Admin

Texas Homeowners Alert: Don’t Lose Your Homestead Exemption!

By
Real Estate Agent with Coldwell Banker Realty ~ 512.750.6899

If you received a letter from the County Appraisal District, don’t ignore it! A new Texas law requires homeowners to reverify their homestead exemption every five years—and if you don’t respond, you could end up paying higher property taxes.

What You Need to Know:

Homestead Exemption Perks: Lowers your property taxes on your PRIMARY residence by reducing your taxable home value by up to $100,000 (for school taxes).
New Rule: Counties must now verify eligibility at least once every five years.
Reverification Notices: Sent to select homeowners in late December or early January with a 30-day deadline to respond.
Miss the Deadline? Your exemption may be removed before April 15, meaning you’ll be taxed on your home’s full market value.

Check Your Homestead Exemption Status:

Head to your county’s appraisal district website for a quick property search:
🔗 Find your county here

Lost Your Exemption? Here’s What to Do:

If your exemption was removed, you’ll need to reverify your primary residence. Make sure your driver’s license or state ID matches your home address to qualify.

Bottom Line:

🔹 Open & respond to any letters from the appraisal district!
🔹 Act fast to keep your exemption and avoid higher taxes.
🔹 Need help? Have questions? I’m happy to assist—let’s look out for each other!

 

Posted by

(512) 750-6899
CALL OR TEXT

EMAIL ME

My ActiveRain Blog

ReloAustin.com
Austin Real Estate Website

CanyonCreekNews.com
Canyon Creek Neighborhood

I specialize in Listing and Selling homes in the NW Austin Area. I use my experience to guide clients through the process, whether selling or buying. It’s a beautiful thing when your career and a passion come together. I love what I do!

 

Show All Comments Sort:
Barbara Michaluk
Weichert Realtors | Phone Direct 240-506-2434 | 301-681-0550 office - Silver Spring, MD
Leisure World Specialist / Full Service REALTOR

Hi Dorie, This is a good reminder to homeowners in your area to renew their Homestead Exemption. Everything they can do to keep their taxes reduced will be helpful.

Feb 06, 2025 06:42 AM
Jeffrey DiMuria 321.223.6253 Waves Realty
Waves Realty - Melbourne, FL
Florida Space Coast Homes

That law makes little sense. While I  understand why they are doing it, they have plenty of other ways to check on cheaters.

Feb 06, 2025 06:47 AM
Doug Rogers
RE/MAX Coastal Properties - Destin, FL
Your Real Estate Resource!

Waaaaay back in the day I forgot to file mine. So when the tax bill hit, it created a negative balance in my escrow account. 

This caused my monthly payment to skyrocket. So I set my lender enough to pay the bill. This lowered my payment. Then I had a surplus so the escrow department sent me a refund, which then caused a negative balance...

The merrygoround went on for months!

Feb 06, 2025 06:47 AM
Ed Silva, 203-206-0754
Mapleridge Realty, CT 203-206-0754 - Waterbury, CT
Associate Real Estate Broker

Dorie Dillard Austin TX  any letter that offers a tax exemption is one that needs to be addressed. We have nothing like that up here in the Northeast.

Feb 06, 2025 07:23 AM
Roy Kelley
Retired - Gaithersburg, MD

This is a good reminder to share.

Have a great day, Dorie. We have an icy morning in Maryland.

Feb 06, 2025 08:29 AM
Will Hamm
Hamm Homes - Aurora, CO
"Where There's a Will, There's a Way!"

Hello Dorie and I am amaze how much my Tax bill is and also glad I get a senior discount on them, it helps but still high.

 

Feb 06, 2025 09:43 AM
Kathy Streib
Cypress, TX
Retired Home Stager/Redesign

Hi Dorie= one of the things I loved about the agent we used in Houston for our first houses...at the beginning of every year, she contacted her buyers to remind them of the Homestead Exemption. 

Feb 06, 2025 10:33 AM
Mark Don McInnes, Sandpoint-Idaho
Sandpoint Realty LLC - Sandpoint, ID
North Idaho Real Estate - 208-255.6227

Good alert for Texas Home Owners Dorie.  Ignoring this notice, or not being aware of it could be quite a headache, both financially and mentally.  m

Feb 06, 2025 11:28 AM
George Souto
George Souto NMLS #65149 - Middletown, CT
Your Connecticut Mortgage Expert

Dorie many times homeowners don't even open notices thinking they are junk mail.  This one would be very costly to not reply to.  Good job on trying to get the word out.

Feb 06, 2025 12:31 PM
Brian England
Ambrose Realty Management LLC - Gilbert, AZ
MBA, GRI, REALTOR® Real Estate in East Valley AZ

Having that homestead exemption is extremely beneficial, so I hope that nobody will miss out on it.

Feb 07, 2025 05:52 AM