In Massachusetts homeowners have the right to apply for abatement if they believe the city or town has assessed their home value too high.  Assessed home values are used as a tax base for real estate taxes and both Brookline and Boston have application deadlines of February 1st.

In order to qualify for a reduction in your real estate taxes, your assessed value must exceed the market value of your home.  The assessed value is set by the town or City.  The market value is what the home is worth if it was to sell in today's market.

If the assessed value exceeds market value of your home in Brookline or Boston, do not hesitate to apply for abatement.  The process is painless: an assessor will be sent to your home and will then compare the home to recent sales in the area.

If it is found your home's value was set too high by the town, it will be reduced, and thus reduce your tax liability.

To learn more about assessed values and the abatement process in Boston and Brookline, and for relevant links to the assessors' databases and forms, go to:

Boston Real Estate Abatement: Don't Overpay Real Estate Taxes!

You may contact me directly and I can provide you both the assessed value and the market value at no cost.  Write me an email or call me at 617.807.0471.