If I purchase a used house will rhe taxman screw me? (for sale, real estate)

[suit-n-tie white guy]

The appraiser cAn fund out how much I paid if its on the mls. New builders dont post that kind of stuff.

[TexasHorseLady]

No, the appraiser can't just find it out unless the appraiser is a licensed broker, Texas being a non-disclosure state. You will likely get something in the mail from them ASKING how much you paid, but you don't have to answer.

If you pay less than the appraised value, at that point you would want to let them know and they will change the appraisal. If you paid more than the appraisal, it would not be to your benefit to tell them.

Oh, and you'd be surprised how many new homes are on the MLS. Builders want real estate agents to know about their inventory and bring buyers for it, and that's one way they let them know.

[suit-n-tie white guy]

I have a buudie whose house has appraised for 80% its value every year since it was built in 2007. In austin. Hes had it appraised twice for 225 and 223. His assessment has been 178-190 every year since built.

[TexasHorseLady]

Not sure what you're trying to say here.

As someone who has successfully contested my tax appraisal for several years, I'm pretty familiar with the process. As a real estate agent, I'm pretty familiar with who has access to the MLS, as described above. As a homeowner since 1988, I'm pretty familiar with my rights, and one of those is that Texas is a non-disclosure state and the tax man has no legal right to know what I paid for my house.

Now, they do have other ways of figuring appraisals and gathering information, and some people DO give them that information either because they don't know they don't have to or because they are contesting their own appraisal which is for more than they paid for the house.

[suit-n-tie white guy]

You can look up sales prices online through the Mls. If a realtor puts ut there the taxman has access to it. Builders dont put that out there for everyone to read.

[Aquitaine]

I believe her point is that builders do put a lot of places on the MLS (ours was).

[TexasHorseLady]

No, the sold prices are not published for public consumption (and the tax man is considered the public). Realtors that put sold prices (which generally are different from the eventual sold price to some extent) "out there" lose access to the MLS AND their license. Such information can only be shared with a client they are working with for the purposes of determining how much to ask (seller) or offer (buyer). In some states, yes, sold prices are public information, but not in Texas.

Where ARE you getting your information?

And, yes, many builders list their houses for sale on the MLS. That was the point you skipped right over.

[Rakin]

Got kids or planning on having any in the future who might want to go to school ? Do you drive on roads to get to your house ? Does the cops come when someone steals the tires off your car ?

If the answer to any of these questions is yes, welcome to the adult world where you not only pay for the services you use but for many people who don't want to work. You get to cover their share also.

No the tax man does not (and does) get you.

[verybadgnome]

You don't need access to MLS or be a realtor since there is a website that has somehow found a technicality and publishes sold prices online once you register with them. I looked up the house I sold and the house I bought in 2009 and the numbers were correct.

[centralaustinite]

The MLS listing price is available more or less to all. BUT the list price does not equal the sold price. The sold price is not available to me or you or the taxing authority.