The values of most Douglas County residential properties can be described in one word: flat.

Nearly 60 percent of the properties have the same value as they had a year ago or have declined slightly, according to the Douglas County Appraiser’s office.

Appraisers finished their annual property reviews Friday. The average residential increase was zero percent.

County Appraiser Marion Johnson had been saying during the past two months that flat or declining values were expected. The county is reflecting the status of the national economy and decline in real estate market.

“Sales aren’t as strong as they were before,” Johnson said, referring to recent years.

Residential property values had risen from 2 percent to 6 percent during the past few years: 2.6 percent in 2007; 5 percent in 2006; 4 percent in 2005; 5 percent in 2004; and 6 percent in 2003.

In 2008, county appraisers reviewed 38,830 residential properties. That includes 23,397 properties that had no sale or building permit issued or classification change. Of those, more than 8,100 properties saw no value change; 4,639 properties saw an increase of from 1 to 3 percent; 442 properties saw increases from 3 percent to 5 percent; and 523 properties increased more than 5 percent.

There was no particular area of the county where properties saw the higher increases, Johnson said.

“There was no pattern,” he said. “In about every neighborhood you have some that go up and some that go down.”

Commercial properties were a different story. Their values went up from 1 percent to 5 percent, depending on the neighborhood, Johnson said. The average increase was 2.5 percent.

Commercial property had been undervalued the past few years, he said. The properties don’t sell as often as residential properties, making it hard to determine values, Johnson said.

Valuation notices will be sent to property owners at the end of this month. Stagnant values do not mean property taxes will remain the same, county officials said. Many factors determine taxes, and county, city and school budgets won’t be prepared until later in the year.