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Strategies & Market Trends : The Residential Real Estate Crash Index -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Tradelite who wrote (87996)	9/3/2007 6:37:30 PM
From: Jim McMannis	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 306849

I had the house appraised by a very reputable appraisal co. a year ago and it appraised for 20% less than the assessment which was 8 months ago. I'll show up with that and the NAR numbers.

To: Tradelite who wrote (87996)	9/4/2007 9:53:45 AM
From: Tommaso	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 306849

I have appealed both of the most recent (every seven years) assessments of our house and lots, and got reductions both times. As a result, my tax base is about 40% lower than what I could probably have sold the house recently. My major arguing point has been that the house only has one and a half baths, but they also seem to take into account that the second lot is clearly being used as a yard and not as an investment. The fact that it is a stone house with a tile roof and copper flat roofs, now in excellent condition on the exterior despite being built in 1923, seems not to count in the assessment. Just square footage and bathrooms. I also did send in printouts of tax assessments of other houses of that size. It takes little time and does no harm to appeal an assessment. The first time I went in person and spent about ten minutes--and they knocked off even more than I asked for. I think a lot of people are so proud of how much their houses are worth that they don't appeal.