Property tax-cut plan Approved! Your feelings (sales, insurance, broker)

[boomer]

The tax-cut plan was approved yesterday by 64%. At first, I was against it as I felt a saving of $200-$300 was not enough to make a dent -- considering how much taxes have increased over the last 3-4 years; however, now I think this was a step in the right direction. According to Gov. Crist, $1.5 billion in tax revenue that would have gone to schools will be lost. I believe He was also quoted saying that he would like to take school funding out of property taxes and raise the school revenue through a state sales tax. This would deduct another 40% average off our property taxes. If this happens, then I believe Gov. Crist has lived up to his tax and insurance cut promises.

As for insurance companies and decrease rates, I thought it was a flop on Gov. Crist promises; however, with all the new insurance companies replacing the big one like State Farm and Allstate, my home insurance rate dropped this year from $2200 to $884. My friend's home insurance dropped from $3600 to $1500. Please check around and do not use your current insurance agent as they will not help you. They have an inside agreement to keep your original home insurance company. They will only lower your insurance rate by a small percentage at best.

[BucFan]

As a future FLA home buyer, I'm looking at taxes, insurance, and inflated home costs to correct over the next year before buying. So all that you posted sounds like good news. I'm worried that these new insurance companies don't have the financial strength to absorb a catastrophe (hurricane/tornado) to be able to pay beneficiaries like the stronger insurance companies could. I guess we won't know until something actually bad happens to the TB area (knock on wood that it doesn't). $800 is much more manageable than $3000 in insurance.

[FIU2000]

I agree that it's a step in the right direction. People were worried that it would be bad for first time home buyers and buyers from out of state because they would be paying more than their neighbors, but that is already happening! At least now when I move I won't have to start from scratch.

On the insurance issue I also went from $2000 to $836 but I went from a no-name company to a major company. I was using a broker and decided that they were ripping me off so I did my own homework. Now I'm just waiting on that darned refund check.....

[BucFan]

I was happy to see McCain address some of FLA housing issues during the primaries.

[floridasandy]

it certainly did not take crist long to encourage municipalities to raise their milleage rate to make up for the offset in revenue. the party may be over before it started!