No, but it's true, isn't it? Is there such thing as "private property"? If you pay off your home loan completely, you still have to pay real estate taxes. If you do not, your house will be taken from you. Sounds like the government is *renting* land to you. And who sets the rent? The government - at their "discretion". In Snohomish county, taxes would be adjusted (always up) every 4 years - now they've switched to annually. Doesn't matter to them if your salary has not gone up - just that the property is more valuable.