Real Estate Analysis and Commentary in Tulsa

It is that time of the year when county treasurers send out your tax bill. Generally late November or early December the county treasurer will mail your property tax bill and it is due by December 31 each year. Property taxes are paid in arrears, which means money for the current year is due at the end of the year. 
Most people don't pay much attention to these because it is paid with their escrow account that is setup through their mortgage. If there is an increase, and their usually is, you may have received something from the mortgage company increasing your monthly payment to cover the difference.  THIS IS NOT a change in your principal and interest. Things you can do to help save money on property taxes;
Take a look and verify your home information is correct.

What is the size of your home?
What is the market value of your home? 

An appraiser can help you with both of these items. In recent months/years, with extremely low interest rates, most properties have appreciated at higher rates than normal. But markets do change. An appraiser can evaluate your home by measuring and inspecting the property and analyzing recent sales data in order to determine its current market value. This can be used to dispute a county assessor's estimate of value. Often, appraisers will find that the square footage of the home differs from the assessor's listed square footage of the home. This is a great starting point for disputing your homes assessed value. 

Square footage during a tax assessment dispute is not the only reason to have an appraiser measure your home. The local MLS system generally quotes square footage that is recorded with the assessor. If the square footage of your home does differ from the assessor, your REALTOR could use that square footage in the MLS listing of the property when it is time to sell your home.