Snowbirds on Florida TV

NORM WADDELL wrote:
Thank you for your explanations. Why was I confused?
Below is, verbatim, SOME of amendment 4 as it appears on
the Florida ballot....

"...........This would amend Florida Constitution Article VII
Section 4 (Taxation assessment) and section 6 (Homestead
exemption): it also would amend Article X11 Section 27, and
add section 32 and 33 relating to the Schedule for the
amendments.

............to certain circumstances the law regulates the assesed value of homesteads and specified nonhomstead property in increases when the just value at the property decreases....."

This continues for about 6 more inches of fine print, ON the
ballot.

Isn't it always like that when lawyers and Pols get involved?

sdianel wrote:
Who exactly is running the "bash the snowbirds" ads??? Guess they're not running them in TX! I say bring your money to the sunshine state. We need all the help we can get. Buy that beach home you've always wanted. There are lots of them empty! It's a buyers market. I'm sure the intent is to boost home sales. Just hope it's not a "bait and switch" -- you know the old saying.... pay me now or pay me later...

Boosting home sales is the desired affect but it does it at the expense of others who will pay for the reduction in other ways. keeping the playing field even is the right thing to do. With home prices already depressed in Florida (some of the worst in the nation) it is already a bargain to buy a home in Florida for those considering a home purchase.

I think now might be the time to sell Mama's West Palm Beach condo!

Thank you for your explanations. Why was I confused?
Below is, verbatim, SOME of amendment 4 as it appears on
the Florida ballot....

"...........This would amend Florida Constitution Article VII
Section 4 (Taxation assessment) and section 6 (Homestead
exemption): it also would amend Article X11 Section 27, and
add section 32 and 33 relating to the Schedule for the
amendments.

............to certain circumstances the law regulates the assesed value of homesteads and specified nonhomstead property in increases when the just value at the property decreases....."

This continues for about 6 more inches of fine print, ON the
ballot.

Who exactly is running the "bash the snowbirds" ads??? Guess they're not running them in TX! I say bring your money to the sunshine state. We need all the help we can get. Buy that beach home you've always wanted. There are lots of them empty! It's a buyers market. I'm sure the intent is to boost home sales. Just hope it's not a "bait and switch" -- you know the old saying.... pay me now or pay me later...

H345 wrote:
.

I thought homestead exemption was a tax deduction for a persons primary residence .

.

I intend to keep it that way, and thus the NO vote

.

I thought homestead exemption was a tax deduction for a persons primary residence .

.

Amendment 4: Property Tax Limitations; Property Value Decline; Reduction for Non-homestead Assessment Increases; Delay of Scheduled Repeal



This Amendment does several things – with only one common denominator – property taxes. “One caps the rate of increase in the assessed value of non-homestead property” (business property, rental property). Another deals with the ‘recapture rule’ where the “taxable value of a home could increase even if the home’s actual market value has declined.” The third provision provides “new homebuyers with a large additional homestead exemption that is gradually phased out”


Those in favor of the amendment believe this solves various problems with the current property tax system.

Those against believe that the Florida Constitution is no place for these tax policies applicable to special interest groups. This is a NO vote for me, new home buyers should not get an additional exemption.

It has nothing to do with snowbirds regardless of how it is portrayed

Irregardless of the pro's and con's of this amendment the fact is I found it offensive watching these commercials that chose to use the term Wealthy Snowbirds as a bashing soundboard and in bad taste.

To me it meant that the Floridians dislike the snowbirds so much so they chose to use them in the advertisement to get the locals attention to vote no on this.

I don't have the statistics but a real good guess would be that the investors, and Florida first time buyers that would benefit from this FAR outweigh the number of snowbirds that 'might' purchase property in Florida.:R

So why not headline the news with, 'wealthy investors' or those bad 'Floridian first time buyers" instead of 'wealthy snowbirds'?

It's a shame they aren't counter advertising with the fact that it does BENEFIT Floridians. It gives first time buyers the same tax break plus some.

"The Florida House estimates that 40 percent of home buyers are first-time buyers....These are defined as those who have not owned a home in Florida in the past three years. They would receive an 'additional' homestead exemption on half the appraised value of their home (up to $150,000), phased out over five years."

That three years will also encompass Floridians who have had their homes foreclosed on and have been renting and will enable them to get back into another home with less tax burden to get back up on their feet again.

I just can't stop laughing every time the commercials come on and they refer to us as "those wealthy Snowbirds" who are the ones that are going to benefit from this amendment and hurt residents to encourage residents to vote no on this.

So assuming you are one of those wealthy snowbirds and wanting to reduce your tax burden via amendment 4 by buying a second or third house in Fl and then claiming homestead with it, could easily be viewed as wrong in the eyes of the states citizens that have always been offered homestead on the primary residence only.

one run on sentence begets another right? :B