I’ve worked hard all my life. In 2010 I bought my forever dream home in Ewa Beach. It’s 13 years later and I can no longer afford to live in it.
Last year my property tax went up. My mortgage payment usually covers my property tax but because of the property tax increase, my mortgage could not cover it, so my mortgage payment went up by about $100 — no problem.
This year my property tax went up again. It more than doubled! Where else on the planet does your property tax more than double in one year?
Because of this year’s property tax increase, my mortgage payment went up by $600 a month.
Who has an extra $600 a month lying around? That’s like a car payment without the car.
I reached out to the city and received a generic reply that basically said, “Tough luck.”
I have my dream house that I worked hard for all my life, but I can no longer afford to live there.
I now have to consider selling and moving to the mainland like so many other kamaaina.
James Ward
Ewa Beach
EXPRESS YOURSELF
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