Home address: 3290 Rosenthal Pkwy

2021 Taxable Value: $618,930

Recent Sales Price: $325,000   – Over-taxed by 90%

McLennan County property investors far too often pay excess property taxes. Appraisal districts are flexible on market value appeals given the large number of houses they value and that are protested. 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 home owners 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. Appraisal districts are receptive to settling property tax protests for houses at the informal level because it has only a nominal impact on the total tax base. Protesting your property taxes annually is analogous to regularly changing the oil in your car.  Preventative maintenance avoids serious problems.