Home address: 148 Grand Marion Way

2021 Taxable Value: $201,980

Recent Sales Price: $130,000 – Over-taxed by 55%

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. Unequal appraisal is a powerful tool to reduce property taxes, but many homeowners are not aware of it and don’t use it. It is difficult to persuade property owners to protest their property taxes. But 60 to 80% of those who do are 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. Appraisal districts use mass appraisal to value property, basically a math model. Overall results are OK. However, many homes are too high or low. Appraisal districts aggressively settle appeals since they have only 65 days to settle most of the appeals. 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.