HARRIS COUNTY, Texas — If you live and own a home or business in Harris County, you likely saw an increase in your property value this year.
A map shows that about 95% of property owners saw an increase in property value. We're talking about a 16% increase for residential properties and a 21% increase for commercial properties.
That increase has a lot of people concerned, especially first-time homeowners.
Why was there an increase? What can you do to fight it? Those are some of the questions that come up when this happened.
The county's appraisal district has some answers.
The good news is that you can fight the increase yourself or hire someone to do it for you, but the deadline is approaching, so you don't have much time.
Joanne de la Garza is one of many Harris County residents whose property appraisal value increased.
"It's kind of that panic of, 'Oh, my God, this is not what I was expecting," she said.
She's a teacher and is worried about how the appraisal will affect her taxes.
"We don't want to be in that situation where we find ourselves with not being able to pay," she said.
Why such a hike?
The Harris Central Appraisal District said the reasons behind the hike were simple: not enough houses and increasing sale values.
"It's supply and demand," HCAD Chief Communication Officer Jack Barnett said.
The good news for Harris County property owners is they can protest the appraisal value.
"If you think our value is off, we encourage you to file an appeal. File a protest by May 15," Barnett said.
You can also apply for an exemption. There's a long list, including veterans, people over 65 and more. But, the easiest is a homestead exemption.
"You have to own and occupy your house as your primary residence," Barnett said.
Joanne said she plans on protesting her increased values and hopes her family can get a reduction.
"It's overwhelming. I am looking forward to contesting it because we want to be at breathable levels," she said.
Gov. Greg Abbott asked lawmakers during the most recent legislative session to cut property taxes. It's a big priority for him and Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick.
For more information on free workshops that help walk you through the process, click here. For more information on the type of exemptions and the application, click here.
Harris County's deadline to protest a property appraisal is May 15.