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Travis County Resources

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  1. How does the 10% Homestead Cap Value work in Texas?

    February 23, 2023

    In Texas, the 10% homestead cap is a limit on the amount that taxable value can increase for a primary residence in any one year. The homestead cap limits ...

  • How Do Texas Property Taxes Work?

    March 19th, 2022

    Paying property taxes is an integral part of owning a home in Texas. But how exactly do property taxes work? There is no state property tax in Texas, so property taxes are only...

  • How To Reduce Your Property Taxes

    March 14, 2022

    In Texas, two essential factors contribute to your property tax bill: the appraisal value of your home and the tax rates set by the local taxing units. Since you can’t...

  • What Impacts a Texas Home Appraisal?

    March 1st, 2022

    A home appraisal is an estimate of the value of a particular property. Appraisal values can impact numerous aspects of their owners’ lives and finances, including equity, the cost...

  • What Home Improvements Increase Property Taxes?

    February 18th, 2022

    Some home improvements can increase your property taxes.  It’s important to know which ones do, which ones don’t and how you can manage the difference...

  • How To Claim Your Homestead Exemption

    October 28th, 2021

    If you haven't claimed your homestead exemption – even if you only recently acquired the property -- you are overpaying on your property taxes. This exemption...

  • Your Ultimate Guide to the Travis Central Appraisal District

    October 20th, 2021

    When you own real estate in Travis County, Texas, the Travis Central Appraisal District is the entity responsible for determining the market value of your home for the purposes of property taxes...

  • Property Value Increase: Causes and Effects

    September 14th, 2021

    The real estate market is constantly in flux, but what makes a property increase in value? While a rise in property value is excellent news if you’re trying to sell your...

  • Inequality of Appraisal: All you Need to Know to Maximize your Protest Reduction

    April 17th, 2021

    Homeowners face an uphill fight at the Appraisal Review Board this year.  The Appraisal District uses prior year home sales to establish assessments for the current year...

  • What Is A Property Tax Protest?

    April 8th, 2021

    So, it’s April and you’ve received your new proposed property tax values from the Tarrant Appraisal District or the Denton Appraisal District.   Or maybe you haven’t received...

  • How Not to Do It Yourself

    March 26th, 2021

    Many property owners file their own protest rather than use an agent. How does that work out? According to one chief appraiser, about 50% of self filers never...

  • My Capped Value is Less Than My Market Value. Why Protest?

    March 1st, 2021

    Because reducing your Market Value -- even if not below your Capped (or Assessed) Value will pay dividends in the long run.  Failing to do so can be very costly as soon...

  • What is the 10% Capped Value Work?

    February 15th, 2021

    In Texas, there are a few property tax exemptions you can file for to limit how much your Texas property taxes can increase per year. This article will focus on one exemption, the Homestead exemption, which provides a residential property own a capped value on property tax increases year over year...

  • Three Things You Need to Know About Protesting

    February 15th, 2020

    Even though your taxable value hasn’t increased from last year’s taxable value your property’s position in the market isn’t the same as last year’s.

  • Why Is My Reduction Likely a "Two-fer"

    February 15th, 2020

    Two Reasons:  1.  The Property Tax Code provides that in the year following a successful protest the Chief Appraiser may not increase the market value of a homesteaded...

  • Priced Out of Your Home? You're Not Alone!

    February 15th, 2020

    Rising values are a blessing and a bane to homeowners and the problem is only getting worse in the DFW market. Yes, your equity increases with increasing...

  • Can I Get a Taxable Value Below My Recent Cost or Below Market?

    February 15th, 2020

    Yes, it happens more than you would think. Texas’ Constitution prohibits discriminatory practices in assessing taxes. For example, suppose your recently purchased property...

  • How Can We Fight the District When It Has All the Data?

    February 15th, 2020

    We have three major advantages: One is we have access to better data than the appraisal district because you know your property better than they do. Our clients tell...

  • Why Not Hide My Purchase Price?

    February 15th, 2020

    In an attempt to keep taxes low some home buyers will specify that MLS not disclose the purchase price. It's not a good idea. The appraisal district, seeing a deed...

  • Property Tax Exemptions: What Am I Missing?

    February 15th, 2020

    You qualify for the General Residential Exemption if (1) you owned the property on January 1; (2) you occupied it as your principal residence on January 1; and (3) you...

  • Property Tax Rates: A Primer and SB 2

    February 15th, 2020

    Local taxing authorities (cities, counties, hospital districts, school districts) must publish certain information and schedule public hearings before approving a tax rate...

  • Is a CMA from MLS Sufficient for an ARB Hearing?

    February 15th, 2020

    Neighborhood, Class and Effective Age are criteria that resonate with the Appraisal Review Board.  A Realtor's Comparative Market Analysis (CMA) doesn't recognize them the way the ARB does...

  • This Little Piggy Went to Market. But . .

    February 15th, 2020

    What's "Market"? That's what every ARB panel asks and the answer is subjective.  So your value is also. The classic definition, paraphrased, is that market is the price....

  • But I Live in a Tear Down!

    February 15th, 2020

    A tear down can be a double whammy against you.  Appraisal districts impute value to habitable improvements but buyers deduct for the cost of removing them...

  • Can the ARB Raise My Value?

    February 15th, 2020

    Short answer is Yes.  Longer answer is Rarely Happens. The ARB is the only authority that can raise a proposed (or "Notice") market value after it's published by the Chief Appraiser...

  • What Are My Chances of Success Protests:

    February 15th, 2020

    In recent years about 60% of the homeowners who protested their values obtained reductions.  The others include many whose values were already at or below market...

  • Three Things You Need to Know About Protesting

    February 15th, 2020

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