That’s considered a wonderful compliment from just about anyone – something to make you proud.

But Grays Harbor County Assessor Paul Easter laughed as he told us that people get upset when he says it. Then they quickly begin pointing out their home’s flaws.

We sat down recently with Paul and grilled him about how and when the value of a home is determined on Grays Harbor. We tried to ask him the questions you might ask but are afraid to. He was so candid, helpful and full of information that this column for the next few weeks will include information he shared with us.

People are concerned about the assessed value of their house for two main reasons:

First, if you’re trying to sell your house you want to have an idea of its value to know how to price it.

Second, the assessed value is used to help determine how much property tax you owe.

Of course when you want to sell your house, you’re hoping that all the work you’ve done on your home, the way you’ve kept it up and the addition of the new kitchen, for instance, will increase its value.

But, if you’re not planning to sell for awhile, you’re probably thinking about tax time and hoping that despite all your hard work and financial investment that the Assessor’s Office will ignore it all.

"The very thing people are thrilled to hear from a realtor, they’re upset to hear from me," Paul said.

But, while determining a home’s value may seem to be the subjective whim of some snoopy assessor, a true and uniform value system is used, hopefully eliminating everything but the facts and creating a level playing field for all.

By state law, the Assessor’s Office must do its best to determine "fair market value." However, Paul says he instructs his staff of 10 appraisers to be conservative in their assessments.

And, sure enough, at the last state audit, houses on Grays Harbor were being sold for more than their assessed value. In fact, the assessed price was an average of 91 percent of the sale price.

After your property has been through this valuation process, each taxing district’s percentages are applied to determine your tax bill.

Instead of being mad at the Assessor’s Office, people should make sure they’re aware of each levy they vote on and how it will affect their tax bill, Paul said. Levies sometimes have more impact on your wallet than any valuation change in your property.

But lately, Paul said, he’s had more and more complaints about the assessed value of people’s homes being too low.

Guess you can’t win as a county assessor!

Determining the assessed value of your home has everything to do with what homes like yours are currently selling for. Whether it is a home, commercial building or raw land, the location, age, square footage and condition are all considered and then compared to recent "arm’s length" sales of similar properties.

If you have a modest, 1950s home, the fact that your new neighbors are building a brand new mansion won’t affect the appraised value of your house. The only thing that will affect it is sale prices of homes similar to yours.

When it’s time for your house to be appraised, an appraiser from the county must go to your house and take a good look. They drive county cars with identification in the back window and carry badges with photos on the outside of their coats.

The appraiser will knock on your door first to let you know that he or she is there. Not only do they have the legal right, they have the legal obligation to come onto your property, so tie up the dog and be nice. The information you provide to the appraisers can help to more accurately reflect the final value.

"We do our best to determine the value without peering through windows," Paul said. And, because so many folks are gone during the day or are too embarrassed to let someone in, they only get inside about 40 percent of the homes on the Harbor.

In Grays Harbor, all homes, property and commercial buildings are re-appraised at least once every four years.

Here’s the schedule:

This year, those living in the Hoquiam, Elma and Montesano school districts will be assessed. The new valuation will affect how much folks pay in taxes in 2001.

In 2001, the Aberdeen, Satsop, McCleary, and Mary M. Knight school districts will be assessed for 2002.

In 2002, the Taholah, Quinault, Wishkah Valley, Ocosta, North River, Cosmopolis and Oakville school districts will be assessed for payment in 2003.

In 2003, the North Beach School District will be assessed for payment in 2004.

In addition to the normal rotation, the County Assessor’s Office looks through building permits throughout the year. During late spring and early summer, any new construction is assessed for significant changes in value to the property, based on the percentage of the project completed.

At Aberdeen Neighborhood Housing Services, we strive to increase the livability of homes on Grays Harbor. Often we hear people saying they’re afraid to keep up their house or make improvements because they’re afraid of an increased tax burden.

So, we just asked Paul straight out, how to avoid a higher assessment while improving one’s home.

He said your assessment won’t go up for individual maintenance and repair items such as putting on a new roof, painting your house, adding new windows, installing new siding, insulating, landscaping your property or adding a new fence.

"However if you did all of those things at one time we’re more apt to take notice," he said.

In the weeks to come, we’ll share about the new remodeling exemption and the senior citizen and disabled persons property tax exemption program Paul told us about, as well as what to do if you disagree with your assessment.

In the meantime, Paul invites those with questions or concerns about their home’s value to call him at (360) 249-4121.

"If we’ve made an error, we’d be happy to fix it. We take pride in making it right by the taxpayers," Paul said.