2016 BCAD Appraisals Posted (rental, homes, calculation)

[MenardMQ]

Originally Posted by Chaka

I use the BCAD values of comparable houses - in my neighborhood it varies so widely (lots of cash sales apparently, and savvy people who have been fighting taxes for years). They can't argue with the values they've listed.

You need to be careful here. If you live in a custom home development, pulling comps in the neighborhood will be a fruitless exercise. BCAD will argue that there is an extremely wide variance between construction types, qualities etc. If you are going to dispute by yourself and use this approach, I'll tell you now that you will lose and they will waive you off with the slight of a hand.

[Chaka]

Originally Posted by ged_782

That's true, although they have a very narrow criteria for what qualifies as a comparable property. They also wouldn't accept any of the comps I presented showing BCAD values.

You have a two-car garage, and the comps have only a one-car, or no garage? Can't use those. Another one has a three car garage, but is still lower per square foot? Can't use that one either. Your CDU (Condition/Desirability/Utility) is listed a Average, but the comp is Good? Can't use that one, even though it is less per square foot.

I really felt like I was going up against a stacked deck.

Yeah. I'm in an historic district where each house is distinctly different. I've compared to most of the houses on my street, and others in the neighborhood of similar size and condition. Mostly I've gotten it reduced based on condition. They say we have a "garage" but really it's an old carriage storage not suitable for cars.

I've had mostly good luck the last few years. Prices in my neighborhood have skyrocketed out of control.

[Chaka]

Originally Posted by rrbcfy

You need to be careful here. If you live in a custom home development, pulling comps in the neighborhood will be a fruitless exercise. BCAD will argue that there is an extremely wide variance between construction types, qualities etc. If you are going to dispute by yourself and use this approach, I'll tell you now that you will lose and they will waive you off with the slight of a hand.

It's worked the last 5 years. I know the houses in my neighborhood very well.

And yes, there is a wide variance. I use those closest to mine in condition (showing photos), size, era built, upgrades, etc. Mostly they bring it down to a 10% increase. So I'm still paying more taxes, but they're adjusting the market value down to 10% rather than 30-60%....

[dastexan]

Originally Posted by ged_782

I live in a neighborhood where age, size, and type of construction varies widely. That could have something to do with it. In that type of circumstance, they could be basing your property value on just one or two recent comp sales.

they actually were not. which is whats more frustrating. though this is how they raise taxes without raising taxes! they were using the entire subdivision sales and then just coming with some number based on median sales price.

Nelson Wolff truly is a wolf in sheep's clothing, since Amezquita is his boy basically and is well known as being aggressive in raising values.

[dastexan]

Originally Posted by Azure110

I read somewhere awhile back that BCAD is having to make up for lost revenue from commercial properties because many of the big name local businesses such as Valero for many of their retail stores are in litigation with BCAD to get current and past tax values reduced. If I am not mistaken, the article stated all the litigation and tax reductions cost Bexar a lot of money (loss of 9 billion?) so perhaps they are trying to recoup all of that through residential? Even Greg Popovich sued BCAD supposedly.

The average homeowner can't afford to sit in litigation with BCAD though so we must be the low hanging fruit.

that and all of the breaks they have given to businesses to relocate here.

its true, they are trying to fund the city on the backs of residential owners while commercial owners pay a pittance of taxes in terms of % of tax burden based on value.

[Hedgehog_Mom]

Originally Posted by Azure110

I read somewhere awhile back that BCAD is having to make up for lost revenue from commercial properties because many of the big name local businesses such as Valero for many of their retail stores are in litigation with BCAD to get current and past tax values reduced. If I am not mistaken, the article stated all the litigation and tax reductions cost Bexar a lot of money (loss of 9 billion?) so perhaps they are trying to recoup all of that through residential? Even Greg Popovich sued BCAD supposedly.

The average homeowner can't afford to sit in litigation with BCAD though so we must be the low hanging fruit.

Valero doesn't own those retail stores. That's a separate company, CST Brands. They might be in litigation with the city for their retail locations, but Valero isn't.

[TexasRedneck]

Originally Posted by Hedgehog_Mom

Valero doesn't own those retail stores. That's a separate company, CST Brands. They might be in litigation with the city for their retail locations, but Valero isn't.

Sorry - but they own the leash that holds the dog........

[elnina]

Originally Posted by Azure110

Are you talking about the land market value? If so, was it your first land market value increase in awhile?

My overall value (land and dwelling) went up $40K which I think is ridiculous for a one year increase.

Originally Posted by rynetwo

13.3%

Originally Posted by justiciability

16.9% here.

Just checked a friend of mine's - a whopping 80% increase!!!

According to bcad, there’s a 10% cap on an annual increase of your house’s taxable appraised value — for those homeowners with a homestead exemption. That means the government cannot raise the taxable value of your house more than 10% of the previous year’s tax bill. Sometimes, the market value is higher than the taxable value. Pay attention to the market value, because if you believe it’s too high and don’t protest it, your taxes will jump the following year. Market value is not bound by a 10% cap. So it’s important to try to knock down the market value, too.
Property Tax Assistance

[sapphire]

Originally Posted by TexasRedneck

Sorry - but they own the leash that holds the dog........

No, they actually don't. Two totally different companies.

[ged_782]

Originally Posted by elnina

According to bcad, there’s a 10% cap on an annual increase of your house’s taxable appraised value — for those homeowners with a homestead exemption. That means the government cannot raise the taxable value of your house more than 10% of the previous year’s tax bill. Sometimes, the market value is higher than the taxable value. Pay attention to the market value, because if you believe it’s too high and don’t protest it, your taxes will jump the following year. Market value is not bound by a 10% cap. So it’s important to try to knock down the market value, too.
Property Tax Assistance

Of course, you have to try to get the market value down to a point where it is below the 10% cap, before you begin to reduce your projected tax increase.


Last year, they proposed an increase in my market value just under 20%. After they rejected the BCAD comps I presented them, and wouldn't accept listing prices of similar properties for sale, all they could do was give me a reduction on the depreciation factor on the improvements, after I showed them evidence that some interior finishes, materials, and fixtures were what could be classified as low-cost, and/or were original to the construction of the house. So I ended up with a 13% increase, instead of almost 20%. But that effort didn't get me any reduction in the projected tax increase.


This year, they are proposing an increase in market value that is even higher than last year's proposed market value, before the protested reduction, and yet another 10% cap. I give up.