Yikes!!  How can my mortgage payment jump like that ???? I just got my Christmas bills, my daughter needs braces, my car needs an overhaul and now this ??? Every year, sometime in the first quarter, homeowners with a mortgage on their house get a letter from their mortgage company.  It is an accounting of … Continue reading

Last week, we looked a typical case study involving your escrow account and how it can increase your monthly payment due to an increase in property taxes. In that case study, this taxpayer’s house payment went up by nearly $200/mo. – never welcomed news but in an upmarket there is plenty of company in this … Continue reading Escrow Horror Stories

Sometimes, when neither an informal meeting with the staff at the Central Appraisal District (CAD) nor a formal hearing with the Appraisal Review Board fail to produce an acceptable result for a taxpayer, arbitration nor litigation is an option.  Last week, I received a call from an attorney who specializes in representing property owners in … Continue reading How do I measure the square footage in my house?

  Let’s just face it -- sometimes the sold data just does not cooperate. Every comp you look at justifies the appraisal district’s value. Are you at a dead end??  Maybe…. But don’t throw in the towel just yet!! Remember, at best the district has seen only the front of your house and most likely … Continue reading What do you tell the appraisal district about your house??

Marks the New Year !! New Year Resolutions are formulated! Is a great day to watch football! And yes, January 1 is one of the three critical days in the Property Tax Calendar. What is so critical about January 1 you say…. Let me give you the short list (and believe me, there is more): … Continue reading Property Taxes and January 1