About Us

ProtestingPropertyTaxes.com is an extension of Austin Real Estate Partners, a full service real estate firm that was founded by Bob and Melinda McKenna and has been serving Austin and Travis County homeowners for almost 20 years.

Austin Real Estate Partners is a trusted resource for clients long after keys are exchanged and moving trucks are gone. Those long term relationships are what led Bob and Melinda to realize property tax assessments often do not match the appraisal or sale value of a home. Time and time again, Bob and Melinda saw clients' tax assessments coming in with values far above the actual sale price. They knew they needed to find an innovative solution and help their clients contest these assessments and pay lower taxes.

Bob and Melinda McKennaBob and Melinda McKenna, founders of Austin Real Estate Partners

However, the options available were either too much work or too much money. Austin Real Estate Partners could offer instruction on how to contest property taxes but that meant busy clients still needed to do the research, find comps, and dispute the appraisal with their district. Alternatively, they could refer clients to costly Property Tax Consultants who would do it all but would also end up taking the bulk of the savings.

Then Bob and Melinda found the technology and team behind ProtestingPropertyTaxes.com. Using the power of machine learning, clients get the detailed research of a high priced property tax appeals agent at the cost of a do-it-yourself solution. ProtestingPropertyTaxes.com's personalized report makes it easy for clients to get a fair tax rate without high commissions or fees.

That technology started with one frustrated homeowner. In 2017 our co-founder, an Ivy-League-trained mathematician, bought his first Austin home — and the Travis County Appraisal District promptly assessed it at 20% above the price he had just paid, within three months of closing. He built a custom analysis to fight the assessment, won, and put the tool online as FreeAustinAssessment.com so neighbors could use it too. When word reached Bob and Melinda's clients, they teamed up to launch ProtestingPropertyTaxes.com in 2019. The same engine — now backed by years of Texas-wide appraisal and sales data — powers every report we generate today.

Ready to look at your own property? Run a free address check, or read up first: how to protest, what evidence wins, 2026 deadlines, pricing, or our FAQ.