Guides
Straight answers about
your home’s value.
Property taxes, appraisals, estates, divorce, PMI — the questions homeowners actually ask, answered without the jargon or the sales pitch.
Tax appeals
How to appeal your property taxes, step by step
Over-assessed? The full playbook: decode your notice, work out implied market value, build evidence, file on time, and argue your case at the board.
Florida’s 2026 appeal season: what the TRIM notice starts
Your TRIM notice lands in August and the VAB petition window closes ~25 days later. Who actually has a case in Florida this year, and how to file it.
The 2026 Cook County reassessment: what south and west suburban owners should do
Cook County is reassessing the south and west suburbs in 2026. What the triennial means, why these townships carry the highest tax rates, and how the two-bite appeal works.
Assessed value vs. market value
Assessed value is what your county taxes you on; market value is what your home would actually sell for. Here’s how they differ, why they drift apart, and what to do when the gap costs you money.
Are your property taxes too high?
A high tax bill isn’t automatically a wrong one. Here’s how to tell whether you’re over-assessed, what evidence changes the number, and when fighting it pays.
How to lower your property taxes
Appeals aren’t the only lever. Fix record-card errors, claim exemptions you’re owed, appeal over-assessments, and audit your notice every year.
Property tax appeal companies vs. doing it yourself
Contingency firms take a cut of your savings. DIY is free but thin on evidence. Here’s how the three appeal routes compare — and who keeps the money.
Appraisal basics
How much does a home appraisal cost?
Traditional home appraisals commonly run $400–600+. Here’s what drives the price, why desktop formats cost less, and how to pay for only what you need.
Zestimate vs. appraisal
A Zestimate is a statistical guess; an appraisal is evidence. What AVMs get right, where they fail, and why no board, court, or lender accepts them.
What is a retrospective appraisal?
What a retrospective appraisal is, why valuing a home as of a past date is routine, and how appraisers do it credibly for estates, divorce, and appeals.
Estate
What is a date of death appraisal?
A date of death appraisal values a home as of the day its owner died. Why the IRS and probate need it, how step-up basis works, and how to get one.
Probate appraisals, explained for executors
What a probate appraisal is, how it differs from a regular appraisal, when to order one, and the mistakes that stall estates. A guide for executors.