Home values up an average of eight percent here

Market values for homes in Jackson County have increased by an average of eight percent this past year, according to Jackson County Appraiser Kate Immenschuh.  

Property valuation notices were mailed to Jackson County property owners last week and increases were noted among values for residential and some agricultural properties.

Low interest rates and a shortage of houses for sale here contributed to the eight percent average increase for homes here, Immenschuh said.  

“There are areas that went up quite a bit more because of the area,” Immenschuh said. “I’ve heard anywhere to seven to 15 percent in other counties.”

The Jackson County Appraiser’s Office analyzes five “comparable sales” to determine a home’s market value.

“Sometimes there aren’t good comparables for a property,” she said. “We use a neighborhood analysis, a land analysis and a market analysis. There’s a lot of analysis that goes into each part of a property.”

Immenschuh said that ag values in Jackson County varied but were “pretty stable.” 

“There weren’t significant changes unless somebody changed from grass to cropland,” she said. 

On average, crop land values decreased by two percent. Native grass averaged a three percent increase and tame grass increased by an average of nine percent, she said.

Appraised residential property values are assessed at an 11.5 percent rate. Agricultural use land is assessed at a 30 percent rate and agriculture use improvements are assessed at 25 percent. 

Vacant lots and real property owned and operated by a not-for-profit are both assessed at 12 percent.

Commercial property’s assessment rate is 25 percent of the total appraised value.

All other rural and urban real property is assessed at 30 percent.

The assessed valuation of all county property will be officially certified this June and used to set city, county and school budgets. Information on how much overall residential and commercial property values have changed in the county from the previous year will be available at that time.

Jackson County property owners who wish to appeal the value or classification of their property as stated on their valuation notice, must contact the Jackson County Appraiser’s Office within the next 30 days to schedule an informal meeting to discuss the value.

The Jackson County Appraiser’s Office is located in Room 202 of the Jackson County Courthouse and can be reached by phone at 364-2358.

If a resident does not appeal within the 30 days, they can still protest the value or classification of their property when they pay their taxes on or by Jan. 31 and/or if their taxes are paid out of an escrow account or by a tax service. 

By law, residents cannot appeal both at the time of notice and when they pay their taxes for the same property in the same tax year.

All informal meetings must be completed by May 15, and during the meetings, Jackson County Appraiser employees will explain how the value of the property was determined for tax purposes. 

“If you’re protesting a house, bringing in pictures or having us come out to look at the house can help,” she said. 

Land and property owners are reminded that if their property value goes up, that does not necessarily mean they’ll pay more taxes, it was reported. 

Likewise, if property values go down, or does not change, that does not automatically mean residents will pay less or the same amount of taxes.

Property tax is determined by a formula that multiples a property’s assessed value by the total mill levy set annually by the Jackson County Commissioners and other governing entities, such as school districts and cities.

Property taxes are distributed to a variety of entities including state, county, city, USD general, USD other, cemetery, extension, fire, hospital, library, watershed and miscellaneous.