We claim the homestead exemption on our property. For some reason we are getting a mailer from a service that wants to help us file for homestead exemption for $89.

Anybody else getting this?

Seems like scammers preying on people that don't know any better.

maroon barchetta said:

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We claim the homestead exemption on our property. For some reason we are getting a mailer from a service that wants to help us file for homestead exemption for $89.

Anybody else getting this?

Seems like scammers preying on people that don't know any better.

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That's exactly what it is. Total scam, up there with mortgage insurance you get flooded with shortly after buying a new home.

You should absolutely not pay someone to help you file a homestead exemption. It's incredibly easy and the biggest chunk of time is spent driving/mailing the form to the County Appraisal district.

If anyone needs help in getting the form, wondering if they have the exemption or how to get your form to the right place to get the exemption approved, I'd be more than happy to help.

Also, what is so unfortunate is people don't file when they buy their home and then they forget, I know of one situation where they have lived in their home 19 years and never filed their Homestead exemption. So, it has cost them thousands of dollars in overpaid taxes.

happyinBCS said:

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Also, what is so unfortunate is people don't file when they buy their home and then they forget, I know of one situation where they have lived in their home 19 years and never filed their Homestead exemption. So, it has cost them thousands of dollars in overpaid taxes.

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As a side note to this:

If anyone does NOT have a homestead exemption and chooses to file one....you can get it retroactively backdated for the past two years. Which means if it's determined you overpaid your property taxes, the county will write you a refund check with the difference (plus interest I think)

https://comptroller.texas.gov/taxes/property-tax/refunds.php

happyinBCS said:

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Also, what is so unfortunate is people don't file when they buy their home and then they forget, I know of one situation where they have lived in their home 19 years and never filed their Homestead exemption. So, it has cost them thousands of dollars in overpaid taxes.

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Username and emoji do not check out.

It's amazing how many scams there are today and how quickly they pounce. Less than two weeks ago we transferred my daughter's car to her name and she already received TWO mailers to set up her car warranty. Haven't even received the new title yet.

Always look at the privacy disclosure when signing stuff. "3rd parties" is a giveway. If you see that, deny or strike through sharing data terms.

The homestead thing is not really scam... more of a service for the ignorant.

Yeah, they don't tell you that you could do this yourself for free, but if someone spends as much money as needed these days for a house and they don't know about homestead exemption, then I'm fine with someone that dumb paying $100 for something they could have done for free.

You actually get something for their service so that doesn't qualify for Scam definition, but I may be splitting hairs.

if they had a realtor in the transaction and they did not take care of/require the homestead filing, said realtor should give up their license and try another profession.