If you know me you know I think everyone should pay their fair share. NOT! I wouldn’t pay a dime if they didn’t make me. I don’t like what they did with what I’ve sent so far! At great personal risk to my personal welfare and maybe being labeled un-American, I want to share with you how to reduce your real estate taxes.
Go to your county auditor’s website. Check your valuation and see if you agree. If you think it’s too high then you can contest the valuation. On the auditor’s site you will also find a document titled something like “Real estate valuation complaint form”. Fill it out and hold until the appropriate time. Read the instructions, but most counties have a window… say Jan 1 through Mar 31. Do not submit before the prescribed time. Some counties have smaller windows. What you are trying to do is get the auditor to lower his valuation of your home. Say you get a $50,000 decrease in market value (assessed value is 35% of market value), that will save you approximately $1000 per year depending on your local tax rates.
Documentation.: You can have a professional appraisal done at a cost of approximately $350 or do it yourself with a little help from your friend (me). I will do a competitive market analysis for you (clients & friends) showing listing and sales info on comparable homes in your area. You will need to review the info and choose 3 comparable sales and 3 comparable listings to present when you get the appointment with the review board.
You may be able to get your valuation decreased substantially…saving hundreds if not thousands of dollars a year. Of course, if everyone does this, then the taxing authorities will have to raise taxes to cover the shortfall…however not everyone is as well informed as you and me. So, as I so profoundly say…let the other guy pay. It’s not fair to give our politicians too much money and make them work so hard to get rid of it. Let’s give ‘em a break. Let ‘em go home early. We’re working those poor fellows too hard. Lighten up. It’s the least we can do for our country.
If you successfully challenge your valuation, calculate the savings and let me know. I would like to know if you saved money. If you’re the one in a thousand who believes in paying your fair share, then go ahead and get your valuation lowered and apply the difference to my tax bill. Call me for my parcel number.