TCJA visit the IRS at https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/tax- cuts-and-jobs-act-a-comparison-for-businesses. • Texas Disabled Veteran tax reduction. If you have a 10% or more VA disability rating, you qualify for reduced property taxes. Additionally, Tax Code Section 11.131 provides an exemption of the total appraised value of the residence homestead of Texas veterans awarded 100% compensation from the VA due to a 100% disability rating or determination of individual unemployability by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. For more information on specific percentages, visit: https://comptroller.texas.gov/taxes/property-tax/ exemptions/disabledvet-faq.php. Ownership rights and creative freedom. Your decorating and home-improvement choices are just that — yours, provided they don’t break building codes or violate homeowners’ association rules. You can paint walls any which way, add fixtures, update or finish your basement, or build a patio or deck. Changing your environment to suit whims is a freeing aspect of homeownership. A sense of belonging to the community. Homeowners tend to stay in homes for longer than renters and are more likely to grow roots. They might join a neighborhood association, volunteer at a nearby community center, join a school group, or align with a business improvement district. Renters might not do any of those things, particularly if they know their lease is up in a year and they might move. There’s an intangible pleasant feeling attached to owning your own house — a sense of freedom and independence. The home you live in belongs to you, and you can do what you want with it. You aren’t daunted about increases in rent or losing the lease. You’re free to make improvements and changes. Also, owning your home gives your children the guarantee of attending the schools in the area on a more
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