[Aces4]

Originally Posted by golfing eagles

OK, taxes----I lived in central NY
There was no bond, but developers in NY rolled the cost of infrastructure into the home price, so that's a wash. There were no maintenance fees and garbage pick up was included in taxes, but...you had to separate your recyclables and each type was picked up once every 4 weeks, and trash collection was once a week Sales tax was 8%. There were no amenity fees, but then again, no amenities. The nearest "cultural centers" were in Rochester, 60 miles away.
For "all that", I paid over 18K in property taxes. Here, I pay $4600, and my home here is assessed at 200K MORE than my home in NY. Oh, and I forgot, $90 each time it snowed more than 3 inches to plow the driveway---and we averaged 122 inches of snow/year. I'll pass on Milwaukee and stay here

I wasn’t suggesting you move out of The Villages anywhere in my discourse. I agree, if you lived in the middle of podunk NY with no services or features to employ/enjoy and the taxes were outrageous, you should have left sooner rather than later. But Len was comparing Milwaukee taxes to The Villages. One has to question why you would live in such a God- forsaken area for so long. Now if you lived close to New York City, we’d be talking no comparison at all to The Villages. That is one beautiful city.

[Investment Painting Contractors]

Originally Posted by Aces4

That’s like comparing a Lexus to a Yugo, Len. You get far more bang for your dollars in Milwaukee than The Villages after doing an online search. Milwaukee features public transportation, excellent colleges, beautiful Lake Michigan lakefront, fine restaurants that include multicultural cuisine eateries, professional baseball, basketball and hockey teams and a short drive north to Lambeau field. The medical facilities and providers are top notch, fine hotels, beautiful golf courses in and around the city, mixed cultures, art museums, fine theaters, a Riverwalk, great shopping. The list goes on and on but it’s much nicer for it’s tax dollars vs The Villages. One gets what one pays for.

Since I'm retired ang graduated from college over 50 yrs ago, never used public transportation,Lambeau Field was over 2 hrs away that doesn't affect me. Since I lived there I really didn't need the hotels. We have golf all over Florida a lot cheaper and a longer playing season.There are over 12 community, regional,dinner, and professional theaters within a short driving distance of the Villages. We are retired and travel a lot we take the Cruise Connection to the ports,the shuttle to the airport. We are a 2hr drive to St Augustine which has an excellent hotel the Bayfront great places to eat and the Limelight Theater. We are 2 hours from the gulf of Mexico we stay in Dunedin at the Best Western at the Yacht Club, Crab Claws at Frenchie's and a play at the Francis Wilson Theater. I think you get the Idea. On the Tax money and air fare we save, we go to Milwaukee for a couple of weeks (In the SUMMER) we hit the museums & the zoo. Then we spend a few days in Chicago at the Kempton Burnham Hotel downtown no car needed. We hit all the museums, hit some theater and eat our fill. Plus the hotels here during the off season are cheaper than Milwaukee. I always thought that's what retirement was supposed to be. The trouble is most people don't leave the Villages. WE DO Len

[Investment Painting Contractors]

Originally Posted by Aces4

Rather personal question, I don’t live in Milwaukee, never have but I was addressing the post presented that stated taxes were cheaper here in Florida. I was attempting to point out that they should be vs what the citizens here get for their money. We also have the luxury of amenity fees, additional maintenance fees, a bond payment and separate garbage pickup fees. Let’s not forget the 7% sales tax on purchases also. Sumter county taxes are not low when one examines the whole ball of wax.

Enjoy the day, their numbers are all getting shorter for all of us.

How about 7% state tax. On my income Higher utility bills.

[retiredguy123]

Originally Posted by Fastskiguy

What does it take to get this? How low does your income need to be?

Here is the information. The income limit is established each year, but I don't think it has yet been set for 2020. It was about 30K in 2019. Also, I think all 3 counties in The Villages allow the low income exemption.

Local Option Homestead for Persons 65 and Older (Section 196.075 (4)(d), F.S.)
Some city or county governments have enacted a local ordinance allowing an added homestead exemption up to $50,000.

To qualify you must:

Be 65 or older Submit a statement of income (Form DR-501SC) and meet the income limit Have legal or equitable title to a home you make your permanent residence The household income limit is adjusted each year on January 1, according to changes in the consumer price index (CPI). It compares the prior year cost-of-living with the year before.

[Aces4]

Originally Posted by Investment Painting Contractors

How about 7% state tax. On my income Higher utility bills.

Utilities bills can probably be equalized by the garbage fees here. Yes, I agree that we can travel distances here to enjoy different things but given lots of car travel, wouldn’t there also be attractions and cities around Milwaukee that add even more to the list?

The premise here is value for tax dollars. The city you cite, Milwaukee, has much more to offer and value than Sumter county. Therefore, the tax discrepancy. This conversation is not about choosing where one wants to live. It’s about value for tax dollars paid and services for those dollars. Again, one must consider all the extra charges along with the Sumter County tax bill.

[Investment Painting Contractors]

[QUOTE=Aces4;1703700]Utilities bills can probably be equalized by the garbage fees here. Yes, I agree that we can travel distances here to enjoy different things but given lots of car travel, wouldn’t there also be attractions and cities around Milwaukee that add even more to the list?

The premise here is value for tax dollars. The city you cite, Milwaukee, has much more to offer and value than Sumter county. Therefore, the tax discrepancy. This conversation is not about choosing where one wants to live. It’s about value for tax dollars paid and services for those dollars. Again, one must consider all the extra charges along with the Sumter County tax bill]
Our garbage fees were higher, our water bill about the same. There is no value to something unless you use it IE transportation etc. The amount of money you spend on quality of life counts to me. Evidently you're not happy here, or don't use the clubhouses, swimming pools, exercise classes, enjoy the flowers, clean streets, low crime, no snow removal fees, landscaping fees less than 50% what I Paid up North. The amenity's fees are more than fair. I loved Milwaukee it was good for me and business. But I would never make an arbitrary statement about a city and its cost with no first hand knowledge of the city. We all know the Internet is always right.

[Aces4]

[QUOTE=Investment Painting Contractors;1703703]

Originally Posted by Aces4

Utilities bills can probably be equalized by the garbage fees here. Yes, I agree that we can travel distances here to enjoy different things but given lots of car travel, wouldn’t there also be attractions and cities around Milwaukee that add even more to the list?

The premise here is value for tax dollars. The city you cite, Milwaukee, has much more to offer and value than Sumter county. Therefore, the tax discrepancy. This conversation is not about choosing where one wants to live. It’s about value for tax dollars paid and services for those dollars. Again, one must consider all the extra charges along with the Sumter County tax bill]
Our garbage fees were higher, our water bill about the same. There is no value to something unless you use it IE transportation etc. The amount of money you spend on quality of life counts to me. Evidently you're not happy here, or don't use the clubhouses, swimming pools, exercise classes, enjoy the flowers, clean streets, low crime, no snow removal fees, landscaping fees less than 50% what I Paid up North. The amenity's fees are more than fair. I loved Milwaukee it was good for me and business. But I would never make an arbitrary statement about a city and its cost with no first hand knowledge of the city. We all know the Internet is always right.

This discussion was about value for tax dollars. All that is being advised is tax dollars for that city are comparable to Sumter County tax bills. If Sumter County offered the same features as Milwaukee, our tax bills would be that much higher. This has NOTHING to do with where we live and is not knocking The Villages. It is a tax comparison. And you’re right, I don’t use all of the amenities here just like I wouldn’t in Milwaukee if I lived there. I can’t find the major sport complexes and teams or the museums or the public transportation, etc. here. Therefore, the tax level is lower here, that is the only point of this discussion.

[Investment Painting Contractors]

You Win I Give Up I have other things to do today. Enjoy the Villages. Len

[Aces4]

Originally Posted by Investment Painting Contractors

You Win I Give Up I have other things to do today. Enjoy the Villages. Len

You too and I have to give a big thumbs up to your company, they did a beautiful, major paint job for us here. We highly recommend Investment Painting.

[Bogie Shooter]

Now my head hurts from reading these poste.

[Aces4]

Originally Posted by Bogie Shooter

Now my head hurts from reading these poste.

I prescribe a round of golf and a cocktail afterward and you’ll feel much better

[golfing eagles]

Originally Posted by Aces4

I prescribe a round of golf and a cocktail afterward and you’ll feel much better

Agreed

[Dave2000]

Sounds like you don't have a mortgage that has an escrow account to pay your taxes and other things like insurance, so its up to you to put money aside each month to pay it yourself. Even on a lamented income you got budget for it.

[Sailr303]

Since you seem to have come from NY then you never got to pay 2019 taxes in 2020. They would have been paid each quarter until they were complete by the middle of 2019. I thank that Florida is pretty generous in letting us pay at the end of the year rather than the beginning.

[Villagesgal]

If you truly are low income the county offers you an additional exemption, but you have to apply for it.