The Westsider™ · Vol. 1
Field notes from the west side of Austin
Every spring, the Travis Central Appraisal District mails every homeowner a number. In 2026, more than 427,000 owners got one, from Westlake and Rollingwood out to Lakeway, Bee Cave and my own street in Serene Hills. Most people open it, feel something, and put it in a drawer until it’s too late to do anything about it.
I’ve written more than 3,000 appraisal reports. When I open my own notice, I read it the way I’d read any appraisal: what value is being claimed, what it’s based on, and what the appraiser couldn’t see. And on the west side of Austin, there’s more for an appraiser to see than the district’s model can. Here is how to read yours, how to tell whether it’s worth protesting, and what evidence actually moves the number.
The notice is a value, not a bill
Your notice of appraised value isn’t a tax bill. It’s the district’s opinion of what your property was worth on January 1. The bill comes in the fall, when each taxing unit (the school district, the county, the city and others) applies its tax rate to your taxable value.
That matters because you can only argue about one of those two things. You can’t protest a tax rate at the appraisal district. You can protest the value.
How to read your notice
Three numbers. Only one of them is the argument.
Example only, simplified: a home west of Austin. Your notice shows your own figures for each taxing unit. Exemption amounts are the Texas school district amounts in effect for 2025 and 2026.
Why your value can go up when the market goes down
If the house is your homestead, Texas limits how much its appraised value can rise: no more than 10% a year, plus the value of any new improvements. That cap protects you in fast years. It also explains a notice that surprises people: in 2026, the Travis Central Appraisal District reported that single-family market values fell about 1.8% on average, yet many homestead owners still saw their appraised value go up. Their capped value was still catching up to the market value from earlier years. (For scale, the district put the median homestead’s 2026 market value at $493,449.)
So read both lines. If your market value looks right but your appraised value rose, that’s usually the cap working as designed, not a mistake.
Three things worth checking while you’re here:
Your homestead exemption. The school district homestead exemption is now $140,000, and owners 65 and older or disabled get $60,000 more. If you bought last year and never filed, file now. If you missed it, Texas lets you file late, up to two years after the delinquency date for that year’s taxes.
The cap starts over when a home sells. Buyers, budget on your own purchase price, not the seller’s tax bill. The seller’s capped value doesn’t transfer to you.
Rentals and second homes. Texas has a temporary 20% yearly cap on non-homestead property valued at $5.32 million or less in 2026. The law that created it expires December 31, 2026, unless the Legislature renews it.
Two questions I ask before I’d protest
Texas law gives you two main grounds. I turn each into a question.
1. Is the market value higher than what the house would have sold for on January 1? Not today, and not after the kitchen you’re planning. On January 1, in the condition it was in. If similar homes nearby sold for less, you have a case. My market reports for Bee Cave (78738), Lakeway (78734), Westlake (78746) and Barton Creek (78735) are a good place to start.
2. Is it valued higher than similar homes around it? This is called unequal appraisal. Even if your market value is defensible, the law says it shouldn’t be out of line with comparable properties, adjusted for their differences. This argument works best when you compare carefully: same neighborhood, similar size, age and condition.
If the honest answer to both is no, don’t protest. A fair value is a fair value, and a weak protest costs you an afternoon and teaches you nothing.
Think like the appraisal district
The district values hundreds of thousands of properties at once, with models built from sales, size, age and location. It rarely sees inside your house. It doesn’t know your foundation moved, your roof is original or your kitchen is from 1998. And Texas doesn’t require sale prices to be made public, so the district doesn’t always know what homes really sold for.
That’s your opening. Most successful protests aren’t clever arguments. They are facts the district didn’t have. If you had an inspection report or repair bids last year, they may be the best evidence you own. (The 70-page report finally pays for itself.)
Why the west side of Austin is hard to value from a desk
A mass appraisal works best on streets of similar houses that sell often. Much of the west side of Austin isn’t built that way. A waterfront lot on Lake Travis, a hillside view in Westlake, a custom home on a few acres in Barton Creek, a Lakeway street that backs to a greenbelt: two houses a block apart can be worth very different amounts, and there may be only a handful of truly comparable sales in a year.
You can see it inside a single ZIP code. In Inside 78738, I walked through seven neighborhoods that share one ZIP code and very little else when it comes to value. A model built on averages will miss in both directions out here, and that’s exactly where a careful look pays off most.
Building your case
What moves the number, and what doesn’t.
Evidence that works
- Closed sales of truly similar homes near January 1: same area, size, age and condition.
- Photos and written bids for real problems: foundation, roof, original systems, drainage.
- Your purchase price, if you bought close to January 1.
- A recent appraisal or inspection report.
- What the district can’t see from a desk: a view it credits you for that you don’t really have, a steep or unusable lot, a lakefront house close to the flood pool, an older septic system, noise from Highway 71 or RM 620.
- The district’s own evidence, requested in writing before your hearing.
Arguments that don’t
- “My taxes are too high.” The board rules on value, not on the tax rate.
- Online value estimates.
- Asking prices of homes that haven’t sold.
- Repairs you plan to make someday, with no bid or photo.
- A neighbor’s value with no comparison of the two homes.
General information from Diana’s experience as an appraiser, not legal or tax advice.
How the protest works
The protest calendar
The value is set in January. The window is short.
- January 1Value dateYour value is what the house was worth on this day, in the condition it was in.
- Late MarchNotices mailedOpen it the day it comes. The clock starts when it’s mailed.
- Early AprilInformal reviewsTalk with a district appraiser online. In 2026 they began April 6. Many protests settle here.
- May 15Protest deadlineOr 30 days after your notice was mailed, whichever is later.
- June onReview boardIf you don’t settle, a panel of local citizens hears your case.
Travis County dates from the Travis Central Appraisal District’s 2026 calendar. Other counties follow the same law; check your own district for exact dates each year.
File by the deadline. In Travis County, that’s May 15 or 30 days after your notice was mailed, whichever is later. Filing online through the district’s portal is free and takes a few minutes. You can file first and gather evidence after.
Upload your evidence early. Keep it short and organized: a one-page summary of your number and why, then the sales, photos and bids behind it.
Get the district’s evidence. You have the right to see what the district will use against you. In Travis County it posts that evidence to your online account at least 14 days before the hearing, and you can also request it in writing. If you asked and it didn’t arrive at least 14 days ahead, the district can’t use it.
Read the settlement offer like a negotiation. Many protests settle at the informal review. If the offer lands inside the range your evidence supports, take it. If it doesn’t, decline and go to the hearing.
The hearing. A panel of three local citizens on the Appraisal Review Board, or one member if you ask for that. It’s short: in Travis County, hearings are meant to take about 15 minutes. Lead with your number, show the two or three strongest pieces of evidence and stop. If you still disagree after the board rules, you can appeal in court, or use binding arbitration if the home is your homestead or valued at $5 million or less. Most owners finish at the board.
Should you hire a protest company?
Unless you’re comfortable pulling comparable sales and arguing value in front of a review board, a good protest service can be a big help. Most work on contingency: you pay a share of what they save you, and nothing if they don’t get a reduction. Many enroll you once and protest every year, so you never have to remember the deadline.
One well-reviewed option is O’Connor. They handle the informal review, the review board hearing and appeals. Their published fee is half of the first year’s tax savings, with no upfront cost and no fee in a year without a reduction. As of October 2026, O’Connor reports a 4.8-star average across about 8,400 reviews. You can enroll now for the 2027 protest, before your next notice arrives.
O’Connor
poconnor.com · 877-482-9200
Austin office: 2021 Guadalupe St., Suite 260, Austin, TX 78705 (by appointment)
Either way, the evidence is the same, and nobody knows the condition of your house better than you do.
Diana’s read
I see this from both sides. As a Realtor, I know what homes are really selling for on the west side of Austin, often before those numbers are public anywhere. As a Certified General Appraiser, I know how a value is built, and where a mass appraisal is most likely to miss: condition, lot and location details a model can’t see.
If you’re on the west side of Austin and not sure whether your number is fair, send me the address. I’ll tell you honestly whether it’s worth your time. And if you need a formal appraisal to bring to a hearing, you can request one here.
Diana’s appraisal services are provided through The Appraisal Shop, the appraisal firm she is affiliated with.
General information, not legal or tax advice. Deadlines, exemptions and caps are set by Texas law and your appraisal district, and they change. Check your district’s website each year.
Quick answers
When is the property tax protest deadline in Travis County?
May 15, or 30 days after the notice of appraised value was mailed, whichever is later. Protests can be filed online through the Travis Central Appraisal District portal.
Why did my appraised value go up when home prices went down?
For a homestead, Texas caps the yearly increase in appraised value at 10%. If your capped value was below market value in earlier years, it can keep rising until it catches up, even in a flat or falling market.
What is the Texas homestead exemption for school taxes?
$140,000 for a homestead, plus an additional $60,000 for owners 65 and older or disabled. These exemptions apply to school district taxes.
What evidence works best in a property tax protest?
Closed sales of similar nearby homes around January 1, photos and written bids for real problems, a recent purchase price or appraisal, and location issues the district can’t see. Online estimates and asking prices carry little weight.
Does the homestead cap transfer to a buyer?
No. When a home sells, the new owner’s value is not limited by the seller’s cap. Buyers should budget property taxes on their own purchase price.
Can a Realtor or appraiser help with a property tax protest?
A Realtor can share what similar homes have sold for. A certified appraiser can prepare a formal appraisal to use as evidence. Representing an owner at the hearing is a separate role in Texas.
Your notice will come in late March. If you want a second set of eyes on it, I’m right here in Serene Hills. Text me at 512.888.8326.