Learn and Keep Yourself Safe from Property Scams in Austin
The state capital of Texas, Austin, is an incredible place to buy properties. But do you know scammers are hovering around the city to fool and steal money from new homebuyers? Yes, you heard us right!
Investing in real estate is always one of the most intimidating decisions. And after spending a hefty amount behind your property, you surely want to stay away from fraudsters keeping a hawk’s eye on recent property investors.
Hence, we have brought this post to apprise you about the predominant property scams menacing your financial security. Educate and save yourself from swindlers.
The Homestead Exemption Scam
If you recently bought a home and received a letter speaking about tax exemption by declaring your property a homestead, BEWARE! The letter may seem too official coming from the state authority or an authentic business, and it is normal to fall for the trap! Firstly, read the fine print and then consult a genuine and reliable real estate agent Austin TX.
The scam is all about third-party services claiming to get your property designated as a homestead in return for a processing fee. Sadly, homestead exemption and homestead designation are not the same. Homestead designation will only affirm your property as a homestead where nobody can forcefully sell your property. It does not offer you tax exemption benefits.
Nonetheless, by applying for homestead exemption you can lower your property taxes. The best part is you can simply visit the official website of Travis County and fill out the form for FREE! You require doing it only once! You will receive a 20% discount on property tax and other additional incentives. Homestead exemption is recently one of the most common buyer scams in Austin as numerous homebuyers have reportedly lost a lot of money and never received tax benefits!
The Appraisal Scam
Did you recently fill out a form with your property details and sale price? The letter said it was from Travis Central Appraisal District. Right? You thought it to be too real to hold up any suspicion! If you have not consulted trustworthy realtors in Austin TX before filling in the details, let us tell you- you can be a probable scam victim!
In Texas, disclosure of property values is not allowed. You cannot even publicly put up your property sale price anywhere when you ‘sell my home’! Living in Texas, the state does not permit you to publicize property details, including financial terms. Only legitimate realtors can access the data through the MLS (Multiple Listing Service) database. Tax offices even cannot access such data.
Hence, we advise you not to consider such letters as official records and refrain from sharing private information. All you will receive is higher property tax since these scammers learn about your earnings and entitle you to pay more tax!
What Should You Do?
Stay alert and educate yourself about the various property scams. Whenever you are in doubt, never hesitate to seek assistance from reliable sources. Above all, your financial security comes from thoughtful decisions and recognizing admonitions. Safe home buying!