Home address: 4201 34Th St

2021 Taxable Value:$184,800

Recent Sales Price: $116,600 – Over-taxed by 58%

Galveston County property investors far too often pay excess property taxes. Protest market value, get a few comparable sales as evidence and you are very likely to reduce your property taxes. Unequal appraisal appeals compare the level of assessment of your house to comparable houses, typically on a per square foot basis. Winning a property tax protest is easy.  Getting property owners to appeal is hard.  Only 10% of Texan home owners appeal their property taxes.

Some homeowners believe “you can’t fight city hall.”  But property owners win 60 to 80% of property tax appeals. Mass appraisal models make it impossible for appraisal districts to accurately value most houses. Appraisal districts settle appeals at the informal level  to avoid the time consuming and expensive appraisal review board hearings. Property taxes are the largest tax most Texans face.  But it is a stealth tax hidden in the mortgage payment, disguising the size of property taxes paid.