Nobody likes paying property taxes, but it’s a necessary evil if you’d like to become a homeowner. In Florida, the average homeowner pays about $1,700 in property taxes each year, and although you cannot eliminate property taxes altogether, there are some ways that you may be able to reduce the fees if you’re willing to put in a little effort. So, today, our experts at Evergreen Home Buyers have compiled a list of 5 tips for lowering your property taxes in Jacksonville to help give you a break and put more money back in your pocket.

1. Request Your Property Information
Our first suggestion for lowering your property tax bill is to visit your local assessor’s office and request your property information. Florida requires that all counties keep records of all properties, meaning you can look over your property information and ensure there are no discrepancies or errors that need to be resolved. While you’re there, request a copy of your property tax card from the assessor and check that for errors as well.

2. Review Comparable Homes
Similar to when you do market research to determine the value of your home, you can also review comparable homes in your neighborhood to see if your home was fairly assessed for its property taxes or not. All you need to do is log onto your local county records website and look up the property information for homes similar to yours in size and age. From there, you may be able to use that information to appeal and negotiate lower rates for yourself.

3. Get a Fresh Appraisal
One of the best ways to get the facts straight is to order a fresh appraisal of your home. Assessors use a system known as ‘mass appraisal,’ where they value groups of similar homes based on statistics and data. However, they aren’t getting all the details that an appraisal would provide based on the individual property. So, if your independent appraisal can prove that something in the property record is wrong, you may be able to file an appeal for a correction to hopefully lower your property taxes.

4. Explore Exemptions
Although many people take their property taxes at face value, it’s still in your best interest to explore exemptions that may be available to you. For example, Florida offers tax reductions for active-duty military members, veterans, senior citizens, surviving spouses of first responders, and various homestead exemptions. Therefore, it never hurts to review possible exemptions to see if you can lower your property taxes.

5. Sell to a Professional Home Buyer
If you’ve investigated these suggestions but were unsuccessful in identifying any tax breaks and are finding it too challenging to pay your property taxes on top of your mortgage, you may consider selling your home to a professional home buyer such as ourselves. At Evergreen Home Buyers, we will purchase your home for cash AS IS, making the process entirely hands-off for you with no repairs, inspections, appraisals, or contingencies necessary. Plus, we can close in as little as two weeks! So, for a completely quick and painless way to sell your home for cash faster, visit www.selltoevergreenjax.com today.