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Winter Springs new fire assessment proposal

By Rob Arnold

Real Estate Agent with Sand Dollar Realty Group, Inc. BK627826

March 03, 2008 09:50 AM

The local governments are at it again. Trying to sneak around the property tax cuts with new fees and assessments. This time we turn the spotlight to the City of Winter Springs, Florida.

The city has proposed a new fire assessment fee. The average fee to homeowners would be between $216 and $256 per year. The real killer is for multi-family properties that would be assessed on a per unit basis. Imagine $216 times 100 units. Ouch! And tenants are typically the poorest people in the community.

Here are some articles from the Orlando Sentinel and the Seminole Chronicle about this new fee. The next city hearing about this proposal will be next Monday, March 10, 2008.

These local governments just don't get it. The reason the people of Florida voted for tax cuts is so that property owners can give less money to the government, not so the local governments can find new ways to fund their out of control spending sprees.

Every time the government adds a new fee onto your property, the cost of owning it goes higher and higher. Is it any wonder that so many people can't afford to buy a home?

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Rob Arnold, ABR, CPL, CRB, GRI, Managing real estate broker, Licensed mortgage broker, Notary Public

407-389-7318 / 1-877-389-7318 www.SDRhouses.com/ www.WeBuyHousesFlorida.com/

Your full service and investor friendly Realtor in Orlando. Learn to invest in Central Florida real estate and Orlando real estate. Investor mentoring and counseling available. I also provide flat fee MLS listings, For Sale By Owner, and menu-based services in most parts of Central & South Florida, the Space Coast, and the Treasure Coast including Orlando, Tampa, Miami-Dade, Fort Lauderdale, West Palm Beach, Ocala, Volusia, and Brevard.

We buy houses cash, sell properties, and list properties in Central Florida including Orlando, Winter Park, Maitland, College Park, Ocoee, Winter Garden, Apopka, Pine Hills, Altamonte Springs, Casselberry, Longwood, Winter Springs, Oviedo, Lake Mary, Sanford, Deltona, Debary, Deland, Daytona Beach, Melbourne, Mount Dora, Eustis, Leesburg, Clermont, Kissimmee, Saint Cloud, Davenport, Winter Haven, Lakeland, and more.

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Charlottesville Solutions

Charlottesville Solutions - Charlottesville, VA

Rob, I had a conversation with a friend yesterday who said that the insurance rates are getting so out of hand that it is causing many to have to move to other areas. Is this true?

Mar 03, 2008 10:53 PM

Rob Arnold

Sand Dollar Realty Group, Inc. - Altamonte Springs, FL

Metro Orlando Full Service - Investor Friendly & F

Charles - Insurance rates depend on location. The closer to the coast the higher the rates. Some of the sleepier areas just east of us like Melbourne and Cocoa Beach that were once sleepy, working class towns have had the insurance go so high that nobody can afford them. Many small houses within a mile or 2 from the beach cost $5000 per year to insure. Crazy.

More inland in metro Orlando where I am at, the rates have definitely spiked but most are maybe 30-40% higher than they were a few years ago. Still pretty high. The big issue is cancellations. I had 2 rental properties and my primary residence with Allstate. All the policies were cancelled. I never made a claim on any of them. Most of my policies are now through Florida Family Insurance which is local to Florida, so hopefully they won't cancel me.

Mar 04, 2008 02:58 AM

Dee Toohey

Innovative Realty Solutions Group - Longwood, FL

Broker, ABR, AHWD, CIPS, FMS, ePro

Rob, Winter Springs is not the only community taking that action. Many communities will charge for the police to respond to auto accidents too!

People who voted for the tax cuts did not understand that they were only voting on 60% of their taxes and that if passed, the local governments would respond by raising taxes, cutting services, or charging for previously free services to make up for the loss in that taxes returned to them by the State due to the tax cuts! While I agree that a change is needed, I would have preferred voting when we knew the affects of the vote. This bill had too many unknowns for my liking.

Read what Seminole County has to say.

Mar 04, 2008 04:13 AM

Dee - Although I don't agree with everything Amendment 1 had to offer, the idea that the cities and counties are hurting is a total joke. They are flush with money and are flushing it down the toilet everywhere. Read up on this research that I did a few weeks ago if you don't believe me. The local governments have been spending money like crazy for years and now they are upset because the citizens have told them NO MORE.

http://activerain.com/blogsview/375508/Hey-Florida-where-did

Mar 04, 2008 06:28 AM

Anonymous

Jeremy

I want to know what was their plan when property values go down? Because guess what they are!!! I can't wait to see the county appraisers faces when I protest my investment property's values this year.

PS- I might need that number for Ramona?(cleaning service) again can you e-mail it to me? FarewayHomes@yahoo.com

Mar 04, 2008 10:26 AM

Jeremy - I predicted back in December that the cities and counties were going to really be scrambling in fall 2008 when the values go down and everybody starts protesting their values. It will be quite chaotic for them to say the least.

Mar 05, 2008 06:18 AM

Winter Springs new fire assessment proposal

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