Home address: 1106 Fairmount Ave

2021 Tax Assessment: $1,287,871

Recent Sales Price: $865,000 – Over-taxed by 49%

Property tax assessments not carefully reviewed lead to paying more than your share of property taxes. Appraisal districts are flexible on market value appeals given the large number of houses they value and that are protested. You can reduce your property taxes with an unequal appraisal appeal. The Texas Comptroller reports 80% of 2019 property tax appeals by homeowners were successful.

Property owners are sometimes reluctant to protest their property taxes because the believe the appeal process is difficult. It is not difficult and 60 to 80% of owners who appeal are successful. Appraisal districts use mass appraisal to value property, basically a math model. Overall results are OK.  However, many homes are too high or low. Appraisal districts aggressively settle appeals since they have only 65 days to settle most of the appeals. 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.