One more thing...

YOU CAN SIGH A BIG RELIEF--THIS MEASURE WAS DEFEATED. The Governor's proposal to raise the transfer tax had me thinking and thinking. Isn't this really double taxation? You already pay very high property taxes, but when you go to sell your home now you will have to pay a tax to sell. That seems like double taxation to me. I guess that is why they call it a fee. What happens to the seniors who sell their homes and are in dire need of every penny of equity that they can get out of that house? Well this proposal will strip that money right out of their hands. I could keep going and going but here are three additional points of why I think this is unfair to everyone.

1. This 'home tax' hurts the buyers and the sellers. Someone will be paying for this tax.
2. Seller's loose more of their equity.
3. The 'home tax' is unfair. The Governor wants to use the increased revenue to fund a Youth Aids Program. But the program will be funded by just the people selling their homes. So just a few citizens will be required to fund this project.

When we look to the government to solve our problems we get fees like this. Let's ask them to lower our taxes. If this goes through Wisconsin will be the 12th most expensive state in the Union for this fee. Not a distinction we can be proud of.

NO New Taxes?

Governor Doyle




Before his re-election Governor Doyle promised to not raise our taxes. Ahhemm... No new taxes, seems like I have heard that pledge before. Any way, our Governor has decided that this does NOT pertain to raising certain fees in the state. Let's take for instance, the State Transfer FEE funny how it is called a fee, but in all reality it is a tax, but it is really a fee. My head spins on this one. Any way, the fee, a.k.a. tax is $3/thousand dollars of the sale price of your home. For example, if you sell a $300,000 home at the closing table you will pay the State of Wisconsin a $900.00 fee. The Governor, in all his, "I will not raise your taxes" wisdom has decided to raise the fee to $5/thousand. That would result in a $1,500.00 fee at the closing table for the above example. There is no way around this fee. You pay regardless. As a Realtor our organization is fighting this tooth and nail. We need your help though. Don't think that the Realtors will get this through. Call your representative and let them know what you think about this tax increase. I am in favor of limiting the spending at the state level rather than finding loopholes in campaign promises. Let's encourage the Governor to veto the pork in his budget and leave the State Transfer Fee alone. Wouldn't it be great if he would actually lower the rate! Now there's an idea.