Straight answers
The questions people actually ask about the report — answered plainly.
01What is Mello-Roos and why does it change my payment?
Some San Diego County homes sit in a special tax district (Mello-Roos / CFD) that adds a fixed charge on top of regular property tax — often hundreds per month. Listings rarely show it; we pull it from the county's own records so it's in your monthly number from the start. Read the full guide →
02Where does the data come from?
Built on official data from local, state, and federal agencies such as SANDAG parcel records, the county tax portal, the Federal Reserve (FRED) for mortgage rates, HUD fair-market rents, FEMA flood maps, CAL FIRE and CA Geological Survey hazard zones, SDPD open crime data, and OpenStreetMap. Every figure in the report carries a numbered source.
03Is this an appraisal or lending advice?
No. Every figure is an estimate for decision support — not an appraisal, loan commitment, tax bill, or legal or financial advice. Verify against official county records and a licensed lender before acting.
04Who can see my report link?
Only people you give it to. Links use a long random address, are never listed or search-indexed, and you can delete a report at any time. Reports nobody opens for about two years are cleaned up automatically.
05Is this really free?
Yes — really free. The site runs on ads and reader donations, so if it helps you, sharing it with a friend or buying me a coffee is what keeps it alive. Thank you.
06What's a supplemental tax bill?
When you buy in California, your assessed value resets to the purchase price (Prop 13) and the county bills the gap separately — usually 3-9 months AFTER closing, and escrow doesn't collect it. It surprises almost everyone (it surprised me). The report forecasts yours before you offer. Read the full guide →
07Can I use this report in a negotiation or in court?
Use it to ask sharper questions — bring it to your agent, lender, or the listing side. But it's decision support, not an appraisal or a legal document: official decisions should rest on county records and licensed professionals.
08Do you collect my personal information?
There's no account or sign-up to create. A saved report is just its address and inputs at a private link you control — delete it anytime, and untouched reports clean themselves up after about two years.
09Why San Diego County only?
Every county publishes parcels, tax districts, and hazard maps differently, and doing this properly means wiring each source carefully. San Diego is home, so it came first — more counties are on the way. In the meantime the whole county is covered, with city guides for Chula Vista, Oceanside, Carlsbad, and El Cajon, and neighborhood crime sourced county-wide from SANDAG/ARJIS regional data.
10What doesn't the report cover yet?
It won't judge interior condition or remodel quality, and it shows the nearest school rather than a school rating. Commute is straight-line proximity, not drive time. Insurance figures are estimates, not quotes. Where something is an estimate, the report says so — every figure carries its source.