Real Estate Appraisals to Appeal Tax Assessment

Real Estate Appraisals to Appeal Tax Assessment 

In most locations, the property taxes you pay are based on what is called an ad valorem assessment of the value of your property. It’s quite often that property owners will be surprised by a notification that their taxes are going up because the real estate appraisal seems far too high. While you may address the issue with a phone call to your local county tax assessor, if you feel that your property is being overvalued, it may be time to appeal tax assessment with another appraisal of your property.  

Before you call your local appraiser of real estate, it does pay to do a little research first to see if such a call is necessary. This means that you should exhaust other avenues to ensure that the reason for the tax hike was because you believe your property is being overvalued. It may be a simple clerical error or mathematical mistake on the part of the county assessor, so be sure you examine other potential reasons first. 

A professional, experienced third-party appraiser provides the best means to prove to the county tax assessor that your property may be overvalued. This allows you to appeal property tax on solid grounds using an independent appraiser that is respected by the county. It’s important that you choose a real estate appraiser that has the knowledge, experience, and reputation which will help you appeal property tax decision. 

How Real Estate Appraiser Works for You

By having your property value reassessed by a qualified appraiser, you have the basis to appeal the rise in your proper taxes. Consider that many times a rise in property taxes is due to factors that may have little to nothing to do with your property. A new business, housing development, or greater access due to a new road may cause a rise in your property taxes even though your home remains at or near the same value. 

Your property will be assessed using the standard means which is accepted by your county in determining the value of your property. Because this is an independent third-party, the assessment team does not so much work for you as they are charged to find the truth about the value of your property. This means that if they find your property value is correctly assessed by the county, your appeal tax assessment will not help you in lowering the value of the property itself.

However, if it turns out that the report demonstrates that your property is being overvalued, then you can use that to appeal property tax hike. Plus, you will have a representative from the third-party assessment team to back up their findings, so you will not be alone. 

You will need to hire a professional, respected, and independent real estate appraisal company to ensure that their findings will hold up if you decide to appeal. By making sure you hire the best, you are helping your case in getting the best assessment of your property so that your taxes will match its correct value.