HARRIS COUNTY, Texas – Homeowners, get ready for some sticker shock, courtesy of your county appraisal district. Property values are up all over the place and that means you'll be paying more.
Property values are up all over Harris cCounty primarily because of our booming economy. But that also means more people are protesting their property appraisals.
From downtown Houston to out west along the Energy Corridor, property values for homes and businesses have risen as much as 30 percent. Joseph Peeples says he was shocked when he found out the value of his home in Spring was 20 percent higher.
"It's too high," said Peeples. "When you look at what it was last year and what it this year, you go why such a big jump."
"Most people are going to see an increase in their property value," said Jack Barnett, HCAD spokesman. "If you're a homeowner, the average is probably fifteen percent, but it can go higher than that depending on the area of town you're living in and the desirability of that area."
The Harris County Appraisal District says the reason is Houston's strong economy and more demand for property. Officials also consider the area and desirability of a property's location.
"When you have a lot of new businesses that are moving into the area they are bringing in additional employees and it's a ripple effect across the entire spectrum," Barnett said.
If you don't agree with your property appraisal, you have a right to protest. You can complete the process on HCAD's website.
But if you're not satisfied with the outcome you can request a hearing in front of the Appraisal Review Board.
Be prepared to show evidence why you think your property's value should be lowered.
"That can be anything from photos of a cracked slab or a roof that was damaged and not yet repaired," said Barnett. "But anything that would see their property apart from anything that is going on in the rest of the neighborhood."
The deadline to file a protest is June 2.