By Kendra Raymond The Town of Raymond is currently conducting property tax revaluations and anticipating a steady process while asking for cooperation from residents as they move through the process, which should wrap up during the summer of 2026.
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Town of Raymond property revaluations for the area included in this map are currently underway by KRT Appraisal and the Town of Raymond. The revaluation process for the entire town will stretch into 2026. SUBMITTED PHOTO
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KRT Appraisal of Haverhill, Massachusetts has been contracted to collect data by making a site visit to each property in the Town of Raymond. Employees will measure buildings on each property and perform a quick interior inspection, which allows for accurate determinations of value.
Raymond Assessors Agent Curt Lebel says that things are going smoothly so far. His role is to implement the program as the town moves through the steps.
“Right now, probably for the next five months or so we will be in the data collection phase,” he said. “KRT staff will be visiting every property in town measuring every house through the summer into the fall.”
With over 4,000 properties to visit, Lebel said that KRT staff are focused on working area by area. If property owners are not at home, a letter will be sent to schedule a return visit.
Lebel says that obtaining solid information on each property will allow the town to build a valuation model for the appraisal process. Currently, KRT staff members are visiting homes in the Mill and Main Street neighborhoods as well as the first part of Webbs Mills Road.
KRT continues to send out batches of post cards for various neighborhoods. Once you receive a card, you can plan on a visit within the next 60 days. KRT employees are working through a methodical process street by street. Unfortunately, homeowners are not able to pre-schedule appointments. If the property owner is not home, a letter will be sent requesting an interior inspection appointment.
Property owners can be reassured that KRT personnel will clearly identify themselves with name badges and signage on their vehicle, Lebel said. They will also present a letter from the Raymond Contract Assessor and Raymond’s Town Manager.
So far, Lebel says that the data collection has been sporadic, but residents are becoming more aware of the visits.
“Overall, residents know what is going on. Most of our feedback will be later in the process,” he said. “Right now, like a lot of towns, our average assessment is 40 to 50 percent of the market value. Valuations can double but there could be a corresponding decrease in the tax rate."
The KRT Appraisal in Raymond website provides the following FAQs:
What is a Full Revaluation? The Town of Raymond has hired KRT Appraisal (KRT) to complete a Full Revaluation. According to Maine Revenue Service, “Revaluation” means the development of new property valuations by a firm through the introduction of new grading and pricing schedules, the updating of existing grading and pricing schedules, or the maintenance of an existing valuation system.
A “Full Revaluation” includes measuring and listing all properties to verify existing assessment data. The end goal is for assessments to be adjusted to reflect market value as of April 1, 2026. This creates equity and ensures a fair distribution of the tax burden across all property owners. The last Revaluation was implemented in 2005.
Stages of a Full Revaluation KRT will be updating existing grading and pricing schedules for property valuations and maintaining the existing valuation system by performing a Full Revaluation of assessment values. To accomplish this, KRT will complete five phases: (1) Data Collection, (2) Sales Review and Validation, (3) Market Analysis/Valuation, (4) Field Review, and (5) Informal Hearings. During these phases, many tasks will be completed to ensure the Full Revaluation is successful. Below is a general outline and explanation of each phase of the project.
Phase 1: Data Collection The first phase, Data Collection of all property, began in February 2025. During this phase "Data Collectors" go to each property in the Town to measure the exterior of each building and attempt to inspect the interior if the owner is available at the time of the visit. These Data Collectors note the buildings’ location, size, age, quality of construction, improvements, topography, utilities, and numerous other characteristics both inside and out. They may also ask the homeowner a few questions regarding the property. To confirm that a home was inspected, the homeowner is asked to sign a data collection form. The data collected is subject to verification by the Town Assessor and a KRT Supervisor. KRT Field Representatives will carry Picture IDs, Municipal Letters of Introduction, and have their vehicles listed with both the Assessor’s Office and the Cumberland County Sheriff’s Department.
Prior to starting the data collection in your area, a postcard will be mailed to each property as notification that the property will be visited in the next few weeks. Data Collectors will arrive at your property unannounced shortly after the postcard is mailed and ring the bell and knock on the door. If someone is home, they will explain who they are, with their KRT badge visible, and ask for an interior and exterior inspection. Due to the large volume of properties to be inspected, we are unable to conduct this portion of the project on a pre-scheduled appointment basis.
If no one is home, they will assume it is ok to measure the outside of the building and proceed to do so. A letter will be mailed out towards the end of the project (early spring of 2026) asking for a phone call to schedule an appointment for an interior inspection. The visit from KRT should not take more than 15 minutes from start to finish. Data Collectors will not visit a property posted “No Trespassing.” Posted properties will receive a letter asking for permission to visit the property at a scheduled time convenient for everyone.
Phase 2: Sales Review and Validation During this phase, KRT appraisers will field review each property that sold between April 1, 2024, and March 31, 2026, to verify the information on the property record card for data accuracy. The appraiser will make notes regarding the property location, size, condition, quality of construction, and numerous other characteristics that may affect value. The goal is to gain a clear understanding of what sold and for what price. In conjunction with the Assessing Office, KRT will begin the process of qualifying sales as “arm’s length”. Only sales with market exposure between a willing buyer and willing seller (in other words, an “arm’s length” sale) will be used in the analysis.
Phase 3: Market Analysis/Valuation A variety of resources are used to analyze the real estate market. KRT will be analyzing property sales that occurred between April 1, 2024, and March 31, 2026, to determine which market factors influenced property values. KRT will gather and use information from Maine Multiple Listing Service (MLS), property managers, developers, and local real estate professionals. Once all the data is collected and reviewed for accuracy, the appraiser will determine land values and delineate neighborhoods, which rate the desirability of locations throughout the town as determined by actual market activity.
During this phase, individual characteristics of the buildings are analyzed using information gathered in both Phases 1 and 2. Each property is compared to other comparable properties with similar characteristics. Then the market values of the improvements are added to the land value that was previously determined. This value is the final estimate for each parcel of property, building and land.
Valuation is done using one of the three recognized appraisal methods: Cost Approach, Income Approach and Sales Comparable Approach. Mass appraisal uses a market adjusted cost approach to generate assessments. The income approach will be used for all income producing property and will be reconciled with the market adjusted cost approach.
Phase 4: Field Review Field Review is the method of checking and re-checking both the values that have been determined and the accuracy of the data used. During this phase, properties are viewed in the field by experienced appraisers to ensure that the appraisal methodology established from the sale properties is consistently applied to the entire population of properties within the town.
Phase 5: Informal Hearings Once the Field Review is completed and the values are approved by the Assessor’s Office, a notice stating the proposed value will be mailed to each property owner. The goal is for this phase to be completed in July of 2026. At that time anyone with questions concerning the revaluation process or the value established for their property will have an opportunity to meet with a member of KRT’s staff. After the five phases are completed, all data, files and records used in the revaluation will be turned over to the Assessor’s Office for retention.
Lebel explained the logic behind the property valuations.
“The goals in Maine property valuations are used to apportion property taxes. The total tax includes schools, town, and county budget,” he said. “The values determine who pays what share. Over time, old models become less accurate. The new model better fits the current sales market,” he said. “Some folks will see no change, but some may see increases depending on how the market sees the property. It’s the appropriate sharing of tax with more fairness to distribute it.”
Raymond residents with questions are welcome to contact Lebel at 207-655-4742 to discuss the process.
To keep up to date on the current neighborhoods where data is being collected, or to learn more, visit the KRT website at:
https://www.krtappraisal.com/dist/raymond Visit the Town of Raymond website for additional information or to view the current map at
https://www.raymondmaine.org <