[Barefoot]

Originally Posted by bogart

Not yet. Sounds like that's a good thing to do. It looks like property taxes are all over the board........some high, some low, some ????? Has anyone challenged? If so, what have been the results?

Please let us know if you challenge your taxes and the result.

We pay higher taxes each year although our home is obviously decreasing in value (bond is paid off).

[Packer Fan]

Originally Posted by RayB

It is amazing what property tax savings there is for being a full time Florida resident. I paid my property tax two months ago and the property tax alone was $872.66 if paid before Dec 3. This is for a Courtyard Villa in Bonita which I purchased in early 2006 for $244,000. This low rate is because of the Florida Homestead Exemption for Fl residents and because of the added tax reduction on homesteads passed last year. I must underscore that this tax is property tax only. If I add the Village district tax, Bonita Spec maint, Bonita bond payment and villages fire district tax the total was $2181.37. Sumter county now has one of the lowest tax rates in the state of Florida. When I lived in Tampa my property tax was $2800 per year. Another great advantage of living in The Villages.

Why would anyone NOT transfer thier residency to Florida when the move to the villages - regardless of if they have a home up north?
Man, in Wisconsin, I pay $6100 on a $300,000 house and 7% state income tax on top of that. When I buy a place in the villages, I plan on keeping a place in Wis (probably sell the house and get a condo), but I will instantly become a Florida resident just to escape the state taxes in Wis.

[Laker14]

Originally Posted by Barefoot

Please let us know if you challenge your taxes and the result.

We pay higher taxes each year although our home is obviously decreasing in value (bond is paid off).

Typically your taxes relate not to the value of your home directly, but to the value of your home RELATIVE to the total value of all of the homes, and the public budget that is paid for by the tax revenue.

yes, the value of your home has decreased, but so has everyone's, yet the community "budget" increases. If your relative value is the same, your taxes increase.

[JohnN]

Packer Fan - I have a homestead exemption on my home "up north".
you can't legally have (I don't believe) two homesteads, you have to choose one.

kayakerNC - I don't really consider the CDD bond as part of the taxes per se.
But it's all part of the total cost. Thanks for that info.

[KayakerNC]

Originally Posted by JohnN

**snip**kayakerNC - I don't really consider the CDD bond as part of the taxes per se. But it's all part of the total cost. Thanks for that info.

All escrow items, and since there is no specific line for the Bond or the DDA on the Good Faith Estimate, I guess they had to put it somewhere. Since the bank name has to be typed in, I assume it is a generic bank form.
Just a little confusing if you haven't dealt with Bonds and Development District Assessments. It had me going for awhile.

[JanetandCarol]

I bought in Jan of 2007 and the property tax was $3760. For this year, it is $3808. Our homeowners insurance went from $587 to $602. Everything goes up. I suppose it would decrease if I would homestead. The property taxes in NYstate are a lot more. Good luck, Janet