CHALLENGING AN EXCESSIVE PROPERTY TAX ASSESSMENT
One must be aware of how to do property tax challenge appraisal in Fort Worth, TX. You need to know these things, especially when you are dealing with real property taxes.
Increasing property value is a two-edged sword. Most people enjoy knowing their property value is appreciating. On the other hand, they don’t particularly care for the resulting property tax increases.
This is particularly true if a real estate appraisal district computer system contains erroneous information about your real estate that may result in an excessive assessment and inappropriate property taxes. Examples of this would be a living area or site area entry in the computer larger than actual size. An appraisal would be needed to correct this situation.
Handling unfair property tax assessments can be better described as an “art” instead of a science. The good news is that a “property-specific” appraisal is better evidence of market value for your property than a generalized computer estimate based on mass appraising techniques.
Our integrity is unsurpassed among government tax authorities; they know we won’t waste their time. Because outside agencies increasingly scrutinize property tax officials, they expect well-documented, hard evidence to substantiate any value changes.
Property taxes are often the largest single expense item, exclusive of debt service, for most property owners.
This fact is compounded by complicated bureaucratic procedures and heavy caseloads, which increase the likelihood of an inaccurate assessment. It makes good business sense to constantly monitor and control property taxes on an annual and ongoing basis.
Remember, a professional real estate appraisal is an independent, objective opinion of market value based on actual physical conditions.
A real estate appraiser can only advocate for this unbiased opinion of value and cannot be the homeowner’s hired to advocate. Fortunately, there are many property tax consulting services in our market area that can be your advocate. They usually require a real estate appraisal as an essential tool in establishing the actual property value before they aggressively negotiate on your behalf. They must be armed with the facts!
There is no reason any property owner should pay more than their fair share of property taxes. Professional appraisers at the various county appraisal districts would be the first to agree with this. However, since tax appraisers rarely see the interior of homes and often over-estimate the living area of two-story homes with open areas on the second level, an appraisal can help solve problems.
Your home’s property taxes should be similar to what other property owners in your area are paying for similar homes.
Site size, home living area, condition, and location are important factors. If your home has physical problems, its condition may be far below average, and the tax office may not know about the situation. Any significant problem could seriously affect the value and marketability of your home. Since property taxes must be based on no more than 100% fair market value, an appraisal could be beneficial in showing tax authorities that your home needs special attention.
Many property owners pay thousands of dollars more than necessary every year.
A modest investment in an appraisal could save thousands in the years to come.
If you have been over-taxed unjustly for years, an appraisal could help you recover some of your past over-payments.
If you need more information about the details discussed above, you can always get in touch with us.