Johnson County home appraisals jump again. Here’s who could see the biggest tax hikes
Johnson County homeowners can expect another jump in property values when they receive appraisal notices in the mail this week — but the county reports that increases aren’t as substantial as in past years.
Appraisal notices went out Monday to about 200,000 residential property owners in the county. Those values help determine what residents pay in property taxes.
Johnson County Appraiser Beau Boisvert said home values have been increasing across the county, due to high demand coupled with the limited housing stock. But this year, most homeowners won’t feel the shock they did in other years, such as 2018, when property values skyrocketed by 15% or more.
“It is trending down a little bit as the market has slowed down,” said Boisvert, who recently replaced Paul Welcome, who retired last year.
About 87% of homeowners will see their county appraisals increase this year, a slight drop from last year. The vast majority of homeowners can expect a bump of 10% or less from the year before.
The county is responsible for appraising property at its fair market value. The reappraisal report released this week shows the highest average increases in home values are in northern Johnson County, especially in cities with a larger inventory of more affordable housing.
Home values in parts of Prairie Village, Roeland Park and Mission rose as much as 10%. Parts of Olathe, Overland Park, Shawnee, Leawood and Lenexa are up 5% to 6%. Other parts of the county reported average increases of less than 5%.
“That indicates that there is not enough inventory out there. But what that does do is increase the value of resales,” Boisvert said. “When a house goes on the market, it becomes a bidding war.”
But now that trend has reached the outer most areas of Johnson County as well. Spring Hill saw the biggest percentage increase in average home values, by more than 14%. De Soto, which had record new home construction last year, is up more than 9%.
In De Soto, the average home sold for $310,000, almost a 19% jump from the year before.
“The inexpensive homes, around $200,000 or less, just don’t exist anymore, especially in urban areas,” Boisvert said. “So what’s left is what is out west. De Soto has some of that there. Then down south by Edgerton is starting to see some growth. But they’re also starting at a lower (home value) to begin with.”
Edgerton reported the lowest average sale price for single-family homes, around $163,000. The highest sale price is in Mission Hills, with homes selling for $1 million, on average. The majority of Johnson County cities saw home sales between $300,000 and $500,000.
Real estate agent Susan Bowers called Johnson County a “volatile market for buyers.”
“This has been going on for around four years now, and it’s not improving. When a house does come on the market, they sell immediately,” Bowers said. “You have to prepare the buyer for the fact that there will be multiple offers. They don’t have time to think about a house overnight or to go back multiple times and look at it.”
While demand has been high for homes under $350,000 for several years, Bowers said buyers are now struggling to find anything under $500,000.
Property owners have until March 25 to file an appeal with the appraiser’s office. Last year, about 6,000 homeowners challenged the county’s appraisal.
The impact of appraisal changes on property tax bills varies depending on the various tax rates throughout the county.
Since Kansas residents continue to face growing property tax bills, the state Senate this week unanimously passed a bill aimed at making it easier for homeowners to fight future property tax hikes. Under the proposal, local government officials would be required to vote on — and notify homeowners of — increases to the amount of property tax revenue collected each year.
