Mello-Roos is an extra property tax, most common in newer California communities, and the amount varies enough that you should always ask before writing an offer. When a new area gets built out, the infrastructure (schools, streets, sewers, parks) is often financed with bonds. Repaying those bonds becomes a special assessment on top of the regular property tax. It typically runs for a set term, commonly around 25 to 30 years, then falls off once the bonds are paid. How much it adds varies widely by community: - A base property tax rate in many California areas sits around 1.1% of assessed value. - A home in a Mello-Roos district can carry an effective rate over 2%, while others land closer to 1.5%. - Two similar homes in the same city can have very different tax bills purely because one sits in a Mello-Roos district and the other does not. Because the assessment lands directly in your monthly payment, get the specific Mello-Roos amount and the years remaining on the bond before you write the offer. The listing agent or a title company can pull the exact figure. And when we build your total monthly payment in a Roadmap conversation, we fold in the actual tax bill for the specific home, Mello-Roos included.