Thursday, May 21, 2009

Collin County tax rolls shrink with economy

By ED HOUSEWRIGHT / The Dallas Morning News

High-flying Collin County has been grounded.

Property values here, which have surged throughout the decade, are now flattening or declining, according to appraisal records.

Countywide, taxable values have dropped slightly less than 1 percent, but some cities and school districts have seen larger dips. As a result, they may have to cut spending, reduce services or raise taxes. A county that once seemed immune from downturns has been jolted by the dismal national economy.

Even Frisco, which routinely posted double-digit appraisal increases, has joined its neighbors in the malaise. Its tax base in Collin County dropped from 2008, according to preliminary figures from the Collin Central Appraisal District.

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Collin County Foreclosures show decline

May 20, 2009 -

By Aleshia Howe

Just in time for the start of the home buying season, new reports show residential foreclosure numbers in Collin County and surrounding areas are on the decline – but so are home sales prices.

The first quarter of 2009 showed an 11.9 decrease in the number of new foreclosures compared to the same time last year, according to the Collin County Association of Realtors. The CCAR Pulse, which studies the 36 real estate markets of 36 local communities, also showed more than 25 percent of area homes sold in the first quarter were foreclosure listings – up 19 percent from the same time last year.

In a separate report, Addison-based Foreclosure Listing Service Inc., a company that tracks foreclosure postings and auctions in 19 Texas counties, tallied a 13 percent drop in Collin County foreclosures from May 2008 to May 2009.

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