The county's number is for taxes. Buyers set the price. Here's why the two are rarely the same.
Nebraska assessors value your home as of January 1, using sales from before that date. It's a number for calculating property taxes. Your home's market value is what a buyer will pay today, based on recent sales, current competition, and condition. Your assessed value can be higher or lower than your market value.
Each year, the county assessor sets a value for every property as of January 1. It's used to calculate your property tax bill. Assessors value thousands of homes at once, using recent sales and the details they have on file.
The house down the street that sold last month may not be in it yet.
A new roof, a remodeled kitchen, or a finished basement may not be on file.
It's a good estimate for a neighborhood, and less precise for one house.
The buyer in front of you. They compare your home to recent sales nearby, to the other homes for sale this week, and to the condition of yours. That's this market, not last January's.
In Nebraska, you can protest your valuation with the county board of equalization. In Douglas County, the protest window is typically in June, after valuation notices go out. Recent sales of similar homes are the best evidence. Check the county assessor's website for this year's dates and forms.
No. List from recent comparable sales and current competition. The assessment is a starting point for a conversation at most.
No. The lender orders an appraisal, which is based on recent sales.
Your sale becomes one of the sales the assessor looks at next year, along with every other sale nearby.
I'll pull what sold near you this year and tell you where your house fits.
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