Home address: 14918 Bramblewood Dr

2021 Tax Assessment: $705,519

Recent Sales Price: $385,000 – Over-taxed by 83%

Harris County property investors far too often pay excess property taxes. Protesting the appraisal district’s market value with usually reduce your property taxes. Unequal appraisal is a powerful tool to reduce property taxes, but many homeowners are not aware of it and don’t use it. Winning a property tax protest is easy.  Getting property owners to appeal is hard.  Only 10% of Texan homeowners appeal their property taxes.

Owners are sometimes reluctant to protest property taxes due to a concern their value might be raised.  This can’t and does not happen.  Since 2019, neither the appraisal district or the appraisal review board can increase a property tax assessment during a protest. One reason it is difficult for appraisal districts to correctly value homes is they are not homogenous.  Some have been remodeled and some haven’t. Most tax protests are settled at the informal level so appraisers can return to measuring and valuing new construction. Property owners have a duty and responsibility to appraisal property taxes annually.  It is not prudent or reasonable to rely on the appraisal district’s estimate.