Gary Veach

Appeal your 2009 Florida Real Estate Taxes

09-07-09

If you live in Florida and own real estate, you have just recently received your 2009 "Notice of Proposed Property Taxes", commonly referred to as the TRIM (Truth in Millage Notice) notice.

The important information is at the bottom of the notice. That is where you will find the Market Value, the Assessed Value, and most important;

information about your right to appeal the assessed market value
who to contact to appeal (address and phone number)
the date by which you MUST file an appeal (you only have a few weeks!)

So... how do you know if your value is too low or if you should appeal? Ask yourself these questions;

Did you buy in 2009 and pay less than the "assessed market value"?
Is the "market value" more that you could sell your house for?
Does your house need repairs or have deferred maintenance?
Do external factors diminish the value?

If you can answer "yes" to any of these questions then you should consider an appeal to reduce your property tax bill.

One thing to keep in mind is that properties are valued by the property appraiser as of JANUARY 1st of the current tax year. So you need to provide evidence (photographs, comparable sales, written repair estimates, an appraisal, etc.) that supports your lower value estimate as of January 1st.

Here are the steps to lower your property taxes;

Assemble your evidence to support your lower value estimate
Request an informal hearing with the property appraiser
If informal meeting does not result in a WRITTEN agreement to lower your valuation, file your appeal with the Value Adjustment Board.
Schedule your hearing with the Value Adjustment Board.
Attend your hearing, present your case and win!

You may be thinking that this will take some work and time, so is it worth it?

Consider this, if your property was assessed $20,000 too high and your millage rates was $25 per $1,000 of assessed value, a successful appeal could save you $500. If you have more than one property, the savings can really add up!

Go to the links below to familiarize yourself with the law so that you can understand how the process works and beat the property appraiser;

Florida Statute 193.011

Florida Statute 194.011

If you have more than one property, you may want to hire a professional to represent you. Call me if you need a referral.

That's all for now!

Your "glad the kids are back in school" Realtor,

Gary Veach (813) 677-4566

Realtor, ABR, ePRO, GRI

RE/MAX South Shore Realty, 10445 Gibsonton Dr, Riverview, FL 33578

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Gary Veach
RE/MAX South Shore Realty

Gary Veach: Real Estate Agent in Riverview, FL

Office: (813) 677-4566

Gary's Bio

I have always been interested in real estate. My father built houses and I worked on job sites with remodeling and construction contractors as a teenager.

My career took a different path after college and I spent many years in optical retailing management. That experience taught me production efficiency, team building, customer service and how to manage a business. It was a great environment for me and a tremendous learning experience.

My ultimate goal was to have my own business and my next step was to work in direct sales. I spent the next several years as an insurance agent and financial planner. I learned to ask the right questions and became an effective listener so that I could make recommendations that met my clients' needs and goals.

The real estate investing bug bit me in the late 90's and I started buying and rehabbing houses in Tampa. Around the same time, I went into the mortgage business as a loan officer.

As my mortgage clientele grew, I often had clients call me to help them or their friends to buy or sell real estate or answer real estate related questions. All I could do was refer them to an agent which didn't always work out for my clients.

This happened often enough that I decided to go to real estate school in 2003 and get my Florida real estate license. This had always been my dream and the time and circumstances were finally right. I could now provide my clients the quality of real estate service that they expected and deserved.

As a Realtor, I have been able to use my life and work experiences to benefit my clients and their families.

There is tremendous satisfaction when I see nervous excitement of a first-time homeowner as they get the keys to their first home, or the thrill and relief of the growing family moving into that bigger home in the better school district.

Real Estate has enabled me to build my own business and further my personal growth. Even more importantly, while representing individuals and families, I have counseled and empowered them to make informed decisions during the home buying and/or selling experience.

And that is what life is all about. People helping people.

Qualifications

I specialize in residential real estate and have represented buyers, sellers and investors. I have advanced my knowledge through obtaining three National Association of Realtor designations;

Accredited Buyer Representative (ABR) - A real estate buyer's representative represents the buyer who is purchasing property in a real estate transaction. The buyer's representative works for, and owes fiduciary responsibilities to, the real estate buyer and has the buyer's best interests in mind throughout the entire real estate process.
Certified Internet Professional (e-PRO) - The e-PRO course teaches professionals the nuts and bolts of working with real estate on-line: Web sites, e-mail, on-line tools, and most of all, what today's consumer really wants. An e-PRO is someone who has recognized and responded to the needs of the new consumer. If you choose an e-PRO, it's a safe bet you'll get the kind of service you want--and need. The result: you get more information, more easily. With electronic files, you have less paperwork to deal with. And since your agent uses e-mail, you can even eliminate phone tag. The e-PRO streamlines your entire transaction, from showing to closing.
Graduate of the Realtor Institute (GRI) - The GRI designation is earned by attending a specific, intensive series of a minimum of 90 hours of classroom instruction, covering a variety of subjects including: contract law, professional standards, sales and marketing, finance, and risk reduction. New technology, laws, procedures and the increasing sophistication of buyers and sellers require real estate practitioners to perform at an ever-increasing level of professionalism.
So it's more important than ever that you work with an agent who has a keen understanding of the real estate business. The GRI program has helped the best and the brightest in the industry achieve that level of understanding.With this designation and through increased awareness of current topics important to the real estate professional, such as legal issues, these REALTORS^®can better serve prospective clients and customers.

Success Stories - (Happy Customers)

"Thank you for your prompt, enthusiastic and professional service. Not only did you save me money, but time better spent doing other things as well! It was a pleasure working with you. Best wishes for continued success."

Lisa Braswell

"I'd like to take this opportunity to thank you for working with Kenny and I ... on two separate occasions. You made the entire process easy, convenient and certainly painless. Your attention to detail and commitment to deadlines made it all possible. I hope that we'll be doing business again in the future..."

Sharon Espinola

"Gary Veach ... patiently walked us through every step and every question, educating us, so that we would have the knowledge then and in the future to make the best financial decisions for our family. He continues to follow up each year to ensure that we are happy and have the most current information possible. We highly recommend Gary, but most importantly we trusted him to handle the most crucial financial decision we had to make then and any we may need to make in the future."

Keith and CanDee Brandon

"We have been homeowners for over twenty years and have never experienced such a friendly process. You are truly a professional! Based on our experience, we would gladly recommend your services. Thanks again!"

McCall and Brenda Carley

"I want to thank you ... for taking the time to explain everything to us. You did such a great job at helping us understand all of the details that sometimes seem quite scary. Such a great job, in fact, I not only recommended you to several of my co-workers but also my parents. Even though my parents were moving to Florida from out of state you managed to handle everything flawlessly and made them feel at ease... My co-workers also commented to me that they were very happy to be working with you. Keep up the good work and I will continue to recommend you to anyone I know ..."

Michele Cuteri