re: Cost of living in Houston

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Are you referring to the previous 5 years before you bought the house? Because AfTER you bought the house they have an actual number to base the taxes. Unless they are valuing house for more than you paid.

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I just double checked the appraisal history and the value had been decreasing each year the sellers owned the property and was never equal to what they paid for the property. Now the County goes and jacks up the value to more than what I paid for it.

HCAD does not have the actual number I paid for the property. You are incorrect there.

I stare at this stuff year around as I do tax work for a living.

ETA: For non-texas folks, HCAD is the Harris County Appraisal District.

Comparing notes with friends still in the houston area, overall, it seems like COL is a bit higher in Houston vs NOLA. However, income is higher as well, and the houston income increase is higher than the Houston COL increase.

The sweet spot is people who can live and work in the outer areas. My oil and gas friends who live in Cinco and work off I-10 between Barker Cypress and Dairy Ashford are absolutely loving life. My attorney and CPA friends who live in Cinco and work either in Galleria area or downtown are really, really hating the commute and how it impacts their lifestyle. To the point that on weekends, they don't want to go more than 5 min away from their house.

Comparing Katy to the NOLA suburbs, we found...

Housing was cheaper in Katy considering the niceness of what you got for your money
Housing insurance was a lot cheaper
Car insurance was slightly cheaper
Maintaining a car (license plate, inspection sticker, cost of a mechanic, etc) was more
Child care was considerably more
Grocery was cheaper
Medicine was about the same
Health insurance was a good bit more
Gas was a bit more
Utilities was much more (especially water)
Going out (dining, movies, etc) was more

I live in the Pearland, Friendswood, and Clear Lake areas and they are all fairly low on CoL. I actually think with some of the quality school districts in this area, the CoL should probably be a little higher.

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It sort of comes and goes with the oil and gas industry.

I imagine homes that didn’t flood have become more valuable.

Houston is very affordable at least compared to Austin. Austin is getting out of control.

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And the salaries don't correlate either. I had an opportunity to relocate to Austin but an increase in salary wasn't an option. The negotiation ended right there. I have no connections to Austin so show me the money to entice me.

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We’re the previous owners senior citizens? Secondly, you should easily be able to at least get them to lower the tax value based on the purchase price, if you bought it in the last year.

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Negative. They are in their late 30s.

I am currently protesting it.

The fact still remains that HCAD pulls values out of their arse and hopes you don't protest it.

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agree....I think the former Harris Count Tax accessor, Paul Bettencourt(?) has a business that disputes the appraisal. Who knows the actions of a thief better than a thief. Haha

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Yep. Bettencourt Tax Advisors is the name of his company I think.

In Memorial/Kirby/Heights(a bit)

yes.....the burbs are very reasonable but the Woodlands can get a tad over the edge.

Maybe in the Heights but the rest of the city is cheap

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agree....I think the former Harris Count Tax accessor, Paul Bettencourt(?) has a business that disputes the appraisal. Who knows the actions of a thief better than a thief. Haha

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There is an entire industry dedicated to protesting appraisals for property taxes.

The appraisers have incentive to go high. If no one challenges it, boom, more tax money. If it's challenged, odds are that one of these companies will be used, and the company makes money.

And maybe it's just the Louisiana in me, but I am 100 percent sure there is collusion between the appraisers and the protest companies.