Realtors Go To Tallahassee

Image via Flickr courtesy of Stephen Nakatani

You might be surprised to learn that Realtors go to Tallahassee every year to advocate for property owners, both residential and commercial. Of course, we speak up about issues that affect our business, but overall, the issues that affect you, affect us. This year, nearly 1,000 Realtors arrived in Tallahassee on March 3 and 4, bringing important issues directly to our state legislators.

Sales Tax on Commercial Lease

If you’ve ever owned a business and leased your location, you are very familiar with this one. Florida is one of the few states that charges sales tax on your lease and expenses like landscape, insurance, and property taxes. This can make operating a business very expensive. Legislation has been proposed to phase out the sales tax over time with a one percent decrease this year. If this passes, it would be good news for business owners and Floridians. More companies opening up in the state means more jobs to fill.

Affordable Housing

Did you know that whenever you buy a house, you pay doc stamp taxes? Those taxes go to the Sadowski Trust Fund, an affordable housing trust that funds homeless programs, low-income renter programs, and down payment/closing cost assistance programs. Amendment 1 which addressed water and land conservation requires that 33 percent of all doc stamp taxes collected go toward conservation. Realtors understand the importance of conservation, but don’t think it should be done on the backs of people who need help with housing. In a year of $1 billion surpluses and plenty of funds in general revenue, we asked our legislators to leave the Sadowski Trust Fund alone.

Water Policy

Realtors understand more than most that the population is booming and will only continue to grow. What’s not to love about living in Florida – especially after a winter like the northern states have experienced this year? In order to make sure that everyone has access to clean, drinkable water, Realtors asked legislators to develop a comprehensive state water policy. This includes:

• Utilizing money from the Land Acquisition Trust Fund to sustain and maintain lands and other resources the state owns,
• Support programs that keep our waters free from harmful pollutants,
• Expand the use of alternative water supplies.

Cap Estoppel Certificate Fees

If you have ever owned and sold a property as part of a condo or homeowner association, you’re probably very aware of estoppel certificate fees. The certificate is issued by the association when an owner sells their property to show the owner is in good standing and has paid their dues and fees. Current policy allows community associations to set a “reasonable” fee for this. Unfortunately, some associations have seen this as a revenue stream and fees can be as high as $500 in some associations. The proposed legislation would do three things:

• Cap the fee to be charged at $100
• Require the certificate to be prepared and delivered in 10 days
• Make the certificate valid for 30 days

If you want to lend your support to any of these topics, feel free to reach out to our state Senators and Representatives and let them know what you think.

Realtors do much more than list your home or help you find your dream home. We’re also advocates for home and business owners, fighting issues that make it harder to own or sell and supporting issues that save you money and help you enjoy homeownership.