King County tax appraisers have begun the annual process of visiting neighborhoods to inspect properties in-person to set the values.

Appraisers will visit about two dozen areas in the county, including Auburn.

The assessor is required by law to inspect each property in-person at least once every six years, according to a news release from King County Assessor John Wilson. In practice, that means county property appraisers visit in-person about one-sixth of the properties in the county each year to ensure that homes are valued accurately and fairly. This translates to approximately 100,000 property inspections each year.

An inspection is generally an exterior observation for comparison with the property characteristics on file. To accomplish the inspections, assessors may need to enter side or back yards. If additional information is needed, assessor’s staff will first knock on the residence door to speak with a taxpayer if possible. All appraisers carry county ID.

For the 2019 assessment year, appraisers will visit properties through early spring of 2019:

Citizens with questions should contact the assessor’s Public Information Team at 206-296-7300.