Property Tax

Mello-Roos tax check

A plain checklist for spotting Mello-Roos, CFDs, parcel taxes, and other add-on lines before you buy.

Checklist Last reviewed June 29, 2026

Why it matters

Two homes can have the same price but very different tax bills. One may have a CFD tax, school bond, lighting bill, landscape bill, parcel tax, sewer charge, or another local line.

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Home costs

Property tax, closing costs, Mello-Roos, and surprise bills.

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First moves

1
Get the full county tax bill. Do not rely only on the listing estimate.
2
Scan each line for CFD, Mello-Roos, special tax, bond, school, lighting, landscape, sewer, or direct charge.
3
If you see a CFD line, ask for the Rate and Method of Apportionment. That is the special-tax formula.
4
Ask escrow, the county tax collector, and the seller for the current charge and the special-tax notice.
5
For a newer subdivision, ask three things: can it rise, when can it end, and can you prepay it?

Watch for

1
A CFD special tax is tied to the home. It can still be there after the sale.
2
The maximum charge can be higher than this year's charge. Look for the formula, not just today's bill.
3
Some charges rise, end, change by formula, or help pay bonds.
4
Listing estimates often miss direct charges, special taxes, and assessment lines.
5
A monthly lender estimate can hide the yearly line-item detail.

Go deeper

Prop 13 and California property tax basics

A simple starting point for base-year value, the 1 percent tax limit, reassessment, and why your county assessor matters.

Directory paths

Keep moving through the directory.

Use the nearby shelf when this is the right lane, or jump back to the full directory if the task changed names.

ShelfHome costsProperty tax, closing costs, Mello-Roos, and surprise bills.DirectoryPaperwork & MoneyReturn to the full tools shelf.Nearby toolProp 13 tax reset estimatorGet a rough heads-up on how a purchase can reset the tax bill and cause a later supplemental bill.Nearby toolTransfer tax estimatorGet a rough transfer-tax number before escrow gives you the official closing statement.A-ZFind another California pathUse the directory index when the task has a different name.