Homebuyers may get tax refund

A proposal by Florida Gov. Charlie Crist may have county tax collectors giving money to taxpayers instead of taking it, Lee County Property Appraiser Ken Wilkinson recently observed.

The situation could come about if state legislators agree to exempt half of the value of a home purchased by a first-time homebuyer, as Crist has proposed. Combined with the abundance of lower-priced homes and a $50,000 homestead exemption, a home's taxable value could fall so low that the homeowner would at least pay no tax.

“The tax collector may have to send them a check,” Wilkinson says.