real estate florida
Understanding Florida Real Estate Taxes
Understanding the real estate tax laws in Florida can be tricky-there are several different factors that can affect the rate at which you’re taxed. The size of your property tax bill depends on two main factors-the assessed value of your property, and the tax rate (expressed as tax dollars paid per thousand dollars of assessed property value) for each local government body in your area which taxes property. For example, the property you purchase may be subject to taxes by the County, the School Board, the City, and various designated district organizations such as the Hospital District and the Water Management District. You will also be affected by whether or not you live in a Community Development District (CDDs)-these have extra tax regulations that will affect how much property tax you pay. There are other considerations, too, such as Homestead Exemptions and the “Save our Homes” amendment, which will limit the amount of property tax you pay.
If you are buying property in Florida, or considering relocating to Tampa, Florida, understanding property tax laws is particularly important, because the amount of property tax that is payable is subject to change once you make the purchase. Property values are reassessed each time a property changes hands, and the assessed value influences how much property tax you pay. As a rule, the assessed value of a property you buy will typically be around 83% of the sale price of the home. Note that with home prices in many areas of Tampa on the rise, it’s particularly important to get as accurate an estimate as possible before buying to avoid any unpleasant surprises in the future.
County Taxes
Your tax rate varies depending on which county you live in, and which part of the county you live in. This is because within a county, certain regions may be incorporated, and other regions may be unincorporated. Those regions which are unincorporated have slightly lower property taxes. For example, unincorporated Tampa regions such as areas within Lutz and New Tampa are subject to slightly lower property taxes than incorporated regions such as the City of Tampa and Temple Terrace.
Community Development District Tax
If you live in a Master Planned Community in Tampa or are considering relocating to one, your property will be subject to Community Development District Tax. Developers use this tax as a means of sharing the cost of land and community development among the individual lots and homes in that community. This tax enables the development of Tampa communities with additional amenities such as parks, community centers and other recreation areas that make these areas attractive and pleasant places to live. These taxes are usually payable for a fixed amount of time-up to twenty years-after which the tax no longer applies. Payment of this tax is tied to the property, not the owner. This means that if you purchase a property in a CDD, you as the new owner will be required to pay the CDD tax. The length of time the tax is payable does not change if the property changes hands. So if, for example, you purchase a ten-year-old property in a community with a twenty-year CDD tax, you’d be paying the bond portion of the tax for another ten years.
If you’re considering purchasing property in such a community, it’s important to find out how much the CCD tax is, and how many years of payment are remaining. Note that CDD taxes vary based on the amenities available in the community, and that there may be other fees associated with the property such as those required to maintain community common areas. If you are the owner of a CDD property you will likely be subject to paying annual fees for the maintenance of common areas even after the bond portion of the tax has been paid in full.
Homestead Exemption
Homestead Exemption allows all Florida homeowners who are legal residents of the state to deduct $25,000 from the assessed value of their primary residence, meaning that the taxable value of primary residences is reduced. There are other exemptions which apply to other groups of residents-these include disability exemptions, exemptions for senior citizens and veterans, and an exemption for those who are legally blind. To be eligible for an exemption in any given year, you must take possession of your home by December 31 and must apply for homestead exemption by March 31st the following year. Exemptions are not granted automatically-you must apply for any exemption you would like to receive, and you are subject to approval based on certain requirements, which depend on the type of exemption you are applying for. If you qualify for a Homestead Exemption, you may also qualify to defer part or all of your property taxes for any given year. For more information, see your tax assessor’s office.
The Florida “Save Our Homes” Amendment
If a homeowner qualifies and applies for Homestead Exemption this guarantees the property’s assessed value cannot rise more than three percent each year. This law is a result of the “Save our Homes” amendment, which states that annual property assessment figures cannot exceed the lower of 3% of the prior year’s assessment, or the percent increase in the Consumer Price Index. This amendment protects existing homeowners, but note that if you purchase property, it will not be protected by “Save our Homes” automatically-when the property changes hands, the assessed value cap is lifted, and you do not qualify for protection until you obtain a Homestead Exemption. However, once you have obtained a Homestead Exemption, you will automatically be protected by the “Save our Homes” amendment.
The “Save our Homes” amendment means it is particularly important that you not rely on existing property tax values if you are considering purchasing any home in Tampa or within all of Florida-a protected home has an artificially low assessed value, and depending on the region in which you purchase and the current real estate market, the assessed value may increase sharply once the property has changed hands.
Florida Real Estate – The Sunshine State
Florida real estate is definitely worth a look if sun and fun is your ticket. Florida real estate, even close to the beach, is a very good deal.
Florida
Florida is a well-known haven for people living through winter storms in the northeast. Sun and warm water are an obviously attraction, but there is much more to Florida. Orlando seems to be one giant theme park with Disney World, while Miami offers entertainment of a distinct adult variety with a legendary nightlife. Throw in the Florida Keys, tons of college and professional sports teams, the Kennedy Space Center and you have a state with a lot to do besides loaf on the beach. Then again, loafing on the beach should never be denigrated!
Miami
Miami is a city that really needs no introduction. With Cuban influences, the city is an explosion of styles, colors and fun loving people. Palm trees are plentiful as are beaches, bars, outdoor cafes and walking streets. When you need a break from the beach, Miami hosts professional sports teams in baseball, basketball, hockey and football. The real key to the area, however, is simply the festive atmosphere and people. Nearly half of the population is Hispanic with a heavy influence appearing throughout the city. Every day is a party in Miami.
Orlando
If Orlando isn’t the capital of theme parks, I feel sorry for the place that is. Orlando is home to no less than Disney World, Universal Studios and Sea World. The theme parks are actually located on the edge of the city, which makes Orlando proper a bit bland. Humidity can be a bit of a bear during the summers, but the winter is incredibly nice.
Tampa
Tampa is an underrated city in my opinion. The chief criticisms seem to be it is overly modern and a bit boring. In fact, it is just the opposite. Tampa has a funky cultural feel, particularly in Ybor City where multiple cultures clash in free wheeling fun and you can get a Cuban cigar hand-rolled by a Cuban artist. Museums, art galleries and theme parks abound. The beaches of Clearwater are white, clean and a good place to roast in the sun.
Florida Real Estate
Florida real estate is very reasonably priced considering much of it is so close to an ocean or lake. The average home price in Orlando will run you just above $300,000, roughly the same amount as Tampa. In Miami, prices vary wildly depending on the part of the city you are looking in, but you can expect price ranges from $250,000 to $800,000.
If you want to get in on Florida real estate, now may be an ideal time. For 2005, property in Florida appreciated at a rate of nearly 25 percent!
Real Estate in Florida – Boom or Bust
In the first few years of the real estate boom in Florida, buyers went crazy at the sight of empty houses and plots for sale. Speculators bought under-construction apartments but after 2005 the frenzy subsided. Price undercutting, falling sales and auctioning of properties were as rampant as defaulting on mortgage payments and foreclosures.
While beaches, amusement parks, casinos, nightclubs in their proximity do help make lucrative sales when it comes to real estate purchases, yet buyers today are exercising more caution. For bargain hunters too, the time is right to cash in on a property and cash out eventually once the market heats up. Discounting is prominent where sellers are desperate to get the property off their hands. Massive price cuts in a bid to lure buyers result.
Southwest Florida witnesses prices for properties on golf courses or in their proximity or even closer to the waterfront steadily rising. Conservative architecture on the other hand is being pressurized and prices elsewhere are tumbling fast. Brokers involved in selling existing properties are competing with those selling newer ones and the situation is getting more difficult for the former who have to compete with upgrades and generous incentives of the latter.
While smaller cities in Florida State are faring better than those cities with not much development, they are being spared the impact of the real estate bust. Florida Keys is one area which is witnessing restrictions in new construction because of a shortfall in land available. Naturally investing in residential real estate has also fallen in response. However, there are adequate brokers willing to bet that buyers will have the purchasing power to invest in a spacious second home between Miami and Florida Keys.
In the soft market, conditions are such that there is no saying what kind of properties will be lapped up and what will remain unsold. Property auctions though allowing the sellers to get some returns on their investment are highly unpredictable. If the piece of real estate is at the lower end of the investment hotspot, there is a chance it will get sold, for a buyer can either rent it out or build on it. Speculating on a bigger property has its risks with no knowing of which way the market may turn.
Seeing this, a question that echoes in many minds is how long will this downturn continue? The higher priced and top of the pick real estate properties are queuing up and by the end of 2008 the numbers will increase. Though the purchasing power of the rich has not been affected there is a limit as to the number of residences even the millionaires will want to invest in, in Florida. So where are the buyers?
Some of the key problems of real estate investing in Florida stem from the high property taxes and home insurance premiums which soar post hurricanes. In the event of these being resolved, Florida’s real estate market is all set of witness a second boom. Those of us who have been watching the trends very closely especially in Florida agree that it is just a matter of time.