[expatCA]

Originally Posted by NewYork33323

I got the stats from this site. Ormond Beach got the worst possible grade.

Moderator cut: link removed, competitor site

" The table shows that the overall Ormond Beach, FL crime rate is 28% higher than the Florida average and is 36% higher than the national average. Looking at violent crime specifically, Ormond Beach, FL has a violent crime rate that is 16% higher than the Florida average and 24% higher than the national average. For property crime, Ormond Beach, FL is 29% higher than the Florida average and 38% higher than the national average."

I would not give it much credit. I live in a city is shows as D- and yet the crime in 95% of the city is nothing. Every city has bad areas, no matter where you live. My neighborhood has minimal crime and it is usually a domestic violence call. Nothing that impacts anyone else.

[kerri2455]

Originally Posted by City Guy997S

Please link where you read taxes/insurance are really high in Ormond because that certainly is not the case.

I'd visit both places in season and then try to go somewhere 30 mins away. Once you see the traffic in Naples that will be the end of your hard choice decision!

Ormond has negatives (nearby Daytona/Holly Hill) but I like it way better than Naples.

I am looking at moving to the area and specifically at the Margaritaville 55 plus community. I was told by the builder taxes in Volusia county are 1.8% of the appraised value of the home. Taxes in the county are higher than here in San Diego. So to me, and seems someone else on the thread, they are in fact extremely high given that a house for about 400,000 the taxes would be 7200.00 annually. That's not homesteading though so I assume once we move and its our permanent residence we may see taxes go down some? Thanks for all these posts, I am following pending an eventual move in the next year.

[Fredesch]

Property tax is complex in Florida. I believe my property tax has 7 categories that make up my property tax. Some categories cost are based on the property value and some like Volusia County trash pickup are a fixed cost.

Homesteading affects some of the categories on my property tax - on some it reduces the assessed value by $50k. For schools and another category it reduces the assessed value by $25k. The fixed trash fee is not affected by homesteading.Here is a link to the Count Appraiser's Office about the homestead exemption. Volusia County Property Appraiser's Office: Homestead Exemption I believe Margarittaville is in a city and they have their own tax categories and assessments.

Assessments are a matter of public record in Volusia County and anyone can look them up. If you know an address of an occupied house, you may be able to go online and see the assessment and all the categories. You may need to know the owners name and short parcel id.

Homesteading also makes a base for your assessed value and the assessed value cannot increase more than an amount set by the state legislature. I believe the increase cannot be more than 3% or 6% (not sure which is the correct number). If you buy a fixer upper and homestead, then fix it up to equal a new home, you will still be based at the fixer-upper value.

Locally Margarettaville is known for being given ridiculously low impact fees. When the developer went to apply for a huge expansion, they were given a more realistic impact fee and decided not to include the huge expansion. Impact fees for Margaettaville were a political issue in the last election. A whole slate of candidates were created that oppose giving developers unrealistically low impact fees. And that is why the impact fees for the expansion area were not as low.

Semi-related to Margaettaville and the low impact fees are the county and cities held a special election asking for a 1/2 percent increase in the sales tax. They said there were a lot of road and stormwater projects that they can't fund. For instance, the bridge near Margarettaville will be too small once Margaettaville is more built out. Opponents linked the sales tax increase to favors (low impact fees) for developers and the sales tax increase was defeated. Margaettaville was vilified as a development that got low impact fees (which it did) that will cost the rest of the city residents (which it does). You can bet if you move there and don't like the traffic you will not have anyone in the city government that sympathizes with you. The rest of the city is pretty upset that they have to cover Margarettaville infrastructure related costs and no one wants to pay more so developers can maintain profit margins.

[kerri2455]

Thank you for the information above. I ready about the infrastructure and low fee's initially given to the developer and that is why they chose not to move forward with phase 2 which would double the size of Margaritaville. Ive been on the website and was told today that the new tax bill will post in Nov so I will do more research then but I found out a few answers to questions which help but want to see realistically what those taxes are for these homes before pulling the trigger.

[Fredesch]

We got notice of this years intended appraisal a month or two ago. The city may do things differently.

[JimG2]

Rent for 6 months to a year to figure out the region. That is our plan.

[JimG2]

Dang.... When I move down the center of my residence search was going to be Daytona.... Average US crime index is 280. Daytona is 726! Ormand Beach for the OP, is 337. Port Orange also on my list is 114....less than half of the average.... New Smyrna is 260. By comparison the town I live in now is 298, still way less than half of Daytona. Hartford CT not far from me is 564 and I avoid Hartford. So Daytona is out.... The area in Daytona near my inlaws looks kinda cute though. I guess in 3 days (when I was there in July) you can't see what the real deal is.

[City Guy997S]

Originally Posted by kerri2455

I am looking at moving to the area and specifically at the Margaritaville 55 plus community. I was told by the builder taxes in Volusia county are 1.8% of the appraised value of the home. Taxes in the county are higher than here in San Diego. So to me, and seems someone else on the thread, they are in fact extremely high given that a house for about 400,000 the taxes would be 7200.00 annually. That's not homesteading though so I assume once we move and its our permanent residence we may see taxes go down some? Thanks for all these posts, I am following pending an eventual move in the next year.

Ok keep in mind the appraised value is likely less than the actual purchase price. I seem to recall 85% was about right. So 400K house would be appraised at 340 and then deduct 50K for homestead (290 X 1.8%)= $5220 a year in property taxes. There could be some non advalorem things added (like for a new neighborhood, the streets/sewers could add $1000 in non advalorem line items for 20 years until the money was paid back).

[City Guy997S]

Originally Posted by JimG2

Dang.... When I move down the center of my residence search was going to be Daytona.... Average US crime index is 280. Daytona is 726! Ormand Beach for the OP, is 337. Port Orange also on my list is 114....less than half of the average.... New Smyrna is 260. By comparison the town I live in now is 298, still way less than half of Daytona. Hartford CT not far from me is 564 and I avoid Hartford. So Daytona is out.... The area in Daytona near my inlaws looks kinda cute though. I guess in 3 days (when I was there in July) you can't see what the real deal is.

Originally Posted by JimG2

Rent for 6 months to a year to figure out the region. That is our plan.

Renting is a great idea. Keep in mind there is Daytona east (white trash, biker/druggie types) and Daytona west like LPGA golf club area homes.....very nice. Both have Daytona addresses but they are vastly different.

Flagler/Palm Coast are both worth a look also, just 2 towns north of Ormond.

[Fredesch]

You really want to look at crime by neighborhood and type. You may find most Daytona Crime localized and of a type unlikely to affect you. For instance DUI arrests or assaults near biker bars during bike week and Biketoberfest, or car break ins near hotels or around the NASCAR raceway.

Ormond Beach has a better local reputation that Daytona Beach.

Assessed value is not a good indicator of home value. Homesteading in Florida keeps homesteaded properties assessed values artificially low. This is by design.