Dave Dunivan is head of the Mat-Su Borough Division of Assessment. He said the borough is required to assess each property at full market value, and values have been steady over the past three years.
But when you have to valuate more than 37,000 properties each year, there are bound to be some inaccuracies, he said.
 ROBERT DeBERRY/Frontiersman file photo Mat-Su Borough property values remained flat for another year according to head of the Mat-Su Borough Division of Assessment, Dave Dunivan. The borough is responsible for assessing more than 37,000 properties each year. |
Then, assessors look at different neighborhoods. Dunivan said they see how property values have maintained inside one specific subdivision, for example, and if something has influenced prices there.
The borough assessors do not enter any house. This means they rarely find out about remodels or upgrades to the finishes until a house sells, Dunivan said.
However, assessors do drive around certain areas checking for additions or changes to the outside of a house that may affect its value.
In areas off the road system, Dunivan said assessors use a combination of planes, boats and off-road vehicles to spot check properties.
Dunivan said it is the responsibility of the homeowner to notify the borough of any changes to the property. But, he is also realistic.
“Typically, that is not done,” Dunivan said.
When assessors do find out an improvement has been made, Dunivan said owners are not liable for past years when the improvements may not have been included in an assessment.
Once the borough assesses a property value, notification cards are sent out to owners at the end of February, who have until March 30 to file an appeal.
Dunivan said owners who appeal will typically meet with assessors and are more than welcome to get private appraisals for comparison.
Rob Tracy is a certified appraiser and owner of Tracy and Associates. He said his company did hundreds of private appraisals last year taking into consideration the size of a home, its special features, its lot and any necessary repairs.
The private company’s process is obviously more intensive than the borough’s, Tracy said, but he said the borough actually does a pretty good job considering the amount of properties it surveys.
“There is a perception they are always low. Perhaps that was true historically,” Tracy said. “They can be right on or even slightly above.”
Dunivan said his department often compares its assessment with the sales price once a property sells.
“Nine times out of 10 we are 5 to 6 percent within the sales price if our data is correct,” Dunivan said.
Contact Todd L. Disher at todd.disher@frontiersman.com or 352-2252.
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