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You might like Ownwell if you want to see if you can reduce your property tax bill but don't have the time to go through the process yourself. Ownwell's pricing is fair, and it makes appealing your home's assessed value or filing for property tax exemptions super convenient. But it's only available in a handful of states, and it provides services that homeowners can complete themselves.
Understanding Ownwell
Property Tax Service
Ownwell is a service that can help you reduce the amount you pay in property taxes. It's currently only available in California, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, New York, Texas, and Washington.
How It Works
Ownwell offers both property tax appeals and property tax exemption services.
With its appeals service, Ownwell will appeal your home's assessed value and try to get it reduced on your behalf, ultimately lowering your property tax bill.
To do this, the company says it employs local tax experts who will use local housing market data to see if your home's assessed value appears to be higher than it should be. Then, those experts will do the work of filing an appeal, gathering evidence to support the appeal, and attending any necessary hearings.
Ownwell can also apply for property tax exemptions on your behalf.
Cost Structure
Ownwell charges between 25% and 35% of the amount it helps you save, depending on where you're located. If it isn't able to get you any savings, the service is free. You can input your ZIP code on the company's website to see what the current price is in your area.
Ownwell says its average customer savings is $1,148, which means you could pay between $287 and $402 if you're able to save with this service.
Ownwell Overall Rating
Value: 4 out of 5
Ownwell offers services that homeowners can generally complete without assistance, so if you're comfortable going the DIY route, you're probably better off saving your money.
Filing for property tax exemptions, in particular, should be relatively simple for most homeowners, though the process varies by state. However, if you're looking to appeal your assessed value and you don't want to have to deal with the hassle of gathering evidence and attending a hearing, it may be worth it to you.
Cost: 3.5 out of 5
We found Ownwell's pricing to be similar to other property tax appeal services. You may save money working with Ownwell compared to a local property tax attorney, but be sure to shop around and see what's available to you. We like the fact that Ownwell doesn't charge any upfront fees and only requires you to pay if it's able to save you money.
User Experience: 4.5 out of 5
Ownwell makes it quick and easy to sign up and see how much you could save. Its website is easy to navigate and it only takes a few minutes to start the process.
The one thing we don't like is that, according to its website, you have to opt out if you don't want Ownwell to continue monitoring your property taxes year after year. You will get a notification before Ownwell files an appeal on your behalf, and you can cancel active appeals up to two months before your county's deadline. But if you're worried about remembering to do that each year, you might not like that you're automatically opted in. Remember that if Ownwell is able to reduce your tax bill, you'll owe a percentage of those savings.
Trustworthiness: 5 out of 5
Ownwell has an A+ rating from the Better Business Bureau. A strong BBB grade indicates a company advertises honestly, responds effectively to customer complaints, and is transparent about business practices. Ownwell is not the subject of any recent controversies.
However, Ownwell is still a relatively new company, so there isn't as much data available on its trustworthiness and reliability as there is for companies that have been in business for many years.
Pros of Ownwell
Potential for Significant Savings
Ownwell says it has an 86% success rate in getting customers a tax reduction and that the average customer saves $1,147. If you think you're overpaying on your property taxes, this service could help you save money.
Convenience
If you're interested in appealing your home's assessed value but don't want to go through the process yourself, Ownwell is a convenient alternative. All you have to do is sign up, answer some questions, and let Ownwell's experts and AI do the work.
No Upfront Fees or Costs if You Don't Save
Ownwell only charges you if it's successful in reducing your property tax bill. You won't pay a fee just to get started with the service, and you won't be charged if your tax bill isn't ultimately lowered.
Cons of Ownwell
Savings Aren't Guaranteed
Even with the help of Ownwell, you might ultimately not save any money on your property taxes. Ownwell also notes on its website that in Washington and Georgia, it's possible that your assessed value could increase. However, the company says that its experts won't file an appeal if they think there's a risk that your value could go up.
These Are Things You Can DIY
You don't have to pay a service to appeal your property tax assessment or apply for exemptions. Depending on where you're located, both processes may be relatively easy for individuals to complete on their own. It's worth doing some research to see what the process looks like in your area.
Limited Availability
Ownwell only offers services in California, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, New York, Texas, and Washington. Depending on your county, you may only have access to its tax exemption services.
What Homeowners Are Saying About Ownwell
Business Insider looked at positive and negative customer reviews, online forums, BBB complaints, and other sources to understand what customers think about Ownwell.
Ownwell has many positive customer reviews on its BBB profile and on its Google reviews page. Users generally said the process was easy and fast and resulted in savings on their tax bills.
Ownwell FAQs
How much does Ownwell cost?
If Ownwell is able to reduce your property tax bill, it takes between 25% and 35% of those savings. If you don't save anything with Ownwell, you don't have to pay.
What states does Ownwell operate in?
Ownwell currently only operates in California, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, New York, Texas, and Washington.
Is Ownwell legitimate?
Yes, Ownwell is a legitimate company that can appeal your property tax assessment or file property tax exemptions on your behalf.
Who should use Ownwell?
You might like Ownwell if you believe you're paying more in property taxes than you should be but you don't want to go through the hassle of appealing or applying for exemptions yourself.
What are alternatives to Ownwell?
Alternatives to Ownwell include filing appeals or applying for exemptions yourself or working with another tax appeal service or property tax attorney.
Why You Should Trust Us: How We Rated Ownwell
To review Ownwell, we looked at four main factors: value, cost, user experience, and trustworthiness. We evaluated whether the services Ownwell offers are worth what you pay for them and how Ownwell's costs compare to other similar companies. We also looked at online customer reviews to see what Ownwell users have to say about their experiences and if negative reviews and complaints suggest a larger issue with the company.
Mortgage Reporter
Molly Grace is a mortgage reporter for Business Insider with over six years of experience writing about mortgages and homeownership.ExperienceIn addition to her daily mortgage rate coverage, Molly also writes mortgage lender reviews and educational articles on homebuying and analyzes data and economic trends to give readers actionable and up-to-date information about the housing market.She also tracks affordable mortgage and down payment assistance programs offered throughout the country to keep her readers informed of homebuyer programs available to them.Before Business Insider, Molly was a blog writer for Rocket Companies and helped to create Rocket Mortgage’s Shorty Award-winning podcast Home. Made.Molly is passionate about covering personal finance topics with empathy. Her goal is to make homebuying knowledge more accessible, especially for groups that may think homeownership is out of reach.ExpertiseMolly is an expert in the following topics:
- Mortgages and mortgage lenders
- Home equity
- The housing market
- The economy and the forces that impact mortgage rates
- Budgeting and saving
- Credit
- Insurance
- Retirement savings
EducationMolly earned a bachelor's degree in journalism from Indiana University.She is based in Michigan and has a dog and two cats.
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