Home address: 8311 Ashcroft Dr

2021 Tax Assessment: $453,238

Recent Sales Price: $250,000 – Over-taxed by 81%

Texas property owners can avoid paying excess property taxes by taking several basic steps. Market value property tax appeals save homeowners an average of $500, according to Texas Comptroller Glen Hager, for 2019. 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. Woody Allen said “80% of success is showing up”.  The same is true of property taxes.  If you file an appeal and attend the hearing, your chance of reducing your property taxes is excellent.

Some property owners do not appeal due to a concern the appraisal district will want to inspect their house.  However, the appraisal district is MUCH too busy during the appeal season to even think about asking to inspect a property. Assessors do not visit houses because of appeals. Mass appraisal models make it impossible for appraisal districts to accurately value most houses. Most tax protests are settled at the informal level so appraisers can return to measuring and valuing new construction. Property taxes are the largest tax most Texans face. But it is a stealth tax hidden in the mortgage payment, disguising the size of property taxes paid.