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Tasha BarrettREALTOR®

HomeSpecials Calculator

What will you actually pay each month? Specials included.

Standard mortgage calculators skip the line item that surprises Fargo-Moorhead buyers most: special assessments. This one doesn't. It's free, and there's nothing else like it in the market.

Purchase & loan

= $32,500 down, $292,500 financed

Property tax

Uses the North Dakota residential formula: 50% assessment ratio and 9% residential factor (2024 certified tax rolls).

Special assessments

The line item other calculators skip. Type the address and we pull the city's certified figures for that exact house.

City of Fargo and Moorhead, MN addresses. West Fargo and Horace aren't in the lookup yet.

Don't have an address yet? Pick the option closest to the kind of home you're shopping and we'll use a typical figure:

Where to find the real number: City of Fargo homes are on FargoParcels.com (search the address, look for “special assessments”), or just use the address lookup above, which also covers Moorhead. West Fargo and Horace keep their own records. Or skip the homework: send Tasha the address and she'll pull the certified figures for you, free.

Other

Total monthly housing cost

$2,332.63

specials included

Principal & interest
$1,848.80
Property tax
$363.41
Special assessments
$120.43

In plain English: special assessments add about $120/month to this home's real cost ($1,445/yr on a $15,000 balance over 15 years).

Using a typical figure for that kind of neighborhood, not this exact house. Send Tasha the address for the certified number.

Estimates only, based on 2024 certified tax rolls. Actual taxes and special assessments vary by property. Verify exact figures with Cass County and the City of Fargo or West Fargo before making an offer.

Horace homes: Horace addresses aren't in the lookup yet. The City of Horace holds pending and proposed specials, while certified balances sit with Cass County, so a Horace estimate here is only a ballpark. Send Tasha the address and she'll pull both before you offer.

A tree-lined Fargo-Moorhead residential street

Special assessments, in plain English

What are special assessments in Fargo and West Fargo?

Special assessments ("specials") are how Fargo, West Fargo, and other Cass County cities charge property owners for infrastructure that serves their property: streets, water mains, sewer, storm drainage, and sidewalks. The city finances the project, then bills each benefiting property its share over many years, typically 15 to 25, with interest. Each October the city certifies the year's installments to Cass County, and they appear on your property tax statement as a separate line.

Why do special assessments matter so much when buying a home here?

Because they can add hundreds of dollars to the real monthly cost of a home, and they don't show up in a standard mortgage calculator. Two similar houses can differ by $200 to $400 a month once specials are included, especially in newer West Fargo and south Fargo neighborhoods where infrastructure was recently built. Knowing the specials before you offer prevents payment surprises at closing.

How do I find the special assessment balance on a specific property?

The balance and remaining term are public record. For a City of Fargo or Moorhead address, type it into the calculator on this page and it pulls the city's certified figures, including pending projects that aren't on a tax statement yet. You can also look a Fargo property up on FargoParcels.com, ask the seller's agent for the current specials statement, or ask us: we pull the exact certified figures for any Fargo-Moorhead property as part of showing it.

Do special assessments ever go away or get paid off?

Yes. Each year's installment pays down principal, and the balance can also be paid off in a lump sum at any time, which buyers and sellers sometimes negotiate at closing. Once the original project is paid off the assessment ends, though new projects can create new assessments.

Are property taxes different between Fargo and West Fargo?

Yes, mainly because of school district mill levies. On the 2024 certified tax rolls, Fargo School District 1 property is levied at about 298.18 mills and West Fargo District 6 at about 273.47 mills. North Dakota taxes residential property on 4.5% of its market value (50% assessment ratio times a 9% residential factor), so a $300,000 home differs by roughly $28/month between the two districts before specials.

Want the exact specials on a property you're watching?

Send the address and I'll pull the certified balance, remaining term, and what it really means for your payment. No obligation.

Ask Tasha about a property