ARE YOU PAYING TOO MUCH IN PROPERTY TAXES???

As most of you know, California property taxes are valued based on the purchase price of your home.  This is part of Proposition 13 and is great if you have owed your home for a number of years, as the tax base cannot increase by more than 2% per year.  But if you have purchased your home within the last 3 or 4 years you may be paying more for property taxes than you should. 

In Contra Costa County prices have declined more than 20% in many areas over the last year alone!  Radabaugh Appraisal can help you to possibly reduce your taxes thousands of dollars a year.  In some areas many homes sold, for example, in the $800,000 range and are paying approximately $8,800/yr in taxes.  These values have declined to approximately $500,000, making a property tax savings of over $3,300 per year!!!!  This equates to $275 per month in savings!!!!!!!!  Think of all the things you could be doing with this extra money.  You may save more or less as amounts vary depending on your property and purchase date.

Radabaugh Appraisal will handle all of the paperwork for you.  We will supply you a complete package to send to the Assessor's Office.  We do a simple appraised value of your home based on sales of similar homes within your area.  We then mail, email, or hand deliver this information to you, along with a letter to the County Assessor's Office.  You just sign the letter and send the information to them.  The County will determine what your savings will be.  Call (925-757-2479) or email (terirad@sbcglobal.net) us today for additional information. 

Assessment appeal services

Most localities determine 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.

Often, matters like this can be resolved with a phone call. However, if after discussing your assessment with your 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.

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. 

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 Radabaugh Appraisal Service, we are able to professionally and persuasively testify at appeal hearings.  Browse our website to learn more about our qualifications, expertise and services offered.