Property owners whose assessments changed received a notice earlier this month from Accurate Appraisal, LLC. In the letter that accompanied that notice, it was indicated that “Open Book” was scheduled for Mon., 3/23 and Tues., 3/24 at the Municipal Building. Due to the COVID-19 outbreak and the mandate for social distancing, Accurate will be conducting Open Book by telephone rather than at the Municipal Building. Appointments are being made by clicking on the green button on the top of this page: http://accurateassessor.com/ and selecting Whitewater. Then choose a date and time and enter your personal information. Open Book is an opportunity for property owners to obtain information regarding their assessment, and, if desired, to provide reasons for why they believe their assessment may not be accurate. If you do not have Internet access you may call Accurate Appraisal at 1-800-770-3927 to schedule an appointment.

As you are probably aware, 2019 was a “seller’s market” in many parts of the United States, and Whitewater was no exception. At this time the job of the assessor is to make the best possible estimate as to what a property would have sold for on December 31, 2019. Historically, Accurate Assessor’s estimates have, on average, come very close to actual sales prices. They estimate that “the City will see another 6.5% to 7% increase for residential properties for 2020. Ranches saw the biggest increase, between 8.5% and 10%.”