Home address: 7175 Brace St
2021 Tax Assessment: $214,766
Recent Sales Price: $120,501 – Over-taxed by 78%
Texas property owners can avoid paying excess property taxes by taking several basic steps. Either comparable sales or condition issues at your home are useful for a market value appeal of property taxes. An unequal appraisal appeal is easy to prepare. Just find neighborhood homes with a lower level of assessment (per square foot). Summarize the data in a table. Winning a property tax protest is easy. Getting property owners to appeal is hard. Only 10% of Texan homeowners appeal their property taxes.
Some homeowners believe “you can’t fight city hall.” But property owners win 60 to 80% of property tax appeals. Property owners are sometimes reluctant to protest their property taxes because the believe the appeal process is difficult. It is not difficult and 60 to 80% of owners who appeal are successful. Appraisal districts use the cost approach to value houses. It is generally considered the least reliable method of appraisal. Most tax protests are settled at the informal level so appraisers can return to measuring and valuing new construction. Protest your property taxes on market value and unequal appraisal by May 15th annually. Protest even if you do not receive a value notice.
