Guide to Property Assessors Offices - Wisconsin

WI assessors files contain a vast amount of information for property investors
By Kelly Shetsky

A Wisconsin property assessment is usually handled by each county separately. The employees of the Wisconsin property tax assessor office go around and check out properties from the outside, taking photos and making notes. While there may not be enough employees to do assessments on an annual basis, they are done fairly regularly.

Wisconsin property assessments will cause the value of your property to increase or decrease. However, assessors aren't just useful when it comes to determining Wisconsin property value. The offices contain a wealth of information including records of property value in Wisconsin, ownership changes for properties, property descriptions and up-to-date maps of property lines.

Property assessors in Wisconsin can help to:

1. Determine if WI property assessment is fair and equitable by comparing similar properties.

2. Use Wisconsin property assessment records to research properties for potential investment opportunities.

3. Compare and contrast similar Wisconsin property records to track property market trends.

Action Steps

The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Familiarize yourself with Wisconsin property assessment law It pays to be knowledgeable. If you don't know anything about how Wisconsin property assessors do their job, you won't have any way of knowing whether your property is assessed fairly.

I recommend: Bankrate.com’s tips and tools on property tax explains how the state uses equalized values when assessing properties. Just select the “Property" tab to help you understand what you're researching. Wisconsin Department of Revenue is a great resource for information on WI property value. Dane County, like other counties, gives a general 101 on Wisconsin property assessment procedures. Get the details on the Homestead Tax Credit, too, because it can save you money on your property taxes.

Search a WI property value by using online records and tools Wisconsin assessors make it a whole lot easier to search through records because most post them in free online databases. You can also subscribe to specific tax assessment websites as well.

I recommend: Use Assessor Links USA to access property tax information by county Searchsystems.net uses a program called DirectPass to access Wisconsin property tax assessor information. You can become a member by paying $5 a month, which allows you to search by county for tax information. Sign up to use LoopNet to search properties; it's free.

Use similar property value information from Wisconsin assessors to calculate your potential tax If the property you're buying is similar to other properties nearby, it's safe to assume that you'll be paying similar property taxes. It pays to check out comparable properties to get an idea of what you'll be paying, though. Remember that WI assessors make their assessments based on the exterior of the structure, so pick properties that look similar to yours.

I recommend: Go directly to your county's assessment website. Manitowoc County lists property assessments by parcel number or street address. Counties like Adams County, Wisconsin Land Records System post their information online as well. Search land parcels by street address. Portico links you to all the assessors offices in the state of Wisconsin.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

Contact your Wisconsin property assessor's office if you have questions. They are there to help you out and explain how the system works.