A Travis County check should answer one narrow question before any form is prepared: does the TCAD account show the exemption for the correct owner and year? The statewide dollar amounts are useful context, but the local account and application record are the evidence for one property.
What does TCAD publish?
The Travis Central Appraisal District homestead page says an owner who occupies the home may be able to use the general residence exemption. TCAD accepts applications online, by mail, or at its office. It asks for a completed application and a driver's license or state-issued ID certificate carrying the same address as the property.
How long does TCAD say review can take?
TCAD states that action on an application will occur within 90 days after receipt. If the district concludes that the application does not meet the requirements, it says the owner will receive notice and an opportunity to protest that decision. That published review period belongs in expectations; a private record reader cannot replace it with a faster approval claim.
Which statewide figures apply?
The Texas Comptroller currently lists a $140,000 school-district general residence-homestead exemption and an additional $60,000 school-district exemption for an owner who is 65 or older or disabled when the statute applies. TCAD and the taxing units determine what appears on a specific account.
What can the Reality Contact check provide?
The free check reads one supported county record and replies with what is on file, what the county currently publishes, and which date or document prevents a reliable conclusion. The $19 audit expands that comparison across the supported exemption categories and prepares the county's form fields for owner review. A $49 life-event pack adds the relevant missed-year and life-event forms. The owner signs and files every document.
Where does the operator boundary sit?
This is informational only. Reality Contact, LLC reads public records and county rules. We do not decide eligibility, file forms, represent an owner, or contact the county. The owner signs and files; the county decides. The free read is a real check of one public record. Reality Contact is sampling whether homeowners want this work before buying a longer audit. We reply by email with what the record shows, including a HOLD when the deed or record is not ready for a reliable read. The current source check starts with this published record.