Does anyone have experience working w/ companies that represent you in protesting (is that the right word) your property tax? Any recommendations? Thanks.
Why would you hire someone to do that when you can do it yourself? Lack of spare time? Just curious....everyone I know who protested did it themselves. I don't think it's that difficult, but it might be time consuming.
That's where I interned last summer and protested the **** out of commercial and residential properties, Here's some inside information. O'Connor has a program that comes up with some BS properties in the neighborhood with lower values. It's all fake. The idiots at the district know this but don't care unless you go to a formal hearing where the board actually catches this. They HATE HATE HATE it when individuals come in with one property and try to protest themselves. It's a waste of time for them. Then they have people like me coming in with hundreds and hundreds of files already ready with my suggested value. They love interns because of the low maintenance and they are happy to drop values like no other. My IRS job doesn't start till July so I will be going back to O'Connor next Monday.
I use Novotney... but I think it doesn't make much difference. I think they all charge the same (50% of what they save you, nothing if they don't) and no matter who you use you probably get some young inexpensive labor type taking a standard computerized case packet to the tax office. Novotney save me money the first year and has gone two years without saving me any. Remember you have to pay them out of your bank account, not your escrow so be ready to cough up some cash. I think I paid them like, $500 the first year. It's still a good idea though because the appraisal district is going to try to bump your appraisal value up the legal limit of 10% every year so say you get your appraisal knocked down from $100,000 to $80,000, next year your appraisal can only go up $8000 instead of $10,000 and it will effect every year down the line. You can do it yourself and the guy may give you more pity than sending a shill but it takes time and preparation. It's just too easy to let one of the 3 or 4 specialist do it. And once you sign up they will do it for you every year.
Sorry Re-D, I was typing while you were. I didn't mean to diss low cost labor but I think you just confirmed my thesis.
They bump your appraisal value up 10% every year? Are you kidding me? Am I glad I do not live in Houston.
Our property taxes are most other states income taxes. Texas has no state income taxes, but pay high property tax rates. That said, they don't just randomly bumb everyone up. There has to be a basis for doing so, and if in your opinion there is none, then you can protest (hence this thread). But if there is a basis for doing so, the most they can do is 10%. I am trying these people: http://www.taxprotest.net/Default.aspx because they only take 35% of your tax savings.
That makes some sense, but 10% adds up real quick, 14 years and you are looking at four times the tax.
yes, but again, legitimately, it shoudl only go up what it actually goes up in the market. if yout hink it goes up more, you protest. If the house you bought 14 years ago ahs gone up or down a penny in market value over the 14 years, your tax appraisal shouldn't either.
Texas passed a constitutional amendment in 2005 limiting appraisal districts to a maximum 10% per year increase in appraise values but did not set any limits on the tax rates per $ of value. Local officials decide the tax rate and local officials get elected on two issues 1. lowering the tax rate 2. expanding government services, so, the only way to do both is to hammer the appraised value, which in a heated real estate market is pretty easy for them do. You can claim you are "Lowering Taxes" and still build a community college in every neighborhood. Here's a preview of the issue from the start of this state legislative session: http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcon...ries/010708dntswappraisalsclass.1d3c7556.html I don't really know what if anything has been decided.
They can raise it more than 10%, but if they do you only pay the 10% increase. It's still a good idea to lower it so then next year you pay less
This company I believe charges 30-40% of saved taxes for residential. www.assessmentadvisors.com We are using them because my wife's company uses them, they may or may not do individuals off the street.
Seriously, you can protest yourself and keep all the savings. Just email me your address and I'll do everything. I'll make an entire packet and you can meet me somewhere to pick it up. I'm a professional tax consultant
Isn't there a website where you can get property appraisals for any addresses you put in? I remember doing this when I first bought my house to get an idea of what it might appraise at. But now I have no idea where I found it.
You can only get the appraised value. This year they even took out the square footage for Harris County. Of course, I have access to it all. I can even see your floor plan. It's scary
zillow.com I wouldn't recommend it, it's right in some neighborhoods, but wrong in so many.I do my own CMA and the numbers don't match up at all.It's very easy to fight the property appraised value. Seriously, do it yourself and save!
