How'd that work? My informal is Tuesday.

Part of it was luck. On the evidence they had supplied for raising my value there were almost no sales listed from 2014. So it was pretty easy to argue that the market wasn't giving any information to change the value so was able to talk them into a just flat 7% rose rather than construing something from "comps"

Informal this morning... here we go

Success! Used Jubally's number (from sales comps) in my informal. 20.8% increase down to 8.4%.

I'd there a cut off date on when we can buy our reports?

Used Jubally report. Wasn't of much help because there were only two sales comps, but the appraiser worked with us to knock our appraisal down by $13K.

Does anyone know if there are descriptions on the different levels of CDU and physical condition online anywhere? I can't find anything online except for this.

My house is listed as "very good" for both of these, and there is no way. I just need to know what the definitions are to argue that my house is subpar.

I think in practice it's usually relative to the rest of the houses in the neighborhood.

So instead of looking for a "definition" you'd likely have to look around your block/street for houses that have low CDU and find ways to convince them that yours is as bad or worse than those.

I've got my informal tomorrow and I'm pulling together all my evidence. I'm pretty sure Cru or someone said on this thread or the 2014 thread how many challenge comps you need to make your own evidence set, but I can't remember. Both 3 & 5 stick out in my head. Can anyone provide some insight?

I've got up to 6, but I'm arguing that my value was increased a greater percentage than other properties (I think that is U&E). If I can keep it to the lowest 3, the average percentage of their increase is below 16%. If I have to add in #4, 5, and/or 6, the average percentage starts going up.

Mine was over 50% FWIW, so even if I go to 6, I'm going to be doing better, but the lower I can keep the percentage, the better.

Bump...anyone?

I've got my informal meeting today too... Will let you know what they say.

it just depends on how similar HCAD considers the properties in your evidence package to be and/or how much they have to adjust them.

My case is not a standard single-family home. I live in a townhome/condo complex with 455 units. The comps HCAD picked are all the exact same floor plan as mine, but all HCAD knows is that the SF is the same. I searched through the records and found the most favorable 3/2.5 units in the complex and took their percentage increases. I figure worst case scenario I will end up with the same percentage increase that HCAD's comps got (~29%) versus the 50% I got hit with.

The more of my comps that I need to average in to get my proposed % increase, the higher that average goes, but I'd rather use enough so the appraiser doesn't just discard my argument right off the bat for not using enough comps. At this point I'm leaning 4, but if I need 5 or 6, I can do that.

is this an older complex or are all the units in similar condition as far as updating?

It is an older complex (1968), but the units vary from great remodels, to cheap crappy remodels, to no remodel. My unit is in the middle of a remodel, but everything has been on hold because the building foundation is crap and needs to be leveled (another part of my evidence to reduce my value) before my remodel can continue. So right now I have no kitchen ceiling and only 1.5 operational baths.

understood.

I would imagine the units with the lowest values in your complex haven't been sold in a while and/or have no updates (permitted at least) so that's what they're going to argue. You'll want to show them evidence that your home is more like the lowest valued place than the highest.

That's exactly what I'm planning on doing. I have a bunch of pics showing our place is not currently in good condition.

Thanks for the help!

No problem. Good luck to you and report back!

YellAg - how did yours go? I was in and out with the result I wanted in about 20 minutes. Used a Jubally report.

formal hearing tomorrow.

I used Jubally. They brought it down quite a bit, but not quite to the Jubally estimate. It said my Uniform and Equal analysis used "certified values", but they would only consider "noticed" values, because that was what had to be uniform. I thought it was BS.

Welp, I got down 20k but not quite to the jubally suggestion either on market value. at least it's something.

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I used Jubally. They brought it down quite a bit, but not quite to the Jubally estimate. It said my Uniform and Equal analysis used "certified values", but they would only consider "noticed" values, because that was what had to be uniform. I thought it was BS.

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It is bs.

Have my formal today, think I have a solid case based on the comparable sales in the evidence. Here's some basic stats:

My location

• 2008 built, bought February '14
• 1440 sq ft living, 2 story
• Adjusted sale per HCAD @ 225K (~27% increase, $156/sq. ft. living)

Comparable Sale #3,4,5

• 2013 built, sold January '14
• 1954 sq ft living, 3 story
• Adjusted sale per HCAD @ 241K ($123/sq. ft.), 225K ($115/sq. ft), 233K ($119/sq. ft)

Bringing pictures and all, but I think that story is pretty telling, the comparable sales are all down the street from me, just a few houses down. Hoping I don't have to negotiate too hard for this one.

Had my formal this week. Got 20k knocked off. Guess that's the going rate this year. Doesn't make a dent. Neighbors' market values went up 16% this year across the board. Mine....36%. If that's not unequal appraisal, I don't know what is. Review board didn't give a chit. One of the three didn't bother to look at any of the evidence I brought.