Rafael N.: As much as I don’t want to leave, at some point we will have to.

Rafael N. owned a 2,856 square foot Franklin Park home that is currently assessed at $262,200.

“They tax you on everything,” Rafael said. “I sold my buildings and now I’m renting.”

Rafael took possession of the home in 2011. He paid $31,947 in property taxes between 2011 and 2014.

“If I find a good deal in Indiana, [I’ll move],” Rafael said. “I’ve been wanting to move out, but I’m also waiting for a market correction. I’m not sure if the market is going to continue to sustain the prices going up go rapidly.”

“If I find a good deal in Indiana, [I’ll move],” Rafael said. “I’ve been wanting to move out, but I’m also waiting for a market correction. I’m not sure if the market is going to continue to sustain the prices going up go rapidly.”

Rafael was paying $7,955 per year in property taxes on his home, about 3 percent of the Cook County Assessor claimed value of $262,200.

“They pocket most of [the taxes],” Rafael said. “They take a lot of it.”

Indiana has a hard 1 percent cap on property taxes. This means local governments are not allowed under state law to charge homeowner’s more than 1 percent of their home’s assessed value per year. The average property tax rate for the state of Indiana is 0.89 percent. Meanwhile, the average property tax rate in Illinois is 2.3 percent.

“The one percent cap would be fantastic,” Rafael said. “If Indiana can stay within their budget, why can’t Illinois? As much as I don’t want to leave, at some point we will have to. It’s getting worse and worse.”

If Rafael lived in Indiana the most he could be charged in property taxes would be $2,622 per year or $5,333 less than what he paid in Illinois.

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