[Jim007]

My wife and I are seriously considering buying into and moving to TV. However, we are having the most difficult time trying to dig up enough information to determine whether we can afford to move here. The initial outlay is not the problem. It is the monthly expense associated with living here. What I need is a pretty good idea of the following expenses, based on say a $230,000. designer home. Please include:

Bond, Amenities Fee, Insurance, Property Tax, Heat/AC, Water/Sewer. If I've missed something importand please include. Thanks much, my wife and I really would like to move here fulltime.

[l2ridehd]

I just recently went through that exercise and came up with the following cost estimates monthly.* I tried to take worst case on everything and based this on input from several other threads.* These are monthly costs to support a 250K home that are ongoing.* Taxes are an estimate, Insurance is an actual quote, Amenties fee may vary a $1 or two either way, others are close estimates. Electric and gas may vary based on the type of home but both together should not exceed $150 a month.* Cable and phone is using just basic cable, high speed broadband and a VOIP phone.* Now I am sure someone will say "I pay less taxes then that" or "my electric is much more" or some other difference.* But if they total up all of these expenses and compare bottom line total most everyone will be close to this. + or - 5%.* This is based on being a snow bird.* However if you live there full time, taxes go down based on homestead exemption and water, gas, and electric go up.* Total is still about the same.* So figure $1000 minimum, $1100 maximum plus your mortgage payment.* I would expect these to increase 3 to 5 % a year, again at the bottom line total.*

Taxes* * * * * * * * * * * * * $500.00
Insurance* * * * * * * * * * * $66.00
Amenties* * * * * * * * * * * $133.00
water trash sewer* * * ** * $70.00
electric* * * * * * * * * * ** * * $75.00
gas* * * * * * * * * * * * * * ** $75.00
cable and phone* * * * * ** $60.00
lawn* * * * * * * * * * * * * ** $50.00
termite* * * * * * * * * * ** * * $30.00

[galady]

Thanks l2ridehd for your detailed breakdown of monthly expenses. We have been planning to move to TV as well and have been attempting to come up with these figures. This site is great for all of us just waiting for the day when we finally arrive.

[Sidney Lanier]

Granted everyone's expenses will vary to a degree, but $500/month for taxes (that is, $6,000/year) on a $250K home? Wow! We haven't been here long enough to see our own tax bill, but I recall the one adjusted at the closing and it wasn't ANYWHERE near that. Am I misssing something?

Sidney, I have numbers based on a $250,000 home and the taxes are estimated at $240.00 per month.

[chuckinca]

I'll second that - Taxes about $250/mo

Take the other half of the taxes estimate off the $1100 and you get about $850/mo
plus mortgage and bond (if applicable).

We just figured my 85 yo mother's annual expenses and it was under $600/mo in a modular in Orange Blossom.

[lm01]

http://www.propertyappraiser.com/

Do some research and look up the property assessment records

you can also look up property tax records to see the actual break down of all the stuff you pay.

Good luck

[SteveFromNY]

Originally Posted by lm01

http://www.propertyappraiser.com/

Do some research and look up the property assessment records

you can also look up property tax records to see the actual break down of all the stuff you pay.

Good luck

There's lots of information at that site, but I don't see where it says what taxes one pays. Am I missing something?

[l2ridehd]

The $500 a month was based on not using the homestead exemption. If you take a 250K home, you will be at about 2.5% as a snowbird and 1.5% living in Florida full time. So 250K X 2.5 % is $6250 or $520 a month. If your there full time it is 250K X 1.5% is $3750 or $312 a month using the full time resident homestead exemption. If your there full time your gas and electric will go up by close to the same amount. The 2.5% and the 1.5% is what every Real Estate agent with MLS and VLS will tell you to expect.

So my original numbers should still be close as stated.

[golfnut]

We're snowbirds (no homestead exemption) and our taxes including the bond and fire assessment et al is $300 month.

[Russ_Boston]

Shhhhh! My brain hurts!

[Hyacinth Bucket]

Hi 12,

Thanks for the break down of expenses if you are full time here, have the homestead vs not having it - in relation to taxes.

Planned to do this research as soon as things settled down here, you just made life easier.

Have a safe trip down.

Hyacinth Bucket

[lm01]

When you find the county (sumter) most likely and the address you want to search, then there are links to property taxes at the bottom of the page. You can drill down to the information on the home.

[Jim007]

I just want to say what a great group of people you are, here at TV. Thanks to all of you who have given some great information. I just wish the village's sales agents were as forthcoming with this same information. However, I'm not going to let that dissuade us from moving down, if it's the right thing for us to do.

[SteveFromNY]

Originally Posted by lm01

When you find the county (sumter) most likely and the address you want to search, then there are links to property taxes at the bottom of the page. You can drill down to the information on the home.

Thanks - I did the drill down and found out what I paid last year! Almost $4500 for my taxes and the bond.