Definition of "Assessment ratio"

Myrna  Strain real estate agent

Written by

Myrna Strainelite badge icon

Watson Realty Corp

When a real estate owner wants to know what their property tax liability is, they calculate the assessment ratio for their property. An assessment ration is a relationship between a real estate's assessed valuation and its market value. In order to know what is the assessment ratio for any personal property or real estate, a homeowner needs to learn what the assessed value of the property is and its market value. In order to discover a property’s assessment ratio, one needs to divide the assessed value of the property by the asking price of the property. The assessment ratio is rarely at 100%, as the two values rarely match. So let’s see how the assessment ratio works.

How does the assessment ratio work?

As mentioned above, the math to discover the property’s assessment ratio is relatively simple. Getting the two values can be slightly trickier. 

Firstly, you need to know that the assessed value is a value that the authorities, in this case, a government assessor, sets for the property annually to calculate the annual property tax of the owner. In order to calculate the assessed value of a property, the assessor needs the property’s market value, which is multiplied by the assessment rate. The assessment rate is set at the district or county level.

The second element of the equation is the market value of the property. That is relatively straightforward as it is the actual price of the property if it were put on the market. For this, one needs to consider the supply and demand present on the market at that time, the structure of the real estate, materials used, aesthetics, etc. 

The difference between a property’s market value and its assessed value gives homeowners a good understanding of the market’s current condition, discouraged or promising. If the two values are equal or close to being, then the market is promising; if the values are distant, the market is discouraged.

The formula for the assessment ratio is: 

Market Value/Assessed Value = Assessment Ratio%

image of a real estate dictionary page

Have a question or comment?

We're here to help.

*** Your email address will remain confidential.
 

 

Popular Real Estate Terms

A judgment of a court issued as a final order after hearing all the evidence and material directly related to some matter before its consideration. A final degree considers al the rights to ...

What does inchoate refer to generally? The term inchoate is a formal word that can describe many things in various fields of life. An inchoate act defines something at an early stage, ...

The quality of life enjoyed by a person depending on factors such as spendable income, housing conditions, health and education. ...

Listing Agreement A.K.A. Listing is basically a contract allowing a real estate agent or broker to list a home for sale and act as the home seller agent representing his/her interests ...

Process determining an individual's financial ability to meet the terms of a loan. When selling real estate, the sales broker must qualify the buyer to make certain he/ she has the ...

The willingness of a lender to give a mortgage to a mortgagor. A mortgage commitment will give a time period the mortgage will be given and an indication of the interest rate to be charged ...

A zero lot line is a term in residential real estate that refers to houses that are either very close to or at the edge of the property line. These houses are also called zero lot line ...

The government under emminent domain takes Way to determine how much to pay an owner whose property before-and-after method. ...

Also called all inclusive trust deed (AITD). A mortgage (trust deed) that encompasses existing mortgages and is subordinate to them. The existing mortgages stay on the property and the new ...

Popular Real Estate Questions