By now, most homeowners have received property tax appraisals in the mail. If your jaw hit the floor when you opened yours, you should protest your home’s market value with your county appraisal district. Here are some ideas to get your appraisal and your property taxes lowered.
No matter which method you choose to protest, you need to present evidence that proves your home’s market value is less than the appraisal district says it is. To gather that evidence, you can do one or all of these things:
Call a local real estate agent
From market value to what your neighbor’s home is worth, real estate professionals like Phenecie have the information you will need to protest your property appraisal. Many will run a market report for free, in the hopes that you will use their services when you do want to sell or buy a home. The report will compare your home to similar homes in your area that have sold recently to get a good market value that you can present to your county appraisal office.
Talk to your neighbors
What are their appraisals like compared to yours? If similar homes in your neighborhood just did a major remodel and your home is outdated, your value should be lower.
You can also see the properties the appraisal district is using as comparables for your home. In order to see them, you first have to file a protest. Then, you can either go to the appraisal district to see the comparable properties or wait. Those comparable properties are available online at least 14 days before your hearing.
Take pictures
Pictures are good evidence that shows your home’s condition, its proximity to a business that is loud or somehow lowers the value of your property, among other things.
If your home is falling down around you and your taxes went up, you need to take pictures of the holes and the problems that you’re having in your home.
Source: Click2Houston