Amendment 3: Essential Florida Tax Relief for Buyers

Buying A Home, In The News
September 24, 2026

This November, Florida voters have the opportunity to vote on Amendment 3. It could provide homeowners and property owners alike the most significant tax savings the state has seen in decades.

Amendment 3 aims to increase the homestead exemption to $250,000 for primary homes.

It also requires local governments to use property taxes solely for public safety, schools, infrastructure, and natural resources.

Additionally, it caps property tax increases on rentals, businesses, and other non-homestead properties.

Some find the proposal concerning, while others are excited for the advantages it could provide homeowners in our great state. The most important thing for me, is just sharing the facts about this proposal with you so you can decide for yourself before you head to the polls this fall.

Here’s the plan.

The homestead exemption in Florida would increase from $50,000 to $150,000 initially in 2027.

It would later reach a $250,000 exemption in 2028.

With a $250,000 exemption, the state estimates the proposal would eliminate property tax for 60% of Floridians.

They own their primary residence here.

Florida provides a Save our Homes exemption that reduces the taxable value of Floridians’ primary residences by $50,000 currently.

It’s important to note here- this increase in exemptions happens over two years if approved and home buyers who buy AFTER January 1st 2027 will have to wait 5 years to achieve the $250,000 exemption- and even then it is only for their primary residence.

If you are curious to see how the proposal will impact you as a homeowner, visit www.SaveOurHomesFl.com.

Input your address and see your potential savings at the $150k and $250k exemptions.

Scroll to the bottom of the page and click the link to see the state’s plan in more detail.

This amendment would save most Floridian homeowners thousands of dollars yearly, and that’s very tantalizing to consider for anyone in this current economic climate. After all, I just paid $4.38 a gallon at the local 7-11.

Governor De Santis stated “Taxing something that you own repeatedly… is the worst way to do taxation”. Now, everyone has their thoughts on the Governor himself, but I implore you to separate the man from the amendment and consider that property tax revenue has come close to doubling in less than a decade. I have spoken with many homeowners have seen their monthly payments increase hundreds of dollars from taxes and rising insurance costs. This plan could provide much needed relief. A colleague spoke with a homeowner recently who worked hard to own a second home in Florida, only to see her taxes double in the past 5 years.

And if you think that homeowners aren’t being put in a position to have to sell their homes, you’d be wrong. Some families are selling at a loss by the way- I’ve seen more short sales in the past 60 days than in the past 6 years.

We have so many seniors on a fixed income and for those households a savings of even $500 or $1000 yearly is extraordinarily meaningful. The Middle class is closer and closer to being squeezed out of existence every day with single owner households and small business owners feeling the pinch more and more. Some people may be surprised to learn that once you pay off your home you are still obligated to pay property taxes with no end.

One of the main points I hear made against the proposal is that homeowners insurance costs are too high and that those have also increased significantly since 2019. While I do agree, more carriers have begun offering policies to Floridians recently. Since 2023, 17 new carriers have been approved by the state to do business here. I shopped my policy and saved myself $2,000 just this spring. The insurance market isn’t perfect, but conditions are improving. And in my opinion, Floridians don’t have to choose between insurance and tax reforms- both are possible.

There is a disconnection between what homeowners are consuming and what they are paying in taxes. Cities will still have up to 55 billion dollars in tax revenue from commercial properties and second homes, and that figure will increase as values go up. The state of Florida currently has an over 3 billion dollar surplus and 15.7 billion in reserves (savings).

In fact, property taxes have increased as much as 60% in metros such as Tampa and Jacksonville since 2019 alone (https://www.redfin.com/news/property-tax-homebuyer-increase-florida/). This creates a scenario wherein the homeowner is paying taxes substantially higher than a few years back with the same level of service from government and usage by the individual.

Property tax revenue overall has almost doubled in the past seven years (https://www.flgov.com/eog/news/press/2026/governor-ron-desantis-announces-special-session-property-tax-relief-unveils-save).

I have definitely seen an increase in discussion around the proposed Save Our Homes From Excessive Property Taxes amendment since the legislature has voted to allow it to be on the ballot this November. Have I experienced a wave of would be buyers rushing to purchase homes in the state? No, I haven’t. So the concern that somehow if Amendment 3 passes that home prices will skyrocket is just false.

The market is a bit sleepy right now. There is a lot of uncertainty wafting around, so while there are still serious buyers and sellers transacting real property in the state of Florida, this amendment won’t likely create a landslide of activity, which is a net positive I would say. Because the amendment calls for a 5 year waiting period for home owners to realize the proposed increase in homestead exemptions, the outcome I anticipate is one wherein the market does get a healthy jolt in homebuyers, but spread out over time.

The amendment will help first time buyers, some of the most impacted group of buyers in the post pandemic economy, to qualify for a home. Lower tax bills mean those buyers can potentially qualify for more home for their dollar.

First, I urge voters to read the actual amendment themselves to see what it contains. Additionally, I have encountered false information online, which is disappointing. Voters are best served by considering the facts.

One Facebook poster I saw posted that if Amendment 3 passes, homeowners will be subjected to a $25,000 fee when selling their homes- again, just false.

Regardless of which side of the debate you find yourself on, the Save Our Homes From Excessive Property Taxes plan passed the House of Representatives 75 to 26 and will make it to the ballot this November where it will need a 60% vote to be ratified as a constitutional amendment. According to FloridaPolitics.com, 3 of 4 voters polled would vote to approve the plan https://floridapolitics.com/archives/792885-property-tax-poll/ . This may sound like a slam dunk, but it’s easier said than done for any new proposal.