Much of Okaloosa county, Florida borders the Gulf of Mexico. The recent oil spill from the Deep Water Horizon has caused great difficulties for residents on the Gulf, including a decrease in property values and tourism. 

 

 

The Okaloosa County property appraiser takes this factors into to account when making the determination about the value of a piece of property in that county.

 

 

Properties that could be directly effected by the oil spill, such as those located on the Gulf, would likely have a lesser value placed on that property. However, the tax bills for this year had already been determined, which means that residents would not likely see a decreased tax bill, even if they were directly effected by the oil spill. Yet, The county and state have allowed for residents to apply for exemptions and a decrease in taxes, if they were effected.

 

 

In addition, properties located off of the gulf in the county, may also be subjected to lowered taxes. Those that were considering buying property in the area, and those which were planning vacations, may have changed their minds as a result of the oil spill. These factors can impact properties that are not located on or near the gulf, but are within the county limits. 

 

 

The Okaloosa County property appraiser must take these factors into account when determining the fair market value of property, but they must also follow state laws.

The Polk County property appraiser must follow the Statues set out by Florida State, as well as any local statutes, which apply to the determination of the value of property found in Polk County. However, each county and even town within a county may be subject to special consideration when a determination is made about the value of property.

 

 

 

For example, Polk County contains many parcels of land which are now abandoned citrus groves. Those parcels of land may still be owned by those that ran the citrus grove, but the land is no longer usable, thereby decreasing the value of said land. 

 

 

In fact, there are many parcels of farm land which can longer be used to farm because of contaminated soil, or soil which no longer has any nutrients. In addition, recent extremes in temperature had wiped out many citrus crops in Florida, forcing local farmers to abandon their land.

 

 

 

 The Polk County property appraiser may not take these factors into consideration when making their determination about the value of property, but property owners can petition for an exemption or to have their taxes reduced.

 

 

 

Polk County property appraisers have special factors to take under advisement when making value determinations and so to do appraisers in other counties. There is a delicate balance between following applicable laws and understanding differences in specific locations, when attempting to determine property value.

 

 

The Duval County property appraiser makes determinations about the value of property in that county, based on the same facts utilized in other counties in Florida. In fact,every county in Florida makes property value determinations at least every five years, in order to be sure that no property owner is unfairly taxed and that the county collects its fair share of taxes.

 

 

By frequently making property value assessments, the Duval County property appraiser ensures fair taxation for all. The fact that the appraisals are done frequently, does not mean that the property value increases each time. In fact, the recent economy has helped property owners to receive lower tax bills, because their property has been reappraised at a time when the value of their property was significantly lower than it had been in the past.

 

 

The Duval County property appraiser also takes other factors into account, besides the current market value of a property. For example, properties located close to the water or parks, often include an increase in the value appraisal of that property. However,some properties located close to water, may be prone to flooding or hurricane damage, which can substantially reduce the value of that property.

 

 

The Duval County property appraiser must consider many intervening factors when conducting appraisals. In addition to the standard factors such as location, they must also take home improvements under advisement, especially those that would increase the real estate value of a property, such as pools and lanais.

The Lake county property appraiser has a website which helps the residents of Lake County Florida to estimate their taxes each year, based on the appraised value of their home. While the Lake county property appraiser makes appraisals of each property every five years, homeowners may still wish to estimate their taxes and the website provides a myriad of information which can help them do so, including a tax estimator calculator.

 

 

 

The Lake county property appraiser also lists many factors which they take under consideration when making property appraisals, including location. Lake county has many bodies of water and the proximity of any parcel of land to that water, greatly influences the value of that property. However, property located near the ocean or gulf, generally has a higher value in Florida than property located near a body of water such as a lake.

 

 

 

There are also other factors taken into consideration by the Lake county property appraiser, including the real estate market in the area. While much of the country has experienced a downswing in the real estate market, certain areas, even within Lake County, have experienced an upswing, resulting in an increase in property values in those areas.

 

 

 

Regardless of the special factors which may influence the value of an individual piece of property, the Lake county property appraiser must follow all state and local statues when determining the value of a piece of property.