Property tax rollbacks are proposed

Gov. Crist proposed a special election to give Florida voters a chance to lower their property taxes.

Legislators pass plan promising 10% to 55% cuts in property insurance rates

TALLAHASSEE· Almost unanimously, the Florida Legislature on Monday voted to give homeowners a break from soaring property insurance premiums, promising rate cuts between 10 and 55 percent on their hurricane coverage.

Legislative deal would cut windstorm rates by 7-35% for Florida property owners

TALLAHASSEE · Key legislators reached a final compromise Sunday night on how to solve Florida's property insurance woes, and the full House and Senate will vote on the plan today, the last day of a weeklong emergency session.

Insurance plan would lower rates

Legislators will likely vote today to lower homeowner insurance rates, but savings will vary, bills will remain high and they could go up next year.

5 Items to Consider Before Dropping the Price

5 Items to Consider Before Dropping the PriceWhen a house won’t sell, the answer is often to drop the price, but how much and when?

Secrets to simultaneous real estate closings

NORTH PALM BEACH, Fla. – Jan. 18, 2007 – Selling one house and buying another is like putting yourself between a rock and a hard place.

If you set both closings within the same basic time frame you run the risk of ending up with two mortgages or much worse.

If you schedule them with sufficient time between to solve any closing problems you face the prospect of renting and moving twice.

Lawmakers hit ground running

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Jan. 17, 2007 – A series of homeowners’ insurance bills promising meaningful rate rollbacks are expected to hit the floors of both legislative chambers today as lawmakers dive into Day 2 of a weeklong special session.

Legislators under pressure to lower spiraling insurance rates

Florida's insurance crisis takes center stage in Tallahassee starting Tuesday, when legislators convene for a special session devoted solely to the state's property insurance mess and how to get out of it.

Senate leader: Property tax could go on ballot this year

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) – Jan. 12, 2007 – Lawmakers could put a property tax relief measure before voters as early as this fall, Senate Finance and Taxation Committee Chairman Mike Haridopolos said Thursday.

Lawmakers propose town hall meetings on property taxes

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) – Jan. 9, 2007 – State lawmakers plan a series of town hall meetings across Florida to gather feedback from citizens on skyrocketing property taxes that have forced some business owners to flee the state and kept potential homebuyers from qualifying for mortgages.

Senate committee lays out property insurance proposals

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Jan. 9, 2007 – A rate freeze for the state-run insurance pool, which is the largest home and condo insurer in Florida, is among the proposals in a 153-page bill that is being offered by the Senate’s Banking and Insurance Committee.

More than 40,000 sign petition protesting rates

Representatives of the group, which calls itself Floridians in Action, are planning to present the petition during the Legislative special session that starts Jan. 16. Waldo Faura III, an adjuster at Dynamic, said the group plans to join forces with citizen advocacy group Homeowners for Affordable Coverage while it's there.

10 keys to selling your home in '07

For starters, be realistic. Make sure your initial asking price isn't too high, or else you'll waste your time and risk turning off that first rush of potential buyers.