Anywhere you move in the U.S. you’ll be dealing with property taxes - and depending on where you move, property taxes can range from reasonable to downright terrifying. Florida doesn’t have a state income tax, so there are many mechanisms to try and make up for some of that money and one of them is a healthy property tax rate. In Florida, property taxes can range from a low of about 1.2% annually of the Assessed Value of your Property to as high as almost 3%.
So Property Taxes are simple right? Why would you need any help? Most people wouldn’t dream of taking on their federal income tax return without some assistance but there is a prevailing assumption amongst many taxpayers that property taxes are simple enough that no help is needed. Here are a few reasons why you might want to consider getting some assistance:
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Compared to other states Florida has very complicated property tax laws. There are many savings available, but you must KNOW about them, properly FILE FOR THEM, and then MONITOR the situation to make sure that you continue to enjoy the savings. Specifically, if you want to minimize your property tax bill then you must understand how the “Homestead Laws” impact your property tax bill, how “Portability” works, be able to evaluate which of the dozens of Property Tax “Exemptions” that you might be eligible for, and know how to keep tabs on the values assigned to your property on the tax rolls for your county.
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It is especially important in Florida to check on your property tax situation THE YEAR BEFORE you are considering selling your home. Many times we can save you right up until the point of the closing, but the chances get smaller the closer you get. Before you list your home for sale it is crucial to check on things because, after the closing, some of the most important and biggest savings get permanently wiped out.
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In Florida, the County Property Appraiser is an elected official, but that does not mean that they take care of the above tasks for you. Since Property Appraisers are politicians, they want you to feel like they are your friends, and they certainly make their best effort to help you when you ask, but if you call them or visit them it’s like dealing with any other governmental agency- the help you receive will depend on how much that staff member wants to help you and how much time they have to do so. Property Appraisers do the best job they can with what they have to work with, but they certainly cannot ensure that every individual taxpayer gets one-on-one assistance and personal attention.
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COMPUTERS, not PEOPLE make the primary valuations of a Florida property’s “market value”. As you might suspect, this opens the door to errors, and you are well-advised to double-check their numbers.
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If you need to make certain filings, deal with late filings, or deal with obtaining an adjustment of the County Property Appraiser’s valuations of your property the process can be a bit daunting for most people. The process is the same for all 67 counties, and you must follow the procedures prescribed by the Florida Dept. of Revenue. There are hard deadlines, specific forms and filing procedures, evidentiary requirements, and like anything, it helps to have done it a few times before!
We believe that any taxpayer, if they are willing to put in the time and work, can figure out how to maximize their property tax savings. The question is, “IS THERE AN EASY AND AFFORDABLE OPTION TO HAVE SOMEONE HANDLE THIS FOR ME?”
The Answer is Yes. Florida Homestead Check was founded by a Florida Real Estate Attorney after he saw person-after-person losing money on their property taxes at closing. There always seemed to be a misperception by the homeowners that the benefits would be “automatic”, or that they would be educated about them by their Realtor® or closing agent when they bought or sold a home. We realized that what was needed was an easy-to-use and affordable tool for homeowners to be able to access and use to make sure that they received all of the benefits under the laws.
It’s an easy two-step process and it costs $175.
STEP 1: GET YOUR REPORT. Just go to www.floridahomesteadcheck.com and click on “Get an Analysis”. You’ll answer a few simple questions about yourself and your property and literally within minutes you’ll have your property tax analysis report. We call it a “Homestead Check™”. This easy-to-understand, color-coded report will show you whether or not you have any issues that need to be addressed, if so how much money it’s costing you, and most importantly- how to fix it! We give you easy step-by-step instructions and videos, as well as every form you’ll need. You can “drill down” for as much information as you’d like to have, but we’ll always include a basic education on what, where, when, how and why to file and take action to minimize your property tax bill.
STEP 2: HAVE YOUR CONSULTATION. Every Homestead Check™ includes a one-on-one consultation with one of our property tax specialists. You can ask as many questions as you want and we’ll walk through your report with you and make sure you have a firm grasp on everything that you need to know. If you have any issues that are more complicated, and which you need handled but don’t have the time or inclination to do so yourself, then you can hire us to handle them for you. Whenever you hire the Homestead Doctors™ for help you don’t pay us a dime until or unless we achieve the savings we identified! You’ll enjoy those savings every year for the rest of the days that you live in Florida- but you’ll only pay us ONCE, 50% of just one year of savings!
IS IT WORTH PAYING US $175 TO MAKE SURE THAT YOUR PROPERTY TAX BILL WILL BE AS LOW AS POSSIBLE? IT’S YOUR CALL! Visit us at www.floridahomesteadcheck.com to learn more.
