Quote:
Originally Posted by Florida Fan
Since 2005, my property taxes have gone DOWN $414. Yet people find so much to be negative about. I don't have time for that.
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That is really amazing ! Not jealous or snide, I just wish I knew how you do that ! ? Ours have gone up every year since we built, around 2003. Never enclosed the lanai, or built a pool or put on an extra garage for the golf cart like some say NOT to do due to the tax shock they received. We just assumed it goes up a $100 or $150 every year because the value of the house raises ? Maybe you're not in Sumter co, which we are. Just talked with relatives who retired to the Villages at Hot Springs Arkansas. They bought a beautiful home on one of the golf courses 4 years ago, their property taxes are $861.00 a year. They think their groceries are also very high, particularly meat, but they do the bulk of their buying at Walmart, and only fill in with the other chains (They don't have Publix, she does miss Publix). Otherwise, their fees for amenities is $68 a month. They do not have as many golf courses as we do, but, they don't have nearly as many people using them either, easy to get a time one one of the courses. Higher percentage are retired full time, not as much snowbird activity as we have, but they did have a dusting of snow a couple times. They retired from Michigan, to the "dusting of light snow" was no turn off for them, LOL ! The climate is mild, but it does get cold. They really enjoy that they have both indoor and outdoor pools and really nice club houses and "beaches" on the shores of several lakes. They do have to travel further to the rec centers, marinas, pools, etc. They do not have a pool for ever group of homes like we have here in each village, but they don't mind at all. Always some trade off where ever you go ! We have Orlando and amusement parks, they love the resort town of Hot Springs and spending time in the "mountains" and huge forest near them. One thing we noticed, on a dollar for dollar basis, the same amount of money does buy a much larger house there with more of the "up-charge" things included (like granite counters, better landscaping, sky light, things like that).