HOUSTON — Wednesday is the last day to protest the value of your home and save money.
The Harris Central Appraisal District said the overall average home appraisals increased roughly 2.5% this year and also said the appraisal values mean the housing market appears to be normalizing. HCAD said homes in lower price ranges saw minimal value increases while homes valued above $450,000 had value increases of roughly 4% to 8%. Whether you saw a big jump in your appraisal, or even a decrease, you might want to think about protesting.
“If your property lowered, that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t protest,” Sylvie Novotny, VP of Novotny & Company, said.
Novotny has worked as a property tax consultant for more than 30 years in the Houston area. She said it’s important to look at a few key things as you’re preparing to protest.
“[HCAD] will have five comparables they think are most comparable to your property. You can bring in arguments to see whether those properties are or are not comparable," Novotny said earlier this month. "Something else you can bring in outside of that evidence is any issues with your property that have not been fixed as of January 1."
When filing a protest, Novotny suggests checking multiple boxes as reasons for protesting your home's assessed value.
“Make sure when protesting, you’re selecting all the options applicable to your property so when you go in you’re not limiting the types of things you can speak about,” she said.
Hearings typically allow 15 minutes for homeowners to present their facts to an appraiser, which can be done virtually or in person. There are other steps including appeals as well.
Experts said whether or not it's your first time protesting, the time spent can save you money in the end.
You can file your protest online at hcad.org/ifile.