Comments on: Cut Your Property Taxes

By: Gena Riede

Gena Riede — Fri, 30 Jan 2009 01:53:22 +0000

Ray,
You can file anytime but the way the Tax Assessor conducts the value every year on January 1st.

They use the sold com parables from October 1st through March 31st.

Hope that helps you out.

By: ray

ray — Thu, 29 Jan 2009 07:27:32 +0000

when is the deadline to file the form?

By: Gena Riede

Gena Riede — Fri, 23 Jan 2009 17:32:06 +0000

Big T, absolutely! Sorry it took so long for me to respond. Been busy helping home buyers become homeowners in Sacramento.

Good luck to you and congratulations on having equity enough to refinance and not robbing your equity through the years.

Sounds like you are a very responsible homeowner!!

By: Big-T

Big-T — Fri, 16 Jan 2009 22:45:08 +0000

So I am going through a refi right now (January 15, ‘09) and got a preliminary call from our loan agent saying that the appraiser, just on computer looking at comps, before completing the appraisal on-site, is seeing our home appraised for a full $100,00 less than what I expected (Elk Grove). Yikes! I about hit the floor on the phone.
So, I will wait until the full appraisal is complete, but if it does come in so low, given so many lender-owned properties on the comparable list, do I just submit a copy of the appraisal with the “Application for Changed Assessment” form sent to Sac County Assessment Appeals Board?

Thanks for the info.

By: Gena Riede

Gena Riede — Tue, 16 Dec 2008 01:17:18 +0000

Kevin,
Don’t be confused. It’s really very simple.
1. Ask a Realtor to run the comps for your area for the given time period that your tax assessor says they wants for the sales in your neighborhood.

A Realtor knows which houses to use that are within your Thomas Guide area of your address.
(You might want to offer the Realtor a few $ for their time since they will be saving you several hundred dollars).

2. Fill out the form that I provided for you

3. Take it to the tax assessors office or mail it. I prefer doing it in person. That way everyone knows they have received it.

4. The other option is that you spend several hundred dollars and hire someone to do all that for you…it’s your choice.

By: Kevin

Kevin — Mon, 15 Dec 2008 19:55:56 +0000

So I’m a bit confused. You say you can do it yourself. Then you suggest hiring a professional. Can you use MLS comparisons in your area, or do you need to hire someone?
I did get the scam mail but figured if they can do it so can I. Where can I get instructions?

By: Gena Riede

Gena Riede — Sun, 21 Sep 2008 15:11:17 +0000

Mimi, sorry to hear that you were taken advantage of. So many people come out of the woodwork when they think they can make money off of others. There are people out there, you being one who don’t know that this can be done for free.

I suppose there are homeowners who would rather pay to have someone do this for them and maybe that’s what these so-called companies had in mind.

As long as homeowners know that they can do this without having to pay and they chose to pay, then I have no problem with it. Perhaps, this may help someone else. Thanks for sharing.

By: Mimi

Mimi — Sun, 21 Sep 2008 07:13:53 +0000

Yes, this company Property Tax Adjusters, Inc. is a scam. They sent unsolicited mails to the home owners collecting a fee of $125 in the Silicon Valley (depends on where you live). Their return mail envelope looks exactly like from the county assessor’s office. They immediately cashed my check and before any work could start they said they would not refund my money even I don’t need their “service”. They will never refund you and county offers property reassessment for FREE. I lost $125. But I filed complaint to the Federal Trade Commission. I suggest people who are victim of this scam do the same.

WATCH OUT THIS COMPANY!

By: Gena Riede

Gena Riede — Tue, 16 Sep 2008 06:42:24 +0000

James,
Every home buyer has the opportunity to be represented by their own agent. Those that make that choice have obviously read and are informed of the advantage this gives them.

Here in CA commissions are split between the Listing Realtor and the Selling Realtor. This works out fine as long as it is a fair split in half.

Many sellers are unaware of the split since there are many agents who do not show the MLS printout to their sellers. In my opinion and in my business practice, the seller must sign the MLS printout.

I’m sure you are right that there are and were many agents who pushed prices onto the home buyer however, many home buyers wanted a house badly enough that they simply didn’t care what they were paying. The ball goes both ways in this case.

Hopefully, during this economic time, there has been a cleansing of these very agents that you are referring to.

Thanks for your input.

By: Gena Riede

Gena Riede — Tue, 16 Sep 2008 06:10:32 +0000

baydweller,
Reducing your property tax is something that anyone can do themselves and does not require a company to do. It’s too bad that you took the bait and glad to hear that they are being investigated.