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Fantastic HCAD Protest experience yesterday


Reefmonkey

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I bought my house at the height of the boom in 2006, I was a first time homebuyer, was under duress to find a home that I could move into at least a month before the school year started, and made the cardinal mistake of falling in love with a home, so really I paid too much - $308K. Of course in 2007 HCAD put the appraised value at a little that, but I was able to get it down to $299,550 in the ARB hearing. Then last year it was raised to $329,500 - miraculously 10% (the maximum the homestead cap will allow). I got it down to $309 in the ARB hearing.

This year I got my notice, and even in the midst of housing slump and global recession, again, miraculously my house went up in value by exactly 10% according to HCAD - $339K. I filed my protest, and then got online to look at HCAD's sales data that they used to determine the value of my house. They had a small list of "comparables" that they used to determine the value of my house, and then a longer list of all recent sales in my area. Interestingly, every house they used as a comparable was on a lot at least 1,000 square feet more than mine, and most were two-story houses, even though I have a one-story house. There were plenty of recent sales of houses that were actually closer to me, built at the same time as me, had the same lot size, were one-story with almost same square footage, but it seems HCAD ignored those, and rather than going with a mean value of all nearby home sale prices, cherry-picked the ones they could use to justify their maximum 10% increase.

So yesterday I went to HCAD for my informal HCAD meeting, which was scheduled for a different day than the ARB hearing. The place was packed. It was hard to find a vacant seat in the waiting area. I sat there thinking "why did I take off from work for this meeting? I know that the first meeting with HCAD is fruitless and I always have to go to ARB to get a reduction. Next year I'm skipping this."

Then my name was called. I went in, sat down with the appraiser, presented my evidence. The recent mean sale price of all homes in my area about the same size as mine on the same size lot as mine is $285K, according to my calculations. I also showed evidence that my house was not "extensively" remodeled, as HCAD had it recorded, more like "moderately" (the kitchen and front hallway, for instance, were completely redone, but the bathrooms still have the 1965 countertops, cabinets, and some fixtures). The guy actually listened to me, really looked through my evidence, and then gave me the exact value I asked for - $285K. I was amazed.

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I also had an excellent experience with HCAD this year. Last year I did the iFile, waited months, and wound up having to go in and protest in person anyway. This year my value was unchanged, but I protested via iFile anyway and worked a lot harder on that limited space they give you. Heck, I even used some of the comps that one of those law firms sent me... Anyway, I heard back in a couple of weeks and had $20K knocked off! For once I think the HCAD value is fairly accurate

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I also did the iFile this year. This was our first home, purchased for $188k in July of 2008. This year, HCAD increased our value to $198k. Granted, they could have raised it more to the 10% cap, but we still felt this was too high. Using iFile, I presented our case explaining that our recent purchase price of less than 9 months ago was an accurate representation of our homes true market value. Didn't hear anything back for at least a month; then just received the notice a week or so ago that they were going to decrease the appraisal back to $188k.

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Good for you. Unfortunatelly, my experience was the complete opposite.

They popped our house up 10% over the 2007 purchase price. They wouldn't budge despite all evidence of recent sales in the neighborhood. Despite that we refinanced and the appraisal was 100,000 less than the HCAD Market Value. Somehow they have it down that they house had an extensive remodel in 2003 and refuse to give me proof on how they determined that. The house was in 80% original condition when we bought it.

You can't get a mortgage for what they say it's worth. They don't care. "We used the same specs and sales data as the Mortgage appraiser but this is out number, we don't care what he says."

Next week is the formal hearing and I guess I'm going to go just so I can beat my head on the wall. I know they will refuse to budge and refuse to give me the remodel evidence again. Last year it was the same thing.

I did notice a lot of happy people coming out of the informal and also a number of VERY angry people. It was no coincidence that price point had a lot to do with the mood of the owners. HCAD has go to get it's revenue from somewhere, and no doubt sticking it to the higher price points is the most assured way to do it.

They used to be pretty fair, but the past few years it's been a total joke.

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Does HCAD have a responsibility (legal or internal) to supply evidence of their findings? Or is the above (refusing to furnish findings of the remodel) an example of HCAD just being lazy/incompetent/a bully?

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Does HCAD have a responsibility (legal or internal) to supply evidence of their findings? Or is the above (refusing to furnish findings of the remodel) an example of HCAD just being lazy/incompetent/a bully?

I know when you file a protest you have the right to obtain copies of the information the chief appraiser plans to submit to establish any matter at issue in your hearing. I think if Katiedidit submits internal and extrnal photos of her house showing the true condition, and the appraiser comes up with nothing, the ARB is probably going to find in her favor.

Katie, I'm sorry your informal hearing went badly. Trust me, I know how that feels. It's the way it has always been in the past for me too. I guess I got lucky and got a nice, fair guy this year.

I know this will probably sound racist, but for some reason I always had the worst luck with Vietnamese appraisers, and most of them were not the best at english. The first year I went, even in the ARB, the HCAD rep was Vietnamese, misunderstood what I said in the meeting, when I tried to explain that only superficial remodeling had been done, but no structural or mechanical updates. He also misrepresented my house. I showed that the vinyl siding needed repari, and he tried to claim I only have vinyl siding running on one 8-foot wall, instead of all of my house except the front, which is brick. The guy I got this year was not Vietnamese, he was black and articulate. (I'm white)

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Use the HAR Home Value Finder as evidence against their remodel claim. HAR has the listing photos for almost all homes sold in the last two years.

Go on HAR to get pics of the kitchens, bathrooms, etc from all the recent sales that HAR also indicates are recent remodels, then take pics of your kitchen, bathroom etc and show them the HAR shots and your photos together.

If you has a permit pulled for a new air conditioner or other work, that could be their basis for a remodel. For me, a permit to rewire the house was their basis for a "remodel".

I scored big-time this year, knocking the value down by 20% (on a 1910 bungalow).

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Use the HAR Home Value Finder as evidence against their remodel claim. HAR has the listing photos for almost all homes sold in the last two years.

Go on HAR to get pics of the kitchens, bathrooms, etc from all the recent sales that HAR also indicates are recent remodels, then take pics of your kitchen, bathroom etc and show them the HAR shots and your photos together.

If you has a permit pulled for a new air conditioner or other work, that could be their basis for a remodel. For me, a permit to rewire the house was their basis for a "remodel".

I scored big-time this year, knocking the value down by 20% (on a 1910 bungalow).

I think they are sticking it to use for replacing the eletrical. You know, bringing the house up to code so it doesn't burn down. I don't consider it a remodel.

Anywho... great idea about inside HAR pixs of other houses vs. the inside pix of ours on the 2007 HAR listing. Funny thing is, they hade those pictures up on the screen last year for the formal. 1960' paneling, cabinets, wetbar, 70's decking around the 60's pea-gravel pool,vanities and showers in all bathroom .The kitchen got granite counters on old cabinets and they reused the early 90's applainces, and suddenly it was an extensive remodel. They just WON'T be swayed this year, or last. It felt like they had specific instructions not to crater on high price point homes.

I really hate to be snobby, but I really think they need specific people to handle upper end homes that were built pre-80's. It's such a specalized area that you just can't make broad generalizations like they do.

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I think they are sticking it to use for replacing the eletrical. You know, bringing the house up to code so it doesn't burn down. I don't consider it a remodel.

Anywho... great idea about inside HAR pixs of other houses vs. the inside pix of ours on the 2007 HAR listing. Funny thing is, they hade those pictures up on the screen last year for the formal. 1960' paneling, cabinets, wetbar, 70's decking around the 60's pea-gravel pool,vanities and showers in all bathroom .The kitchen got granite counters on old cabinets and they reused the early 90's applainces, and suddenly it was an extensive remodel. They just WON'T be swayed this year, or last. It felt like they had specific instructions not to crater on high price point homes.

I really hate to be snobby, but I really think they need specific people to handle upper end homes that were built pre-80's. It's such a specalized area that you just can't make broad generalizations like they do.

Isn't replacing electric considered maintenance as opposed to improvement?

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Isn't replacing electric considered maintenance as opposed to improvement?

You would think. <_<

Apparently if your property pulls a permit a alarm bell goes off at HCAD central, and the useless Ifile Central computer puts a mark against your property deeming it "Improved" or "Extensively Remodeled."

But thanks to CWR's suggestion I am creating a presentation for HCAD called: What is a Remodel and what is Routine Maintanence and Updating. From looking at all the pictures in the area an "Extensive Remodel" ranges from new counter tops and an new Electic Panel, to completely gutting and changing the facade of the house. I'm going to call it the DidIt Factor. One day all old house owners will thank me for it. :P:lol: the hubsters is going to make an appearence for once too. Since he busts balls/negotiates for a living, I figure that could come in handy for here

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