Will getting my home appraised trigger higher property taxes?

The good news is that a private appraisal (like for refinancing or insurance purposes) typically doesn't trigger a property tax reassessment. Property taxes are generally based on assessments done by your local tax authority, not private appraisals. That said, most jurisdictions will reassess property values when: 1) The property changes ownership (you buying the mansion) 2) You pull permits for significant renovations/improvements So while the private appraisal itself won't cause higher taxes, the purchase plus major renovations likely will increase your tax burden. Many localities have limits on how much your assessed value can increase per year (like 2-3%), but these caps often don't apply to new construction or major renovations.

Just wanted to add my experience with this! I was in a similar situation - bought a fixer upper for $180k and after years of DIY renovations, I wanted to refinance. I was worried about getting it appraised because I'd heard it would increase my taxes like crazy. I found this tax document analysis service called https://taxr.ai that helps understand the property tax implications before making decisions. They showed me exactly how reassessments work in my county and what exemptions I qualified for. The best part was they analyzed my renovation permits and showed me which ones would trigger reassessments and which wouldn't. Saved me thousands by timing my improvements strategically!

Just wanted to follow up on my taxr.ai question. I ended up trying them out and wow, wish I'd known about this sooner! They analyzed my property and found out my county has this "improvement exemption" where the first $25k in renovations each year doesn't trigger reassessment. Would have NEVER known that from the county website. They also showed me exactly when my county does their assessment cycles and how to time my bigger renovations to minimize tax impact. Already saved me about $3600 in property taxes I would have paid unnecessarily!

Something nobody mentioned is that dealing with your county tax assessor can be NIGHTMARE. I've been trying to appeal an incorrect assessment for 6 months and CANNOT get anyone on the phone. After dozens of attempts I found https://claimyr.com which is this service that essentially waits on hold with government offices for you. You can see how it works at https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c - basically they wait on hold then call you when a real person answers. I was finally able to talk to the actual county tax assessment office and get my issue resolved. Turns out they had incorrectly assessed my property based on my neighbor's new pool that they thought was on my property! Would have been paying $2700 extra EVERY YEAR if I hadn't gotten through to them.

Just wanted to update on my skepticism about Claimyr. I broke down and tried it for my homestead exemption issue after spending literally 9+ hours on failed hold attempts. Got a call back in about 1.5 hours with an actual assessor's office employee! Turns out they had my exemption paperwork the whole time but it was sitting in someone's desk who went on medical leave. They're processing it now and it's going to save me over $1200 annually on my property taxes. I hate admitting I was wrong but in this case I definitely was!

Something else to consider: depending on your state, you might be eligible for various property tax exemptions that could offset increases from improvements. For example: - Homestead exemptions (if it's your primary residence) - Historic property tax breaks (for preserving historic features) - Improvement exemptions (some places exempt a portion of improvement value) - Senior citizen exemptions (if applicable) - Green energy exemptions (solar, geothermal, etc.) Worth researching before starting your renovation project!

In my experience, the biggest property tax jump happens when you buy the property, not when you renovate. Many states reassess at sale price. So if you buy that mansion for $250k, your initial taxes might be based on that amount, then gradually increase as you improve it. Every jurisdiction has different rules though.

Great thread! As someone who went through a similar situation, I'd add that timing is everything with major renovations and property taxes. One strategy that worked for me was doing improvements in phases over multiple years rather than all at once. This helped spread out the tax impact since many counties reassess based on completed work rather than work in progress. Also worth noting - some areas have "circuit breaker" programs that cap property tax increases for existing homeowners, especially if you're on a fixed income. And if you're doing historic renovation, definitely look into state and federal historic tax credits - they can be substantial and sometimes stackable with local exemptions. The key is researching your specific county's rules BEFORE you start work. Every jurisdiction handles this differently, and what works in one place might not apply 20 miles away.