Tag: Property Taxes

Property Taxes Without the Headache? Absolutely.

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property taxes

PropertyTax.io may just change the way people appeal their property taxes.

First, the bad news: A very important property tax deadline is coming up, and not many people are aware of it.

But the good news is that one company has created a way to make meeting that deadline so much easier.

PropertyTax.io was developed by Goodrich Realty Consulting, first as a tool for their tax consultants to use in the company’s property tax division. Last year, they released the tool to the general public, and it has the potential to really shake up the way people appeal their property tax bills.

“Our mission was to create a smarter, faster appeals process,” said Glenn Goodrich, GRC’s Director of Technology & Property Tax. (more…)
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Education

Dallas ISD Needs More Money, and Here’s Who You Should Be Mad At

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Property Tax

(Courtesy the Center for Public Policy Priorities)

Yesterday morning, the Dallas ISD Board of Trustees met for several hours to review next year’s proposed budget.

It ain’t good.

And yes, being able to maintain the great strides the district is making is going to cost money that may only be available through a tax ratification election — meaning superintendent Michael Hinojosa is proposing for the third time (maybe three times is a charm) that the board consider sending a 13 cent property tax increase to the voters come November.

I mean, you can only cut so much before you have, as Hinojosa said yesterday, cut your way to the bottom.

It’ll be an uphill climb. People will blame the district. People will ask what the heck the district does with all its money, and how it can afford to open new schools and start a transportation department and still apparently poor mouth the taxpayers.

So let’s talk about that. (more…)
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Property Taxes

Texans Pay Some of the Highest Property Taxes in the Country

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When it comes to property taxes, Texas homeowners pay some of the highest residential property taxes in the country, the research group Attom Data Solutions said last week.

According to economist Daren Blomquist, only New Jersey, Illinois, and Vermont posted higher effective property tax rates last year than then 2.15 percent Texans paid.

The company’s analysis showed nationwide that property taxes levied on single-family homes totaled $293.4 billion, up 6 percent rom $277.7 billion in 2016, for an effective average tax rate of 1.17 percent. (more…)
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Property Taxes

30 Days: Proposals on Last Weeks’ Ballots Shout Out Property Tax Reform

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(Photo by iStock)

This year, you will still have 30 days to protest your property taxes, but the starting date comes earlier, April 15. We’ve got stories coming down the pike to get you prepped.

Property taxes remain a huge topic on every homeowner’s mind. When you voted last week (or early), you were asked to respond to some ballot propositions. Twelve  were submitted by the State Democratic Executive Committee, ten by the State Republican Executive Committee. You could only vote for the propositions on your party ballot, not both.

Looking at these, you can see the concerns of each party and how very different they are. Both sides touched on housing — the Republicans were strongly united on property tax reform, while the Democrats were united on affordable housing solutions (including high speed internet for all and no discrimination). The Republican ballot proposition has the “bathroom bill” —  worded “Should we protect the privacy and safety of women and children in spaces such as bathrooms, locker rooms, and showers in all Texas schools and government buildings?”  and the Democratic ballot proposition has the complete opposite: “Should everyone in Texas have the right to a life of dignity and respect, free from discrimination and harassment anywhere, including businesses and public facilities, no matter how they identify, the color of their skin, who they love, socioeconomic status, or from where they come?”

90% of voting Republicans supported that phrase, the “bathroom bill”, while only 68% wanted to abolish abortion.

You can sure tell what the hot buttons are right now. The Republicans want to repeal Obamacare, the Democrats want a universal health care system. If you have ever had a political identity crisis, these props  will help define the essence of each partly currently, and maybe help you find who you are. Too bad they couldn’t be merged on the ballots:

 2018 Republican Primary Ballot Propositions  (99% voting in)

(more…)
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property taxes

Tax Fights Fueling Sentry’s Growth

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Dallas Central Appraisal District staff saw Stephen White a lot last year. The founder and president of Sentry Real Estate Advisors spent hours in the musty DCAD building researching property appraisals. His goal was to help clients fight their perpetually increasing property tax bills. He expects to be even busier this year.

“With the new tax laws that are out there, it is important that people keep focused,” White said.

Homeowners were previously allowed to deduct property taxes from their federal income taxes. Under the terms of the new tax code, that amount is now capped at $10,000, increasing the financial burden for those with large property tax bills.

“A lot of the ramifications have not been realized because people haven’t felt the pain yet,” he added.

White, a Park Cities-based agent for Allie Beth Allman and Associates, founded Sentry last year on the premise that he could generate business by providing a service that nobody else would offer for free.

(more…)
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Education

How Will New Federal Income Tax Laws About Property Tax Deductions Affect a TRE?

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property taxes
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property taxIt’s a drum several Dallas ISD trustees have been beating for a while — a Tax Ratification Election that would allow the district to increase services and programs at dozens of at-risk schools with the money raised by increasing property taxes rates.

But they’ve yet to get it on the ballot. (more…)
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property taxes

Do You Really Want to Deduct Your 2018 Property Taxes?

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The answer may not be can you deduct those 2018 property taxes you pre-paid, but should you? (Photo courtesy TaxRebate.org.uk)

Over the  Christmas-to-New-Years week, a steady question was being asked all over Texas, thanks to the new tax bill signed by President Donald Trump last month — “Can I pay my 2018 property taxes early to take advantage of one last deduction?”

The answer is well, yes and no. The Internal Revenue Service released an advisory last week to try to tamp down the rumors (we shared it on our Facebook page to give everyone the heads up). (more…)
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Texas Real Estate

BREAKING: Patrick Draws Democratic Challenger as Collier Files Today

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Houston businessman and Democrat Mike Collier filed at 1 p.m. Monday to run against incumbent Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick (Photo courtesy Mike Collier).

Mike Collier knows that there are people that care deeply about whether Texas stays red, turns blue, or goes purple — but it’s not his chief goal.

“My aspiration is political competition,” he said on a drive from Houston to Dallas last week. “I just want to see the end of this one-party system.”

Collier filed today to run as a Democrat against incumbent Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick and said he knows that running for a statewide seat as anything other than a Republican can be seen to some as a bit quixotic.

But is it really? The Houston businessman may have seemed like a long shot when he first announced he was considering a run several months ago, but recent successes this month in other GOP stronghold areas has made the whole prospect less far-fetched.

Collier said his platform’s foundation is in two intersecting areas — public education and property taxes. For an hour, CandysDirt.com engaged in a question and answer session with the candidate. Below are some of his responses. (more…)
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