Florida's Save Our Homes benefit can be worth six figures in a divorce settlement, and an over-assessed property can mean years of excess tax bills. We help homeowners and business owners in Lee County with portability analysis, residential appeals, and commercial appeals.
Lee County, including Fort Myers, Cape Coral, Bonita Springs, and Sanibel, has been one of the fastest-growing areas in Florida, with a mix of long-time homestead owners and more recent buyers. For homeowners going through a divorce, the gap between a long-held homestead's assessed value and its current market value can be a significant asset that's easy to overlook in a settlement.
Steve has presented on Save Our Homes portability and divorce property tax issues to the Lee County Bar Association; read more about our credentials.
Lee County's housing market includes everything from canal-front homes in Cape Coral to barrier island properties on Sanibel and Captiva, with values, and recovery from past storm damage, varying block by block. We base both portability calculations and assessment appeals on recent sales specific to your part of Lee County.
If one spouse is keeping the homestead, or the home is being sold and both parties are starting over, the accumulated Save Our Homes benefit needs to be identified and valued before the settlement is finalized. We calculate the portability value, the annual tax savings, and what happens if the homestead is abandoned.
Submit your Lee County property address and we'll tell you whether a meaningful Save Our Homes / portability benefit exists, at no cost. If it's worth a full written report, the analysis is $1,250.
Every August, Lee County property owners receive a TRIM notice showing the proposed assessment for the coming tax year. If that number looks too high, there's a limited window to challenge it with the county's Value Adjustment Board.
The Lee County Property Appraiser mails TRIM notices (Notice of Proposed Property Taxes) in mid-to-late August, showing your proposed assessed value and the deadline to file a Value Adjustment Board petition for that year.
Lee County VAB petitions must be filed within 25 days of the TRIM notice mailing date, with the Lee County Value Adjustment Board. We review your assessment, including any storm-related value adjustments, and let you know whether filing a petition is worthwhile.
Your Lee County tax bill depends on whether the property is in Fort Myers, Cape Coral, Bonita Springs, Sanibel, or unincorporated Lee County, each with its own combined millage rate. We apply the correct rate for your address when estimating potential savings.
Your assessed value, exemptions, and TRIM notice details are on file with the Lee County Property Appraiser. Use their property search tool to look up your parcel before requesting a review.
Free check or a $1,250 written portability valuation report for settlements.
TRIM notice review and Value Adjustment Board petition support for homeowners.
Data-driven VAB petitions for commercial property owners and investors.