Home address: 5005 Brookhead Ln

2021 Taxable Value: $186,711        

Recent Sales Price: $145,000 – Over-taxed by 29%

Texas property owners can avoid paying excess property taxes by taking several basic steps. Market value property tax appeals save home owners an average of $500, according to Texas Comptroller Glen Hager, for 2019. 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.

Property owners are sometimes reluctant to protest their property taxes because they believe the appeal process is difficult. It is not difficult and 60 to 80% of owners who appeal are successful. Incorrect property data such as grade, effective year built, condition, etc lead to substantial errors in appraisal district values for houses. Most tax protests are settled at the informal level so appraisers can return to measuring and valuing new construction. 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.