Property tax exemptions are one of the few ways you can earn substantial savings on your tax bill.

"A lot of exemptions have been carved out now," says Paul Sabatino, an attorney and tax specialist who spent more than 30 years working as legal counsel in Suffolk County government.

State, county, town and village websites all feature lists of property tax exemptions and eligibility requirements. It is possible to qualify for more than one, and that can help residents save hundreds or even thousands of dollars per year. But Sabatino says many residents miss out on those savings, because they don't know about all of the different exemptions that exist.

"I've had people come in my office on more than one occasion where they actually missed out on a couple of years because they just had absolutely no awareness. I mean, they simply didn't know.

"There's the senior citizens exemption based on income, there's a veterans exemption, there's a gold star exemption, there's a first-time homeowner exemption, there's an exemption for green energy infrastructure improvements. There are even ones, I'd forgotten about," Sabatino said.

"That's why you have to ask questions."