For those of you who bought a new house this year, study your tax bill carefully. If the construction of your house was completed this year, you may only be taxed on the land value of your site rather than the full improved value. This results in a much lower tax bill (a nice little bonus) for year one, but, rest assured, next year it will be the full tax bill.

As I suspected the reaction to the tax bill would have much to do with the tax bills you previously had received up North.

Our bill from Ohio is larger than the one in TV but not by much. However, the bond is included on our tax bill in The Villages. We were directed by friends to NOT pay it off, because we would probably want a different house in TV after a while.

Our water bill in Ohio is MUCH more and so is our heat and air, but our house is bigger too.

Not complaining. Just surprised.

There's a form that you need to submit each year to get this tax exemption; the form is available at the Tax Collectors' office (if you're in Sumter Cty, it's at the back of the Sumter Sherriff's Office on Rte 466).

Additional Homestead Exemption for Persons 65 and Older

As provided in Section 196.075, F.S., in accordance with s. 6(f), Art. VII of the State Constitution, the board of county commissioners of any county or the governing authority of any municipality may adopt an ordinance to allow an additional homestead exemption of up to $25,000 for any person who has the legal or equitable title to real estate and maintains thereon the permanent residence of the owner, who has attained age 65, and whose household income does not exceed the current adjusted income limitation in the chart to the right.

This exemption applies only to tax millage levied by the county or city that enacts the exemption, and does not apply to millage of school districts or other taxing authorities.

View the counties and municipalities that have implemented this special tax benefit.

* The percentage changes shown are rounded to the nearest tenth of a percent. The income limitation amounts are based on the unrounded CPI data.
Senior Homestead Exemption
Year

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% Change*

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Adjusted
Income
Limitation

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2009 3.8% $25,873
2008 2.9% $24,916
2007 3.2% $24,214
2006 3.4% $23,463
2005 2.7% $22,693
2004 2.3% $22,096
2003 1.6% $21,599
2002 2.8% $21,259
2001 3.4% $20,680

Our water bill in Fla is 4 times what we pay in the SF Bay Area - and we're in Norcal 4 times as much as Fla! (guess that makes Fla water 16 times more expensive). Half of it is due to the sewer being charged in the water bill in Fla while it is in the property tax bill in Norcal.

Property tax bills are about the same when adjusted for home value differences.


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What is an approx water bill in TV?

I know that south of 466 the irrigation is separate from the potable water.

;)How many times a month would you be showering?;)

Actually a good point considering all the activities that I do. I think I showered about 3 times per day in my last visit in May!

Our water bill is about $75/month (half is for sewer - they base the sewer on water use with no correction for landscape use). Marion County.

I read here a few months back that landscape water cost more per gallon than potable - true?
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We're in Marion County and our October water bill was $15.92 and our Sewer was $25.88. Total about $42.

Looking at our most recent bill yes the cost of irrigation water is higher than potable water, at least it is in Sumter. But I imagine irrigation usage costs will vary according to lot sizes. Example: a patio villa probably uses a lot less irrigation water than our over sized designer home lot, so naturally we would see a higher water bill.