Dear Editor:
I have been selling real estate in this county for almost 20 years and I am dismayed by the inconsistencies of the most recent property tax evaluation across our small and unique county. Throughout my career, I have helped my sellers accurately assess their property values. I am appalled by my new assessed valuation. My 2,548-square-foot rental home in Whispering Pines went from $585,920 to $1,242,520. This new valuation would be great if I could actually sell it for that inflated am...
Dear Editor:
I have been selling real estate in this county for almost 20 years and I am dismayed by the inconsistencies of the most recent property tax evaluation across our small and unique county. Throughout my career, I have helped my sellers accurately assess their property values. I am appalled by my new assessed valuation. My 2,548-square-foot rental home in Whispering Pines went from $585,920 to $1,242,520. This new valuation would be great if I could actually sell it for that inflated amount. But I can’t.
Last summer, I obtained a HELOC loan from Alpine Bank and the bank estimated my value to be $840,000. In my opinion, this difference shows the assessor’s inaccuracy.
I have pulled some comparisons in Idlewild. Comp 1 is a 4,228-square-foot home on almost 2 acres valued at $841,340. Comp 2 is a 3,632-square-foot home on almost 2 acres with a value of $761,910. Comp 3 is a 4,013-square-foot home with an almost 2-acre lot valued at $1,582,240. Comp 4 is a 2,198-square-foot home on a 1.84 acre lot with a value of $642,080. These properties are all contiguous. Comp 1, 2 and 4 are valued at market value, Comp 3 is overvalued by $600,000, by my experienced opinion. Comp 4 is similar to my home but assessed at half the value with an extra acre of land. This home is that of an elected county official. How does this make you feel? It makes me feel taken advantage of.
If you are feeling likewise, email me at lindseyrealestate@gmail. com and come together to voice our opposition. The county commissioners and leaders of special taxing districts have the power to lower the mill levy. Join me to collectively to force fair valuation of our homes. If we don’t, the valuations will remain over market value, and our teachers, servers, and young families will lose out. Let’s tell the Ouray County commissioners and the county assessor to protect the affordability of our homes for our future. They can lobby the state using our median income and other means. Otherwise, the elected officials do not deserve to be representing us and we must vote them out!
Peggy Lindsey Ouray
