Did you know that you can save up to thousands of dollars by contesting your property tax bill?

Follow these 3 easy steps and collect your taxes in less than 30 days.

1. Find out if you’re overloaded

Tax authorities use different methods to calculate the value of homes. Some look at recent sales of similar homes. Most county assessors mail tax bills and notices beginning July 1. Tax rates vary from city to city, but generally a fair rate is set at 1.2% of your assessed value. You can check your annual taxes online at your county tax collector and assessor’s websites. You must also find at least three comparable homes that were sold in 2008 to build your case. Real estate appraisers offer to do this for a fee.

2. Stray from the pack

The evidence the appraiser used to value your home is based on a wholesale or wholesale review of all the homes in your area. Because a “wholesale” review is not unique to your home or property, your home may be overvalued and should be reassessed. You are eligible to file an appeal to have your property reassessed to reduce your annual property taxes. Some California homeowners are overpaying up to 50% in property taxes. Make sure you don’t overpay.

When municipalities or counties reassess property values, they typically hire an outside contractor who reviews hundreds or thousands of homes in a limited period of time. These are massive evaluations that neglect the individuality of each home. When filing an appeal, point out all the characteristics of your home that make it unique: square footage, number of bedrooms, and bathrooms. Do you have a fireplace or pool? Is it a condo or a single family home? These attributes are important for your property to be reassessed.

3. Let the experts do the dirty work

You won’t have long to file an appeal, usually 60 days or less from the time your annual tax assessment was mailed. When filing an appeal, the homeowner should know a lot about current market conditions, the value of their property, and extensive knowledge of comparable properties. This information serves as evidence that you are overcharging taxes. Filing the appeal request on your own may result in your request being denied and forcing you to pay higher property taxes than you should. The number one reason county appraisers deny reevaluation appeal requests and call homeowners to court hearings is because requests that are not completed by professional real estate appraisers often contain errors and inaccurate market information. Do yourself a favor and hire an affordable real estate appraiser who will do the hard work for you.