Home address: 2820 Talbert Ranch Rd

2021 Tax Assessment: $943,230

Recent Sales Price: $650,000 – Over-taxed by 45%

Property tax assessments not carefully reviewed lead to paying more than your share of property taxes. Appraisal districts are flexible on market value appeals given the large number of houses they value and that are protested. The lower value stands when appealing market value and unequal appraisal.  Appeal both every year. The Texas Comptroller reports 80% of 2019 property tax appeals by homeowners were successful.

Many owners do not protest because they do not understand the process.  Most would appeal if they know how easy it is the high chance of success. 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. Tax protests are resolved at the informal hearing since the result is within a “reasonable range of value”.  Appraisal is not an exact science and valuations are only an educated opinion of value, not a fact. Protesting your property taxes annually is analogous to regularly changing the oil in your car.  Preventative maintenance avoids serious problems.