PATRICK'S QUICK ANSWER
Comparable sales are the backbone of a property tax protest, and finding them is free. Pull three to five homes like yours that sold within the last three to six months, within about a mile, with similar square footage, bedrooms, and condition. Prices below your assessed value are what you want. Three deciding factors: recency, proximity, and similarity. Avoid distressed sales, they sell low for reasons that do not apply to you. Five strong comps beat twenty weak ones. Ask Patrick to check your home's value.
To find comparable sales for your property tax protest, look for 3 to 5 homes similar to yours that sold within the last 3 to 6 months in your neighborhood. Comparable sales should be within a half-mile to one mile of your property and have similar square footage, bedroom and bathroom count, lot size, and condition. Sales prices below your assessed value are what you want.
Where to Find Comparable Sales
You can find comparable sales through several free sources. The Bexar County Appraisal District website allows you to search property records and see recent sales. Real estate websites like Zillow and Redfin also show sold listings. If you have a real estate agent, they can pull a comprehensive market analysis for you. The Bexar County clerk's office maintains public records of all property sales. Your mortgage lender may also be able to help.
The meaning: comps are public record, so the same data the appraiser uses is available to you for free.
The money consequence: a good comp set is the difference between a reduction and a denial, and it costs nothing but your time to assemble.
The real-world play: as a Realtor I pull market analyses all day, so if the free sources feel overwhelming, an agent can hand you a clean comp sheet in minutes.
Criteria for a Good Comparable
A good comparable should meet these criteria. Sold within the last 3 to 6 months. Located within a half-mile to one mile of your property. Similar square footage, within 10 to 20 percent of your home's size. Same number of bedrooms and bathrooms. Similar lot size. Similar age and construction type. Similar condition and upgrades. Avoid using foreclosures, short sales, or distressed sales as comps because they may sell below market value for reasons unrelated to your property.
The meaning: a comparable is only useful if it is actually comparable, which means matching the features that drive value.
The money consequence: one bad comp can sink a whole case, because the appraiser will dismiss the set if the sales do not truly match.
The real-world play: distressed sales are the classic trap. A foreclosure sells low for reasons that have nothing to do with your home, so leave them out and keep the set clean.
How Many Comparables Do You Need?
You should aim for 3 to 5 comparable sales. If you have fewer than 3, your case is weaker. If you have more than 5, choose the 5 strongest comparables that are most similar to your home. The BCAD appraiser will use their own comps as well, so having a strong set of your own creates a credible counterargument. Present the comps in a simple table showing address, sale date, sale price, square footage, bedrooms, and any adjustments.
The meaning: the hearing is a conversation between two sets of data, yours and the district's, and the stronger set usually wins.
The money consequence: five strong comps below your assessed value give the appraiser a clear path to a reduction, while a weak set gives them an easy denial.
The real-world play: format the comps as a one-page table with address, date, price, and size, and bring a copy for the panel. Clean presentation reads as credible evidence.
The Money Consequence
Every comp you present is a dollar argument. A sale at $25,000 below your assessed value is evidence the district's number is too high, and three or four of those make the case. The value you win carries forward, so the comps you pull this spring keep saving until the district moves the number again.
The meaning: comps are not paperwork, they are the proof that your number is the right number.
The money consequence: the reduction applies to the taxable value, so the savings repeat every year the lower value holds.
The real-world play: pull the sales, build the table, and let the data argue for you. That is how you win the spring routine, Patriot Nation.
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