The fastest way to make a decent appeal look sloppy is to attach bad comps.
Nearby does not always mean comparable. Same neighborhood does not always mean same value. Same block does not always mean same property.
If your home is a small bungalow and your comp is a renovated two-story with a huge addition, that comp may hurt you more than it helps.
If your house needs major repairs and the comp sold freshly renovated, say that. If the comp has a different class, size, age, or condition, explain why it still belongs in the set.
The Cook County Board of Review has guidance on presenting a case based on lack of uniformity. That is the lane many homeowners think they are in when they say, "my house is assessed higher than similar homes."
The word "similar" is doing a lot of work.
A useful comp usually has a few things in common:
- same or nearby assessment neighborhood
- similar property class
- similar building size
- similar age or style
- similar condition
- similar lot or unit situation
- no weird sale facts that distort the number
You do not need to sound like a lawyer. You need to sound like a reasonable person who did the homework.
Try this:
"These three homes are the same class, similar size, and within the same assessment neighborhood. Each is assessed lower per square foot than my home. My property also has unrepaired condition issues shown in the attached photos."
That is better than sending a screenshot pile and hoping someone sees the pattern.
The Board of Review's case presentation page is worth reading because it reminds homeowners that evidence has to be organized enough to review.
Your comps are not decoration. They are the argument.
Choose fewer, cleaner comps over a messy stack of maybes. Censum helps homeowners pressure-test that set before weak comparisons drag down the case.