Home address: 18910 Camden Knoll Ct
2021 Taxable Value: $383,550
Recent Sales Price: $305,000 – Over-taxed by 26%
Brazoria County property investors far too often pay excess property taxes. Protest market value, get a few comparable sales as evidence and you are very likely to reduce your property taxes. Unequal appraisal is a powerful tool to reduce property taxes, but many homeowners are not aware of it and don’t use it. Woody Allen said “80% of success is showing up”. It is difficult to persuade property owners to protest their property taxes. But 60 to 80% of those who do are successful.
Some property owners do not appeal due to a concern the appraisal district will want to inspect their house. However, the appraisal district is MUCH too busy during the appeal season to even think about asking to inspect a property. Assessors do not visit houses because of appeals. Mass appraisal models make it impossible for appraisal districts to accurately value most houses. Tax protests are resolved at the informal hearing since the result is within a “reasonable range of value”. Appraisal is not an exact science and valuations are only an educated opinion of value, not a fact. 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.