Ways to Reduce Your Property Taxes
When the real estate market was red hot, property
tax assessments were keeping right in step with home values. Now that the bubble
has burst, it's logical to think that taxes should decrease,
too. It may be logical, but it's not realistic. Your property
taxes may stay the same, unless you do something about it.
The sight of a municipal property assessor in the neighborhood
used to send homeowners diving for cover. No one wanted a reassessment
of their home during the real estate boom market. People were
happy to have their assessed values lag behind current market
prices; an accurate assessment usually meant a jump in property
taxes.
The real estate bubble has subsequently burst, and now homeowners
are singing a different tune. They want their home values to
be congruent with the current market prices, and many are pursuing
an appeals process to get their homes reassessed. Here are
a few simple steps for you to take to ensure that your home
value is aligned with current market conditions:
Understand the process
To understand precisely how your home is assessed, it's important
to get inside your municipality's valuation process. Some areas
calculate it based on rebuilding costs; others use a percentage
of your home's current value. Knowing the methodology will
help you learn how the municipality derived their final number.
You should also carefully review the document that describes
your home. There's tremendous margin for error with an assessment.
If you scrutinize the report, you'll likely find some assumptions
about your home that are incorrect. There's also the chance
of clerical errors made when entering figures, so give your
report the fine-tooth comb treatment.
Keeping down with the Joneses
If prices in your neighborhood have plummeted, your assessor
will need tangible proof that your home is being overtaxed.
This will necessitate some research on your part. Find the
property assessment for similar homes in your area. Make sure
that they're comparable in terms of age, size, and features.
Your home value must be 10 percent higher than your neighbors'.
Anything less than that figure is too close for an assessor
to justify a change.
Create a spreadsheet comparing the values and features of
different homes. Include as many details as you can and, if
your neighbors are willing, take photos. If you stand to recoup
a healthy chunk of money, you may want to hire a property appraiser
to create an appraisal. This additional back-up could sway
the authorities.
Every municipality has a different review process, but if
your local property
tax assessor rejects your plea, the next
step is generally an independent review board. From there,
legal action may be necessary, and will be substantially more
expensive. However, if you're losing a large amount of money
to taxes, the cost may be justified. It will also ensure that
the government feels the pinch of a down market just like the
rest of us.
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