Walworth County real estate taxes can be a huge financial strain, especially in Lake Geneva. Walworth County real estate taxes keep going up, even though many homeowners have noticed their property values have gone down. How can this be? Our Walworth County real estate attorney will walk you through a few things you can do to minimize your Walworth County real estate taxes.
Reduce Your Walworth County Real Estate Taxes
1. Obtain a copy of your property tax information from the local assessor’s office. Review the property information for errors. Our Walworth County real estate attorney suggests you discuss the discrepancies with the tax assessor. The township and tax assessor are obligated to correct any mistakes and possibly perform another assessment. This is a very simple task that can help reduce your Walworth County real estate tax burden.
2. During open book (when you are able to talk with the assessor), review comparable homes in your neighborhood. You may find errors that can reduce your tax bill. For instance, you may find that your neighbor’s home is assessed at a value far below the assessed value of your home and your neighbor’s home has more square footage, a bigger garage, and a swimming pool. This is something you surely want to bring to the tax assessor’s attention.
3. Keep the outside appearance of your home ugly. It doesn’t get any easier than that. The more pleasing your home is to the eye, the higher your assessed value may be. The higher your assessed value, the higher your Walworth County real estate taxes. Your home will be compared to other homes in the general vicinity, so reject the urge to spruce up your yard or make any physical improvements until after your home assessment. Our Walworth County real estate attorney wants you to realize that even though assessors follow guidelines, curb appeal will play an important role.
4. In order to keep Walworth County real estate taxes down, don’t build on your property. This includes: additions, decks, garages, sheds, pools, or any other permanent fixture. If you need a deck, consider a floating deck or evaluate how much your property taxes will increase prior to construction.
5. Give your assessor the full guided tour of your home. Our Walworth County real estate attorney suggests that you don’t allow the assessor to walk around your home unguided as he or she may only notice the valuable and good aspects of your home. If you walk your home with the assessor, you can not only point out the good aspects, but also all the flaws, such as: leaky roof, warped walls and ceilings, broken tiles, non-functioning fireplace, etc.
6. If you do not allow access to the inside of your home, you could end up with a bigger property tax obligation. Some cities and towns will assess your home at the highest possible value because you did not grant full access to the inside of your home. If this happens to you, you’ll end up disputing the assessment and ultimately allowing the assessor inside. Therefore, you might as well allow the assessor inside your home the first time.
Contact Our Walworth County Real Estate Attorney
Finding the right balance between curb appeal, home improvements, and reduced tax obligations can be tricky. However, remember these little things that can be done to help reduce your Walworth County real estate tax obligation. If you have questions regarding your Walworth County real estate taxes or other real estate issues, contact our Walworth County real estate attorney. Our Walworth County real estate attorney can assist you with a variety of real estate matters, such as: landlord/tenant issues, document drafting, document review, real estate agent assistance, real estate sales, new home construction, deed preparation, and zoning issues. You can reach our Walworth County real estate attorney by phone at 262-725-0175 or by email via our website’s contact page. Wynn at Law, LLC has real estate law offices located in Lake Geneva, Delavan and Salem, Wisconsin.
*The content and material on this web page is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice.
