PSA: Check your property’s homestead (and other) exemption status

Like many of you, appraisals are coming in the mail. Mine did. BUT the county claims they also tried to send me my annual Homestead Exemption Status card, but it came back to them via US mail. Bizarre. Because of that, my Homestead was removed! Also bizarre. Deadline to apply is April 30th – there are ways to apply later, but I recommend you go to https://hcad.org/ and look up your property ASAP. Under Exemption Type it should NOT say None… unless of course the property is your rental or vacation home, etc.

What's weird about this is, I've had the exemption with no issue since 2016 and many years before that on my previous home — never needed to reapply. For the first time EVER, last year I WON my property tax protest and received a nice drop! Wondering if this is a coincidence… ? Conspiracy theory, I know.