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    November 13, 2026Brad Dohack, Gulf Pointe | eXp Realty (Live SWFL)

    Will my property taxes jump after I buy?

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    By Brad Dohack, Gulf Pointe | eXp Realty, Estero, FL. Licensed since 2006. Updated November 2026.

    The short answer

    Yes, they often do. The tax bill you see on the listing is usually the seller's bill. If that seller has had a Florida homestead for years, Save Our Homes has limited how much their assessed value can rise each year. When the home is sold, that cap stays with the seller. It does not go with the house.

    Florida law says the property is assessed at just value as of January 1 of the year following a change of ownership (section 193.155(3), Florida Statutes, https://flsenate.gov/Laws/Statutes/2026/0193.155).

    So what? Your first full tax year as the owner can look very different from the bill you were shown. You can bring that number down again by filing for homestead, and, if you already have a Florida homestead, by applying to transfer your Save Our Homes benefit (portability).

    Why the seller's bill is not your bill

    The Lee County Property Appraiser is direct about this. Homestead does not carry over to the buyer. You have to apply and qualify on your own. If you get a TRIM notice the year you buy and it still lists a homestead exemption, that was the prior owner's benefit, and it is removed on January 1 (Lee County Property Appraiser, https://www.leepa.org/Exemption/GeneralExemptionInfo.aspx).

    Here's what's important. A property tax bill is taxable value times the millage rate. Taxable value is assessed value minus exemptions. Millage is set each year by the county, the school board, the city or village, and other taxing districts. After a sale, the larger change usually comes from the assessed value resetting to just value.

    I am not putting a sample dollar bill in this post. The gap between a longtime owner's assessed value and just value is different on every street, and an invented example would not help you. If you send an address, we can pull the actual lines.

    Estero is in Lee County. Naples, and much of what people mean when they say they are looking "south," is in Collier County. The reset rule is statewide. The millage stack is not. Pull the current bill for the exact address from the Lee County Tax Collector if the home is in Estero or elsewhere in Lee, or from the Collier County Tax Collector if it is in Collier. Our post on understanding your TRIM notice walks through how to read the lines.

    Save Our Homes, in plain words

    Starting the year after a home receives the homestead exemption, Florida limits how much the assessed value can rise each year to 3 percent or the change in the Consumer Price Index, whichever is lower (section 193.155(1), Florida Statutes; Florida Constitution, Article VII, Section 4). The assessed value cannot go above just value.

    The Florida Department of Revenue sets the annual cap. For 2026 it is 2.7 percent. For 2025 it was 2.9 percent (Florida Department of Revenue, Save Our Homes table, revised January 2026, https://floridarevenue.com/property/Documents/SaveOurHomes.pdf).

    The Lee County Property Appraiser says properties that are granted homestead automatically receive the Save Our Homes benefit the following year (https://www.leepa.org/Exemption/GeneralExemptionInfo.aspx).

    So what? A longtime owner can have an assessed value well below just value. That gap is their benefit. It does not transfer to you unless you qualify for portability from your own prior Florida homestead.

    What happens after you close

    Florida assesses property as of January 1 (Lee County Property Appraiser, important dates, https://www.leepa.org/Dates.aspx). The year you buy, the roll is still based on that January 1 date, which is why the seller's homestead can still appear on that year's notice.

    Then the calendar turns:

    1. On January 1 of the year after the sale, the property is assessed at just value (section 193.155(3), Florida Statutes). The prior owner's homestead is removed (Lee County Property Appraiser).
    2. If you own the home and live in it as your permanent residence on that January 1, you can qualify for homestead for that tax year. File the application (Form DR-501) with the property appraiser by March 1 (section 196.011, Florida Statutes, https://www.flsenate.gov/Laws/Statutes/2026/196.011; Lee County Property Appraiser).
    3. The Save Our Homes cap starts the year after homestead is granted (section 193.155(1), Florida Statutes; Lee County Property Appraiser).

    If you buy after January 1 and want to qualify the following year, the Lee County Property Appraiser says you can file during the year you purchased, or by March 1 of the tax year you want to qualify (https://www.leepa.org/Exemption/GeneralExemptionInfo.aspx).

    In Lee County, TRIM notices go out in August, and tax bills are mailed by the Tax Collector in November. There is a 4 percent discount if you pay in November, 3 percent in December, 2 percent in January, and 1 percent in February (https://www.leepa.org/Dates.aspx). Your first bill at the new assessed value is the one that follows the January 1 after you buy.

    In Collier County, the state dates are the same. You file with the Collier County Property Appraiser (https://www.collierappraiser.com/index.html?page=exemptions).

    Homestead exemption amounts, and what Amendment 3 changed

    For the 2026 tax year, before Amendment 3 takes effect, the Lee County Property Appraiser describes the exemption this way:

    • The first $25,000 of assessed value is exempt from property taxes, except special assessments.
    • An additional exemption of up to $26,411 applies to assessed value over $50,000, and only to non-school taxes.
    • To get the full additional amount, the assessed value needs to be at least $76,411 (https://www.leepa.org/Exemption/GeneralExemptionInfo.aspx).

    On November 3, 2026, Florida voters approved Amendment 3. As of November 13, 2026, the Florida Division of Elections results site, labeled as the 2nd set of unofficial returns, shows 4,922,400 yes votes (61.98 percent) and 3,019,415 no votes (38.02 percent). Amendments need 60 percent to pass (https://floridaelectionwatch.gov/Amendments). These results are unofficial. The state Elections Canvassing Commission is scheduled to meet on November 17, 2026, to certify the official returns (https://floridaelectionwatch.gov/Timeline).

    The official ballot says the amendment takes effect January 1, 2027. For non-school taxes, the homestead exemption increases to $150,000 in 2027 and $250,000 in 2028, then adjusts for inflation. For school district levies, the exemption stays at up to $25,000 (Amendment 3 official ballot text, Florida Division of Elections, https://flelectionfiles.floridados.gov/enightfilespublic/20261103_Amendment_03_english.pdf).

    If you had not maintained a permanent residence in Florida as of December 31, 2026, the same official text says you receive the existing exemption when you first qualify: up to $25,000 for school levies and up to $50,000 for non-school levies. The increased exemption begins with the fifth year of exemption, to the extent permitted by the U.S. Constitution.

    So what? The assessment still resets after you buy. A larger homestead exemption, if you qualify for it, can offset part of that new taxable value. Timing matters: you need to own the home and live in it as your permanent residence on January 1 of the tax year you want the exemption. The full Amendment 3 write-up is here: Florida Amendment 3 explained for SWFL homeowners. Our homestead filing guide is here: Florida homestead exemption.

    If you already own a Florida homestead: portability

    If you are selling one Florida homestead and buying another, you may be able to transfer, or "port," the Save Our Homes difference to the new home. The maximum transfer is $500,000 (section 193.155(8), Florida Statutes; Lee County Property Appraiser, https://leepa.org/Exemption/Portability.aspx).

    You apply for portability when you apply for the new homestead, by March 1. The three-year window is counted from January 1 of the year you abandoned the prior homestead. The Property Appraiser's example: if you sold the old homestead on November 15, 2025, you need the new homestead established by January 1, 2028 (https://leepa.org/Exemption/Portability.aspx).

    This works from Lee to Collier, and the other way, because it is a statewide rule. The amount that transfers depends on whether the new home's just value is higher or lower than the old one, and on how title was held. File Form DR-501T with your homestead application in the county where the new home sits.

    Second homes and rentals

    If the Estero home is not your permanent residence, you do not get the homestead exemption or the Save Our Homes cap. Florida has a separate cap on assessment increases for non-homestead property, and it applies to levies other than school district levies. It has been 10 percent. Amendment 3 lowers that cap to 5 percent beginning January 1, 2027 (official Amendment 3 ballot text). After a change of ownership, that property is also assessed at just value as of the next assessment date.

    So what? A second home or rental can also see a jump after a sale. The homestead exemption will not be there to offset it.

    Lee vs Collier, and an Estero address

    The homestead and Save Our Homes rules are the same in Lee and Collier. The offices, the millage stack, and some local exemptions are not. Confirm whether an Estero mailing address is inside the Village of Estero or in unincorporated Lee County, because that changes the city tax line. Our Estero vs Cape Coral post covers that Village versus unincorporated point, and the city and fire layers in Lee County.

    HOA dues and CDD assessments are a separate cost. They can show up as their own bills, or as non-ad valorem lines. This post does not use those dollar figures. Check them on the exact address, along with the tax bill.

    If you are buying

    1. Do not treat the seller's current tax bill as your bill. Look up just value, assessed value, and exemptions for the address on the property appraiser's site.
    2. Decide if this will be your permanent residence. That is what opens homestead and Save Our Homes.
    3. If you already have a Florida homestead, ask about portability before you close, and file Form DR-501T with the new homestead application.
    4. Own the home and live in it as your permanent residence by January 1 of the tax year you want the exemption, then file by March 1.
    5. If you are watching Amendment 3 timing, including the December 31, 2026 residency line, read the Amendment 3 explainer and confirm your facts with the property appraiser and a tax professional.

    If you are selling

    Buyers will compare your tax bill with what they are likely to pay after the assessment resets. Tell them that your homestead and Save Our Homes cap do not go with the house. If you are moving to another Florida homestead, apply for portability on the new home so you do not leave that benefit behind. Want a starting number on the sale itself? Get a home value estimate.

    Keep reading

    Frequently asked questions

    Will my property taxes go up when I buy a home in Estero?
    They often do, if the seller had a homestead and a Save Our Homes cap. The property is assessed at just value as of January 1 of the year after the sale (section 193.155(3), Florida Statutes). File for homestead if you qualify, and ask about portability if you already have a Florida homestead.

    Does the seller's homestead exemption transfer to me?
    No. The Lee County Property Appraiser says you must apply and qualify. If a TRIM notice in the year you buy still shows homestead, that was the prior owner's benefit and is removed on January 1.

    When do I file for homestead in Lee or Collier County?
    Own the home and live in it as your permanent residence on January 1, then file with the county property appraiser by March 1 (section 196.011, Florida Statutes). In Lee County you can file online at leepa.org.

    What is the Save Our Homes cap for 2026?
    The annual increase in assessed value is limited to 3 percent or the change in the Consumer Price Index, whichever is lower. The Florida Department of Revenue set the 2026 cap at 2.7 percent.

    What did Amendment 3 change for buyers?
    It takes effect January 1, 2027. For non-school taxes, the homestead exemption increases to $150,000 in 2027 and $250,000 in 2028, then adjusts for inflation. School levies stay at up to $25,000. People who were not Florida residents on December 31, 2026, start with the existing exemption and receive the increased amount beginning with the fifth year of exemption, to the extent permitted by the U.S. Constitution. Election results are unofficial until certified.

    Can I bring my Save Our Homes savings from another Florida home?
    Yes, if you qualify for portability. The maximum transfer is $500,000. Apply with your new homestead by March 1, within three years of January 1 of the year you abandoned the prior homestead (section 193.155(8), Florida Statutes; Lee County Property Appraiser).

    Next step

    Send us the addresses on your short list in Estero, elsewhere in Lee County, or in Collier County. We will pull the tax bill lines, compare just value and assessed value, and walk through homestead and portability timing with you. Call or text 239-494-5156 or email info@liveswfl.com.

    Have a blessed day!

    Brad Dohack, Gulf Pointe | eXp Realty, Live SWFL. Office: 9480 Corkscrew Palms Cir, Suite 4, Estero, FL 33928.

    Sources

    Note: This is general information, not tax, legal, or financial advice. Election results are unofficial until certified. Confirm the figures for a specific address with the Lee County Property Appraiser or the Collier County Property Appraiser, the tax collector, and a tax professional.

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