Never Renovate Your Florida Home

Something just happened in Florida that should make every homeowner—and renter—pay attention. A couple in Pompano Beach, named Walter and Debbie Priebe, tried to do the right thing. They fixed up their family home. Added a second floor. Wanted to grow old there. And then they got hit with a property tax bill so high, it could crush the average person.

Their annual bill jumped from $15,000 to $91,000 — just for fixing up the house they already owned. Not selling it. Not flipping it. Just improving it. And here’s the worst part: that’s completely legal under Florida’s tax system.

Click here to watch the video: Watch the full video now

See, when you make big renovations, like adding a second story or even just upgrading your house enough to trigger a reassessment, the county can wipe out your Homestead Exemption and Save Our Homes cap. That’s exactly what happened to this couple. The protections they thought they had? Gone. And once that happens, the county gets to pretend your home is brand new and jack up the taxes based on full market value.

And this isn’t just a one-off case. This is happening all over Florida. The county gets to decide how much your home is worth, and they’re using every sale and every remodel in your zip code as an excuse to raise your taxes—even if you didn’t do anything. That affects you, your neighbor, even renters. Because when your landlords taxes go up…so does your rent.

But there’s one tool I show in the video that can help you avoid getting blindsided. Now this doesnt work for remodels but it will save you from buying a house and having your property taxes double or triple. You’ll see how to estimate your real tax bill before you buy a home—and why you should never rely on what the seller or your realtor tells you. In Pinellas county this is the website to estimate your future property tax bill: https://www.pcpao.gov/tax_estimator  

Governor DeSantis is trying to fight against this broken system. He’s proposing a $1,000 property tax rebate now and even pushing to eliminate property taxes altogether in Florida. It’s bold, and it’s the kind of change that could finally give homeowners real freedom.

Grant Warrington

Think like an Investor

YouTube Channel

P.S. This story isn’t just about taxes, it’s about protecting what you’ve worked for. Click here to watch