If Larry Ellison conned a tax assessor into hustling $4 million back into his pockets— for that trainwreck, no less— then why can't you scrap for a few grand back on you duplex in the Excelsior? Oh, but you can. If your home is worth less now than it was when you paid for it (and chances are, it is) simply call your local assessor and ask for a do-over— hell, in some counties, assessors are reviewing values whether homeowners request them or not, even calling for across-the-board reductions. Anything to stave off the foreclosure-as-sport mindset of those who are losing on their properties. Should the more informal, D.I.Y. re-assessment process not pan out as planned— read: if you don't recoup the cash you dreamed of— one may move on to a more formal (read: fees, fees, fees) process. Now about San Francisco— Let's get serious: nine our of ten city properties have risen in value in this problem-free city! (Didn't you know?) No All-Team cuts here, people. Saddle up, and ride off into the suburbs.
· Assessors amenable to lowering home values [SF Gate]
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