Friday, January 2, 2009

Work At Home Business - Property Tax Consulting Opportunity

By George Evers

Property tax assessment values can be quite arbitrary and loopholes allow for large property tax reductions resulting in thousands of dollars in tax savings. The National Taxpayers Union writes that as many as 60% of all homeowners are over-assessed.

When you're in the property tax consulting business, you're a detective. By discovering homes that sold for less than the assessed value or your client and challenging those false values you make wrong right. Most homeowners don't have the time or knowledge to challenge their real estate property taxes. The homeowner needs a property tax consultant and this presents a great work at home opportunity.

Just about any property owner or manager is a possible candidate for your work at home service. Just about everyone will want to sign up. Then you'll present an initial report to your prospect to show the potential tax savings in black and white and as you follow through begin your way to earning an amazing income.

Doctors, lawyer's accountants, appraisers and financial planners have something in common. They all have broad client bases and word of mouth fosters growth. Most people will welcome someone looking over their shoulders to analyze their property tax bill.

Contingency fees are based upon winning a case. If your win a $2,500 reduction for your client, than you will see the full $2,500 fee spread over a one, two or three year period of time or however you may want to arrange the contract. You can also charge a one-time up-front fee for a property tax analysis. This analysis could take as little time as 15 minutes for you to determine if you want to take the case farther.

Something seems to have happened to the mind set of state and local governments. They are on a continuous spending binge. Recent national figures show higher payroll figures and larger budgets. This means continuous aggravation to the homeowner taxpayer by passing on large tax increases and makes for an easy selling proposition.

About every 7 to 15 years a town will do a blanket reassessment for the real estate values within their jurisdiction. This mass appraisal is done to line up dollar values with the current market.

For the taxing authority to employ an appraiser would be too costly. A mass appraisal is determined by legal and budgetary decisions and each town has its own agenda. The lowest bid wins. The mass appraisers are contracted to view the properties front and back, which is commonly referred to as a walk-around appraisal.

Consider who's doing the re-appraisal. The mass appraisal process provides valuation, although quickly obtained, on forms that become transferred to your property record card. To the person measuring your home, time is of the essence and errors occur. Sometimes the appraisal process involves merely driving by to note if there are any changes (called a "windshield appraisal"). Ask yourself, how much attention was given to a property if less than $15 or $20 was allocated per appraisal less the profit the bidder intends to earn from his winning bid. The people employed to gather the information (hired by a mass appraisal contractor tying to make a profit) are on a quota, have questionable appraisal skills and are not a substitute for careful analysis.

Help is sorely needed to check up on the mass appraisers judgment. Also recent changes in market conditions need to be accounted for. Since homeowners don't know how and are too stressed time wise to make a property tax appeal they welcome someone to help them with their property taxes.

Unless government tightens its belt, higher taxes one way or another are inevitable. Until that happens, this work at home business service will be in high demand. As long as high taxes continue, the services of a property tax consultant will be eagerly sought. - 16928

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