Charles Rutenberg Realty

The county has purchased the 4G Ranch, safeguarding nearly 1,900 acres of prime ranchland, wetlands, and wildlife habitat in eastern Pasco County (Land O’ Lakes area, just north of SR 52). This marks the largest single acquisition in the history of Pasco’s Environmental Lands Acquisition and Management Program (ELAMP).

Location & Impact: Sits within the Florida Wildlife Corridor, helping link protected areas and support wildlife movement.

• What’s Being Preserved: Active agricultural land used for cattle operations, along with sensitive wetlands and natural spaces.

• Why It Matters: The property had been eyed for major residential development in the past. This deal keeps it as working farmland and open space instead, protecting rural character and water resources while the area continues to grow rapidly.

Smart move by Pasco to balance development pressure with long-term conservation. Florida needs more efforts like this!

Should more local governments step up to protect these large natural parcels?

📸: Carlton Ward

🏡The website, Save Our Homes, enables users to enter their address and estimate their potential property tax savings under the governor’s proposal.🏡

Save Our Homes Relief for Florida Homeowners Use the Save Our Homes tax savings calculator to get a quick, personalized estimate of how much you could save on your property taxes based on available property data. Save Our Homes Tax Savings Calculator Homesteaded property owner? Search your address to view potentia...

Credit scores can feel confusing, especially with so much misinformation floating around online. 💳 Understanding what actually impacts your score can help you make more confident financial decisions, whether you’re planning to buy a home soon or simply preparing for the future. A little knowledge goes a long way toward building strong financial habits over time. The more informed you are, the more empowered you become throughout the homebuying journey.

If you DO NOT want data centers in Pasco County, now is your chance to be heard.

If you can't attend the meetings, please send an email to the planning commissioners and the Board of County Commissioners. Email Addresses should be pinned to the top of the page.

In a speech today in Tampa, Governor Ron DeSantis introduced his “Save Our Homes from Excessive Property Taxes” plan, which aims to fully eliminate property taxes for homesteaded properties in Florida.

He highlighted that local governments’ property tax collections have almost doubled over the last seven years — rising from $32 billion to $60 billion — and are on track to reach $83 billion by 2032.

DeSantis emphasized that Florida homeowners deserve major relief now, urging support for this significant reform to protect taxpayers and safeguard homes across the state.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

Key Details of the Proposal:
- Immediate step: Raise the homestead exemption from the current $50,000 to $250,000 for primary residences (homesteaded properties). This would eliminate property taxes entirely for roughly 60% of qualifying Florida homeowners (those with homes valued under ~$250,000 after the exemption).

- Longer-term goal: Eventually increase the exemption to $500,000, which could eliminate taxes for about 92% of homesteaded primary homes.

The plan targets primary residences only (homesteaded properties) and aims for a constitutional amendment on the November 2026 ballot, requiring voter approval.

Earlier legislative proposals (e.g., phased elimination or multiple ballot measures) were criticized or stalled; DeSantis has pushed for a focused, single strong measure.

This is one of DeSantis’ final major pushes before the end of his term. What are your thoughts on this?

ICYMI: Starting July 1, 2026, Florida is making it simpler for homeowners to handle small repair and improvement projects on their single-family houses. (HB 803). If the work costs less than $7,500, you (or your contractor) won’t need a local building permit or inspection from the city/county. The goal is to cut red tape and save time/money on minor fixes.

However, it’s not a free-for-all:
- The exemption does not apply to electrical, plumbing, mechanical, gas, or structural work — these still require permits regardless of cost.

- It does not apply to properties in flood hazard areas (as defined by the Florida Building Code).

- Projects cannot be artificially divided into smaller parts to evade the permitting threshold.

- This applies only to single-family dwellings, not multifamily, commercial, or other properties.

Examples of work that may qualify (non-structural, under $7,500):
- Exterior painting
- Fences or mailboxes
- Minor non-structural decks/patios
- Siding replacement (non-structural)
- Window screens or minor landscaping
- Similar low-impact cosmetic or maintenance items

Other Changes in HB 803:
- Expands use of private providers for inspections in some cases.
- Limits certain local government requirements (e.g., related to HOAs in some contexts).
- Allows out-of-state licensed building officials to work temporarily after declared emergencies.
- Exempts certain temporary hurricane/flood protection walls from permits.
- Addresses other permitting and inspection streamlining measures.