Home address: 102 April Wind Dr N

2021 Taxable Value: $647,500

Recent Sales Price: $442,143 – Over-taxed by 46%

Property tax assessments not carefully reviewed lead to paying more than your share of property taxes. Protest market value, get a few comparable sales as evidence and you are very likely to reduce your property taxes. 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 home owners appeal their property taxes.

Some homeowners believe “you can’t fight city hall.” But property owners win 60 to 80% of property tax 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. Appraisal districts settle appeals at the informal level to avoid the time consuming and expensive appraisal review board hearings. Protesting your property taxes annually is analogous to regularly changing the oil in your car. Preventative maintenance avoids serious problems.