Homeowners pay an average of nearly $3,400 in property taxes every year, according to new research. But if you live in the New York City area, you could be paying three times that.

The greater New York metropolitan area has the highest property taxes in the land, according to data collected from tax assessor offices by ATTOM Data Solutions, a real estate data firm.

Of the 1,414 counties in the United States with at least 10,000 single-family houses, residents of New York’s Westchester County pay the highest real estate tax, at an average of $17,179. Neighboring Rockland County residents pay an average of $12,924. In New Jersey, Essex County residents pay $11,878, while homeowners in Bergen County, pay $11,585.

Not every state has an income tax, but every one of the country’s 3,142 counties collects property taxes. So do some towns and municipalities. All told, these jurisdictions collected $293.4 billion from the owners of more than 88 million single-family houses last year.

Property taxes must be paid annually by anyone who owns a home or a commercial property. The money collected is used to cover the cost of schools, road construction/maintenance, salaries for police and firefighters, parks, recreation centers and programs, traffic and street lights, and public transportation.

Traditional neighborhood play areas often are not much fun for physically challenged children. But at Woodforest, a master-planned Houston property, kids of every ability will be able to play together.

The community will be the first in the United States to feature a 13-foot-high Sona Play Arch, an interactive structure that uses smart cameras to lead kids in music and dance games. The arch can also accommodate children in wheelchairs and those with mental and physical disabilities.

While this will be the first of the arches in the U.S., they have been installed in more than 300 locations worldwide.

Folks who have to place their belongings in storage between household moves have lots to take into account in choosing the right facility.

Security, of course, is paramount. But there are other considerations, says Rick Runnels, who owns the River Road Mini Storage in Paso Robles, California. Those include cost, location and the size of the space you are renting.

Cost depends on the size of the unit, so don’t rent more space than you need. Most facilities offer units from about the size of a walk-in closet to ones as large as a one-car garage. Some even have secure parking for vehicles and boats.

Look for specials such as “first month free,” and ask about discounts for members of the local chamber of commerce, or for seniors and veterans.

For long-term storage with infrequent visits, location may not be as critical. But consider if convenience is important.

When it comes to security, look for code-controlled gate access, fenced and well-lit yard areas, on-site security cameras and wide driveways between storage sheds.

Another thing to consider is insurance. Most places don’t insure personal property, according to Runnels, but you might be able to purchase coverage for stored items from your own carrier.

Big wedding or starter house? It’s a question some brides and grooms don’t even consider. But perhaps they should.

According to Canadian company RateSupermarket, young lovers spend more than $72,000 from the first date to “I do.” But most of that -- around $46,400 -- is eaten up by a wedding and honeymoon. That’s one heck of a down payment.

The company asked if respondents would rather spend that money on something other than their nuptials, and a surprising 45 percent said they’d use it to buy a house. Only 6 percent said they’d go ahead and have a wedding.

Foreigners hold more land in Maine than in any other state, according to the latest government figures.

Noncitizens own 2.97 million acres of mostly forest in the Pine Tree State. That’s a tad more than 1/6th of the state’s total forest land.

Texas is a close second when it comes to land held by foreigners, at 2.93 million acres. Rounding out the top five are Alabama, Washington and Florida.

According to new research from the U.K., home is where the heart is -- and our hearts belong to the houses in which we grew up, not where we currently live.

Four in 10 respondents said the place they grew up in was special because they were able to spend more time together with their family, and 56 percent said they felt safer there. One in 10 said they have taken steps to make their current dwellings more like their childhood homes, including replicating decor and furnishings.

The poll found that 38 percent think their current home lacks the “magic” of their childhood home.

Seniors who are house-rich but cash-poor, or who fear running out of money in their retirement years, have several options to save the day.

One, of course, is the much-ballyhooed Home Equity Conversion Mortgage, otherwise known as a reverse mortgage. But elder owners have other choices, including the financial ones described here last week. There are also a number of other alternatives:

-- Deferred payment loans (DPLs). Unlike the state-sponsored and local grant programs mentioned previously, in DPLs, a lien is placed against your house and the money must be repaid when you sell (or when you convert the property to a rental or refinance your first mortgage). But no payments are required and no interest is charged.

These loans, which are “probably more common than true grant programs,” ventures Rob Chrane of downpaymentresources.com, usually come from state housing finance agencies and nonprofits.

-- Refinancing. If you have plenty of equity and a first mortgage with a low balance, you can refinance your house, pay off your old loan and put the remaining proceeds into your pocket to pay your bills. Of course, you have to pay back your new first mortgage, month after month, and the new payment may be more than you can legitimately afford.

-- Lines of credit. This option involves lines of credit that you place against your house, as well as home equity loans. Both are essentially second mortgages that must also be repaid monthly.

With a line of credit, you can remove your equity as needed to pay your utilities, taxes, medical bills and other living expenses. With a home equity loan, you borrow a percentage of your equity; lenders usually won’t let you have more than 80 percent.

-- Sell and downsize. Your place is probably too big for you and your spouse -- not just in size, but in your ability to maintain it, and in monthly expenses such as utility bills -- so consider selling it and downsizing to a smaller, less costly house or market-rate apartment.

Also worth a look-see is an apartment in a senior living center. It’s not a retirement home, per se, although you can live out your years there if you like. Rather, it’s a unit in an assisted living community where you share amenities, dining rooms and medical help as needed with other seniors.

These apartments come with full, though small, kitchens, so you can cook and eat in. But you also have the option of taking up to three meals a day in the dining hall -- no muss, no fuss.

-- Sell to your offspring. If you are bent on passing your family home on to your children when you die, how about selling it to them now and letting them rent the house back to you at a fair market price?

This sale-leaseback arrangement allows your children to have some rental income, perhaps just enough to cover the cost of the mortgage they had to take out to buy the house from you. After all, they may not want to profit from your need for cash.

But at the same time, they may get to write off depreciation, property taxes and maintenance costs. And you get to stay in your house at a reasonable rent with a landlord you know well and love, and who will treat you right.

-- Rent a room. If you have the space, say an extra bedroom or a basement you never use, consider renting the space to augment your monthly income. But be careful: Choosing a tenant or roommate is tricky business. You don’t want to get stuck with the wrong person. Check out thoroughly any people you are considering, and make them sign a lease that gives you the right to evict them if they don’t fulfill lease requirements (such as keeping the place clean and limiting noise).

-- ECHO cottages. ECHO stands for Elder Cottage Housing Opportunity. If you have room in your yard -- and if local zoning rules permit it -- weigh the possibility of building a small accessory unit separate from your house. There are many so-called “tiny” houses on the market that include a kitchen, bathroom, bedroom and living space. Put one in your backyard and rent it out.

If your adult child has room in his or her own home’s yard, think about putting your ECHO cottage there. If the law says it’s OK, you can sell your house, move into the cottage and live near -- but not with -- your daughter or son.

Many zoning ordinances do not allow these kinds of outbuildings, so you might have to seek a variance for occupants age 55 or older. Contact your local zoning office to see what’s possible. If you get nowhere, try applying for a special-use permit, and solicit the aid of your local agencies on aging, senior centers or other groups with an interest in older folks.

Home Equity Conversion Mortgages (HECMs) may be a good choice for some seniors who fear they might outlive their retirement funds and will need cash to enjoy their remaining years. But they aren’t the only options elder owners might want to consider.

HECMs, aka reverse mortgages, are made to owners 62 years and older who have built up significant wealth in their homes. You borrow against a percentage of that equity, and draw the funds either in one lump sum or in monthly payments. Better yet, nothing has to be paid back until you pass away, or you permanently move out of the house.

Sounds appealing, and it is. But reverse mortgages are not cheap, and you still have to pay your property taxes and homeowner’s insurance. Otherwise, the lender can and often does initiate foreclosure proceedings.

But you can accomplish pretty much the same thing by choosing a less costly version of a reverse mortgage, sponsored by state and local governments, called a deferred payment loan (DPL). Generally, there are no origination fees, and insurance premiums and closing costs, if any, are very low.

Typically, seniors can use these loans only to make specific types of repairs or home improvements, such as roofing and heating. But many programs will cover accessibility modifications such as ramps, rails and grab bars, and energy-efficiency projects like storm windows, insulation and weatherstripping.

The interest rates on DPLs are low as well, if interest is charged at all. When it is, it’s often on a fixed basis, meaning the rate never changes. And many programs charge only simple interest as opposed to compound. Some plans even forgive part of, or the entire, loan if the owner remains in place for a specified period.

King County, Washington, offers loans of up to $25,000 at zero interest. No payments are required, and the loan need not be paid back until the house is sold, transferred to a new owner, is no longer your primary residence or you take out a home equity loan. Bloomington, Minnesota, offers loans of up to $35,000. Interest accrues at an annual rate of 2 percent for 10 years, but no payments are necessary until the place is sold, refinanced or conveyed to someone else.

DPLs aren’t available everywhere, and eligibility rules vary. Most are limited to owners with low or moderate incomes. Many jurisdictions place a limit on the home’s value and confine the opportunity to certain geographic areas. Some also have a minimum age or disability requirement.

These loans go by different names, so they may be tough to find. Check with your city or county housing department, your local office on aging, or the nearest community action or development agency. Also try your state housing finance agency.

Another public-sector version of the reverse mortgage is a property tax deferral (PTD) loan. Generally, it provides annual advances that must be used to pay all or some of your property taxes. But no repayment is required for as long as you live in the house.

In some places, but not all, PTD loans are offered on a uniform, statewide basis. Eligibility rules also differ from place to place, and most have a minimum age requirement of 65 and are limited to owners with low or moderate incomes.

In Cook County, Illinois, the income limit is $50,000, and you must have lived in the house for at least three years. In Wisconsin, the income limit is $20,000, but the residency requirement is just six months.

To find out if your state offers PTDs, contact the agency to which you pay your property taxes.

Seniors may also be eligible for monthly Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits if their liquid resources -- cash and savings -- are less than $3,000 per couple or $2,000 for an individual.

Your home and car do not count as resources under SSI, but your monthly unearned income cannot exceed $924 for a couple or $623 for an individual. Income limits are higher if you are employed or live in a state that supplements SSI.

If you meet the rules, you may automatically qualify for other public benefits that could allow you to postpone the need for a reverse mortgage. That way, if you do take out a HECM later, you may be able to receive a larger advance because you will be older and your property may have increased in value.

The National Council on Aging sponsors a website, benefitscheckup.org, that will locate public benefit programs that could pay for your prescription drugs, health care, utilities and other essentials. The site also explains how to apply for more than 1,150 programs available in all 50 states and the District of Columbia.

NEXT WEEK: Housing options.