This regularly-scheduled sponsored Q&A column is written by Adam Gallegos, Arlington-based real estate broker, voted one of Arlington Magazine’s Best Realtors of 2013 & 2014. Please submit your questions via email.
Q. The tax value that Arlington has for our new house is higher than what we bought it for. We are new to the area and have no idea how to challenge this. Can you please help me get started?
A. As I’m sure you realize, the tax-assessed value is a major factor in the calculation of your county real estate taxes. If you are successful getting them to lower the value then it has the potential to save you money on taxes for years to come. Because of this savings, a home with a lower tax assessed value should be more valuable to future buyers.
The first step is to contact the Department of Real Estate Assessment appraiser that covered your neighborhood: 703-228-3920. He or she will provide an informal description of how they came to your home’s value. After that conversation, you can submit a formal appeal application.
Your appeal needs to include one of the following:
- Proof of a discrepancy used in the county’s evaluation of your home’s value (i.e. they think you have four bedrooms, but you only have three).
- You can prove that, during the period of their analysis, similar homes sold for less money than the assessed value. Your real estate agent should be able to help you compile this data.
- You can prove that the estimated market value of your home is valid but it was not appraised in a manner equitable with similar properties during the analysis period. I would love to hear an example from anyone who has had luck with this one.
For additional information, I recommend visiting the webpage dedicated to real estate assessment appeals for Arlington county.
Please send future Ask Adam questions to [email protected].
The views and opinions expressed in the column are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of ARLnow.com.