Homeowner's Property Value

[cycloner29]

Sure a lot of Ames' folks are a little upset with what they got in the mail yesterday. Assessed values went up in what I have read, up 60%+ in cases. Heard some other city's got hit pretty hard also. Ours went up about 15% so not to upset about it. My problem is, I have an older home whereas my neighbor just to the south of me has a home that was built about 15 years ago, and there property value actually went down about $500.

The City of Ames Assessment Board of Review is gonna get real busy...........

 

[AmesHawk]

Yikes, our property/dwelling went up around 12% (in Ankeny) and I about lost it. Since I'm redoing baseboard/trim, mantle, and flooring I'm thinking about inviting them over for a little look and see what they think.

 

[3TrueFans]

Mine went up about 10%, I'd say it was definitely a bit low before though. I looked on the assessor website and it looked like most of my street increased by about 12-15% or so.

 

[CycoCyclone]

mine went up 9.4%

Seems like a response to these absurdly high selling prices

 

[DeereClone]

Yikes, our property/dwelling went up around 12% (in Ankeny) and I about lost it. Since I'm redoing baseboard/trim, mantle, and flooring I'm thinking about inviting them over for a little look and see what they think.

Why invite them over?

 

[JP4CY]

Polk County:

Ours was $200,300 in 2013
$214,600 in 2015 (deck addition year)
$237,800 now

I understand increasing but that's pretty staggering.

 

[Acylum]

mine went up 9.4%

Seems like a response to these absurdly high selling prices

I think it's more a response to decreasing farmland values. The state has to make up the difference somewhere.

 

[AmesHawk]

Why invite them over?

Because our house is currently in shambles (and my wife reminds me often enough). Not looking to sell in the near future, so hopefully they'd knock it down assuming they'd believe I was a trailer park Hawkeye transplant that didn't know how to keep up a house.

Am I missing something? Do you not have to have them inspect it to argue their assessment?

 

[cyco2000]

I think it's more a response to decreasing farmland values. The state has to make up the difference somewhere.

Do you think the state actually went to every city/county assessor and told them to raise single family household property values?

Do you know what part of property taxes goes to the state?

 

[mapnerd]

Residential values are based on market values. If you feel there is an issue you can appeal. Just find several comparable sales to argue your point.

 

[Cyclonepride]

Indianola- went up 20% on my home and 10% on my rental. They're definitely making up revenue from something.

 

[Incyte]

I think it's more a response to decreasing farmland values. The state has to make up the difference somewhere.

Not really. Taxable farm values are limited in their year-to-year increase (3% now and I believe it was 4% several years ago). Taxable value hasn't caught up to assessed value due to their rollback.

 

[mapnerd]

No, nobody is "making up revenue" when it comes to your value. Residential value is based on the market. If you don't like the amount of property taxes you are paying, then complain about the tax rate/levy rate to your county supervisors, city council, or school boards.

 

[cycloner29]

Because our house is currently in shambles (and my wife reminds me often enough). Not looking to sell in the near future, so hopefully they'd knock it down assuming they'd believe I was a trailer park Hawkeye transplant that didn't know how to keep up a house.

Am I missing something? Do you not have to have them inspect it to argue their assessment?

To have them come I think it may cost you around $500 get an appraisal. That's what it cost here in Ames.

 

[IcSyU]

Not just Central Iowa...18% on our neighborhood in Rochester.

 

[AmesHawk]

To have them come I think it may cost you around $500 get an appraisal. That's what it cost here in Ames.

Really? I always assumed the assessor did it free on request or if they wanted to. When we first moved in they constantly left notes and called wanting to see if the basement was completed since the original owner pulled a basement permit. I always thought that getting an appraisal before purchasing or selling is what you would end up paying for. Thanks for the info.

 

[cydline2cydline]

Anybody have experience fighting this type of increase? We just purchased a home last year and it went up 20% from last year. However, it still 12% lower than we paid for it.

 

[FerShizzle]

They have to figure out someway to get back the $500 million they are annually giving away in added tax cuts to large corporations since 2012. Got to create those jobs.

 

[FerShizzle]

Anybody have experience fighting this type of increase? We just purchased a home last year and it went up 20% from last year. However, it still 12% lower than we paid for it.

Good luck. You are afforded the right to fight it, but the only chance of getting it changed is if there is some sort of provable clerical error in the refiguring of your home value. For every comparable home you can find, the state can find a dozen that prove their assessment.

 

[DeereClone]

Because our house is currently in shambles (and my wife reminds me often enough). Not looking to sell in the near future, so hopefully they'd knock it down assuming they'd believe I was a trailer park Hawkeye transplant that didn't know how to keep up a house.

Am I missing something? Do you not have to have them inspect it to argue their assessment?

Willingly and unnecessarily letting the assessor know about your interior construction project is dumb. They will want to come back to see the finished product and raise your assessed value based on the re-model. They won't dock you for being in a temporary mess due to a re-model.

You are just asking for an assessment increase.