We Bought Our House 2 Years Ago. Now the County Says It's Worth Far More Than Zillow Does and Our Monthly Payment Could Jump by Hundreds

Adrian Volenik

Tue, August 4, 2026 at 5:46 PM GMT+3 6 min read

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Buying a home is expensive enough without opening the mailbox and finding out your property taxes could be headed much higher.

That's the situation one homeowner found themselves in after receiving a new property tax assessment just two years after buying their house. "Our valuation jumped by 35%, which is going to add hundreds of dollars to our monthly payment," they wrote on Reddit recently. Looking at Zillow, they said, "there is no way our house is worth what the county says it is."

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The homeowner wanted to challenge the assessment but felt overwhelmed by the process. They said the county's website was confusing and appeared to require pulling comparable sales, filling out paperwork and appearing before an appeals board.

"I work full time and have a toddler," they wrote. "I do not have the time or energy to figure this out."

Many Homeowners Said an Appeal Is Worth the Effort

The post drew plenty of responses from people who had gone through the same experience.

"You will lose 100% of the appeals you don't file," one commenter encouraged the homeowner to move forward.

Another person shared that they appealed after buying a home and won. "We had the same issue in 2020, we appealed using the price we paid for the home 18 months prior and it was accepted," they said.

Several real estate agents said homeowners should ask the agent who helped them buy the property to prepare a comparative market analysis.

"Get the realtor who sold you the house to do a CMA for you," one realtor wrote. "You shouldn't be charged for this. I do it all the time out here for my clients."

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Others pointed out that many states have companies that handle property tax appeals for homeowners and only charge a fee if they successfully lower the assessment.

Some commenters also reminded the homeowner that a higher assessed value doesn't always translate into a matching increase in property taxes. In many places, tax rates change after a communitywide reassessment.

"The assessment just determines your portion of the overall revenue the town needs," one person added.

Check the Facts Before Assuming the Worst

People suggested reviewing the assessment carefully before filing an appeal. Simple mistakes, such as incorrect square footage, an extra garage or other inaccurate property details, can sometimes be corrected quickly.

Others recommended collecting recent sales of similar homes or documenting repairs that could affect market value. One homeowner said they hired an inspection company to identify needed repairs, submitted contractor estimates along with their appeal and received an immediate reduction.

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For the Reddit poster, the next step may come down to gathering the right information before the appeal deadline arrives. Many commenters said the process looked more intimidating than it turned out to be, and several reported saving money after taking the time to challenge their assessments.

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This article We Bought Our House 2 Years Ago. Now the County Says It's Worth Far More Than Zillow Does and Our Monthly Payment Could Jump by Hundreds originally appeared on Benzinga.com

We Bought Our House 2 Years Ago. Now the County Says It's Worth Far More Than Zillow Does and Our Monthly Payment Could Jump by Hundreds

Many Homeowners Said an Appeal Is Worth the Effort

Check the Facts Before Assuming the Worst

Building Wealth Across More Than Just the Market

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