Comments on: Highlights from Decatur Annexation Public Hearing

By: Unincorporated Dekalb

Unincorporated Dekalb — Wed, 31 Oct 2012 22:11:31 +0000

Midway I am amongst the elderly. I love my home and still love my neighborhood. My property value going up does me no good until I keel over. Now if I planned to move on 5 years it would make a difference. I can tell by your post you haven’t say across the table from over 50t seniors and listened to their stories of when they bought their home over 30 years ago. Besides they are old not stupid as you imply

By: Midwayresident

Midwayresident — Wed, 31 Oct 2012 19:50:47 +0000

Excellent post. I totally appreciate and respect this. Change can be devastating for elderly and ‘traditional’ logic doesn’t often prevail.

My only hope is that they are patiently informed of their options by someone other than a self-serving, annexation extremists. And after careful consideration, they make their well-informed decision.

By: No2decatur

No2decatur — Wed, 31 Oct 2012 19:03:27 +0000

Correct, Pro side doesn’t look at how this will affect their neighbors. and the increase will be much more than that in years 2-5 when property values will increase. This shows me you have only spoken to your neighbors who are like you. I moved over here because it wasn’t in Decatur. You moved here knowing it wasn’t. The market dropped, you had kids, you won’t sell your house at a loss and now you want me to pay for your mistakes. I’m fairly certain all of Midway Woods won’t be annexed this time, but Midway Woods Neighborhood Assoc. went to Peggy Merris first THEN told the neughborhood. So yes, there is a trust issue here.besides this is the second survey and they never posted those results. They never said why they would give the results to the city nor if the results were unfavorable to annex would they still send those results to the city. Besides if there are opposing sides getting petitions what purpose does it serve MIdway Woods Neighborhood Assocation to send tuheir results to the Board?
Everyone on that is married with (or about to have) children, so it is painffully obvious why.

By: At Home in Decatur

At Home in Decatur — Wed, 31 Oct 2012 18:59:43 +0000

In my experience, for the elderly, the future is now. The medical bills are now. The burden of home maintenance is now. Home equity loans and reverse mortgages are no longer easy to get. Any loans are hard to get when one has no future earning potential. Being elderly can be a rewarding and financially secure time of life for some. But for many, it is full of physical and emotional struggles, if not downright pain. Doing what’s necessary to prepare one’s house for sale and going through with all the steps is a formidable task. Family willing, available, and able to help may or may not exist. Leaving one’s home tips some into depression or even worsens developing dementia. You can’t blame those elderly residents who just want to be left in peace in their own homes.

By: Midwayresident

Midwayresident — Wed, 31 Oct 2012 18:47:57 +0000

Should a senior who can’t scrape together $30 a month, turn down the opportunity to increase their property value by 20% or $30,000? That sounds penny wise and pound foolish.

I might see it as a way to pay for future medical needs or to make up for other issues with my nest egg. The tricky part is how to tap into the ‘annexation lottery’ when you’re a senior without giving up your home before you’re ready.

Defer the taxes? Home equity line of credit which gets paid off upon sale of the home, etc.? Ask your kids if they want to pay it since they’re reap the benefits of owning the higher valued house?

It would take 80 years to make the tax increase = the home equity increase. Sounds like a problem worth solving particularly for the poor.