We hate to be scolds, but it’s time to break those deplorable habits that are hurting your home. No, a home does not actually feel pain, and, much like the American electorate, it can endure a remarkable amount of abuse. But the damage it sustains—scratches on the hardwood floors, a neglected leaky spot on the ceiling—will one day come back and take a bite out of your finances in the guise of costly repairs.

“It’s tempting for homeowners to get caught up in dreaming about the cool stuff they plan to do—the kitchen makeover with the big, six-burner commercial-grade stove, or the dinner parties on the yet-to-be-built backyard deck,” says remodeling expert John Riha. “But good homeownership is in the details, like doing regular maintenance and smaller…

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Most people know that home-ownership requires coughing up copious amounts of money. There’s your mortgage, of course, but the costs hardly end there. You will also have to pay property tax. But how much? That depends not only on your home, but also where you live.

Here’s how to calculate property tax so you don’t end up blindsided by this hefty homeowner expense.

What is a home’s assessed value?

One factor that affects your property taxes is how much your home is worth. You probably have a good understanding of your home’s market value—the amount of money a buyer would (hopefully) pay for your place. (You could also enter your address in a home value estimator to get a ballpark figure.) Still, tax municipalities use a slightly different…

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