Homeowners have seen their Brentwood and eastern Contra Costa home prices decline by as much as 60% over the past 3 years.  With the decline in values, the only solace for Brentwood area homeowners is the reduction of their property taxes, but many don’t know how to get the Contra Costa County Tax Assessor to review their property values and lower the taxes on their homes.

It’s actually a very simple process to get your Brentwood home value reassessed and property taxes reduced. Under California’s Proposition 8, property owners may get the assessed values of their Brentwood homes “temporarily” reduced based on the market value of their homes on January 1 of each tax year. There is no limit to the amount of the reduction, however, when property value increased in Brentwood the assessed value may also be increased (without Proposition 13 limits) until they exceed the assessed value prior to the Proposition 8 reductions.

Today, there are many companies offering fee based assistance to Brentwood area homeowners to file the paperwork required lower their property taxes with charges for $49 to $100. Do not pay these fees, the process is simple and free.

To request a review of the assessed value of your Brentwood area property, simply write a letter to the Office of Assessor, 2530 Arnold Street, Suite 100, Martinez, CA 94533 or download and complete the Request for Value Review. Make sure to include your name, property address and assessor parcel number (found on your last property tax bill).  You can expedite the review process by including a list of comparable properties sold.

Contact me at flyoung@aol.com  or visit my web page if you’d like a free list of comparable Brentwood, Oakley, Antioch and other Contra Costa home sales.