Home address: 8402 Ruthette Dr

2021 Taxable Value: $241,257  

Recent Sales Price: $160,000 – Overtaxed by 51%

Half or more of Texas homeowners are paying more than their fair share of property taxes. One option to reduce your property taxes is to protest the market value. Unequal appraisal appeals compare the level of assessment of your house to comparable houses, typically on a per square foot basis. Property tax appeals are often won with a smile and a bit of data. 

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. It is difficult for appraisal districts to accurately value homes since they rarely or never see the houses. 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. Not appealing your property taxes annually is the equivalent of volunteering to pay extra property taxes.