Home address: 10308 Calaveras Dr

2021 Tax Assessment: $268,510

Recent Sales Price: $185,500 – Over-taxed by 45%

Half or more of Texas homeowners are paying more than their fair share of property taxes. A market value appeal is based on the assessor’s value exceeding the market value of your home. Unequal appraisal appeals compare the level of assessment of your house to comparable houses, typically on a per square foot basis. Winning a property tax protest is easy.  Getting property owners to appeal is hard.  Only 10% of Texan homeowners appeal their property taxes.

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. 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 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.