DALLAS—According to recent research from RETC, a real estate tax consulting firm based in Dallas, Austin and Houston appraisal districts were much more aggressive than Dallas this year. Based on data from RETC's clients, Houston property taxes increased by more than 11 percent, Austin more than 14 and Dallas only six percent -- all of which came as a surprise since Dallas has lagged in property tax increases the past few years and Dallas property owners were anticipating a big increase in 2014. David Martinez, RETC property tax director, recently spoke with GlobeSt.com's Anna Caplan about his firm's findings.

GlobeSt.com: What did valuations look like in 2014 across the major markets in Texas?

Martinez: Property values increased by nearly 12 percent in all major markets in 2014. The hospitality and multifamily industries saw the largest increases when compared to other industries, due to improving market conditions across the state. The sale transactions in these industries have justified the compression of the cap rates resulting in larger values.