Williamson County’s appraised home values drop, Travis County’s rise since 2008

Williamson County’s appraised home values drop, Travis County’s rise since 2008

By Rob Heidrick Wednesday, 06 May 2009

Home values fell by 1.3 percent in Williamson County over the last year, a trend district appraisers attributed to a softened local market and decreasing home sales. The average value in the Williamson Central Appraisal District is $188,523 in 2009, compared with an average of $191,072 in 2008.

The figure is based on each home’s value as of Jan. 1. WCAD officials have conducted evaluations in recent months and began mailing appraisal notices to homeowners April 24.

For the same time period, Travis County’s average homestead value increased by 5 percent, with average appraisals rising from $281,623 to $295,747.

The disparity between the two counties could be because of a lag between the Austin housing market and that of the surrounding communities, said Alvin Lankford, WCAD chief appraiser.

“What we’ve seen in the past is that when you’re in a good market year, things start to increase in the center of Austin and move out to the suburbs and then out to the rural areas,” Lankford said. “In a down market, values start to drop in suburbs first, and then move into Austin.”

Appraisals were down across the board among Williamson County school districts. Homes within the Georgetown ISD taxing area depreciated less sharply than all others in the county, declining by 0.8 percent. Leander ISD home values dipped by 1.3 percent.

While the district-wide average was down, several properties increased in value, Lankford said. While 68 percent of homes lost more than $1,000 in value, 2 percent stayed within a range of $1,000, and 30 percent of home values increased by more than $1,000.

Homeowners with questions about their appraisals, including those who would like to file protests, can meet with appraisal district staff until May 29. The WCAD office is located at 625 FM 1460 in Georgetown, and TCAD’s office is at 8314 Cross Park Drive in Austin. Protest forms are attached to the bottom of each appraisal notice and must be filed before June 1.

Average home values by area

• Williamson County
  • 2008: $191,072
  • 2009: $188,523
  • (-1.33 percent)
• Travis County
  • 2008: $281,623
  • 2009: $295,747
  • (5.02 percent)
• City of Austin
  • 2008: $263,564
  • 2009: $277,940
  • (5.45 percent)
• Georgetown ISD
  • 2008: $215,499
  • 2009: $213,622
  • (-0.87 percent)
• Hutto ISD
  • 2008: $152,506
  • 2009: $150,072
  • (-1.6 percent)
• Leander ISD
  • 2008: $190,017
  • 2009: $187,554
  • (-1.3 percent)
• Pflugerville ISD
  • 2008: $161,740
  • 2009: $168,151
  • (3.96 percent)
• Round Rock ISD
  • 2008: $198,726
  • 2009: $195,375
  • (-1.69 percent)
• Taylor ISD
  • 2008: $96,700
  • 2009: $95,189
  • (-1.56 percent)

Sources: Williamson Central Appraisal District, Travis Central Appraisal District

More information on home appraisals: Williamson Councy Property Appraisals.