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Homesteading in Florida

11K views 104 replies 10 participants last post by  Esteban29304 
#1 ·
Anyone that can write any information regarding best places to have a small farm, 5-10 acres for growing vegetables, fruits, chickens and perhaps goats in Florida.
Just for family use.
Any surpluses will be donated for families in need, share or trade with neighbors.
 
#37 ·
12-17-2017: Wells in Florida
Does the state of Florida charge the owners of a well in their properties a fee for water usages? Do you need to notify the city that you are using well water in your land?
I know that some states place a meter to check and charge for the use of the water per meter of water.
Anyone that knows about this?
 
#38 ·
Not sure on other places I have 4 Wells on my place. I could dig another shallow well today if I wanted if I did it myself. For a well digger to do it they pull permit and when they are done you have everything well tank small pad . 2500 to 5000 according to depth for 4" here. I can pump as much water as I feel like paying electricity for.
 
#39 ·
Thanks! In some other states, you need the permit for the well and the city place a meter. You ended paying for the water that you pump from that well.
I’m sure that a permit is required before digging to avoid the rupture of gas lines or electricity cables underground.
 
#40 ·
I don't pay anything for my well water usage. A friend who lives near the Gulf coast, has 2 on his property & doesn't pay. Oner old well has great water & it is 12 ft deep.
I always suggest to check with county laws, tax offices, the state, to see what is involved with moving to a new area. The roads from Callahan to Waldo are lined with produce stands where people sell their crops. Soil is very nice.
 
#42 ·
"" My understanding is that the deeper the well, the better quality of water that you get, right? """

I am not an expert on this, but I don't believe that to be accurate. A friend had a well drilled & at 25 feet , the driller told him that he had great water. " To go any deeper would just be wasting your money," he said.
 
#48 ·
We don't live there now. I have 13 acres of the original homestead and do forestry work there for the family. My great grandparents' farmhouse is nearby and that is where I stay. It is located in the panhandle not far from Panama City, about 30 minutes north of Fort Walton and 30 minutes south of the state line in very rural farm and timber country.
 
#50 ·
Its relative to the area you choose as to what tax rates will be if this is your primary residence you can qualify for homestead exemption (25000) of taxable value . I purchased 33 acres of land next to me last year and the taxes on it this year are less than 500.00 this property has no homestead exemption . it does have a mobile home I rent and a big barn , the land is classified as agricultural.
 
#52 ·
Here is a list of tax rates in Florida.Some counties have a higher rate than others && homes are more expensive. It is next to impossible to figure out what it costs living in a certain county in one state, to another county in a distant state. BUT, I hope this helps. I moved from upstate S.C. to Levy County, Fl., almost 20 years ago. After a year or 2 here, I calculated that it was about 20-25% cheaper to live here. I am retired, but if I was working, it would not be as cheap, since wages are very low in Fl. I could not compare it, now.
It is not hard to get an " agriculture exemption "on your property here, which saves a lot of money . I know some who sell a little timber [ pines ] off their land every so often.
Florida does not have state income taxes, but a state must exists, so you may find other items more expensive, like gas , propane, etc., etc. There are not any sales taxes on groceries or medicine , even a bottle of aspirin . No personal property taxes on cars, trucks RV's , boats, etc., but tags may cost a bit more per year . You pay FULL sales taxes on cars that you buy , unlike some states that have caps . You have to pay an up-front fee of $100 per car , plus the tags, on a car that you register in the state.

http://www.tax-rates.org/florida/property-tax
 
#53 ·
Here is a list of tax rates in Florida.Some counties have a higher rate than others && homes are more expensive. It is next to impossible to figure out what it costs living in a certain county in one state, to another county in a distant state. BUT, I hope this helps. I moved from upstate S.C. to Levy County, Fl., almost 20 years ago. After a year or 2 here, I calculated that it was about 20-25% cheaper to live here. I am retired, but if I was working, it would not be as cheap, since wages are very low in Fl. I could not compare it, now.
It is not hard to get an " agriculture exemption "on your property here, which saves a lot of money . I know some who sell a little timber [ pines ] off their land every so often.
Florida does not have state income taxes, but a state must exists, so you may find other items more expensive, like gas , propane, etc., etc. There are not any sales taxes on groceries or medicine , even a bottle of aspirin . No personal property taxes on cars, trucks RV's , boats, etc., but tags may cost a bit more per year . You pay FULL sales taxes on cars that you buy , unlike some states that have caps . You have to pay an up-front fee of $100 per car , plus the tags, on a car that you register in the state.

http://www.tax-rates.org/florida/property-tax
Hey Esteban!
That’s great information! Actually today is my last day at work and I will be officially retired January 1st 2018!
TEE-HEE!!
I think that in Florida I will be better off financially than here in North Carolina.
I will also get rid of the snow.
❄❄= hate it...
What I hope is the people doing homesteading in Florida are friendly.
Nothing like having good neighbors.
 
#62 ·
Hi,
Florida is the best option to live as a retiree.
1. Weather: I just don’t like the snow ❄
2. You do not pay taxes fom income

One of the member wrote that north of
I-10 you get good soil for doing homesteading and in my search, I can see that a small piece of land is not too expensive.
He also wrote that the people there are very friendly. That’s a plus!
I have lived in other states and all of them except for NC, people are friendly.
That’s one of the reasons that I’m working on moving from this location.

Thanks for your suggestion!
 
#66 ·
I'm just glad I pay only $1,300 a year for a 3 bedroom 2.5 bathroom, 2 living areas (one is an assigned dining area), kitchen with full basement on 2 story house on 1/4th of an acre in Kansas. If the house was further out in a rural area, the property tax would be considerably lower from my understanding.
 
#67 ·
Alondra the North strip of FL had snow on New Years from the Alabama line to Yulee/Amelia Island. It went all across the state. But it's rare- but you will have it every 5-15 years.

It gets awful cold here, people don't believe that. The first year I took my Boy Scouts backpacking up the west bank of the Kissimee River (1995 or 96, starting to lose my memory a little) it was 17 degreesF in Clewiston, at the southwest side of Lake Okeechobee, and much colder out in the boonies facing into that north wind. We hiked from Lorida to River Ranch and the boys who "knew better than me" and packed lots of cotton learned their lesson the hard way and thereafter made sure Mom got them some cheap 100% polyester just for Scouting.

Another year I was in sweep position(the backpack turned into an anuual tradition) and got passed by a guy who was running! When I mentioned the possibility of turning his ankle in land harrowed by feral hogs he slowed down and started to cuss. It turned out he had come to FL to hike the Florida Trail as training for an AT hike. He figured it would be a breeze because FL was flat, no mountains- he hadn't even asked questions of FTA when he ordered his maps- and wasn't prepared for sugar sand, swamp, humidity, mosquitos and the weather!! All he had was cotton teeshirts and shorts -at least he was hiking in sneaks instead of flip flops. He kept saying "But this is Florida!" Yes, and Florida gets cold, especially around MLK weekend.

So don't throw out or donate your winter clothes. Hold on to them for a couple years. You may wind up being glad you still have them.
 
#70 ·
That’s is perfectly fine with me!
I’m looking for properties to buy.
I’m thinking that I will prefer to have a place that have water and electricity from the city.
I don’t thing that I will like to deal with a septic tank...I don’t want either to buy a property with HOA, that’s a pain.
 
#74 ·
I know... they can be more expensive than that...I already did some research.
Also when they give you trouble, the cost of repair is really expensive.
I will say that having the services from the city is a better option for me.
I don’t mind be within city limits.
Here in NC, just a couple of miles where I live, you see farm land with the ability to get connected to city services.
So, I will try to get something like that.
Good luck to me!!
 
#75 ·
Out of curiosity - you said you are retiring/retired, we are planning on moving to a state with no/low property taxes instead of worrying about state income tax so much since our retirement income will be much lower than it is while working. I personally would rather have a paid-off mortgage and no or very low property taxes so I don't ever have to worry about losing my house (or my husband if I should pass before him) if a financial issue occurred. State income taxes just seem less worrying than property taxes on a retirement income?

My mom lives in Alabama and pays no property taxes because she's over 65, I'm fairly sure she saves more money on property taxes than she would on income tax on her retirement income. I know she really appreciates not paying it ;)
 
#76 ·
You have a valid point.
I’m in North Carolina and retire last month ( worked for the state ).
Here in NC, if you are a state employee retiree, the state will not tax your state pension ,neither your social security.
Now, the federal will tax you everything
(Depending on your retirement income)
Property taxes are similar here in Raleigh than in some parts of Florida.
Cost of living in most areas of Florida are cheaper than in Raleigh.
The weather is better in Florida than here.
Also is you get a job, you will not pay
state taxes for it. Here in NC the state will tax you that.
So, it’s like making your numbers and thinking a place that you will be happier and make your move.
 
#77 ·
Gotcha. Thinking about different ways to make ourselves feel financially comfortable I suppose! It's funny too, I've lived in both Florida (panhandle - Pensacola area) and North Carolina (north of Wilmington) and I much prefer the weather in NC to FL - although both are really too hot and humid for me, I can handle coastal Carolina slightly better than Florida. Different strokes for different folks for sure.

My mom used to live in Durham, small world.
 
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