Wonderful; Just wonderful! (Austin, Happy: sales, real estate market, 2010)

[Mike78613]

Any happy Austinites?

Property Tax Bills Continue to Rise

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Last Edited: Thursday, 23 Apr 2009, 10:27 PM CDT
Created On: Thursday, 23 Apr 2009, 5:09 PM CDT

- Property tax values are going up in Travis County, despite a slowing real estate market nationwide (boo-who). Home values are up 3.8% on average according to appraisal information released Wednesday. Home owners are getting a great deal!


Chief Appraiser Patrick Brown says home values are based on 2008 home sales, which didn't start to decline until the end of the year.

"The real estate market, although it's slowing down...it's just recently gotten to the point where maybe it's in a downturn," Brown said.

As a result, most homeowners should expect to see a higher property tax bill this year. City of Austin officials said Wednesday they will recommend a property tax rate increase to close an estimated $30 million budget shortfall in 2010. wahhhhh punish the home owners why don't ya!

City Manager Marc Ott said he will recommend the rollback property tax rate of 44.79 cents per $100 of assessed property value.

That would mean an $88 increase in the city property tax bill for an $187,100 home, or about an 11% increase compared with last year. Darn it, now lets wait for fuel prices increase for the summer of 09 to make things more affordable

But if you combine an increasing property tax rate with increasing home values, tax bills will see more than just an 11% increase. Sounds like a plan.

Janie Rangel lives in East Austin. Her home was valued at $119,000 in 2008 but is now assessed at $131,000, a 10% increase. Congrats to Janie Rangel, could she sell it for that price in todays market?

If the city council passes the rollback rate, her city property tax bill will increase 22% from about $477 to $586, all in a single year.

"I'm not going to go without a fight," Rangel said. Yes fight, fight!!

Rangel plans to protest her property valuation to the Travis Central Appraisal District. Officials there expect an increase in property tax protests this year.

If you want to protest your home's assessed value:
-First fill out the form on the back of your tax bill and get it in by May 31
-Talk to your realtor and find out what homes are selling for in your neighborhood
-If you want to hire someone to fight for you, call a property tax consultant, but be prepared to pay about 40% of what they save you

Good luck dealing w/ this BS!!

[centralaustinite]

Yes, well I am not happy about my property tax bill and I will be protesting it -- BUT I also like city services!! I use the library regularly, I'm grateful for the police and fire protection, watershed protection, development review (because the city stores all the plans and documents submitted with building permits a non-profit I work with will save about $25,000 in architectual fees), I appreciate the neighborhood planning process and the way citizens are involved in city governance.

Although I don't have children in public schools I recognize their crucial importance in creating and sustaining an educated workforce (without it, we can't attract business here) and I am also looking forward to having well-educated doctors, nurses, attendants, plumbers, electricians, hairdressers, mechanics, cooks, etc provide services to me as I age.

ACC provides workplace training, occupational training, and an inexpensive way to begin a college education. It is a key part of making our workers attractive to businesses looking for talent. The hospital district supports public health -- with a new strain of flu emerging just south of us, I am grateful.

Services cost. There is no income tax in Texas. Certainly you knew that property tax was the chief source of funding for a wide variety of crucial services in Texas.

I once lived for a period of time in a one-party police state. It was not a failed state, it functioned but only through corruption and irregular and illogical confiscatory tax system. Not pretty. Horrible actually. I pay my taxes in Texas and the US with gratitude!

[ATX Homeboy]

Originally Posted by Mike78613

Any happy Austinites?

Property Tax Bills Continue to Rise



Janie Rangel lives in East Austin. Her home was valued at $119,000 in 2008 but is now assessed at $131,000, a 10% increase. Congrats to Janie Rangel, could she sell it for that price in todays market?

Yeah, I think that if the city is going to appraise them they should be willing to by them at that rate. JMO.

[HappyTexan]

Wait..didn't they say the same when they put out the 2008 increased numbers..that they used 2007 and homes hadn't felt the effects of the recession yet ?

I remember reading that last year..going to see if I can find that article.
They can only sing the same sad song so many times..I'm calling their bluff. I have an appraisal that is based on 3 sales last year.

[HappyTexan]

Well it didn't take long to dig up..they said the same exact thing last year about 2007 prices.
Travis County Appraisals Going Up Up Up! « Austin Real Estate Scene

snippet (this is 2008 numbers based on 2007 values):
"These increases in appraisals by the Travis County Appraisal District are going to draw controversy because they don’t correlate with the slowdown in the Austin real estate market this year."

[centralaustinite]

Happy Texan, I love it! Just change the year and keep the spin!


I think that the tax appraisal is supposed to represent the market value on January 1st of the year, so January 2009 for this year. I had my house on the market for 100 days 20K then 25K then 30K below the 2008 tax appraisal, it didn't sell. Just refied and the bank appraisal was 20K below the tax appraisal. I am hoping to knock 10K off the appraised value for this year.

[mimimomx3]

I think there should be an across the board cut in the city budget, and the first thing that should go is the "Healtcare District"....a boondoggle designed to strangle the middle class.

[HappyTexan]

Originally Posted by centralaustinite

Happy Texan, I love it! Just change the year and keep the spin!


I think that the tax appraisal is supposed to represent the market value on January 1st of the year, so January 2009 for this year. I had my house on the market for 100 days 20K then 25K then 30K below the 2008 tax appraisal, it didn't sell. Just refied and the bank appraisal was 20K below the tax appraisal. I am hoping to knock 10K off the appraised value for this year.

central..I'm about 20K below as well. I'm shooting for TCAD to reduce to my appraisal number..heck why settle for only 10K.

[HappyTexan]

LOL..everyone should print out both 2008 and 2009 articles and bring to their protest meeting to show the appraisers