Americans don't own their homes, the taxing authority does. They can be kicked out for not paying property taxes. It's really quite scandalous that they put up with it. In Europe it's different, in the UK for example there are zero property taxes buying a home if the home is under £500,000, and zero taxes for selling if it's a purely residential home, not a business or rent property. The main expense when buying or selling is realtor fees which are 1-3% typically. There are council taxes which pay towards similar things as the US property tax, and this is treated like any other tax for which you can be jailed if your debts are significant enough, but if you own your property then it will not be touched.
Americans don't own their homes, the taxing authority does. They can be kicked out for not paying property taxes. It's really quite scandalous that they put up with it. In Europe it's different, in the UK for example there are zero property taxes buying a home if the home is under £500,000, and zero taxes for selling if it's a purely residential home, not a business or rent property. The main expense when buying or selling is realtor fees which are 1-3% typically. There are council taxes which pay towards similar things as the US property tax, and this is treated like any other tax for which you can be jailed if your debts are significant enough, but if you own your property then it will not be touched.
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