Guest Opinion: Property reappraisal and value updates

It’s reappraisal time again, and the Larimer County Assessor’s Office has finished the 2019 reappraisal of all Larimer County property. We’ll be mailing property owners their Notice of Value on May 1.

This year, we will be sending out slightly over 153,000 Notice of Value notices to property owners in Larimer County.

The Larimer County Assessor is responsible for valuing all real property — residential, manufactured and commercial property.

Our office must value your property as it existed on Jan. 1, 2019, to determine its market value based on sales completed between July 1, 2016, to June 30, 2018.

Colorado law requires all county assessors to complete reappraisals in odd-numbered years and then notify property owners of the current value of their property. Remember though, this is not a tax bill.

You’ll notice that median home values countywide increased by 18.6 percent since 2017 when the last reappraisal occurred — a 17.8 percent uptick in Fort Collins, a 19.7 percent rise in Loveland, Windsor growing 14.9 percent and Estes Park climbing 23 percent.

A number of forces are driving these increases. Consistent gains in the stock market and Larimer County’s robust economy have helped fuel the increased value. Larimer County ranked ninth in the nation for job growth in 2018.

You can view your property value wherever you are visiting the Larimer County Assessor’s Property online information tool at https://www.larimer.org/assessor/search#/property/.

This year, we’ll also be adding another online information tool so property owners can see property value changes in a cartographic manner.

Called a value change map, these maps use captured property value data that is displayed using Geographic Information System technology to paint a picture showing value changes in neighborhoods throughout Larimer County.

These maps illustrate changes of value by color and will compliment your Notice of Value statement so it’s easy to compare and understand. The maps will be available online on May 1st. You can see a preview of this map before May 1 by visiting https://www.larimer.org/assessor/2019-value-change-maps. 

Residents often ask about the Disabled Veterans tax relief program and Senior Homestead Exemption. The Assessor’s Office will process applications for residents who are eligible for these programs in July.

These programs are very popular; this year we’ve already received just over 1,000 applications for the Senior Homestead Exemption. Seniors could see an annual reduction on their property taxes as small as $600.

The deadline for the Senior Homestead Exemption is July 15, 2019, and the deadline for the Disabled Veterans Exemption is July 1, 2019; be sure to get your application to us before those deadlines.

Visit the Assessors page link at https://www.larimer.org/assessor and click or tap ‘Seniors & Disabled Veterans Exemptions’ to learn more and find forms with instructions on how to apply. If you need help, call us at [970] 498-7050.

This year our staff will also be available to help our residents in southern Larimer County 9 a.m. to6 p.m., for one week only — the week of May 6 to May 10  — in the Glacier Creek Room [Room #206, Second Floor] at the new Larimer County Loveland Campus, 200 Peridot Ave., Loveland.

Our staff will accept property valuation protests documents and answer questions about the process.

It’s helpful to bring your Notice of Valuation with you. Property owners who wish to meet with appraisal staff will need to visit the Office of the Assessor in Fort Collins, Second Floor, from 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., 200 W. Oak St.

If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact us, we’re here to serve you!

Bob Overbeck is the assessor for Larimer County.

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