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Showing posts from January 20, 2013

Tools of the Trade - CookCountyAssessor.com

Assessor's Web Site Screen Grab by  Michael H. Wasserman, Attorney at Law Whenever a client hires me in connection with a local real estate purchase or sale, one of the first things I do is check out the local county assessor’s web site. For Cook County transactions, that would be here . The property search function allows home buyers, owners, and the professionals that represent them, many data points that can be critical to their deals. I am on this site every day. What the Assessor’s Office Does The Assessor sets the valuations (worth) of each of Cook County’s 1.8 millions parcels of property. These assessments are then plugged into the mathematical formula used to calculate our annual property taxes. Your property’s assessed value, in part, determines how much you will pay in property taxes. Taxes are likewise impacted by the use (or failure to claim) any of several recognized tax “exemptions.” Why I Search A check in with the County Assessor helps me assure cli