Comments on: When it comes to nominating your Phoenix home as a National Historic Residence, you may be better off being a scaredy-cat http://distinctivephoenix.com/45/when-it-comes-to-nominating-your-phoenix-home-as-a-national-historic-residence-you-may-be-better-off-being-a-scaredy-cat/ Thu, 01 Jan 2009 03:08:48 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: Barbara Stocklin http://distinctivephoenix.com/45/when-it-comes-to-nominating-your-phoenix-home-as-a-national-historic-residence-you-may-be-better-off-being-a-scaredy-cat/comment-page-1/#comment-3618 Barbara Stocklin Sun, 15 Jun 2008 17:54:15 +0000 http://distinctivephoenix.com/?p=45#comment-3618 I think you have received some wrong information about historic designation and wanted to help clear things up. Design review of historic homes is triggered by local historic district designation, not state or National Register listing. The two most common designations are local designation (Phoenix Historic Property Register) and national (National Register). The National Register listing is honorary, and qualifies owner-occupied historic home owners to apply for substantial local prpoerty tax reductions. There is no related federal government review of your home, and there are no restrictions or encumbrances relating to mortgages. To qualify for the local property tax reduction, your house has to retain its historic character (particularly from street visible vantage points), but this is a voluntary program, and again does not in any way affect your mortgage or require federal government review. If an owner makes a substantial inappropriate change to the front of their house, then it will be disqualified from the tax reduction program. BUT no one will make you correct the change (provided it was legally permitted) - it’s your choice. The State Historic Preservation Office oversees the tax reduction program. If historic property owners apply to the City for an exterior rehabilitation grant (e.g., to repair your historic wood windows or re-open an enclosed front porch), that will require consent by the mortgage company (lender) for the city to place a conservation easement on the property (the easement is a condition of receiving the grant), since the easement will be attached to your title in exchange for receipt of public funds. BUT that is only for owners who choose to apply for grants from the Phoenix Historic Preservation Office (and again it has nothing to do with National Register listing). I am concerned that the information you are relaying on your website is misleading and encourage you to delete it. Some Realtors marketing historic homes have links to our office’s web site which is http://www.phoenix.gov/historic which we would also encourage you to do. I am happy to answer any questions any current or prospective historic home owner may have (602-261-8699). Thanks. Barbara Stocklin City of Phoenix Historic Preservation Office 602-262-7468 fax 602-534-4571 barbara.stocklin@phoenix.gov I think you have received some wrong information about historic designation and wanted to help clear things up. Design review of historic homes is triggered by local historic district designation, not state or National Register listing.

The two most common designations are local designation (Phoenix Historic Property Register) and national (National Register). The National Register listing is honorary, and qualifies owner-occupied historic home owners to apply for substantial local prpoerty tax reductions. There is no related federal government review of your home, and there are no restrictions or encumbrances relating to mortgages.

To qualify for the local property tax reduction, your house has to retain its historic character (particularly from street visible vantage points), but this is a voluntary program, and again does not in any way affect your mortgage or require federal government review. If an owner makes a substantial inappropriate change to the front of their house, then it will be disqualified from the tax reduction program. BUT no one will make you correct the change (provided it was legally permitted) – it’s your choice.

The State Historic Preservation Office oversees the tax reduction program. If historic property owners apply to the City for an exterior rehabilitation grant (e.g., to repair your historic wood windows or re-open an enclosed front porch), that will require consent by the mortgage company (lender) for the city to place a conservation easement on the property (the easement is a condition of receiving the grant), since the easement will be attached to your title in exchange for receipt of public funds. BUT that is only for owners who choose to apply for grants from the Phoenix Historic Preservation Office (and again it has nothing to do with National Register listing).

I am concerned that the information you are relaying on your website is misleading and encourage you to delete it. Some Realtors marketing historic homes have links to our office’s web site which is http://www.phoenix.gov/historic which we would also encourage you to do.

I am happy to answer any questions any current or prospective historic home owner may have (602-261-8699). Thanks.

Barbara Stocklin
City of Phoenix
Historic Preservation Office
602-262-7468
fax 602-534-4571
barbara.stocklin@phoenix.gov

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