Real Estate tax appeals are a constant source of business for our company both residential and commercial properties.  Assessed value should approximate the actual market value. A recent case involved a home in Bethesda, Maryland which was assessed for $1,700,00.  Local comparable sales data indicated the dwelling has a market value of only $1,200,000.   An appraisal was completed and the assessment was appealed to a three judge panel. As a result the assessment was lowered by county assessors to reflect the actual market value of the home.  The annual tax bill was reduced form approximately 16,000 to approximately $11,000. We have found that a lot of people are over- assessed but fail to take any action to lower their taxes.  Often, armed with an appraisal and some logic, the homeowner can plead their own case; we will help them get prepared.