County Appraisal Process
An appraisal is a written estimate of a home or property’s value based on current market conditions. In Texas, each county has an established appraisal district that is responsible for appraising all real and business personal property within that district. Keep reading to discover how the county appraisal process works in Texas.
County Appraisals in Texas
County appraisal districts will appraise each property to determine its market value. Information such as property size, usage, construction type, sales of comparable properties, age, location, and individual characteristics of the property are all considered when valuing properties. In Texas, county appraisals take place at least once every three years.
Notice of Appraisal
If your property is appraised, your county appraisal district will mail you a Notice of Appraised Value letter by May 1st (or April 1st for residence homesteads). This letter will inform you of your property value and the following details:
- Preceding year’s appraised value and taxable value
- Current year’s appraised value and taxable value
- Explanation of available partial or total exemptions (both the preceding and current tax year)
- An estimate of taxes based on the previous year’s taxes
- Instructions on how to protest, including a protest form
Protesting Your Appraisal
If you are unhappy with your appraisal, you can file a protest with the Appraisal Review Board by filling out the form on the back of the appraisal notice, or the appeal can be filed online. Read more about how to protest your property tax in Texas.
Determining Your Property Tax
The appraised value of your property and your county’s tax rate is used to determine the property tax you will owe. Three factors determine the total amount of taxes imposed on a property:
- The value is established by the county appraisal district in which your property is located.
- Exemptions, if any, to which that property may be entitled, such as the homestead exemption.
- The tax rates are set by the taxing jurisdictions in which the property is located.
Once established, these appraised property values are then certified by the tax assessor-collector for each county. Next, the tax assessor-collector submits these appraised property values to the governing body for each taxing jurisdiction which are used to calculate the tax bills and are sent to property owners.
At Johnson & Starr, our goal is to keep families in their homes. Our property tax loans are customized to fit your unique situation and can be flexible to adapt to nearly any loan requirement. Find out how we can help save your home – give us a call today at 800-203-9157.