matthewsimmons1We recently had the privilege of sitting down with Matt Simmons, State-Certified Residential Real Estate Appraiser and partner at Maxwell Hendry & Simmons.  Given the importance of the real estate market to our community, it is nearly impossible to distill the wealth of data Matt and his firm have in a short blog. But, it’s always fun to try!

Q: You have great data to share, and you mentioned that often the data can be skewed if viewed in isolation. What do you see as the most misunderstood information reflecting the SWFL market?

Continue Reading Insight into the SWFL Real Estate Market: Q&A with Matt Simmons

tax.jpgAs a property owner in Florida, you have a right to appeal the property appraiser’s assessment of your property’s value, a denial of your application for an exemption (homestead, veterans, or senior citizen), a portability denial, and a denial of your application for property classification such as agricultural or historic. For a few “Helpful Tips for Reviewing your TRIM Notice”, please click here.

Typically, once a taxpayer decides to bring a challenge based on any of the above-mentioned grounds, a request for an informal conference will be made with the County’s property appraiser to discuss the value or to discuss the denial of an application for a property exemption or classification. Following an informal conference, in the event that the issues cannot be favorably settled, taxpayers (or their representatives) can file a petition with the local Value Adjustment Board (VAB). Alternatively, Florida law allows taxpayers to bring such challenges in circuit court.

Appeals to the Value Adjustment Board (VAB)

Continue Reading Know Your Rights as a Property Owner in Florida Before Opening your TRIM Notice for 2016

Property Tax.JPGIn prior posts, we mentioned the basic timing of the property tax system in Florida. As a reminder, important dates to keep in mind are:

  • January 1: all property in the State must be assessed based on its condition on that particular date (I like to call this the “snapshot photo” date);
  • March 1: the general deadline to submit exemption applications;
  • July 1: local property appraisers generally have their values determined;
  • Mid-August: TRIM notices are mailed to inform property owners of their proposed assessment and tax bill for that year;
  • September: 25 days from the date of mailing the TRIMs, the appeal period expires if you want to appeal through the Value Adjustment Board; and,
  • November: taxes can be paid for the greatest discount.

Which begs the question, “what can I do now if I’m thinking about my property taxes but haven’t paid attention to these dates?” Here are 5 quick things you can be doing:
Continue Reading 5 Things You Can Do Now to Prepare for 2012 Property Taxes