Need some advice-HCAD (for sale, foreclosures, house)

[ssgmun5000]

I am a first time home owner and need some advice on what to do. I received my appraisal not too long ago but noticed that the sq footage shows 300 more sq feet than what the builder has listed. Do I need to file a protest or do they somehow measure differently?

[RCH99]

They do measure differently. The living square footage as determined by the builder, was calculated by the software that the architect or building designer used to draw the plan with. The appraisal district sends someone out who physically measures the outside dimensions buy pulling a tape measure on your home. The most significant difference here is that the footage that the builder used does not include the six inch brickledge that exists on the perimeter of your home. ( 6" x perimeter linear footage ) ...can add up to a several hundred foot discrepancy, depending on the size and configuration of your home.

It is actually fairly amazing how close they "technically" get, without ever stepping inside the home. At 300 sq.ft. apart, they may make an adjustment if you were to provide compelling evidence that the actual footage is less, but I'm not sure it would be time well spent.

[Txgal33]

If you are in a newer community you may know of a house that is the same exact floor plan. Look to see what they are posted at. If different than you can maybe use that. Our friends had this happen. Same house on the same street just different front and they are 400 sq ft bigger. Go figure. Good luck though! We just filed a protest last week against ours. Trying to get them to recognize our purchase price which was $80,000 less than what they appraised it for and their so called market value. Only two homes sold on our street last year and for that matter in our section except for several foreclosures and nither one of them sold even close to what Hcad said its tax value and market value is.
Waiting to see what they say. I also noticed our exact house in another similar community but with a golf course is actually graded differently for some reason and tax valued less. $40,000 less. Hmmmm, I have no idea how they get what they get because the other house is just as nice as ours. We have been in it since it is for sale.

[ssgmun5000]

Originally Posted by Txgal33

If you are in a newer community you may know of a house that is the same exact floor plan. Look to see what they are posted at. If different than you can maybe use that. Our friends had this happen. Same house on the same street just different front and they are 400 sq ft bigger. Go figure. Good luck though! We just filed a protest last week against ours. Trying to get them to recognize our purchase price which was $80,000 less than what they appraised it for and their so called market value. Only two homes sold on our street last year and for that matter in our section except for several foreclosures and nither one of them sold even close to what Hcad said its tax value and market value is.
Waiting to see what they say. I also noticed our exact house in another similar community but with a golf course is actually graded differently for some reason and tax valued less. $40,000 less. Hmmmm, I have no idea how they get what they get because the other house is just as nice as ours. We have been in it since it is for sale.

Thanks..I was able to find a home with the exact same plan and there sq footage in HCAD was less than mine.

[City Love]

Originally Posted by ssgmun5000

Thanks..I was able to find a home with the exact same plan and there sq footage in HCAD was less than mine.

If you had an appraisal done on your house when you purchased it, then that should have the square footage. You can also use that to argue your size down. Shouldn't be a big deal.

[Txgal33]

Originally Posted by ssgmun5000

Thanks..I was able to find a home with the exact same plan and there sq footage in HCAD was less than mine.

You are welcome! We still have not heard anything abt our dispute.