance, repairs, utilities, HOA fees in some communities, and rising maintenance costs.

I am not saying property taxes should disappear. Cities and counties need revenue for schools, police, firefighters, roads, libraries, and other public services.

But there should be a better way to protect longtime homeowners and retirees from being priced out of homes they spent decades paying for.

Maybe that means stronger homestead protections.

Maybe it means expanding senior exemptions.

Maybe increases should be capped more aggressively for long-time owner-occupied homes.

Whatever the solution, retirement should not come with the fear that rising property values could eventually make your paid-off home unaffordable.

If someone has lived in the same home for 30 or 40 years and paid off the mortgage, should their property taxes be capped once they reach retirement age?

"It’s a lack of social intelligence. When you are in Rome, you behave like a Roman. Adapt quickly or be left behind."