Hurricane Season opens this week and Tampa homeowners will begin the annual purchase of flashlights, batteries, canned goods, duct tape and bottled water. Hopefully, we won’t need to use ANY of them and we will escape another Hurricane Season unscathed! So, you have your hurricane “box” stashed in the garage and you THINK you are ready??
Think again…the single, most important thing, that every homeowner should have is a Home Inventory…an itemized list of everything (and it’s value) in your home!
You can read my thoughts on Hurricane Readiness in some of my earlier articles:
What is Storm Surge and How Will it Affect My Home in Tampa?
Moving to Tampa? Do you have questions about Storms, or Insurance? What neighborhoods are “safest” in a storm? Where are the best School Districts? Send me an email!
Visit my Blog at www.RealEstateSizzle.com for the Best Information,from an experienced agent, on the Tampa Real Estate Market, Moving to Tampa, or the Best Places to Live, Work and Play...every day!
THE LATEST NEWS ON THE TAMPA REAL ESTATE MARKET, BUYING A HOME IN TAMPA, AND REAL ESTATE ISSUES AROUND THE WORLD, EVERY DAY, ON THE REAL ESTATE SIZZLE…. The weather in Tampa is perfect for Golf! If you are looking for Real Estate in Tampa, or moving to Tampa, you might consider living in one of Tampa's Golf Communities.
Enjoy some of my previous articles about “Life in a Golf Course Community” in Tampa!
Find the Right Neighborhood in Tampa
Cheval…A Golf Course community in Tampa Hunter’s Green
Westchase…A Little Something for Everyone
Looking for Real Estate in Tampa or information about the Tampa Real Estate market? Moving to Tampa? Are you looking for assistance in choosing the best neighborhood in Tampa for your lifestyle? Need informations about the schools in Tampa? I can help with your move to any Tampa neighborhood, including: South Tampa, Harbour Island, Davis Islands, Beach Park, Sunset Park, Hyde Park, Channelside, Culbreath Isles, Palma Ceia, Westchase, Waterchase, Odessa, Cheval, Avila, Brandon, Riverview, FishHawk, New Tampa, Tampa Palms, Hunter’s Green, Arbor Greene, Apollo Beach, South Shore, MiraBay, Golf Communities, Waterfront Homes, Luxury Homes in Tampa, Condos in Tampa and International Real Estate…contact me!
Visit my Blog!
It is that time of year when families who are moving to Tampa are looking for the neighborhoods with the highest-rated school districts.
Hillsborough County covers Tampa and the surrounding areas. It is the 8th largest school district in the U.S. and the schools consistently rank among the best in the country. Just released, Hillsborough County 8th graders had the best FCAT (Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test) writing scores in the entire state of Florida!
Three Hillsborough County High Schools: H.B. Plant, Hillsborough High, and King High are among the top 75 High Schools in the U.S.
You can read more about Tampa Schools, and their rankings, in some of my previous articles:
Buying a House in Tampa? Check the School District
What Tampa Neighborhood is Best for You?
Need informations about the schools in Tampa? It is a "Buyer's Market" in Tampa, with plenty of inventory of homes to choose from! I can help with your move to any Tampa neighborhood, including: South Tampa, Harbour Island, Davis Islands, Beach Park, Sunset Park, Hyde Park, Channelside, Culbreath Isles, Palma Ceia, Westchase, Waterchase, Odessa, Cheval, Avila, Brandon, Riverview, FishHawk, New Tampa, Tampa Palms, Hunter’s Green, Arbor Greene, Apollo Beach, South Shore, MiraBay, Golf Communities, Waterfront Homes, Luxury Homes in Tampa, Condos in Tampa and International Real Estate…contact me!
VISIT MY BLOG AT REAL ESTATE SIZZLE
In November, along with electing a new President of the United States, Hillsborough County voters will decide on whether, or not, to create a “County Mayor” position. There has been much confusion about this position, so it is a good idea to “get informed” about the “Facts vs. Myths” …on any subject…before heading to the ballot box.
The County Mayoral position would not be an additional expense to the taxpayers, but it would be a NON-PARTISAN, ELECTED official. It would replace the County Administrator position, which is not an elected position, but is rather, appointed by the County Commission. The County Mayor would “run” the county, but would be accountable to the voters, not to the Commission who appoints him/her. It would be a 4–year term with a “two-term” limit.
This is an opportunity for voters to decide to ELECT an official who must report spending habits to the VOTERS!
Have a look at the County Tax Revenues in the chart above. You can see that the County “overspent” the rate of growth and inflation FIVE FOLD! An elected official would have had to answer to the voters. The County took advantage of the rise in property values, along with the rise in property taxes, during those years and now they are crying about “cuts”. Instead of maintaining a budget in line with population growth and inflation, the County administrator RAISED the county spending to take advantage of the windfall from property tax revenues. These are REAL numbers that the media does not discuss. The County Administrator needs to explain how those dollars were “overspent” vs. reducing property taxes to stay in line with the 16% inflation rate.
Take some time to review the County Mayor proposal on the County Mayor website .My opinion? I want every tax dollar expenditure to be “accountable” to the voters? Don’t You?
It’s time to ask the County, and the media, for the TRUTH. Vote for the County Mayor position…it’s a step in the right direction.
Visit my blog at www.RealEstateSizzle.com
Chart Courtesy of www.CountyMayor.com
The Vote on The Florida Property Tax...Amendment 1...is just days away. The Governor, The Media, The Florida Association of Realtors and many other groups are trying to appease homeowners with a "band-aid" fix to the Florida Property Tax issue. Local Governments are using the "scare tactic" that we will lose our basic services. I am a longtime-homeowner and a Real Estate agent. I am TIRED of the media failing to give Floridians ALL of the facts, so I have spent many months researching this issue and explaining why I am opposed to it. I want REAL tax reform, not a band-aid that perpetuates the problem. This article is VERY long...please take the time to read it and VOTE at the end. I am tired of the pressure from FAR and the Governor's office. It is a self-serving attempt to create a few more real estate sales in a sagging market, but it is NOT the solution to the inequity in the tax system. It further divides "old homebuyers" and "new homebuyers" and I WELCOME any Intelligent comments from agents who believe further discrimination between those groups is the right thing. Please DO NOT tell me you are in favor of it, because it will "pad your wallet" this year with a few sales due to the portability. That makes me sick. And, tells me all I need to know about your "ethics"... !"Focus on "doing the right thing", not "doing the right thing for YOU.
For MONTHS, I have been discussing the ongoing saga of the Property Tax Reform Issue. In my opinion, the latest plan is the WORST yet.
Let's start with the reason we are in this situation in the first place....The "Save Our Homes" amendment...what was intended to keep longtime Florida homeowners from being taxed out of their homes has become a nightmare. The annual 3% cap on assessed property values required by the amendment has kept many property owners "trapped" in their homes, because moving to a smaller home could still raise their tax bill. Neighboring homeowners pay drastically different property tax bills, based on the time they purchased. Recent homebuyers pay the lion's share of the taxes in the state, because of the rise in market values over the past several years. Let's use the correct term for this inequity...DISCRIMINATION. Long-time homeowners are treated differently, and taxed differently, than new homeowners. Let's call it "age discrimination" of the worst kind. The bizarre twist in all of it, is that long-time homeowners really feel "entitled" to "steal" from the recent homebuyers.
If you bought a car in the year 2000, would you expect to still pay "year 2000" prices for gas? Do you expect Verizon to charge you "year 2000" prices for your phone service, while your new neighbor subsidizes your phone bill with "year 2008" rates? It is absolutely ludicrous that this tax system was ever introduced, or allowed to continue.
I'm not sure how anyone could claim that properties with the same market value should not be assessed at the same rate, but therein lies the problem created by the "Save Our Homes" amendment. To further compound the problem, now the latest plan includes "portablility"...the ability to take your "Save Our Homes" capped assessment with you to the next house...That is a great way to perpetuate the problem...but it sounds great to the voters who don't understand the long-term implications. The "old" homeowners get to take their savings with them to a new home and the "new" homeowners continue to subsidize them.
** Again...discrimination...long-time homeowners get all the tax breaks at the expense of new homeowners.** The solution: a much-lowered millage rate AND the elimination of the discriminatory practices in the tax system. Or, "consumption-based" taxes tied to a new sales tax. Low-income residents, young, or old, would benefit. Taxes would be fair and equitable.
The average homeowner will get a $240 tax break with this plan. What they will also get, is the END to any further property tax reform. If this amendment is passed, the deal will be done and the discrimination will continue.
I have said this many times...IF WE VOTE NO, THE PLAN GOES TO THE FLORIDA BUDGET AND TAXATION COMMISSION FOR A NEW PLAN...THEY ARE ALREADY WORKING ON IT...
I would like each of you to think about what happened to the "windfall" of taxes created by the increased property taxes of the past few years. Think about why the local governments are vehemently opposed to cutting property taxes. Think about whether we have had an increase in services, better roads, etc. The answer is NO. From 2001 to the present, our population grew less than 15%, while our tax revenues grew by over 60%, some reports put that number at over 90%. Where did all that revenue go? Answer: Into the benefits packages and increased wages of government workers...well beyond the annual cost of living increase. The local governments took the windfall and SPENT, and SPENT AND SPENT! Now, they are whining about Budget cuts and claiming your services will be cut. They aren't offering to take their benefits packages back to the pre-windfall levels, though. They are just whining. And the media isn't telling the real story about where our tax dollars were spent. Why? The lobbyists...they lobby for the cigarette industry, for the tourism industry, for the counties, for the alcohol industry...Who lobbies for the Property Owners? NO ONE. We have to lobby for ourselves.
We should expect our government officials to exercise fiscal responsibility. They need to follow the example of what a CEO in a private company would do: CUT BACK...eliminate benefits, freeze wages, get government workers to understand they are not "entitled" to anything that the tax revenues cannot provide. How many employees would choose to leave for a career in private industry where they would be subject to the "real world" of budgets. Not many. Services would not be cut, but the government would learn to operate more efficiently. We need to review our leaders fiscal responsibility before every election!
I AM in favor of meaningful Property Tax Reform...one that benefits all property owners. I AM in favor of spreading the tax burden across all Floridians, and all of those who visit this State and enjoy it's benefits without sharing in it's burden. I just returned from a week in Las Vegas, where I attended two Real Estate conferences. I was "floored" by the high taxes on everything related to the hotel and restaurant industries. Florida, and the lure of Disney and the beaches, is not dissimilar, but our taxes related to tourism are far less. I AM in favor of more consumption taxes: hotels, alcohol, cigarettes, sales taxes. I AM in favor of little or No Property Tax, with an increase in consumption taxes. Non-homestead property owners should pay property taxes, but at significantly lowered rates. With an increase in sales taxes (which are tax deductible on your Federal Tax return) those who buy more services and goods, would pay more in taxes. More disposable income would create more spending and more tax revenue. Home ownership would be affordable, not a financial burden. The elderly would not be taxed out of their homes.
That, in a nutshell...is my solution. I am Voting "NO" on January 29th, because this plan is not the long-term solution for a better Florida. Less Government...less taxes...that is the solution. No one is "entitled" to anything, and all property owners are equal. What do you think? Leave me a comment .
Here is the latest proposal from Florida Speaker of the House, Marco Rubio...what do you think? It's MUCH better than the plan that is up for a vote...
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Your Best Source for any Relocation to Tampa, or anywhere in the World! www.RealEstateSizzle.com A 14-year veteran on the Tampa Real Estate scene, with a CIPS designation,and member of FIABCI.,
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