Home address: 1500 Stillmeadow Dr

2021 Tax Assessment: $288,580

Recent Sales Price: $224,900 – Over-taxed by 28%

Most homeowners who do not appeal annually pay excess property taxes. 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. The Texas Comptroller reports that 80% of 2019 property tax appeals by homeowners were successful.

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 a mass appraisal to value property, basically a math model. Overall results are OK. However, many homes are too high or low. Appraisal districts settle appeals at the informal level to avoid the time-consuming and expensive appraisal review board hearings. 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.