Guide to Property Assessors Offices - New Jersey

New Jersey appraisers can be an investor's best friend for property information
By Kelly Shetsky

New Jersey property assessors appraise all real and tangible personal property unless its specifically exempted. The valuation is based on 100% of the fair market value. Your property taxes are calculated by multiplying the assessed value of your property by the tax rate.

There is a lot of information to aid your real estate investments at your New Jersey assessor's office, including records of property value, ownership changes for properties, property descriptions and up-to-date maps of property lines. New Jersey assessors will also analyze the cost of building a new property, trends in property sales prices and the average expense for renting property. There are many ways that the information obtained through New Jersey property assessment is useful. Consider the following when dealing with New Jersey assessors:

1. Determine true market value with the help of New Jersey property assessors.

2. Track property market trends by following New Jersey property assessment.

3. Negotiate with the home assessors in NJ to reduce your assessment.

Action Steps

The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Know the ins and outs of NJ property assessment It pays to be a knowledgeable citizen. If you don't understand New Jersey property assessments, quarterly payment deadlines for example, you won't know if the assessment on your land or building is fair.

I recommend: Bankrate.com explains how property assessments are completed; just click on the tab labeled "Property." The State of New Jersey Division of Taxation explains that the state applies an ad valorem tax, which means NJ taxes according to value.

Examine New Jersey property tax records online to determine neighborhood or business values Most NJ property appraisers post tax records in online databases. NJ property tax records are public knowledge so the information is posted on a number of free county websites, along with those you can subscribe to.

I recommend: Skipease lists information about New Jersey property tax assessment as well as specific links to property assessors' offices. Register with Intelius to search New Jersey property assessors for a fee. DirectPass, Searchsystems.net’s online database, allows you to get information from NJ assessors for a rate of $5 per month.

Estimate your taxes based on a similar NJ property assessment If you're buying an investment property that's similar to several others in the area, it's safe to assume that NJ property appraisers will assess your property at an amount comparable to what others will pay. If you feel your assessment is out of proportion, contact New Jersey property assessors to grieve it.

I recommend: Search through NJ tax records by entering the county, district and location. Get property tax information by simply typing in your neighbor's address or the address of an investment property into Assessor Links USA’s search tool--a free New Jersey property assessment database. Cape May County Board of Taxation and Atlantic County Government explain how to file a property tax appeal.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

If you can't find online property tax records, New Jersey appraisers are available over the phone or in person. Contact them to set up an appointment.