Home address: 205 Adam L Chapa Sr St

2021 Taxable Value: $479,987

Recent Sales Price: $291,500 – Over-taxed by 65%

Texas property owners can avoid paying excess property taxes by taking several basic steps. Appraisal districts are flexible on market value appeals given the large number of houses they value and that are protested. An unequal appraisal appeal is easy to prepare.  Just find neighborhood homes with a lower level of assessment (per square foot).  Summarize the data in a table. The majority who appeal their Texas property taxes 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. Appraisal districts use the cost approach to value houses.  It is generally considered the least reliable method of appraisal. 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. Not appealing your property taxes annually is the equivalent of volunteering to pay extra property taxes.