[jhlcomp]

I moved down from Mclean VA some years ago and did so just at the right time. I regret having sold my house up there but that's another story.

You are right about the taxes and insurance down here. I could not afford to buy my current house today which would sell easily for 675000 in this market. I pity anyone who has the desire to live here today because of the expenses. But don't despair - make some concessions it's still doable.

[blepp]

Yes, we are taxed to death in VA. There is no incentive to buy a new car as the personal property tax will kill you. The county stickers are a joke as well...just more ways to get your $$$$. I am really surprised at the different tax rate form county to county in FLA. We looked in Lee Co. and RE tax was 1.25% of assesed home value, then PSL was 2% of 85% of your home value...a big difference. I am keeping my eye out for your Jan Homestead vote. It really dosnt matter if you live in a 200k home or a 500k home..the PSL RE tax is just too high. With all the development they are doing in that area, im not sure how they expect to attract new residents and new businesses.

[VaNative]

Originally Posted by blepp

Yes, we are taxed to death in VA. There is no incentive to buy a new car as the personal property tax will kill you. The county stickers are a joke as well...just more ways to get your $$$$.

Oh...and I forgot to mention that in my hometown area of Charlottesville, they also make you but trash stickers so the city will dump the trash cans. If the can doesn't have a sticker on it, they won't touch it. They should just include trash into the taxes like they do here.

[GrassIsAlwaysGreener123]

Don't forget that Florida has no income tax as opposed to Virginia
Florida has better sunsets.
No snow in this area of Florida.
No DC traffic, just tourists and old people in white cars
I wanted to open a car dealership in Florida that sold only large white cars!

[Restrain]

It depends on the actual assessment. I have been looking at tax assessments and they are much lower. In Texas, they run $2.50-$3.00 per hundred. In the county we are buying in, the millage is almost half of that rate.

[Callahan98]

The taxes are outrageous here in PSL. You get nothing other than trash service. I moved here from Maryland. My taxes here are double what they were in MD. You can actually buy more home or a more expensive home and spend the same or less in WPB or other areas of the state.

[kmarc]

Florida pretty much depends on real estate and sales taxes for revenue. That's sometimes the problem with states that have no personal income tax. They get you one way or another. And the thing to beware of is, that property sits there like a piggy bank just begging to be raided. And not a thing you can do about it except to sell and move on. Which can take a while, and the higher the taxes, the less you can get for your property. You're kind of nailed to it until you unload.

[expatCA]

Originally Posted by kmarc

Florida pretty much depends on real estate and sales taxes for revenue. That's sometimes the problem with states that have no personal income tax. They get you one way or another. And the thing to beware of is, that property sits there like a piggy bank just begging to be raided. And not a thing you can do about it except to sell and move on. Which can take a while, and the higher the taxes, the less you can get for your property. You're kind of nailed to it until you unload.

while the propriety taxes area bit higher in % than many places, just look at is as a deduction on your equity which will still go up at a higher rate, and is right now, and ultimately you will have more money than in a savings account.

Remember it is a % of the value, les any deductions permitted, such as the home stead deduction.

You could pay 1/2 the % in CA, but the wayyy higher housing prices would take even more out of your pocket when the tax was computed.

[kmarc]

Originally Posted by expatCA

while the propriety taxes area bit higher in % than many places, just look at is as a deduction on your equity which will still go up at a higher rate, and is right now, and ultimately you will have more money than in a savings account.

Remember it is a % of the value, les any deductions permitted, such as the home stead deduction.

You could pay 1/2 the % in CA, but the wayyy higher housing prices would take even more out of your pocket when the tax was computed.

Theoretically you are on the right track, however, never underestimate the ability of state and local government to extract fees and taxes. All this expansion is going to require infrastructure to handle it, even though it may seem OK right now. Then the fun and games will begin.

Why do you think local governments permitted so much development in sinkhole areas? Greed. All that tax money on housing, Florida's main source of revenue.

And don't forget insurance hikes. They're coming, depend on it.

[expatCA]

Originally Posted by kmarc

Theoretically you are on the right track, however, never underestimate the ability of state and local government to extract fees and taxes. All this expansion is going to require infrastructure to handle it, even though it may seem OK right now. Then the fun and games will begin.

Why do you think local governments permitted so much development in sinkhole areas? Greed. All that tax money on housing, Florida's main source of revenue.

And don't forget insurance hikes. They're coming, depend on it.

Additional fees are typical everywhere. Insurance rates may rise, but if after a year no major storms hit then competitive pricing will occur again. These are things we have to plan on no matter where we live.

Now as to Greed, sure just as so much of the beach is not easy to get to because of all the houses along the beaches with no way to get to the each, if you could even find parking. This is one area where CA excels in making beach access great compared to FL. Money/Donations/Bribes to politicians in effect gave homeowners private beaches.