Less Taxing

Ignoring, for a moment, the painful irony of a former school teacher choosing not to pay taxes that benefit public schools, check out an article from today's Marin IJ on how some Marin seniors can opt out of parcel taxes. In truth, the article is about a snafu by the tax collector, but the reason for this post is to bring awareness to our "boomer-ish" Marin readers (or readers with boomer-ish parents) who may not be aware of this program. We'd remind you that it's Marin's excellent schools that are partly the reason for our high property values, but we also know that when budgets get tight, this kind of relief can make a big difference.

Taxing Situation

Most people don't realize that there can be tax consequences to a short sale. Just when you think you've gotten out from under an unfortunate financial situation, you may find that you have a substantial tax bill. Today's Chron article spells out the pitfalls that may sellers are completely unaware of.