Home address: 500 Hood St

2021 Tax Assessment: $146,990

Recent Sales Price: $113,500 – Over-taxed by 30%

While most Texas homeowners pay extra property taxes, there are several simple steps you can take to limit your tax bill. Protesting the appraisal district’s market value with usually reduce your property taxes. 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 the cost approach to value houses. It is generally considered the least reliable method of appraisal. 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. 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.