Appeal Your Property Tax Assessment
Property tax assessments were recently sent out to property owners in Colorado. What I first noticed was more information than usual. Boulder 
County provided a photo of the houses that were used in comparison to come up with the “actual value”. The assessors office uses the market approach which compares your house to other similar homes that have sold during a certain time frame. This is the approach I use when I list a house. The key to this method is using the “right” houses. Comparing houses is an art and the computers at the county are not artists. They cannot tell the difference between a patio home and a custom home. This is where the appeal process comes into play.
County provided a photo of the houses that were used in comparison to come up with the “actual value”. The assessors office uses the market approach which compares your house to other similar homes that have sold during a certain time frame. This is the approach I use when I list a house. The key to this method is using the “right” houses. Comparing houses is an art and the computers at the county are not artists. They cannot tell the difference between a patio home and a custom home. This is where the appeal process comes into play.
If you feel like your home was overvalued (not many people appeal a low valuation) and you can provide the assessor data that supports your case, you have a good chance to lower your assessment and subsequently your taxes. During the appeal process a person reviews the homes and makes a new determination.
If you need data to support your appeal, let me know. I’d be happy to provide you data from the time frame they are looking for (summer of 2006). I’m always happy to be of service.
