The Property Pilot
The Property Pilot
You may want to be a Florida resident by then. If Amendment 3 passes, the date you become a resident could matter more than the date you buy — for as long as you own the home.
Amendment 3 is not law. It goes to Florida voters on 3 November 2026 and needs 60% to pass. On 4 August a Leon County judge ruled the ballot wording defective and ordered a rewrite. Nothing described here happens unless voters approve it. Anyone telling you this is settled is ahead of the facts.
Amendment 3 does not treat every Florida homeowner the same. It splits them by when they became a Florida resident — not by when they bought a house.
| Resident by 31 Dec 2026 | Resident from 1 Jan 2027 | |
|---|---|---|
| Starting exemption | The full expanded amount — $150,000 in 2027, $250,000 in 2028 | $50,000, inflation-adjusted from 2028 |
| Waiting period | None | Four years of Florida homestead. The larger exemption starts 1 January of the fifth year. |
| Must you own by the cut-off? | No | — |
You are going to hear that you must buy a house before New Year's. That is not what the measure says. Establish residency this year and buy your Cape Coral home in 2028, and you are still in the first column. Don't let anyone rush you into a purchase on a deadline that doesn't apply to purchases.
No. The cut-off is about establishing Florida residency, not about buying. Become a Florida resident on or before 31 December 2026 and buy later, and you would still qualify for the larger exemption when you own and homestead a property.
You would start at a $50,000 non-school exemption, inflation-adjusted from 2028. After maintaining a Florida homestead for four years, the larger exemption begins on 1 January of the fifth year.
No. The expanded exemption applies to county, municipal and special-district levies only. School taxes are untouched and keep the existing $25,000 exemption. This is the single most common misunderstanding.
Per FLHSMV: accepting employment or starting a trade or profession here, enrolling children in a Florida public school, registering to vote, filing for homestead, or living here more than six consecutive months. The clock starts on whichever happens first. Filing a Declaration of Domicile with the Clerk of Court under Fla. Stat. §222.17 adds documentary evidence.
You must own and occupy the home as your permanent residence as of 1 January and be a Florida resident, then file with the Lee County Property Appraiser by 1 March. It renews automatically after that.
No, and I would rather say so. It needs 60% of the vote on 3 November, and its ballot wording is being rewritten under court order. What I can tell you is that if you were already planning to move here, establishing residency in 2026 rather than 2027 costs you nothing if it fails and is worth a great deal if it passes.
Ja. Fordern Sie die Anleitung an und schreiben Sie mir kurz — ich schicke Ihnen die deutsche Fassung. Ich spreche Deutsch und arbeite regelmäßig mit deutschsprachigen Käufern in Südwest-Florida.
32 years a commercial pilot before selling Florida real estate full time. Cape Coral, Fort Myers and Lee County — relocation, waterfront and new construction. Licensed agent and licensed mortgage lender. Nearly 50 five-star Google reviews. Ich spreche Deutsch.
Send me the month you're thinking about and roughly where you're looking. I'll tell you whether the date is worth moving — including when the answer is that it makes no difference for you.
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