Bexar County Appraisals for 2008 Are Out (San Antonio, Austin: apartment, loan, new home)

[tekka-maki]

Originally Posted by firstclassflyer

Easy (er, not so easy) solution. EVERYONE protest!

Yes, and march on the tax assessor's office with pitchforks and torches en masse if all else fails!!!! Viva la revolucion!

[tekka-maki]

Originally Posted by Bowie

For factual errors, you don't need a hearing. A technician can make the correction on the record. Just go down to the BCAD office and discuss the case with an appraisal technician. You'll need either the sale paperwork and photos of your home or a copy of the MLS listing to convince them of the error.

I was in and out of there within 20 minutes when I did that the year after I bought my home. Much faster than a hearing.

Would my case warrant a hearing?

My neigbor's homes with the same floor plan (different elevations) are appraised lower, one much lower and the other has a 20-25% larger lot. Also, I purchased in July for 152k and it's now valued at 161k by BCAD (3rd party appraiser at closing was 168k).

I just don't want to shoot myself in the foot and end up with a higher assessed value than it already is. I do know that I'm that the only one (of the 3 comparables) with 3 sides brick. I don't know how much value that really adds. One of my neighbors only has one side but his 07 and 08 appraised values are identical to mine.

[shenane]

I'm not expert at all but if it were me, I would get some comps for the area first before protesting. The house was appraised at 168K and you only paid 152K so you probably got a good deal. But if everyone in the neighborhood got a good deal (proven with the comps) then you probably have a good case. If you were the only one who got a cheap house, then BCAD might not listen to you.
Any real estate agent can get you comparative sales data for you area for free.
Good luck!

Originally Posted by tekka-maki

Would my case warrant a hearing?

My neigbor's homes with the same floor plan (different elevations) are appraised lower, one much lower and the other has a 20-25% larger lot. Also, I purchased in July for 152k and it's now valued at 161k by BCAD (3rd party appraiser at closing was 168k).

I just don't want to shoot myself in the foot and end up with a higher assessed value than it already is. I do know that I'm that the only one (of the 3 comparables) with 3 sides brick. I don't know how much value that really adds. One of my neighbors only has one side but his 07 and 08 appraised values are identical to mine.

[ged_782]

Originally Posted by The Man in SATX

My stupid question is this.. how do they appraise a complete city without looking at any of the buildings?

Actually, they do look at the buildings. They have people who do nothing but go up and down the streets comparing improvements to property against their records. They do a visual exterior survey, may take photographs, and/or field measurements.

My brother-in-law was at home earlier this year when a BCAD employee came around to survey properties in their neighborhood. This is when they pick up things like patio slabs, decks, metal storage buildings in the back yard, etc. that have been added over the years and were not previously reflected in their records. If they haven't been poking around on your street in the last few years, chances are they will be before too long. If you go down to the BCAD office, they can probably show you a photo they have on file that was taken of your house!

[shenane]

Well, with this cool google street map thing, they won't even have to leave their office to get a picture of your house. They can get a picture the street and the front of your house through google and get an overhead picture of your house and yard from zillow or cyberhomes or google earth or msn earth

Originally Posted by ged_782

Actually, they do look at the buildings. They have people who do nothing but go up and down the streets comparing improvements to property against their records. They do a visual exterior survey, may take photographs, and/or field measurements.

My brother-in-law was at home earlier this year when a BCAD employee came around to survey properties in their neighborhood. This is when they pick up things like patio slabs, decks, metal storage buildings in the back yard, etc. that have been added over the years and were not previously reflected in their records. If they haven't been poking around on your street in the last few years, chances are they will be before too long. If you go down to the BCAD office, they can probably show you a photo they have on file that was taken of your house!

[rd2007]

I think I'll be quiet about mine.. It rarely goes up much of anything, except in 2004, so I'll just leave it at that..

[Ms. 01 Snake]

Originally Posted by Steel Man

It looks like the 2008 appraisals are out. Mine went up another $8,000 again. One more year and the 2006/7 property tax break will be wiped out.

So, any idea on how they valued our land? I am thinking with the market I might get and independent appraisal and see what that is. I hate to pay almost as much on a piece of dirt (mind you a fabulous piece of dirt with a view to die for) as I do on a house and lot.

[TXRose]

Ours went down $7K. Me likey!

[nuttin2do]

Originally Posted by Montirob

Well how about this scenario:

I looked at the values of the homes on the 4 blocks which comprise my street. If you did NOT protest the value last year (I have a copy of 2007 values from both April 2007 and 2008), the appraisal went up an average of 9%. If you DID protest the value last year, the appraisal went up a whopping 23%. In other words, they are just trying to make up the difference they lost last year!

I think you are right. I protested last year after a 20% bump, formal dispute brought it back 5% less than the previous year. They bumped it to the same amount as last years amount I disputed. Up 28%.... This is just a big game to them.

The cap is 10% since I protested, at 10%, the value of the home will double in 7 years. Not happening in San Antonio. 350K home..

I looked at neighboring properties and they all wnr up 5-8%. I'm a new home in an old neighborhood, BCAD is hammering me because of this.

[nuttin2do]

Originally Posted by torero

My house is appraised exactly 10% over what I paid for it 6 months ago. My impression is that if I were to put it on the market today I could probably sell it for the same price I paid 6 months ago, and not at the value it is apraised. Can this be disputed?

That should be an easy fix at the informal meeting. Value is as of 1/1/08, so that is about a month or two after you bought. Value didn't go up 10% in 2 months. At that rate of appreciation, house would be worth double what you paid for it less than a year!!!!! They are taking it to the citizens that pay their salary.