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At long last there may be some tax relief for those property owners who do not make Florida their permanent home!  For at least 4 years now, most of my clients who fit this category have cited high taxes as the number one or two reason why they are listing their properties here.  It is a backhanded way to see taxes go down but the decline in sales prices may have this effect and soon! 

According to an article in the Bradenton Herald:

"Florida snowbirds, so long left out in the cold when it comes to lower taxes, may find their property tax bills falling this year — along with real estate market values. “The people with the biggest break this year will be non-homesteaded property owners whose values dropped,” said Dale Friedley, a tax analyst with the Manatee County Property Appraiser’s Office. “In most cases those values are dropping between 8 and 15 percent. If their values went down 10 percent and millage is the same, they’ll save 10 percent, compared to last year’s bill,” Friedley added."

There are still far to many listed properties in Lee and Collier County for the buying market to absorb.  If more property owners could afford to keep their properties here instead of selling them,  the number of For Sale properties would decline and prices could stabilize sooner.  This would also help homesteaders who are permanent residents!  Property owners are tightening their belts and it is time that local governments do so as well so that our communities and real estate markets can begin a recovery. 

It's time to spread that joy to Lee and Collier County and for all citizens to act to ensure that tax millage rates in their communities are not raised for any reason or taxes will not decline.  Here is a link to search for your property's assessment and see what your tax bill is and will be! Lee county Property Appraiser