Property Tax Funding Blog

It has been often said that there are two certainties in life, death and taxes.  While we hope these certainties are mutually exclusive, property taxes may be the exception.  With a sure arrival of a tax bill sometime in October or November and with penalties, interest, and attorney costs that can scare a property owner to death, the annual planning for and paying of property taxes can be an unwelcome event.  While there are circumstances that may prevent you from paying your property taxes, the longer you allow your past due property taxes to go unpaid, the more expensive and risky it becomes for you. 

Each year Texas property owners have the misfortune of receiving their annual property tax levy. Texas has some of the highest property tax rates in the country, in a state where property values have held despite the recession.  As a result, homeowners have seen little relief in their annual property tax assessment.  When making your yearly property tax payment keep note of the important due dates, payment options that may be available, and realize the penalty for late property tax payment can be stiff. 

Property Tax Payment - Residential and Commercial Property Taxes in Texas

Is your Property Tax Bill too high?

For most real estate owners, property tax is the second-highest property expense, and if there is no mortgage, it may be the highest.  The only way for owners to effectively lower their property tax liability is to lower the assessed value of the property itself, and that means filing a protest of the proposed appraised value that is issued in May by the appraisal district.  This protest must be filed with the Appraisal Review Board for the county in which the property is located.  Even if an owner does not receive a notice of appraised value by mail, that owner has the right to file a protest; however, the deadline is generally May 31 of each year.  If an owner misses this deadline, there are still remedies available, but they are much more limited.

Is your property tax bill consuming your cash? 

Businesses often use the financial leverage found in credit as the primary source of capital to fund their growth.  The state of the credit markets most often moves in tandem with the general economy, so when the economy softens, credit availability typically tightens.  Thus, companies need to be continually aware of the dynamics of the credit markets to manage risks that arise from the uncertainty of credit availability during downturns in the credit cycle. 

Dallas County Valuations and Property Tax 

The Dallas County central appraisal district has begun mailing their notices of appraised value for 2010.  This is the official notification to the property owner of the expected taxable value of their property.  Unless contested, this appraised value will be the basis for which Dallas County and the respective property tax districts will determine your 2010 tax levy. 

When You Need Property Tax Help 

Too often, we receive inquiries from potential clients in need of property tax help focused solely on cost while neglecting the most critical aspect of selecting a lender, which is choosing a trusted lender.  I love to hear the question, why should we use your company for a property tax loan? This allows me to speak about the relationship, trust, and history we have with our borrowers.  Starting in 2008, and with over 10,000 property tax loans closed, we've built a trusted reputation with countless property owners throughout the state.