AppealSeal vs. Ownwell: DIY vs. Full-Service Property Tax Appeals

If you're looking to lower your California property taxes, you have two basic paths: do it yourself with a tool like AppealSeal, or hire a service like Ownwell to represent you. Both can work—the right choice depends on your priorities around cost, control, and simplicity.

This guide compares the two approaches objectively, then explains why a DIY tool often makes more financial sense for most homeowners.

Quick Summary: AppealSeal vs. Ownwell

Feature	AppealSeal	Ownwell
Service Type	DIY tool (you file)	Full-service representation (they file for you)
Pricing	$100 flat fee	25–35% of savings
Who Files	You	Ownwell becomes your authorized agent
Evidence Gathering	Tool guides you; you gather comps	Ownwell gathers comps
Form Completion	You fill and submit forms	Ownwell completes and submits forms
Hearing Attendance	You (if needed — rare)	Ownwell (if needed)
Control & Transparency	Full visibility and control	You delegate; less visibility into process
Time Investment	Under 30 minutes to prepare and file	Minimal (you sign authorization)
Best For	Homeowners who want to save 100% of savings minus $100	Busy homeowners who prefer to outsource everything

Key Differences

1. Pricing: Flat Fee vs. Percentage of Savings

AppealSeal charges $100 to use the tool—regardless of your savings.

Ownwell charges 25–35% of your annual property tax savings (varies by state; California typically 30–35%).

Cost Example

Imagine your current property tax bill is $15,000/year, and your home's market value dropped, entitling you to a $3,000/year reduction (down to $12,000).

Service	Fee	Your Net Savings (Year 1)
AppealSeal	$100	$2,900
Ownwell (30%)	$900	$2,100
Ownwell (35%)	$1,050	$1,950

You keep an extra $800–$950 by using AppealSeal instead of Ownwell.

For larger reductions, the gap widens. If your annual savings is $5,000, Ownwell's fee would be $1,500–$1,750, compared to AppealSeal's flat $100.

2. Process: DIY Guided Tool vs. Full-Service Representation

AppealSeal (DIY with Guidance)

You use AppealSeal's tool to search your property and generate a market analysis.
The tool identifies comparable sales, calculates adjustments, and shows your estimated January 1 market value.
You review the evidence, download your appeal packet, and file the county form yourself (online or mail).
You attend the hearing (if one is scheduled — see below).

Time: Under 30 minutes total. Skills needed: Ability to read a simple comp grid and submit a county form (no appraisal or legal background required).

Ownwell (Full-Service Representation)

You sign a limited power of attorney authorizing Ownwell to act on your behalf.
Ownwell's team researches comparable sales, prepares evidence, and files the appeal.
Ownwell represents you at any hearing (if scheduled).
You receive updates but have less direct control over the evidence or strategy.

Time: Minimal (you sign the authorization). Skills needed: None—Ownwell does everything.

3. Control and Transparency

With AppealSeal, you see exactly what comparable sales are being used, what adjustments are made, and how the final value is calculated. You decide what to file and when.

With Ownwell, you delegate the entire process. You receive updates, but you don't see the detailed comp analysis or have input on which sales to use or what adjustments to make. The trade-off is convenience.

Do You Actually Have to Go to a Hearing?

In most cases, no.

Appeals boards and assessors often settle cases before a formal hearing through stipulation (an agreed reduction) or withdrawal (assessor concedes and adjusts the roll). According to detailed analysis of San Mateo County's 2023 appeal cycle, out of 1,353 closed appeals:

1,338 cases (98.9%) were resolved without a hearing (through stipulation, withdrawal, or administrative closure).
Only 15 cases (1.1%) proceeded to a formal hearing with a board decision.

While exact figures vary by county and year, the strong majority of appeals—often 96% or more—settle without you ever stepping into a hearing room. This data clearly demonstrates that the hearing most people worry about is statistically very unlikely to occur.

When a hearing is required, it's typically brief (10–15 minutes), informal, and straightforward—you present your evidence, the assessor responds, and the board decides.

Bottom line: The "hearing" that people worry about is statistically unlikely, and even when it happens, it's simpler than most expect.

The Process Is Simpler Than You Think

Property tax appeals sound technical, but the core task is straightforward:

Find 3–4 comparable home sales near yours that closed on or shortly after January 1.
Make small adjustments for differences in size, lot, and condition.
Show the appeals board that your home's market value on January 1 was lower than the assessed value.

Most counties provide a standard form (like California's BOE-305-AH), and the hearing (if it happens) is informal—no lawyers, no courtroom drama. For a detailed walkthrough, see DIY California Property-Tax Appeal: Decline-in-Value (Prop 8).

AppealSeal automates the hardest parts: finding comps, calculating adjustments, and organizing your evidence into a clean packet. You're not doing this from scratch—the tool does the heavy lifting.

When AppealSeal Makes Sense

AppealSeal is ideal if you:

Want to keep 100% of your savings (minus the $100 tool fee).
Are comfortable spending under 30 minutes reviewing evidence and submitting a form.
Want full transparency and control over your appeal.
Are appealing a property with a clear decline in value and accessible comparable sales.

Even if you've never filed an appeal before, AppealSeal's step-by-step guidance makes the process manageable. And because you're unlikely to attend a hearing, the main effort is gathering evidence and completing the form—which the tool helps you do.

When Ownwell Makes Sense

Ownwell is ideal if you:

Prefer to outsource everything, even if it costs 25–35% of your savings.
Don't want to spend any time on the appeal process.
Are comfortable giving up control and visibility into the evidence and strategy.
Are appealing a complex property or feel uncertain about representing yourself (though the process is simpler than most people expect).

Ownwell's convenience has real value for some homeowners—particularly those who are extremely busy or intimidated by the process. But that convenience comes at a significant cost: hundreds or even thousands of dollars in fees that you could keep by using a DIY tool.

Why Pay 30–35% When You Can Pay $100?

Here's the reality:

The appeals process is fundamentally simple: gather comps, make adjustments, file a form.
Hearings are rare (96%+ of cases settle without one).
When hearings do happen, they're informal and brief—not intimidating legal proceedings.
AppealSeal automates the hard parts: finding comps, calculating adjustments, and formatting your evidence.

If you can review a simple comp grid and submit a county form online, you can handle your own appeal. The time investment is minimal (under 30 minutes), and the financial upside is huge.

Let's revisit the example:

Property tax bill: $15,000/year
Annual savings after appeal: $3,000/year
Ownwell fee (30%): $900
AppealSeal fee: $100
Money you keep by using AppealSeal: $800 more in year one alone.

Over multiple years (since appeals can carry forward), that $800+ difference compounds. Why give up hundreds or thousands of dollars for a service that handles a process you can manage yourself in under 30 minutes?

Summary: Which Should You Choose?

Choose AppealSeal if you want to maximize your savings, maintain full control, and are willing to invest under 30 minutes in a straightforward process with step-by-step guidance.
Choose Ownwell if you're willing to pay 25–35% of your savings for the convenience of complete delegation and you prioritize having someone else handle every aspect of the appeal (even though the process is simpler than it sounds).

For most California homeowners with clear market declines, AppealSeal offers the best balance of cost, simplicity, and control. The process is easier than you think, hearings are rare, and you keep nearly all your savings.

Ready to get started? Use AppealSeal to analyze your property and see if you qualify for a reduction. Pay only $100, keep the rest.