2009 TAX ASSESSMENT NOTICES

The Putnam County Board of Tax Assessors will mail the 2009 annual change of assessment notices the first week in July. For 2009 the Board will mail approximately 4,500 real notices and 3,500 personal notices. The Putnam County Board of Tax Assessors is of the opinion that if county values are maintained on a yearly basis a lot of problems and expense encountered by many surrounding counties can be avoided.

If you receive a change notice and have questions concerning the current value you may exercise your right of appeal by writing a letter of appeal within 45 days from the postmark. This board suggests that in the appeal letter you state your specific concerns of which can be value, uniformity of assessment, taxability, or denial of homestead exemption. Additionally, any information provided to this Board in support of your opinion of value will be reviewed.

Before filing an appeal this Board recommends that you visit our web-site www.qpublic.net/ga/putnam and review your values. Our web- site will be updated with current information as soon as the notices are mailed. Also, a taxpayer may meet with a state certified appraiser both real and personal to go over the comparable sales on real property or cost manuals on personal property used to arrive at market value. At this time any incorrect information on a taxpayer’s property record card or personal property account can be resolved.

Although the sales activity in Putnam County’s real estate market has seen a slow down most of the sales in 2008 indicate a maintaining of values rather than declining as is the case in other markets. Some of the slow sales activity can be contributed to potential buyers being unable to sell existing homes in order to buy in Putnam County. This Board has made every effort to reduce areas where values have fallen and to increase areas where values are increasing.

On Lake Oconee vacant lot sales range from a high of $750,000 in a gated community to $435,000 in non –gated areas. In one gated community some 2000 square foot lake cottages have sold as high as $950,000 with cottages with less spectacular views in the $450,000 to $500,000 range.

On Lake Sinclair the average lake lot has reached a range of $175,000 to $190,000. Lake Sinclair has a large number of properties on the market with lake homes from $225,000 for manufactured homes to $500,000 plus for site built.

Agricultural large tracts are slow but the 2008 sales show a range from $3000 to $4000 for properties with good topography and adequate frontage.

In Eatonton affordable housing continues to sell and the market appears to be stable.