If that was slowly phased out, prices would come down as more houses came on the market, and the houses that those people wouldn't represent such a huge jump in ongoing property taxes.
If that was slowly phased out, prices would come down as more houses came on the market, and the houses that those people wouldn't represent such a huge jump in ongoing property taxes.
The people who can't move because of increased taxes would be forced to flee the state maybe?
Housing prices take into account the amount of taxes one expects to have to pay, so if they're no longer locked, and one expects prices to rise, then the price one will be willing to pay will be lower. Also, prices will fall as more supply opens up, since there won't be such a big advantage to sitting on houses anymore, and people are more free to move to less expensive areas. Currently there's a bit of a rent control situation where the low rates can be passed on to your descendants, and there's a big incentive to stay in it rather than selling it and moving farther out, even if the place farther out is half the price. This effect is more pronounced on the high demand areas where prices have risen more.
Over time, the prices would adjust and settle. People may end up paying more tax overall, but we can play with the rate, or we could decide that the schools could use more funding (in many places, they could), and that we should keep the rate where it is. As it is now, the people who are just moving to CA are heavily subsidizing people who have lived here for a long time, and the lack of liquid housing supply is causing prices to shoot up.
In Michigan, it's a bit more complex. The assessor calculates a State Equalized Value (SEV) on which the tax is based, and that cannot rise faster than the rate of inflation, or 5%, whichever is less. I assume lots of states have odd property tax quirks.
It's funny that people accept taxes of up to 40% on wages (things the middle class earns), but can't understand how taxing vast landed estates (things the rich owns) would "help." Suggest thinking this through more clearly.