For information on appeals and the general tax appraisal process, please keep reading:

In Dallas county, appeals must be filed after May 1st and before May 31st, 2012.  In some other area counties you must file within 30 days of receiving your property tax assessment. Click here to read more about protesting your assessment in Dallas county.  If you are in another county, go to the County Appraisal District website for that county to learn about the process or contact us.  With values stabilizing in some areas after dropping during the first two quarters, and still dropping in other areas, now might be a good time to protest your assessment.  Contact Blue Star Appraisals Inc. today to find out how an appraisal can potentially help you lower your property tax assessment.  

 Most North Texas taxing districts assess your property tax burden based on an ad valorem assessment of the property's value. Sometimes, as a property owner, you get an unwanted surprise in the mail telling you your taxes are going up, and sometimes it may seem as though your assessment is too high.  Although property values overall in the Dallas/Fort Worth area have been relatively steady, there are pockets in areas such as Cedar Hill, Lancaster, Desoto, and cities or neighborhoods with a good deal of new construction, where property values may have fallen in the past year due to fewer sales and also foreclosures.  Your assessment, which is effective as of January 1 of the current year, may have been made more than 6 months to a year ago when values were higher.

Often, matters like this can be resolved with a phone call. However, if after discussing your assessment with the local taxing authority you still feel as though your property was overvalued, a professional, independent, third-party appraiser is often your best bet in proving your case. That's where we come in.  In fact, if you would prefer to gather information before speaking with a County appraiser, Blue Star Appraisals Inc. will consult with you regarding general market conditions in your neighborhood last year to help you determine if in fact you have a potential case and whether an independent, professional appraisal could be useful.  Please keep reading, or contact us now to consult with a Dallas home appraiser today - better yet, do both!

There are as many different procedures for appealing assessments as there are property taxing districts, so it's important to enlist the help of a professional appraisal firm that's experienced and trained in the ins and outs of your particular jurisdiction.  Blue Star Appraisals Inc. can assist you with an appraisal of your property's value as of January 1, 2011 that may help lower your property taxes, once assessments have been mailed out in April/May. Dallas county and some other appraisal districts will consider sales in the first part of the current year as well if values have changed in that time.  Our home appraisers will provide a free consultation with a general market analysis of your neighborhood to help you determine whether or not to order an appraisal.

Please note: It makes sense to do your own research before determining whether to go forward with a property assessment appeal, especially before you make the decision to hire a professional appraiser. However, according to the Uniform Standards of Professional Appraisal Practice (USPAP), we are not allowed to take "shortcuts" -- i.e., your research -- and use it on its' face as part of our independent evaluation. When you hire us for an assessment appeal, you're commissioning  an independent, third-party professional appraisal report. As such we do our own evaluation, beginning to end. If you're right that your property has been overvalued, an independent report such as ours will be even more persuasive than any other evidence you can marshal on your own. But, it depends on our ability to do the work independently.

Sometimes, you will have a hearing on your assessment appeal and will need for the appraiser you've hired to testify on your behalf. Be assured that at Blue Star Appraisals Inc., we are able to professionally and persuasively testify at appeal hearings.  Browse our website to learn more about our qualifications, expertise and services offered.  Many times though, your protest will be resolved simply with a visit to the County appraisal office during the protest period.  In fact, CNN reported on March 27, 2009 that 1 of every 2 protests nationwide results in a lowering of the assessed value.

You can learn about the appeal procedures for Dallas County by visiting the Dallas Central Appraisal District website.  If you live in another North Texas county, click here for links to your county's tax assessment website.

If you live in any of the following cities or counties, please call Blue Star Appraisals Inc. for a property tax assessment consultation:  Collin, Denton, Dallas, Ellis, Grayson, Kaufman, Parker, Rockwall,  or Tarrant counties; Dallas, Fort Worth, Midlothian, Mansfield, Waxahachie, Burleson, Terrell, Plano, Richardson, Carrollton, Denton, McKinney, Lewisville, Southlake, Flower Mound, Frisco, Allen or any other county or city within a 50 mile radius of Dallas.  Blue Star Appraisals Inc. also covers some east Texas cities, towns and counties including Quitman, Mineola, Tyler and Canton (out of county fee attached).  If you're unsure whether or not we're in your area, please contact us!