If your new home appraisal sent you through the roof, you may be thinking about challenging it.
When looking for lower property taxes, be on the lookout for scammers offering to do something you can probably do yourself for free.
With almost everybody's home value up this year, the Bexar Appraisal District expects a parade of protests.
"We expect to get somewhere around 80,000, which will be a high watermark for us since 2007," said Bexar chief appraiser Mike Amezquita.
"The years they made the big jumps, we did protest and we did get satisfaction," said homeowner Jelane Lodek.
Back when home values climbed, Jelane and Chuck Lodek did it all themselves.
This year most homeowners can file their appeal online.
"The best thing you can do when you file your appeal is to include your request for your evidence packet," said Amezquita. "I'm required by law to give you all the evidence I intend to introduce at your hearing."
If you do want to hire a service to do the work for you, there are reputable tax consultants. But there are also scams and schemes that tend to show up in your mailbox.
Homeowners should beware offers to file an appeal for an upfront fee, those that look like they're from a government agency, and those that request a certified copy of your property deed or your Social Security number.
The chief appraiser said 80 percent of appeals are settled at the informal hearing. The deadline to file an appeal is June 2.
For a list of recent stories Marilyn Moritz has done, click here.