What would be a reasonable change from one year to the next?

We got our appraisal notice yesterday, and the value is listed 10% higher than last year. The land portion didn't change, but the improvements went up by about 12%.
We haven't done anything to the house to add any value; no new improvements.

We bought in 2015. I know that market value and appraised value rarely coincide, but the 2016 appraisal fell right in line with what we paid for the house.

I know we all get screwed from this somehow; I just don't want to be screwed too much more than everyone else.

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but the 2016 appraisal fell right in line with what we paid for the house.

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Of course it did because the price you paid for the house was relayed to the AD.

Anyone use a service to challenge the appraisals? I looked up a few and they all have poor ratings.

Veltman and associates was recommended on here last year.

I looked into a couple services to fight my appraisal but they charged a minimum flat rate or a percentage. The percentage was around 33 percent of the savings. Both amounts wouldn't be worth it for me so I just decided to fight it on my own. I live in a typical master planned community where there are other identical floor plans aside from elevation changes. It's easy to compare to them so I use them along with similarly sized homes and lots in my neighborhood and surrounding neighborhoods to fight for a lower appraisal amount. So far, I've been successful 2 out of the 3 years we have lived there. I've done the same thing each time so I think it just depends on who is reviewing it. I just list my property along with the others in a spreadsheet and send it in. Took longer the first year but now I have the list of compatibles that I just update each year. Probably takes 2 hours each year now. I haven't asked for an astronomical amount but I usually just cut in half what my year-to-year increase. Mine went up about 7 percent which is about average for the time in my house.

mine went up like $17k last year and another $7k this year. it's actually about what i actually paid for my house and i have the smallest floor plan in the neighborhood. it seems reasonable but if it continues to rise, it'll be more than i actually paid for my house. obviously i don't want to pay more, but any ideas on how to contest the increase?

Vernada said:

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but the 2016 appraisal fell right in line with what we paid for the house.

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Of course it did because the price you paid for the house was relayed to the AD.

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Doesn't work that way in my experience. Bought in 2014 and the following appraisal was about 15k over purchase price. I had to go and protest it in person. It was easy but still annoying that they appraised it that much over what it was purchased for and appraised at just 6 months prior.

krobocop said:

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mine went up like $17k last year and another $7k this year. it's actually about what i actually paid for my house and i have the smallest floor plan in the neighborhood. it seems reasonable but if it continues to rise, it'll be more than i actually paid for my house. obviously i don't want to pay more, but any ideas on how to contest the increase?

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Always contest it, even if you don't have a leg to stand on. If you can get it decreased just a small amount every year it adds up over the long run.

The basic premise of mass appraisals is that your property is average for the neighborhood or market area. If, you can show it is not, you've got a decent case.

For me and my piece of junk it's easy. I just show them photos of the work needed or existing damage. This is a little tougher in newer neighborhoods. You basically want to show them the house needs updating or existing stuff in the home is worn out or needs replacement.

Here is what I am doing...

1. Use zillow to come up with 11 comps of similar houses for sale ( the more the better)
2. For my area, land appraisal hasn't ever changed. So subtract the land from the sale price.
3. Calculate an average $/sqft (again excluding land).
4. Avg this for the 11 houses and multiply by sqft and add the land to get new value.

I plan on providing a pdf page per comp showing photos and adding notes, then add map of my house and all comps and proving they are all close.

If I can get the package up to ~15 pages, I plan to mail it in. Hit um with details and organization. I think electronically submitted package just makes it easier on them. Anything to make the review process take more time, the better.

Thoughts?

Whitetail said:

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Here is what I am doing...

1. Use zillow to come up with 11 comps of similar houses for sale ( the more the better)
2. For my area, land appraisal hasn't ever changed. So subtract the land from the sale price.
3. Calculate an average $/sqft (again excluding land).
4. Avg this for the 11 houses and multiply by sqft and add the land to get new value.

I plan on providing a pdf page per comp showing photos and adding notes, then add map of my house and all comps and proving they are all close.

If I can get the package up to ~15 pages, I plan to mail it in. Hit um with details and organization. I think electronically submitted package just makes it easier on them. Anything to make the review process take more time, the better.

Thoughts?

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Oye. You're wasting your time.

Zillow is garbage. The county uses closed sales from the SABORMLS.
Land values are constantly changing, and generally increasing.
Averaging square footage is how they came up with your value in the first place.

You need to show them the property is in below average condition, either in size or condition.

You'd be better off going into the BCAD site and finding out what your neighbors values are for similar sized properties. Perhaps you got hit pretty hard by the county at some point years ago keeping you above the average neighborhood range. I'd measure the house and make sure the square footage is correct as well. People pay for more square feet regularly.

If you want to know who to measure a property correctly, I can spell that out.

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Zillow is garbage. The county uses closed sales from the SABORMLS.

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I don't have access to that, so zillow/realtor.com/trulia, etc are all I have access to. Argument is I am using list prices, and while not reflective of true sales price, its arguably close...and most likely higher than what the sales prices will be for those houses in the area.

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Land values are constantly changing, and generally increasing
Averaging square footage is how they came up with your value in the first place.

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Reason I broke out the land is because the term that increased my value was the building value, not the land. Land has not been changing. Said another way, Bexar county estimates my house went up $30k (land was constant), so I was putting together a story that no actually, it didn't...that houses in my area aren't going up ~$9 a sq ft.

Also trying the hit them with a lot of details tactic to so they just concede to not raising as much.