Florida Legislative Update on the Property Tax Issue

April 26 • 10:30 P.M.
Tie breaker? With the Florida House and Senate at an impasse over the best way to provide immediate property tax relief to thousands of Florida homeowners, Gov. Charlie Crist today announced a plan he considers a reasonable compromise. His four-part program includes rolling back local property taxes for 2003 levels, with an allowance for inflation and population growth; doubling the homestead exemption to $50,000; Save Our Homes portability; a 25% property tax exemption for first-time homebuyers; and a $25,000 exemption in taxes for business equipment and other tangible personal property for businesses.

“This plan would provide immediate relief to both those who are barred from the American dream of owning their first home and those current homeowners who feel unable to move and trapped by skyrocketing property taxes,”

Governor Crist said in a press conference this afternoon. “By providing immediate relief now along with a plan for future reductions, we can reverse the trend of high property taxes and make living in Florida more affordable.”

Tell lawmakers what property tax reform legislation means to you. With the 60 day session scheduled to conclude next week, legislators need to hear that comprehensive property tax reform for commercial and residential real estate is needed NOW, during the regular session.

The House continues to push for a property tax/sales tax swap but the idea is flatly opposed in the Senate. Governor Charlie Crist recently indicated he does not support a sales tax increase, but wants more relief than what the Senate proposes.

April 25 • 10:30
Try again tomorrow. The Senate came back to the property tax reform conference committee tonight with a new offer: they’ll agree to roll back property rates to 2000-01 levels, but no deal on replacing property taxes on homestead properties with a higher state sales tax. House conferees weren’t impressed and asked the Senate for a “formal” offer. And so it goes.

Check in tomorrow for the latest in the ongoing search for meaningful property tax reform.

April 25 • 3:30 P.M.
No deal. The House and Senate remain at odds over the best way to deliver “doable” and meaningful property tax relief to Floridians. After a raucous conference committee meeting yesterday, each chamber met separately this morning to try to patch together a compromise. FAR lobbyists report little progress after either meeting. House is holding firm on its plan to abolish property taxes on primary homes in favor of a higher sales tax. The Senate wants to roll back property taxes to 2005-06 levels, double the $25,000 homestead exemption for first-time buyers and allow homeowners to transfer a portion of savings they accrue under the Save Our Homes amendment when they buy a new home. The House and Senate Conference Committee meets again at 6 pm.

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Find your Senator or Representative and send a message:
www.FLSenate.gov and www.MyFloridaHouse.gov Tell them we want a roll back in property taxes to 2001 levels, increase the sales tax and eliminate property tax, set limits on local and state spending. MORE property tax relief than currently being discussed! Send a fax! Send an email!

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Bradenton Real Estate

A lot of sellers in today’s market don’t want to paint, clean or fix anything. The assumption is the house down the street sold last year for more money, and that home does not come close to comparing to theirs! Even when an experienced listing agent makes recommendations to the seller — the seller’s refuse to take them to heart. Why? They believe their home and situation is different from everybody else that is selling a home.

They feel they have the best home, or perhaps some aspect of their home that makes them totally unique. In the seller’s mind, they get an exemption from doing the required work.

But this can be the fatal mistake or real estate, failing to see that the home down the street is unique as well. Maybe it has been totally updated with new siding, or new roof.

Buyers will view your home with a critical eye — all the while comparing current pricing and all other real estate in your area. They want to be certain the money they are spending to purchase a property is well spent! They do not want to overpay on a home that still needs work. So if the carpets are dirty and original, the carpet padding has lost it’s resiliency, if there are water stains on the kitchen ceiling, there is rusty water underneath the hot water heater, the paint trim has yellowed, the windows are fogged up, the furnace is gasping, and the home is on the market with none of the needed maintenance taken care of, the buyer will say “Next!”

And then when the buyer does move on, the seller may be thinking that his agent is wasn’t working for him — not holding enough open houses or placing ads and classifieds in magazines. The truth is they were not listening.

Clean and staged homes are important. The buyer needs to be able to envision themselves living in the space. Spending weeks — or months — on the search for their next perfect home has tired the buyer out. They don’t want to see the grimy floors and the minor repairs that they’ll spend week fixing when they move in.

For some quick tips, have your homeowners:
+Mow the yard and weed the flower beds.
+Tone down the color. You love the red, but a neutral tone, such as beige. You are selling the room, not the color.
+Declutter, especially before and open house or a walk-through.
+If they don’t want to clean, hire a maid service for a day. Have them mop and dust and scrub — especially in the kitchen and bathrooms!

So sellers, listen to reasonable advice in the form of wisdom from the experienced agent you have hired to sell your home. Ask for the market statistics to be substantiated. Compare your homes to other homes in your own community “apples to apples!” Then paint, clean, fix, update, and still price your home or real estate competitively!

Source: Realty Times; Jim Crawford

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Bradenton Real Estate

I’m Dan Forbes and I want to be your Realtor and resource for all your Bradenton real estate needs.