"I usually call the county assessor directly to get the latest tax projections and plug those into my own spreadsheet."
That's actually a good idea, hadn't considered calling the assessor directly. But how reliable are their projections, really? I'm about to close on my first house soon (fingers crossed!) and I've been a bit skeptical about the lender's escrow numbers. They insist they're accurate, but now you've got me wondering if they're just using old info too...
Have you or anyone else found that county assessors' projections are usually spot-on, or do they sometimes underestimate as well? Seems like there's always room for error, no matter who's doing the math. I guess I'm just trying to figure out if there's any truly reliable way to avoid getting blindsided later on.
County assessor numbers are usually pretty solid, but they're not foolproof. I've seen them underestimate a bit, especially in rapidly appreciating areas. Still, they're generally more accurate than lender estimates...so you're smart to double-check and stay ahead of surprises. Congrats on the house, btw!
"County assessor numbers are usually pretty solid, but they're not foolproof."
True enough, but honestly, I've seen some county assessments that made me wonder if they were throwing darts at a board blindfolded. Ever had a client whose assessed value jumped 25% in a single year...in a flat market? Yep, happened. Always makes me skeptical. Still, you're right—usually beats lender estimates. Did you manage to lock in a decent rate yet, or still shopping around?
Yep, assessor numbers can be all over the place. I've seen properties undervalued by 15-20%, especially when renovations weren't factored in yet. Good baseline usually, but I'd never trust them blindly—always cross-check with recent comps. Did your appraisal come close to the county's number?
I've found assessor numbers to be pretty hit or miss myself. But honestly, sometimes they can swing the other direction too. When we refinanced, our county's valuation was actually a bit higher than the appraisal we got back. Felt good at first, but then I realized it meant we couldn't quite squeeze as much equity out safely. Always safer to double-check with comps and an independent appraisal before banking on that county assessment number...
