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Patrick O Connor
Member Since: 20th August 2009
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No of Articles: 12
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Real Estate Law

Getting your Deposit Refunded

22nd November 2010
Ask what you have to do to have your deposit refunded. One of the most common disputes between residents and apartment owners is that the deposits are not returned. Residents believe they met the terms of the lease and are frustrated and angry when the de...
Taxes

Abandonment Study Yields Tax Reduction

16th November 2010
An abandonment study can legitimately generate a windfall of depreciation for the owner of investment or owner-occupied real estate. By increasing depreciation, substantial tax reduction can be effected. An abandonment study is appropriate when it is nece...
Real Estate Law

Investment hypothesis

15th September 2010
Investors usually have a basic premise for making a particular investment. O’Connor and Associates terms this concept the “investment hypothesis”. Evaluating the accuracy of the investment hypothesis early in the acquisition process allows the investor to...
Taxes

Harris County Appraisal District's i-Settle Program

08th September 2010
Overview Harris County Appraisal District's i-Settle program is worth considering. However, for most property owners it is a poor choice. O'Connor & Associates' experience with i-Settle yielded three conclusions: The settlement rate was very low ...
Real Estate Law

Leasing Retail Space - Location Facilities and Future Development

31st August 2010
Parking Research whether the retail space you are considering has adequate parking. Consider both the local Government code and feedback from tenants within the center. Also consider visiting a center four to six times prior to signing a lease. Multiple ...
Taxes

Appealing Your Property Taxes

25th August 2010
How To Request Binding Arbitration Thousands of Texas homeowners will go through the property tax appeal process this year because the appraisal district incorrectly assessed their home's value. Sometimes getting a satisfactory reduction takes some tim...
Taxes

Use the Appraisal District's Information to Reduce Your Property Taxes

12th August 2010
Homeowners are amazed to learn they can obtain a copy of the appraisal district's evidence at a nominal cost. This is referred to as a House Bill 201 package, and is the only information many homeowners use to successfully reduce their property taxes. ...
Taxes

Cost Segregation - Tax Deductions (Tax Rule No.1: Don’t cheat the IRS)

19th July 2010
Tax Rule No.1: Don't cheat the IRS. But that doesn't mean you should cheat yourself. Take every legal tax deduction you can. In addition to the numerous tax deductions the Internal Revenue Service allows, research indicates that most U.S. taxpayers do ...
Taxes

Appealing Your Property Taxes in District Court

08th July 2010
If you disagree with the appraisal district's value or any action of the appraisal district about your property, the Texas Property Tax Code (TPTC) provides several options to appeal your property taxes. Most appraisal district offices will meet with you ...
Taxes

New Home Construction Affects Home Tax Values

04th June 2010
Most people see new home construction in their neighborhood as a good thing. New homes typically help increase the market value of properties, so when someone in an older home goes to sell, they often can ask a higher price than areas without new construc...
Real Estate Law

Leasing Office Space – Part 11 of 23 Funding Tenant Improvements

28th April 2010
Will the Landlord Pay? The landlord is usually willing to fund tenant improvement expenditures provided he is confident the tenant has the financial capacity to pay rent for the term of the lease. For large companies with strong balance sheets, landlor...
Taxes

Texas Business Personal Property Rendition and Taxation

07th January 2010
The Texas Property Tax Code for many years had required owners of business personal property (BPP) to annually render those assets used in a business. Rendering is summarizing to the central appraisal district the ownership and value of the assets. Histor...