The Mello-Roos payments in some of the newer tracts seem outrageous.  But is it the compromise some will make to conveniently buy a house? 

After all, there are some great benefits:

• For those less-handy, a new house offers the least-likely to have physical problems.
• You get the house you want, when you want it.
• You get to dress it up to your satisfaction.

Compared to the frustration of chasing around imperfect resales, it doesn’t sound that bad – of course, after you’ve had your head kicked in a few times, anything sounds better!

But what about resale? 

Will future buyers shrug off the Mello-Roos, knowing that it is part of the package if you want a newer home, and to live in these areas?  It is temporary, ranging from 25 to 40 years, so once you get close to the end, the math is a little easier. But in the meantime, it could become the compromise that some homebuyers make just to get a house.

Here’s an example: