Friday, September 28, 2007

How to estimate Florida real estate taxes video

Just put a quick video up on Florida for Boomers about how to figure out what your Florida real estate taxes might be.



The tax calculations are based on certain criteria that you input such as sales price, and whether or not you qualify for the homestead exemption.

Not all Florida counties have this feature on their website, but I'd say most do by now.
  • Start at the Florida Information page of FloridaforBoomers.com
  • Click on "List of County Property Appraiser's Websites
  • Select the county you are interested in
  • Look for a link to "property tax calculator"
  • Fill in the required data like price, millage rate, homestead and click calculate

Monday, September 24, 2007

Boomer Alert: $1.35 to call 411?

This post is a Boomer Alert!

Wow. This just shows how busy I am. I just discovered that 411 isn't free anymore from my house phone. Where have I been? And how long has AT&T been charging me for this?

AT&T charged me $1.35 EACH for 3 calls to directory assistance. I didn't even really have to use 411. I could have got off my lazy duff and went to the computer, or even pulled out the 'ol phone book. I'll think twice next time!

Recently saw a few posts in the blogosphere about Google's 411 service. 1-800-GOOG-411.



Tried it. Works great. Connects you directly AT NO CHARGE. Has some neat features such as ability to receive a text message about the business you selected (address, phone number etc.)

Best of all is the price...FREE. Put it on speed dial and also program it into your cell phone for use while on the road.

Monday, September 10, 2007

A reason to HATE Construction Loans

When you are having a new home built, ideally what will happen is that you'll pay a deposit (usually 10-20%) of what the price of the house is, and when the house is complete, you'll pay the rest of the price at closing.

Sometimes, usually with smaller builders who don't have large enough credit lines at their banks, you'll have to get a construction loan. This means you'll be paying out the entire time your home is being built, with payments coming due at different points of the construction process.

Here is a perfect illustration of why I hate this concept. Having to get a construction loan will sometimes be unavoidable, but you should try!