Buying Your Home - Property Taxes

Where can I learn more about appealing my property taxes?
Contact your local tax assessor's office to see what procedures to follow to appeal your property tax assessment. You may be able to appeal your assessment informally.  Mostly likely, however, you will have to go through a formal tax-appeal processes, which begin with an appeal filed with the appropriate assessment appeals board.

How do property taxes work?
Property taxes are what most homeowners in Canada pay for the privilege of owning a piece of real estate, on average 1.5 percent of the property's current market value. These annual local assessments by local authorities help pay for public services and are calculated using a variety of formulas.


How is a home's value determined?
You have several ways to determine the value of a home. An appraisal is a professional estimate of a property's market value, based on recent sales of comparable properties, location, square footage and construction quality. This service varies in cost depending on the price of the home. On average, an appraisal costs about $300 for a $250,000 house. A comparative market analysis is an informal estimate of market value performed by a real estate agent based on similar sales and property attributes. Most agents offer free analyses in the hopes of winning your business. You also can get a comparable sales report for a fee from private companies that specialize in real estate data or find comparable sales information available on various real estate Internet sites.