COOLEEMEE — With the Davie County 2025 general reappraisal process underway, Cooleemee residents could see their home values and property tax bills rise in the coming year.

The Davie County Tax Administration Department is currently engaged in the 2025 revaluation process. It is the process of updating real property values to reflect current market value and will include the assessment of more than 25,000 properties of varying types and locations throughout the county. It will serve as a market value “snapshot” of real property (as of Jan. 1, 2025) and will include all vacant and improved land, whether residential, commercial, agricultural, or industrial. It does not include personal property such as boats, airplanes, or motor vehicles.

Rowan County conducted the same process, with the results being configured into the tax bills budgeted in 2023. Overall, Rowan County property valuations rose 31.75 percent. The total taxable value increased from $14.2 billion to $18.7 billion.

Meanwhile, nearby Cleveland, which was subject to the same revaluation, did not see that staggering of a jump. Cleveland’s total property valuation increased from $214,300,223 to $228,747,719 after the reassessment, representing an increase of approximately 6.74 percent.

“Reappraisal is always a challenge. The goal is to appraise thousands of properties all at one time, and in a way that is fair and equitable to all property owners,” said Jamon Gaddy, Davie County tax administrator. “We strive to follow established industry standards for mass appraisal, however, we recognize that there will be situations where the mass appraisal approach may produce an estimate of value that seems somewhat high or low for an individual property.”

In an effort to help residents better understand the reappraisal (revaluation) process, the Davie County Tax Administration Department provided the following information to help educate on why the process is required, how it works and how you can work with tax administration throughout this effort that occurs every four years. Property owners also received a copy of this information by mail in their most recent Davie County Tax Notice.

What is general reappraisal (Revaluation)?
General reappraisal is the process of updating real property values to reflect their current market value. We do this by taking a market value “snapshot” as of Jan. 1, 2025. Real property includes all vacant and improved land, whether residential, commercial, agricultural, or industrial. It does not include personal property such as boats, airplanes or motor vehicles.

What “market value” means
Market value is the most probable price a property would bring in an open and competitive market.

Why is this conducted?
Because North Carolina law requires all counties to reappraise real property at least once every eight years. Davie County reappraises once every four years. Our last reappraisal took effect on Jan. 1, 2021. The next reappraisal will become effective Jan. 1, 2025.

Furthermore, over time, property values throughout the county change at different rates. For example, there might be a lot of growth in one area of the county that causes market values to increase faster than in other parts of the county. Since property taxes are based on property values, unequal changes in values mean some property owners pay relatively more, while others pay relatively less. The purpose of the reappraisal is to make sure property values accurately reflect their market value, as the law requires, so that the property tax burden is spread equitably across all taxpayers.

The reappraisal cycle
Davie County shortened its reappraisal cycle from eight years to four. Eight-year cycles tend to create more opportunities for inequities to grow and usually leads to much larger and unpredictable changes to property values. A shorter cycle reduces the chances of this happening and helps make property taxes more equitable, predictable, and manageable.

How does reappraisal work? 
To prepare for the reappraisal, we examine every recorded sale of property in the county. We also review building cost data, income, and expense information from income-producing properties. These approaches help us to develop estimates of market value, using uniform standards, for over 25,000 properties of varying types and locations. Market value is not determined by the tax office; rather, it is determined by the actual activity in the local market. The tax office examines and analyzes market activity to develop formulas for predicting the values of individual properties. In preparation for the 2025 general reappraisal, every improved property in Davie County will be reviewed through a combination of computer-based and field reviews to ensure that the characteristics of that property are reflected accurately in the county tax records. Furthermore, digital photographs are being taken of all residential and commercial properties to ensure that all improvements can be compared consistently and uniformly.

Will your tax bill change?
Not necessarily. The annual tax bill for each property is calculated by multiplying the tax value by the tax rate, which is determined annually by each taxing jurisdiction — the county commissioners, city council, etc. Some tax bills will go up, some will go down, and some will stay about the same.

When will you be notified?
Written notice of the 2025 assessed value will be mailed to all property owners in late January to early February 2025.

What if I disagree with the 2025 appraised value?
If you believe that the 2025 appraised value of your property is not a reasonable estimate of what it could have sold for on January 1, 2025, you have the right to appeal the value. There are often issues other than tax value that concern property owners, such as: The amount of change from the last reappraisal; affordability of the expected taxes; and level of services provided.

While these are all understandable concerns, the only issue the tax office can address is the appraised value.

Remember that the big question here is, “What was the market value of your property on January 1, 2025?”

To view your property record data online:
1. Visit DavieCountyNC.gov.
2. Click on Property Tax.
3. Review the information we have on file for your property. Contact our office to report any discrepancies.

For more information, the Davie County Tax Administration Office is located at 123 South Main Street in Mocksville. They can be reached by phone at 336-753-6140 or email at Tax-Reval@daviecountync.gov.