The second-year tax bill that surprises people.
The first year looks fine. The bill is often still sitting on the old owner’s value. You close. You move in. The second year the appraisal catches the price you paid.
That jump is not a surprise if someone pulled the certificate before you wrote. It is a surprise if the only number you saw was the listing.
Texas has no state income tax. The property tax is the trade. On a house in the ring it is real money every month, and it is different on the next street if the school district or a MUD is different.
I do not hand you a protest guide. I do not walk you through the homestead form. I pull the real bill on the address before you fall in love with it. Then we decide if the monthly number still works.
If you are buying in Austin, Cedar Park, Leander, or the ring, start the file. I will send the agreement so the walk can include the tax certificate.
