Name:   Osms - Subject:   to JOHN C: re: Tallapoosa Property Tax Increase? Date:   3/3/2016 10:50:47 AM

John C.  A review of Emerald Shores appraisals shows that the county seems to jack up values of lot appraisals after improvements are completed and property is sold.  Lot 24 is an example.  Listing price from your website shows an APCo's asking price for the lot of $150,000, and I'm sure the purchaser paid less.  According to the Tallapoosa County tax roll the new owner's lot appraisal is set at $265,000.  Approximately $20,000 in land improvements appraisal should be subtracted from that leaving a raw land value of $245,000 an increase of 63.3% over the documented asking price.  As you know, improvements such as retaining walls, seawalls, boathouses, and structural landscaping are assessed separately from the land assessment, then added to land value.

The county seems to be a year or two behind on posting sales of homes on the site.  Many of the lots are under construction or newly sold so more information will not be available for another year, but I expect the same results as this sample.