Property owners in Cameron County got some big help on Tuesday as the tax office held an event to educate homeowners about Homestead Exemption.

First timers had a lot of questions and that's one of the reasons why the event was put together. Close to 150 people showed up for help.

The Cameron County Tax Office says thousands of people aren't claiming their homestead exemption, and they want to make sure they take advantage.

The Cameron County Tax Assessor Collector's Office says more than 12,000 people in the county don't have homestead exemptions.

"That told us, you know what, that's a lot of people still that haven't applied," Cameron County Tax Assessor Collection Tony Yzaguirre said.

Yzaguirre says people are already seeing a lower property tax bill this year after the legislature increased the homestead.

This comes after residents across the Rio Grande Valley saw a major increase in their property value

After applying, residents could see savings between $900-$1,200 on their property bill, depending on the value of the home. 

But first they need to meet some qualifications, like the property needs to be under their own name and they can only have one homestead.

Applications will still need to go through the Cameron County Appraisal Office, but a majority of them get approved. Homeowners will then start to see those savings roll in.

It should take anywhere from 4 to 6 weeks to know if you were approved. If you've been a homeowner for years, you can still qualify for that credit and if you already paid this year's property tax bill without homestead, you can get a refund.

Those who didn't get a chance to make it to the event can still go to any of the 11 tax offices in Cameron County.

Watch the video above for the full story.