Property valuation for property tax purposes - SFH versus Duplex

[James Kim]

Hello,

I just got a duplex in Texas which is a non-disclosure state for property tax purposes. The valuation for property tax by the assessor hasn't updated yet as we're not into 2023 yet, but i was wondering if there was any difference that people have experienced in terms of valuation for a duplex versus SFH? Specifically, the duplex is a new construction, the homes surrounding the duplex are all SFH's, some of which are new construction. The Lot size is generally comparable to the lot sizes for the SFHs around it but the SQFT of the duplex (each unit) is larger than most of the SFH (i guess the builder wanted to maximize the livable space versus lot size). The duplex only has one tax lot recognized with the county currently but does have two separate addresses (based on county instructions). I'm trying to see if the property tax valuation might be similar to a SFH or not. The Duplex is valued higher from an arm's length point of view. For example a SFH is $240K and the duplex is $400K. So trying to see if the county might assess the duplex no different to SFH as just one property or not.

Thank you,

James