The situation

A first-time homebuyer is a few weeks from closing, and their lender's estimate includes a property tax figure based on the current assessment. Before committing, the buyer wants to know whether that assessment — and the resulting tax bill they'll be responsible for — actually reflects the home's value, or whether it's likely to jump after the sale is recorded.

Step 1: Check the current assessment

The buyer enters the property's address into TaxAssessmentIQ, pulling the current OPA assessment on record.

Step 2: Compare against what it's actually selling for

TaxAssessmentIQ checks that assessment against recent comparable sales, including homes that sold for prices closer to what the buyer is paying.

Buying a home based on an outdated assessment can mean a tax bill that jumps the following year, long after the closing paperwork is signed.

Step 3: Budget accordingly

In this case, the current assessment sits noticeably below the purchase price — a gap that suggests the assessment may catch up in a future cycle. The buyer factors that into their long-term budget instead of being surprised by it later, and knows they'll have appeal grounds if the eventual reassessment overshoots.

Who this is for

Homebuyers evaluating a purchase before closing, and their agents who want to flag a likely future tax change as part of due diligence.

See the TaxAssessmentIQ product page → Solutions for property owners