Think About It-Don't Be A Billy

Picture it. It's Christmas Eve...little 7 year old Billy has been begging Santa for the last 3 months for a brand new bicycle (the GIZMO RACER 5000) to replace his old, run-down bike (a GIZMO RACER 1500). Billy has been complaining for a long time about how useless his current bike is. So he sneaks downstairs and under the tree he spots a present with his name on it, you know the kind, no box, just wrapping paper. But its the shape of a bicycle. Billy peels apart just a small corner and takes a peek. It IS a new bike, but it's not a GIZMO RACER 5000, it's a GIZMO RACER 3000.

Disappointed, Billy returns to his room for the night. The next morning Billy's parents can't wait to see his excitement as he opens his present. But Billy refuses to accept it and complains about how its not the best bike available. No, he's going to hold on to his old worn out bike until "Santa" goes back to the drawing board and brings him the best bike possible. Besides, Billy's friends have been telling him that the GIZMO RACER 3000 might not be as good as his beat up GIZMO RACER 1500 with no brakes and a chain that keeps falling off. It's a brand new bike. It's a better model than his old one. Is there a better bike on the market? Sure. But the GIZMO RACER 3000 is better than what Billy has now. The moral of the story? Billy should be thankful that he was given a new bike, and he should stop listening to his friends that don't want him to have a new bike. Billy's not a brat, he just needs to THINK ABOUT IT.

Ok, so why this little story? Because it's Christmas Eve folks. You need to start thinking about what you need and want here in Florida....Property Tax Relief. There is, and has been, a lot of talk about the proposed SUPER EXEMPTION. Research (below) shows that over 90% of Florida Home Owners will be better off with the new plan. Yet support seems to be about 50/50 for the upcoming decision. Do the research for yourself on your County Property Appraiser's website and ask yourself this question. Do I accept a better bike than I have now, or do I refuse it and complain (and continue to suffer) that its not the best bike that can be made? Don't be a Billy. THINK ABOUT IT.

Below is an article from the Florida Association of Realtors® which was the inspiration for the story above.

A TAXING EFFECT

The analysis is in, and it’s ponderous. A comprehensive study of Florida property tax laws – ordered by the Florida Legislature and conducted by a team of economists from the University of Florida and Florida State University – was released yesterday. Issued in three parts, the entire study has 689 pages and sometimes-challenging text. But it does study the state’s property tax problems from all angles. For example, the study finds that only 9.2 percent of Florida households would be better off keeping their Save Our Homes exemption if the proposed property tax amendment passes in January – but the authors also note that far more would opt to keep SOH under that scenario. To download the complete report or any one of the three parts, go to: http://edr.state.fl.us/property%20tax%20study/property%20tax%20study.htm

© 2007 FLORIDA ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS ®