[Larchap49]

Originally Posted by Mrs.Guy

Now that the OP has his answer, I find myself wondering what do people research before buying a house? If anything!
What do people miss the most in their research and was there anything that surprised you?

Yes those taxes were a surprise. I asked more than once. I was given the phony list of expected costs, and had a friend here and that $700.00 maintenance tax was never mentioned. Buyer beware

[rogerrice60]

Originally Posted by retiredguy123

All tax bills have an annual maintenance fee. It is for the cost to maintain the infrastructure that was purchased with the bond money, such as roads, utilities, etc. The bond is for the initial infrastructure purchase and the annual maintenance fee is to maintain it. It is typically about $400 to $500.

Excellent explanation!

[Carol Fiore]

Originally Posted by retiredguy123

This website is a good guide to the cost of living in The Villages.

The Villages - Florida's Friendliest Active Adult 55+ Retirement Community

The Village website:
***Monthly costs will vary considerably depending on the size of a home and its usage as well as the type and size of the homesite it occupies. Costs are subject to change without notice.

Sumter County PA. may be overcharging the Seniors. I just attended a VAB (value adjustment board) hearing and Sumter PA just disclosed they are using your model to determine your taxes. They were using the size of your home at the beginning, but they didn't update the models from The Villages so now larger models are added to your codes causing some Seniors to pay additional taxes every year. The Magistrate made the document public at the hearing. The DH72 Bldg Use code has the largest sq. ft cost. Without more research, all the models might have the same problem.

Since this is now public information. Here is how you can get the information. You email
Hall, Matthew <matthew.hall@sumtercountyfl.gov.

Here are the questions to ask:
1. Square footage price for each DH codes. What models are in these codes?
2. List all the sales for your model for 2021?
3. How do they calculate your effective sq ft rate?
4. Please send me each property record cards for my street.



Here are the models for the Southern homes (DH72C)
DH72C SQ FT WT 2022 rate
BOXWOOD 2104 4 164
BRIDGEPORT 2099 4 164
LIVINGSTON 2104 4 164
HOLLY 2108 4 164
LANTANA 2031 4 164
ORCHID 2087 4 164
ZINNIA 2020 4 164
ISABELLA 2020 4 164
EMMETT 2041 4 164
REDWOOD 2163 4 164

The Northerners DH72B (north of 44) Sq ft rate is $183. Someone who bought their home in 2021, paid $406,000 will be appraised at $496,450 just because of this model. Another person with a different model who paid more (435,000) will be appraised at $431,080. Just because of the model. If you are in this range, you may be paying $700 more a year than your neighbors.

If you find you are being overcharged taxes from your neighbors because of your model, please private message me. If we can gather enough evidence, we may be able to ask for a refund of our tax money.

[Marine1974]

Usually the information is on the realestate listing .

[wamley]

That's because commercial properties are owned y the developers.

[Bogie Shooter]

Originally Posted by wamley

That's because commercial properties are owned y the developers.

What is “that’s”.
Would be helpful if you copied what you are referring to.

[KathyJW]

Thanks for the link to the explanation about our tax bill. It was informative. Now for my question. We have our home taxes escrowed. However if you pay your taxes early, one saves money. I was going to call on Monday, but does First Citizens Bank pay by November 30th or when?

I would like to handle my own escrow, but I don't know if that is allowed until the house is paid off. At least that is how it worked with our original home. Any knowledge would be appreciated.

I enjoy it when people stay positive. So many blessings living here in the USA.
Kathy

[retiredguy123]

Originally Posted by KathyJW

Thanks for the link to the explanation about our tax bill. It was informative. Now for my question. We have our home taxes escrowed. However if you pay your taxes early, one saves money. I was going to call on Monday, but does First Citizens Bank pay by November 30th or when?

I would like to handle my own escrow, but I don't know if that is allowed until the house is paid off. At least that is how it worked with our original home. Any knowledge would be appreciated.

I enjoy it when people stay positive. So many blessings living here in the USA.
Kathy

You can always ask the bank to remove your escrow account and pay your own bills. Do it in writing. The worst that can happen is that they can say no. I did it once many years ago and they were happy to close the escrow account. It doesn't really benefit the bank to require an escrow account for someone who is responsible with payments.

I also asked the bank to accept a cash payment to pay off the entire loan at a discount, but they did not accept my offer, even though they could have used the money to make a higher interest loan than I was paying at the time.

[Bill14564]

Originally Posted by KathyJW

Thanks for the link to the explanation about our tax bill. It was informative. Now for my question. We have our home taxes escrowed. However if you pay your taxes early, one saves money. I was going to call on Monday, but does First Citizens Bank pay by November 30th or when?

I would like to handle my own escrow, but I don't know if that is allowed until the house is paid off. At least that is how it worked with our original home. Any knowledge would be appreciated.

I enjoy it when people stay positive. So many blessings living here in the USA.
Kathy

It has been a long time but typically, you can petition the bank to end escrow when you have around 20% equity in the home. Given how much values have increased this past year, you may be at that point already.

When I had a mortgage at Citizens First here in the Villages I had an issue with a payment out of escrow. For whatever reason they cut the check to the insurance company late and I was concerned it would not arrive in time. I had to send a payment to the insurance to make sure it wasn't canceled and then was reimbursed when the escrow check arrived. It only happened once, but it happened.

Getting to the point: Because of the insurance check issue, when property taxes came due I called the bank to make sure they sent *that* check on time. They assured me they would send it in time to get the discount. They did.

I no longer have an escrow account but if I did then I would call the bank and have them tell me if the check had already been issued or when it would be.

[Weiserj]

Originally Posted by Mrs.Guy

Now that the OP has his answer, I find myself wondering what do people research before buying a house? If anything!
What do people miss the most in their research and was there anything that surprised you?

I am amazed at the number of home buyers who know nothing about the bond/maintenance. Of course real estate agents brush over that quick. Some go as far to say the bond has nothing to do with your payment! It’s still something you have to pay and budget for and the balance vs homes that paid off their bond was a huge factor when we bought a pre-owned house.

[bsloan1960]

Originally Posted by Mrfriendly

On my most recent tax bill I have a non-ad valorem assessment I don't understand. Its now Saturday and tax office not open and can't wait till Monday to find out what the line item: 735A Unit 135-Maintenance of $472.70 is? I'm in Hadley and guessing something got fixed in my village? Anybody know? thank you.
Peace

We just paid our first ever tax bill for out Villages property. It was for a couple of hundred dollars. There was no line item for Maintenance or for anything else- just the tax bill. Did I miss something?

[retiredguy123]

Originally Posted by bsloan1960

We just paid our first ever tax bill for out Villages property. It was for a couple of hundred dollars. There was no line item for Maintenance or for anything else- just the tax bill. Did I miss something?

Was this the annual tax bill from the county (Lake, Sumter, or Marion), or a prorated bill from someone else? The county bill will have a line item for maintenance in the non-advalorem section.

[Jokomo]

Originally Posted by Annie66

I missed the clause in my covenants that I could not have any farm animals on property. What a downer. I was so hoping to have a few pigs, sheep, aardvarks and buffalos.

Call them religious icons (Hindu maybe?) and you’re good to go. Maybe.

[Rainger99]

Originally Posted by bsloan1960

We just paid our first ever tax bill for out Villages property. It was for a couple of hundred dollars. There was no line item for Maintenance or for anything else- just the tax bill. Did I miss something?

Was it the first year on a new house? If so, you just paid taxes on the value of the land - but you should also have paid the bond and the maintenance. Go online and look at your bill. My Ad Valorem Taxes first year were about $500 but I also had the bond and maintenance which Non-Ad Valorem Assessments. This was about $1500.

Go to this website and put your name in the search box.

Property Tax Search - TaxSys - Sumter County Tax Collector

[retiredguy123]

Originally Posted by Rainger99

Was it the first year on a new house? If so, you just paid taxes on the value of the land - but you should also have paid the bond and the maintenance. Go online and look at your bill. My Ad Valorem Taxes first year were about $500 but I also had the bond and maintenance which Non-Ad Valorem Assessments. This was about $1500.

Go to this website and put your name in the search box.

Property Tax Search - TaxSys - Sumter County Tax Collector

How do you know it was Sumter County? Also, I don't think the county issues partial tax bills. They only issue one annual bill to the owner of the property on January 1. It is up to the buyer and seller to prorate the tax bill between themselves, based on the closing date. So, I doubt that the bill the poster paid came from the county.