It’s no secret that people are moving to Central Texas every single day. Austin is known nationwide as one of the most desirable places to live, and we’re all paying for it. Skyrocketing property taxes are arguably one of the largest expenses that moved to town with this influx of new Travis and Williamson County residents.
The name of the game is supply and demand. This is great news if you are looking to sell your home in the near future. However, if you are in the vast majority of people that would like to continue to be able to afford to live here, rising property values pose a very real financial threat.
Property owners in Travis County will soon receive a letter in the mail titled “Notice of Appraised Value”. State law requires that the Travis Central Appraisal District provide you will this letter communicating what the district felt your property’s market value was as of January 1, 2015. You are likely about to experience some sticker shock based on the “hot” nature of our real estate market.
Whether your property’s value has jumped 1% or 50%, every landowner should strongly consider the option of appealing their valuation. Why?
- The Travis Central Appraisal District’s mass appraisal techniques are anything but perfect. They do not incorporate important information specific to your property.
- Texas allows landowners the ability to lower their taxes if they are being taxed unfairly compared to other properties in the area.
- Last year, market values in Travis County jumped an average of 12.6%, per the appraisal district. Our real estate market has not slowed since that time. We will likely see significant increases again this year.
In short, there are many potential ways to argue for lower property taxes in 2015.
If you are not the type of person that has real estate expertise or enjoys rigorous negotiation, it is in your best interest to enlist a property tax representation firm to handle every aspect of lowering the property tax on your Central Texas property. This can save you significant money with as little as five minutes of your time, and the good news is most property tax consultants operate on a contingency fee structure—no savings, no fees.
One of your most important rights as a taxpayer and landowner is the right to protest your property’s appraised value every year. Sign up is simple and fast; it only takes about 3 minutes!
Don’t wait! Sign up today to protest your property taxes in Travis County.
We also protest property values in Williamson County.
About Five Stone Tax Advisers
- Our success rate is three times the industry standard
- We have insider knowledge of the Central Texas appraisal districts
- We work on a contingency basis—no fee until you save
- We give 33% of our profits to charities and ministries
