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timmybob
Original Poster
415 posts
141 months
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Our green cards arrived in the post this weekend so I no longer have to worry about my H1-B expiry date. Thanks to all on here for the advice (both directly and indirectly), especially Matt, during this process! 
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Matt Harper
2,751 posts
70 months
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Congratulations! It's a huge weight off the shoulders, right?
1st priority - file for homestead exepmtion - it halved my property tax bill, hopefully do the same for you.
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timmybob
Original Poster
415 posts
141 months
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Thanks Matt. A huge weight off the shoulders!!
I don't think I'm eligible for homestead in Maryland due to the income cap...
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jimmyjimjim
2,749 posts
107 months
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Congrats! - it really is a great day, where nothing can touch you, isn't it?
Matt; didn't know that about the exemption...alas, in CO, no such thing currently.
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Matt Harper
2,751 posts
70 months
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Ooops - mah byad.
Sorry if I got anyone outside of FL all revved-up about this. I wronly assumed that this was a part of more widespread property tax legislation - Homestead Exemption only applies in FL by the sound of things.
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IsItACatInAHat
53 posts
34 months
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Congratulations!
I'm currently beginning my application now (Also on a H1-B) - if you don't mind my asking, how long did it take from start to finish? And what grade(EB1/2/3) did you get?
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jimmyjimjim
2,749 posts
107 months
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timmybob
Original Poster
415 posts
141 months
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Thanks! IsItACatInAHat said: I'm currently beginning my application now (Also on a H1-B) - if you don't mind my asking, how long did it take from start to finish? And what grade(EB1/2/3) did you get? Took about a year from filing - I was surprised it happened relatively quickly given the stories I've heard. And it was done as an EB2.
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jimmyjimjim
2,749 posts
107 months
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Sounds like a lot of that was waiting for the priority date to become current; I was EB2, and took 2 1/2 months from I-485 receipt to approval letter, with my priority date being current when the I-485 was filed. About 10 months from PERM filling to approval letter.
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Famous Graham
26,537 posts
94 months
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Nice one. I'm starting to get tempted 
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timmybob
Original Poster
415 posts
141 months
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jimmyjimjim said: Sounds like a lot of that was waiting for the priority date to become current; I was EB2, and took 2 1/2 months from I-485 receipt to approval letter, with my priority date being current when the I-485 was filed. About 10 months from PERM filling to approval letter. You're probably right. I think the PERM filing was about a year ago but haven't got the actual date (left pretty much everything to the attorney!). Famous Graham - I'd get the process started as soon as possible. As others have said, it take a lot of the worry away...
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jimmyjimjim
2,749 posts
107 months
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Get started already, you've been there long enough to make your mind up!
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tinman0
18,231 posts
109 months
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Matt Harper said: Ooops - mah byad.
Sorry if I got anyone outside of FL all revved-up about this. I wronly assumed that this was a part of more widespread property tax legislation - Homestead Exemption only applies in FL by the sound of things. Depends on the state, loads of them have a reduction for the first home iirc. (We have Homestead Exemption though! $300pa in council tax, beats the **** out of the UK where we were paying £1800pa).
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Matt Harper
2,751 posts
70 months
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What? $300 a year? My property tax dropped from nearly $7k to around $3800 and I thought Homestead Exemption had done me a huge favor. Are you living under canvas?
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tinman0
18,231 posts
109 months
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Matt Harper said: What? $300 a year? My property tax dropped from nearly $7k to around $3800 and I thought Homestead Exemption had done me a huge favor. Are you living under canvas? 1800 square feet (on third of an acre) half mile from the Gulf! (I genuinely don't know why it's so low. Should be at least $350.  )
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h0b0
1,447 posts
65 months
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This is not meant to be a big balls boasting post but my property tax in the house I am moving into is around $24k. It is more than the bloody mortgage. I have not figured out why yet, the only justification is that the bins get emptied twice a week. I am in NJ and we have the highest property taxes in the US. I looked at a place in Sparta which was $800k to buy but $46k/year in taxes. The bigger properties were being priced out of the market by their tax.
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Dr JonboyG
1,972 posts
108 months
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Be thankful you don't live in Kentucky - they used to charge us annual property tax on our cars!
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jimmyjimjim
2,749 posts
107 months
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h0b0 said: I have not figured out why yet...I am in NJ and we have the highest property taxes in the US. Fixed that for you.
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jeff m2
955 posts
20 months
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h0b0 said: This is not meant to be a big balls boasting post but my property tax in the house I am moving into is around $24k. It is more than the bloody mortgage. I have not figured out why yet ......... Each State grabs the money of its inmates by different methods. NJ has low income tax so we have tragic real estate tax. A wealthyish friend of mine said he does not mind high R.E. Taxes as it prevents someone like me from moving in next door 
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h0b0
1,447 posts
65 months
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Because of the high taxes I always check they have the right valuation of my property. In my county they use a multiplication factor to calculate value when compared to a historical date. They make it difficult to find the factor so it is hard to calculate. However, I took our taxes from $12k to less than $7k a couple of years ago by halving the assessed value.
OP congrats on the green card. I got my full card this year having been on a marriage card before. I'm now bringing over an employee on a visa and have been amazed how quickly it has gone. I heard things were getting quicker in immigration and it looks to be true.
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