2014 Tax Appraisal Thread (West, Howe: neighborhoods, construction, property taxes)

[Moonlady]

Originally Posted by COCUE

okay thanks... this isnt making much sense. I checked a few of the houses on the street and everyone has some amount called "Homestead Cap" but we dont. I applied for this like in January. Does anyone know why we wont have gotten a HS cap?

We applied last year in April. It wasn't reflected on the statement we received. It did show up later on the website and was reflected in our bill at the end of the year. Since you applied in January and it wasn't on the statement though, you should definitely call them and check on it.

[FalconheadWest]

Originally Posted by COCUE

okay thanks... this isnt making much sense. I checked a few of the houses on the street and everyone has some amount called "Homestead Cap" but we dont. I applied for this like in January. Does anyone know why we wont have gotten a HS cap?

You can't have a cap until next year. Your first year you claim Homestead sets your value, and next year is when it can't increase more than 10%.

[COCUE]

Originally Posted by FalconheadWest

You can't have a cap until next year. Your first year you claim Homestead sets your value, and next year is when it can't increase more than 10%.

okay, thanks.. but where is the HS exemption itself then, isnt that what the HS cap is? Because a house that is identical to ours on the same street is valued at $30K lower than ours with the HS cap. Based on this, are you saying that because its our 1st year here, we would be valued that much higher for an identical house?

[austin-steve]

My 2 Leander rental houses increased 19%. I've never protested in WilCo because they've always been pretty close on assessed value, but now they're $10-$15K high.

[COCUE]

Originally Posted by FalconheadWest

You go to the county website, and you look up by street, and then you don't just look at the total value. You need to be looking at land value and improvement value. You compare your land value to your neighbors' and also compare improvement value.

For the unequal argument to work, you can't just find 2-3 properties valued low. You need to have a "representative" amount. Each arbitrator wants a different amount. I want to see at least 20% of the neighborhood or a minimum of 10 properties. A 500 house neighborhood, you need to show me 100 properties that are unequal to you. In a small community like 35 houses, you need to show a minimum of 10. Those are my rules. Other arbitrators might look at just 5-7, but that's not "representative" to me.

Let me see if I'm getting your digestion right.. So for my neighborhood in Avery Ranch that had probably a few hundred houses, I would need to get the assessed value of potentially about a third of the houses for it to work for you? So with identical houses all built within 5 - 8 years ago, shouldn't it be expected that the value should be similar? Also a an identical house on the same street that sold and closed in January also has the HS cap ( if one doesn't get the HS cap in the 1st, then I wonder why they are getting it). I'm going to call wcad on Monday to ask if we actually getting the HS exemption to start with

[Moonlady]

Originally Posted by COCUE

...I'm going to call wcad on Monday to ask if we actually getting the HS exemption to start with

Yes, be sure to ask them if it's effective this year. I could have sworn that after we filed in April last year that we ended up receiving the homestead exemption for 2013. Tried to look at history and couldn't really tell.

[gpurcell]

Originally Posted by FalconheadWest

For the unequal argument to work, you can't just find 2-3 properties valued low. You need to have a "representative" amount. Each arbitrator wants a different amount. I want to see at least 20% of the neighborhood or a minimum of 10 properties. A 500 house neighborhood, you need to show me 100 properties that are unequal to you. In a small community like 35 houses, you need to show a minimum of 10. Those are my rules. Other arbitrators might look at just 5-7, but that's not "representative" to me.

Wow. You are essentially admitting that you are not following either Texas statute or existing case law on the subject. Your standard is utterly without merit and offensive.

[gpurcell]

Originally Posted by COCUE

Let me see if I'm getting your digestion right.. So for my neighborhood in Avery Ranch that had probably a few hundred houses, I would need to get the assessed value of potentially about a third of the houses for it to work for you? So with identical houses all built within 5 - 8 years ago, shouldn't it be expected that the value should be similar? Also a an identical house on the same street that sold and closed in January also has the HS cap ( if one doesn't get the HS cap in the 1st, then I wonder why they are getting it). I'm going to call wcad on Monday to ask if we actually getting the HS exemption to start with

Her standard is completely ridiculous.

[gpurcell]

Using Assessment Comparables to Fight Unequal Property Taxes

Preparing a Building Equity Analysis
The Texas Property Tax Code as revised in 2003 (Section 41.43 (b)) for appeals on equity in the administrative hearings is as follows:
(b) A protest on the ground of unequal appraisal of property shall be determined in favor of the protesting party unless the appraisal district establishes that... the appraised value of the property is equal to or less than the median appraised value of a reasonable number of comparable properties appropriately adjusted.

The primary issue is selection of a reasonable number of appropriately adjusted comparables. The first step is to locate a group of comparables to consider. As a property owner, you likely are aware of your direct and indirect competitors. Most presentations on equity use five to ten comparables. In some cases it is appropriate to use more and in some cases there are not as many as five comparable properties which are reasonably proximate. Determining the reasonable number of comparables depends on judgement and the fact situation.

[TexasHorseLady]

When we filed for our homestead exemption in Williamson County (we had somehow missed filing for it but already had our ag for all but two acres of the property), it was not only effective for the year we filed but rolled back one year since we'd been living there on January 1 of that year. Not sure quite why, but that's how they did it.

When you buy a house during a year, the tax valuation (and exemptions) that are already on the house are in effect for that year (assuming you didn't buy it on January 1 or something). You need to file for your own homestead exemption after January 1 of the following year. If the house already had a homestead exemption when you bought it, that homestead exemption lasts until December 31 of the year you purchased it, in other words, and then you have to get your own.