It’s hard to believe that we’re well into yet another year, but I will say I’m glad to be seeing 2017 in the rear-view mirror. I think a lot of people are feeling the same way.

Today, I wanted to talk about protesting your property taxes, and how important that will be this year.

Following Hurricane Harvey, there was a lot of conjecture about certain entities reassessing property values in order to reduce the burden on homeowners in terms of taxes.

Since there are so many tax authorities, there hasn’t yet been a consensus about whether or not it will be done. However, there is no current plan, to my knowledge, to reevaluate tax values for either the county or the school district.

According to the HCAD website, property taxes will not be reassessed. Based on this comment, we think it will be very important to protest your taxes for 2018 as soon as possible.

If you do not live in Harris County, check with your county’s appraisal district about any changes or accommodations that could impact property values as a result of Hurricane Harvey.

As you may know, I am a huge proponent of protesting your property taxes. In fact, I recommend doing so on a yearly basis.

“It will be very important to protest your taxes for 2018, and to do so as soon as possible.”

When you prepare to protest your property taxes, there are four things you need to consider:

  1. Be prepared to show the damage to your property, in order to justify the decrease you’re seeking. If your home has flooded and you’ve been dealing with insurance companies, this proof will be readily available.
  2. Pay attention to outside factors and how they affect your home value. If your home didn’t flood but the area did, consider whether your home’s value will be negatively or positively impacted.
  3. The assessment’s value is based on the property’s value as of January 1.
  4. Be ready to support your case with pictures.These photos should be of the home, but also of anything in the surrounding area which could be a factor in your home’s value.

If you have any other questions or would like more information, feel free to give me a call or send me an email. I look forward to hearing from you soon.