JACKSONVILLE, FL — A new debate over Florida’s property-tax structure is now tied directly to home prices. A 2025 Realtor.com study found that fully eliminating property taxes in the state could push home values up by 7% to 9% almost immediately.
That finding has become part of the fight over Amendment 3, with supporters arguing the proposal would make housing more attainable and opponents warning that any large tax cut could end up raising the price of buying a home.
How the Realtor.com study framed the price impact
The study looked at what would happen if Florida removed property taxes entirely. Its conclusion was blunt: home values would rise overnight, with an estimated increase of 7% to 9%.
That range is central to the current argument because opponents say Amendment 3, even if it does not go as far as full elimination, still aims to reduce property taxes enough to create a similar market effect. They say lower taxes could be absorbed into higher purchase prices rather than lasting savings for buyers.
For first-time buyers, that possibility is especially important. Opponents argue that if sale prices rise along with the tax changes, the amendment could make entry-level homes harder to reach instead of easier.
Florida Realtors is spending heavily to back Amendment 3
The Florida Realtors Association has emerged as one of the biggest supporters of the measure, putting $18 million toward the Yes on 3 campaign. The group says the amendment would help homeowners keep more of their money and make it easier to buy, own, and remain in a home in Florida.
In a statement, the association said families are dealing with rising costs across housing, insurance, groceries, and other basics. It argues property taxes are one expense Florida residents can address directly through the amendment.
The association also says the proposal would protect school funding and leave remaining property-tax revenue focused on essential community services, including public safety.
Opponents say lower taxes could still shut buyers out
Edie Ousley of Vote No on 3 says the amendment would not help most Floridians and could instead price people out of the market. She points to the Realtor.com study as evidence that property-tax cuts can raise home values quickly.
Ousley argues that if taxes fall enough to affect price expectations, first-time buyers could face a double hit: higher sale prices and a more difficult path to qualifying for a mortgage. In her view, that would work against the goal of improving affordability.
She said the measure would do little for many residents and insisted that the benefits would not be spread evenly across the state’s homebuyers.
The campaign has become a fight over what affordability really means
Both sides are using the language of affordability, but they mean different things. Supporters say lowering property taxes gives homeowners relief and helps them stay in their homes longer. Opponents say a tax cut that pushes values up may erase the benefit for new buyers.
That tension is what makes Amendment 3 a difficult sell for voters who are focused on monthly budgets. A homeowner paying lower taxes may feel immediate relief, but a buyer entering the market could face a higher starting price if the market adjusts upward.
The dispute also reflects a broader question about whether tax reductions on housing are best understood as help for current owners, future buyers, or both.
What the Florida Realtors say the amendment would do
Florida Realtors says the proposal would help families afford to buy, own, and keep homes in the state. The group has framed the amendment as a response to budget pressure from housing costs and inflation in everyday expenses.
Its statement argues that homeowners cannot control many of the bills hitting their budgets, but they can address property taxes. The association says the amendment would allow them to keep more of what they earn.
At the same time, the group insists the measure would preserve funding for schools and direct remaining revenue toward essential local needs. That message is meant to reassure voters who may worry about the effect of lower property taxes on public services.
Why the study matters for Florida homebuyers now
The study has given opponents a concrete number to use against the amendment: a possible 7% to 9% jump in home values. For voters trying to judge the proposal, that estimate turns an abstract tax debate into a question about actual housing costs.
For buyers already struggling with affordability, even a modest increase in prices could matter. For current owners, however, lower property taxes may sound like relief from a major recurring expense. That split explains why the proposal has drawn such sharp reactions.
With campaign money, study findings, and competing claims all in play, Amendment 3 is now being sold to Florida voters as either a path to homeownership or a policy that could make homes more expensive overnight.
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