2023 Property tax values are out

[texasdago 7569]

6 minutes ago, Anastasis said:

Their online tools assessment sounds about right:

Your property has tax exemptions.

While it’s unlikely we can reduce your tax bill further this year, appealing every year regardless of your exemption status helps reduce your future tax liabilities. If you've recently purchased this property, you should appeal to reduce next year's increase to your tax bill.

I mean if it doesn't cost anything (?)

[Judge Roybeanbag 11819]

6 minutes ago, texasdago said:

I mean if it doesn't cost anything (?)

It didn’t used to.  Now it does. 

[Dbeasy 15042]

Can contesting the appraisal result in a higher price? I’ve got a neighbor with a very low value. 

Also, what's the value of protesting if your market value is way higher than the assessed value. Even if they drop the market value significantly, your assessed value will go up 10% every year for several years.

Edited May 4, 2023 by Dbeasy

[Anastasis 23464]

24 minutes ago, Dbeasy said:

Can contesting the appraisal result in a higher price? I’ve got a neighbor with a very low value. 

If you go to a formal, I believe they can increase your value. 

[LCHorn 2615]

So I've decided to do this on my own after using Protax for years.  My wife works for Google and one of her colleagues built this for generating values:

Protesting Property Taxes

I'm a mortgage lender and have reviewed thousands of appraisals so I'm at least informed enough to get myself in trouble.  That said, the report they've (on that website) provided is pretty interesting and at this point I'd recommend it (I'm protesting values on three properties and if lose any of these it'll be the last time I'm so foolhardy). 

At least on our primary they included sales comps going back 12 months and appeared to highly prioritize proximity over transaction age.  That said, I'd really like to see the CAD's evidence in rebuttal because I really think they just threw a dart at wall. 

[TexEx15 17509]

48 minutes ago, LCHorn said:

So I've decided to do this on my own after using Protax for years.  My wife works for Google and one of her colleagues built this for generating values:

Protesting Property Taxes

I'm a mortgage lender and have reviewed thousands of appraisals so I'm at least informed enough to get myself in trouble.  That said, the report they've (on that website) provided is pretty interesting and at this point I'd recommend it (I'm protesting values on three properties and if lose any of these it'll be the last time I'm so foolhardy). 

At least on our primary they included sales comps going back 12 months and appeared to highly prioritize proximity over transaction age.  That said, I'd really like to see the CAD's evidence in rebuttal because I really think they just threw a dart at wall. 

I went ahead and requested the free estimate. It’s an interesting proposition. Essentially they do all the leg work of a firm but you save money by handling the protest filing and potential ARB. I’m interested to see what the estimate comes up with and will decide on ordering a report then.

[Horns99 155]

Yep, me too. Can’t hurt

Travis county up 40% over last yr & Harris up almost 30%.

[YGIFS 19449]

Yeah, our neighbor is doing a huge gutting/overhaul/addition to their home but it won't be done until after the protest period.  So trying to figure out how to time the protest and the narrative.  Haven't gotten a "break" since before Covid, but I think we should do it this year given what's happening on the street.  What fucking cracks me up is the bullshit the realtors that canvass our HOA tell me.  Yeah, I get you wanna find your clients a low price but you're literally undercutting Travis CAD by a lot, and that's fucking saying something.  

But hey, low tax state, amirite?  We're so fucking drenched in freedom, it's like a bukkake film for portly male lesbians.  

[TexEx15 17509]

34 minutes ago, YGIFS said:

But hey, low tax state, amirite?  We're so fucking drenched in freedom, it's like a bukkake film for portly male lesbians.  

I just wanted to say you truly have a way with words.

 

[YGIFS 19449]

We could all learn a thing or two about how to undervalue real assets come tax season, then conveniently inflate them when it comes time to lever up the equity.  I'm probably gonna do that myself in the next year or two.  Then again, avoiding federal prison also seems fun.

[PvilleStang 2875]

19 hours ago, Dbeasy said:

Can contesting the appraisal result in a higher price? I’ve got a neighbor with a very low value. 

Also, what's the value of protesting if your market value is way higher than the assessed value. Even if they drop the market value significantly, your assessed value will go up 10% every year for several years.

Yes.  The protest board is more or less a bunch of boomer retirees with nothing better to do.  I had one in-person protest back in 2014 where the board said they were going to raise my property appraisal 20K at the end of the hearing.  I was FUMING, then remembered you could manage your protest online.  I logged into TCAD, and cancelled my protest before they could input the final numbers.

Remember, these people aren't well versed in real estate, or the methods the appraisals are calculated, they just wanted to spend a few weeks away from General Hospital and listen to pissed off citizens of the county.

[SquishMitten 10403]

Cool! Only up $270K this year, unlike the $535K increase I got popped with the year before.

[TexEx15 17509]

20 hours ago, LCHorn said:

So I've decided to do this on my own after using Protax for years.  My wife works for Google and one of her colleagues built this for generating values:

Protesting Property Taxes

I'm a mortgage lender and have reviewed thousands of appraisals so I'm at least informed enough to get myself in trouble.  That said, the report they've (on that website) provided is pretty interesting and at this point I'd recommend it (I'm protesting values on three properties and if lose any of these it'll be the last time I'm so foolhardy). 

At least on our primary they included sales comps going back 12 months and appeared to highly prioritize proximity over transaction age.  That said, I'd really like to see the CAD's evidence in rebuttal because I really think they just threw a dart at wall. 

Well I got my free assessment and they say the appraisal is $244K high. I’m leaning towards buying the full report for $99.

[Grimas 669]

Similar property tax calculator as above but cheaper.  (Looks like it's not ready yet for some counties...) https://jubally.com/

[troph 24781]

Used pro tax last year who is the best for protest? getting tons of mailers.

[Horns99 155]

Similar property tax calculator as above but cheaper.  (Looks like it's not ready yet for some counties...) https://jubally.com/

Got reports from this one & from the one above - they are about 90k different in value, but still 200k less than the county’s value.

[CleverNickname 1308]

My neighborhood is pretty cookie cutter. I just scan MLS obsessively (because I am nosy) and save relevant listings. Always has worked for me. 

[Grimas 669]

My fight this year is the actual land value that went up 400% from what its been for years... (I live in a "master planned community" that has been built out for years where there are no empty lots where they can use as comps...)

Last fight I had with them - and got my rate reduced - had them saying I couldn't use comps on houses outside my neighborhood as they didn't apply.  So how are they justifying the land value increases? If its from a lot that is miles away, can I use the housing comps from that distance away as well?

On top of that, they were previously basing the land value apparently by the lot size but this year, they had every lot on the street with the exact same assessment regardless of the size of the lot... As my lot is one of the smaller ones on our street, the percentage of increase on my lot was higher than the larger lots... 

Lazy frigging assessors... GFU...

[Anastasis 23464]

8 hours ago, Grimas said:

My fight this year is the actual land value that went up 400% from what its been for years... (I live in a "master planned community" that has been built out for years where there are no empty lots where they can use as comps...)

Last fight I had with them - and got my rate reduced - had them saying I couldn't use comps on houses outside my neighborhood as they didn't apply.  So how are they justifying the land value increases? If its from a lot that is miles away, can I use the housing comps from that distance away as well?

On top of that, they were previously basing the land value apparently by the lot size but this year, they had every lot on the street with the exact same assessment regardless of the size of the lot... As my lot is one of the smaller ones on our street, the percentage of increase on my lot was higher than the larger lots... 

Lazy frigging assessors... GFU...

Good luck trying to find a solid logical basis. They just make shit up. And when called out in it will gaslight you. 

[bluto 4914]

The board cannot raise your value, the 2019 legislature put that to rest (assuming the square footage/improvements are accurate on cad records) See SB2 from the 2019 lege session. 
 

Fighting the land vs improvement value splits and increases is a losing one generally. Only exceptions that come to mind are large acreage/excess land. 

[bluto 4914]

And yes, appeal every damn year even if your market val is far above assessed.* you never know what they might do or the following year they could just decide to uniformly roll the values or cut everybody 5%, you damn well want to be starting from that lower market value. 
 

*unless they  have you wildly under valued missing a remodel or finished sq ftg.

[boilerhorn 1375]

For what it's worth...

About eight years back, I had a 20 minute conversation with the owner of one of the tax protest aggregator services.  I was preparing to protest on my own and wanted to pay him for 30 mins of his time.  His response, "I can make far more money just pushing through a stack of protests than I can consulting.  But since you are on the line..."

He let me know that my approach was correct and that knowing "functional obsolescence" aspects of your property are helpful.  [Well, at least then.  2 years ago, I was told that the folks from CA and NY were buying everything and did not really care about strange architectural aspects of your home.]

Also note that many of these tax aggregators (at least the ones in Travis Co) once worked with TCAD and understand the constraints.  However, they deal in bulk and you *might* be better off doing the work yourself.

Anyhow - on the land valuation jump...  The CAD will assert that the land valuations are meant to reflect what your vacant lot would sell for on the open market.  This is false in practice.  From 2021 to 2022, the CAD valuation of my land increased by 4x.  Land values in NW Travis did not spike by 4x in 1 year.  What I have been told....  The CAD attempts to assess the valuation of your entire property and tends to keep land valuations flat.  If the improvement valuation - for the neighborhood - required to meet the overall appraisal exceeds the replacement valuation by ~25% (I think that is the number), the CAD will reappraise the land for the neighborhood.  This is why it changes infrequently.  Also, it is more difficult to protest, especially in urban or suburban areas, as there are very few vacant lots for sale.

[troph 24781]

So if you’re lazy are the aggregators like pro tax the way to go? 

[CleverNickname 1308]

My neighborhood land value has gone up ($100k to $400k) in the past few years. A little hard to swallow, but also homes have been bought and torn down for >$400k... so yeah. They might be throwing darts, but they ain't too wrong on that point either.

[Liquor and Poker 3659]

I have done it myself every year at one property and used a service for the other just to see.  We both have had home runs, doubles and singles.  No strikeouts. Always worth the trouble. 
 

I am better at the complex one with more complicated issues.  The service is better at the “what the actual fuck” 35% year-over across-the-neighborhood raises. 

[WithoutAClue 15341]

[orange dream 1247]

Had my ARB hearing yesterday.  After increasing 750k in last two years I decided I would put the system on trial. 😂

After looking at the comps the district was using in arriving at my value, I noticed that for some reason my house was in a "class" that was 6-8 levels above almost every house in my neighborhood.  The resulting "class adjustment" applied to my house when comparing it to the comps, results in hundreds of thousands being added to arrive at my value in most cases.  Showed this to the ARB, the district's appraiser, who was in the hearing, said the "classes are decided when the houses are built, and the criteria are somewhat subjective"   Out of approximately 160 houses in my neighborhood (custom homes built 35 years ago), somehow mine is one of the 7 highest classed houses in the neighborhood.  I like my place and it is a nice house in a nice hood, but it is not anything that stands out from the rest.  Both the appraiser and the ARB members acknowledged my argument but said they don't have the ability to consider that a property might be mis-classified in the hearing.   Appraiser made a note for my property to looked at for a "class assessment" in the future.  I was able to get around an 8% decrease in value, but it should have been about a 16% drop in my opinion.

Side note, the guy immediately before me had a ranch / home that had been hit by a tornado in April 2022 (repaired in July/August 2022) and then hit by a 2nd tornado in December 2022.  Thankfully, they did give that guy a break of around 35%

[CooterBrown 18004]

2 hours ago, orange dream said:

After looking at the comps the district was using in arriving at my value, I noticed that for some reason my house was in a "class" that was 6-8 levels above almost every house in my neighborhood.  The resulting "class adjustment" applied to my house when comparing it to the comps, results in hundreds of thousands being added to arrive at my value in most cases.  Showed this to the ARB, the district's appraiser, who was in the hearing, said the "classes are decided when the houses are built, and the criteria are somewhat subjective"   Out of approximately 160 houses in my neighborhood (custom homes built 35 years ago), somehow mine is one of the 7 highest classed houses in the neighborhood.  I like my place and it is a nice house in a nice hood, but it is not anything that stands out from the rest.  Both the appraiser and the ARB members acknowledged my argument but said they don't have the ability to consider that a property might be mis-classified in the hearing.   Appraiser made a note for my property to looked at for a "class assessment" in the future. 

It's guaranteed that if they incorrectly billed you lower than what was owed, they'd come after you for back taxes but fuck you if you can recoup over taxation from their errors.

 

[Catpfish 618]

I went to protest my mom's taxes years ago, and the head appraiser at the time tried to explain class adjustments.  She said it amounted to "counting corners" (exterior corners) of the house.  I said that that makes no sense whatsoever but I'll play along.  I asked her to explain how houses with the same exact floorplan, built at the same time and in the same subdivision could be different classes and she proceeded to step all over her dick by way of explanation.  Finally, she admitted that mistakes were made.

Of course, she then proceeded to argue with me about rules of mathematics.  She claimed that if a number above the median is lowered below the median, the median is not moved.  Again, mistakes were made.

 

 

 

[orange dream 1247]

1 hour ago, Catpfish said:

 She claimed that if a number above the median is lowered below the median, the median is not moved.  Again, mistakes were made.

 

 

 

[wackawacka 177]

Protested my house with eh results.

Rental homes got zero reduction even though all houses are exact same in format, size, and zip code. One house came in at $100k more in value...

[TexEx15 17509]

On 5/5/2023 at 1:01 PM, TexEx15 said:

Well I got my free assessment and they say the appraisal is $244K high. I’m leaning towards buying the full report for $99.

Had my hearing today. I filed my protest indicating they needed to lower it by $244K. A few days ago I received an informal settlement offer knocking off $96K. I rejected. While waiting this morning I was called up to the desk by an appraiser to go over my evidence. She explained something that I had interpreted incorrectly which gave me pause about the hearing itself. She said she would try to get me an updated offer before I got called back. She came back in a few minutes and they had upped their offer to $134k off the initial appraisal amount. I went ahead and took it since part of my rebuttal evidence was faulty. It was good timing as they called me back while I was reviewing this new offer. I didn’t want to chance it especially since I was seeing dejected face after face of folks leaving their hearing before me. 
 

As a side not there were quite a few people waiting that did not appear to have much evidence. A page or two max. I had the aforementioned full 21 page report and they worked with me before the full hearing to resolve. The folks with minimal evidence did not get called up to discuss before being called back. All in all I think the $99 report helped.

[jimmyjazz 45893]

17 minutes ago, TexEx15 said:

Had my hearing today. I filed my protest indicating they needed to lower it by $244K. A few days ago I received an informal settlement offer knocking off $96K. I rejected. While waiting this morning I was called up to the desk by an appraiser to go over my evidence. She explained something that I had interpreted incorrectly which gave me pause about the hearing itself. She said she would try to get me an updated offer before I got called back. She came back in a few minutes and they had upped their offer to $134k off the initial appraisal amount. I went ahead and took it since part of my rebuttal evidence was faulty. It was good timing as they called me back while I was reviewing this new offer. I didn’t want to chance it especially since I was seeing dejected face after face of folks leaving their hearing before me. 
 

As a side not there were quite a few people waiting that did not appear to have much evidence. A page or two max. I had the aforementioned full 21 page report and they worked with me before the full hearing to resolve. The folks with minimal evidence did not get called up to discuss before being called back. All in all I think the $99 report helped.

That bump from $96K to $134K probably saved you about $1K in property tax, so yeah, I'd be fine with the $99.

[swonie 71]

Bought the $99 report from ProtestingPropertyTaxes.com and had my hearing in Hays today. Their initial offer was $25K off, fuck that (I’m up 70% since my home was built in 2020). Asked for $110K off per my report. They settled after the hearing on $92K lower. Quick, easy experience and very happy with ProtestingPropertyTaxes.com

[MAUFRAIS 6620]

[BearSchlong 8083]

My valuation popped by 28% over what I paid within the last year. I protested, sent them a copy of my contract, and the day before my hearing they sent a proposal for about a 5% increase and I decided to accept.

[Nice Guy Eddie 13509]

The new Texas dropped my bill more than I had budgeted. Nothing life changing but I will take a $600 drop from last year and that is with a decent valuation increase.

while I hate writing my largest (and maybe only) check each November to Harris county, I have to admit I like getting it behind me. I track the amount in my personal finance spreadsheet as debt, and I hate debt.

[AUS-97HORN 11757]

can someone please tell me what the fuck my tax bill is this year for Travis County?

 

I still havent gotten a fucking bill, and when I go to TCAD (and then Travistaxes)  it gives two different payment amounts, but the description doesnt make sense.

 

I know the voters approved the  100k homestead exemption.   However the travis taxes site is confusing as shit.

 

there is a link that says " Adopted Tax Rate Statement"    but it gives an error message saying its not available (lol typical govt)

 

the two tax options listed dont seem to make sense.  I would assume that since the amendment passed, that the exemption should have been enough to impact the property tax payment the most.

However,   the my tax bill says the 2023 Proposed Tax Rate Taxes number is about 5% HIGHER than the 2023 No New Revenue Rate Taxes:  

how the hell is the approved exemption increase rate resulting in a higher tax payment for me this year?

 

[Texas Jeff 1945]

27 minutes ago, AUS-97HORN said:

can someone please tell me what the fuck my tax bill is this year for Travis County?

 

I still havent gotten a fucking bill, and when I go to TCAD (and then Travistaxes)  it gives two different payment amounts, but the description doesnt make sense.

 

I know the voters approved the  100k homestead exemption.   However the travis taxes site is confusing as shit.

 

there is a link that says " Adopted Tax Rate Statement"    but it gives an error message saying its not available (lol typical govt)

 

the two tax options listed dont seem to make sense.  I would assume that since the amendment passed, that the exemption should have been enough to impact the property tax payment the most.

However,   the my tax bill says the 2023 Proposed Tax Rate Taxes number is about 5% HIGHER than the 2023 No New Revenue Rate Taxes:  

how the hell is the approved exemption increase rate resulting in a higher tax payment for me this year?

 

Have you tried going here and entering your info?

https://tax-office.traviscountytx.gov/properties/taxes/account-search

That should take you to a page for your account, and from there you can see your bill.

You can drill down to see how much you are paying for each tax entity.

The "Proposed Tax" rate vs "No New Revenue" rate is something the lege threw in there.  They want you to know what the rate would have been if the tax authority had not raised the tax they want to collect from last year to this year.

[swraith 346]

That link to the tax-office was helpful.  I was able to find my taxes due vs I can't find them on TCAD.

[AUS-97HORN 11757]

2 hours ago, Texas Jeff said:

Have you tried going here and entering your info?

https://tax-office.traviscountytx.gov/properties/taxes/account-search

That should take you to a page for your account, and from there you can see your bill.

 

that link was more helpful than the TCAD site, which I tired and couldnt find the bill.

 

but here's whats aggravating as fuck... the link shows my property tax bill being an additional 2% HIGHER than the already 4% higher Proposed tax rate.

 

So even the Proposed rate that they were telling me I would get, wasnt high enough to match the actual bill showing.

fuck these guys

[Frank Drebin 5661]

On 11/13/2023 at 7:38 AM, Nice Guy Eddie said:

The new Texas dropped my bill more than I had budgeted. Nothing life changing but I will take a $600 drop from last year and that is with a decent valuation increase.

while I hate writing my largest (and maybe only) check each November to Harris county, I have to admit I like getting it behind me. I track the amount in my personal finance spreadsheet as debt, and I hate debt.

Mine is about $2k lower than last year.

[PvilleStang 2875]

3 hours ago, AUS-97HORN said:

that link was more helpful than the TCAD site, which I tired and couldnt find the bill.

 

but here's whats aggravating as fuck... the link shows my property tax bill being an additional 2% HIGHER than the already 4% higher Proposed tax rate.

 

So even the Proposed rate that they were telling me I would get, wasnt high enough to match the actual bill showing.

fuck these guys

Did you take into account your appraisal value getting bumped up, too?

[pacman 7355]

ISD tax went down around $800. Everyone else went up $500, so I save $300? lol

 

[YGIFS 19449]

I see Austin Community College is still spending money like drunken sailors.  Declining enrollment?  More students switching to virtual/hybrid learning platforms?  Yes & Yes.  Solution?  Buy more real estate!!!!!

[hornian 5210]

My actual tax amount went down by about $650 even though my assed value increased the maximum allowed amount. 

[Texas Jeff 1945]

Time to plan for 2024.  The tax office values your property as of the end of the previous year, which is now.

If you want to protest in May, now is a good time to look around on Zillow or Redfin and print out some comps to your house to use as evidence.

If prices are up, you may be seeing an increase in May.  If prices are down now, you might be able to argue for a reduction.

[Fudge Nuggets 19189]

6 hours ago, Texas Jeff said:

If prices are down now, you might be able to argue for a reduction.

I laughed.

[Bevo 13570]

Our city leaders are such ass hats. Any of y'all see the new tax bill commercial? A guy sees his tax bill and passes out. His wife sees the tax bill and pays it saying how easy it is to pay

[LW Goatman 1120]

33 minutes ago, Bevo said:

Our city leaders are such ass hats. Any of y'all see the new tax bill commercial? A guy sees his tax bill and passes out. His wife sees the tax bill and pays it saying how easy it is to pay

Real life shit.