By Joseph E. Seagle, Esq.

👋 Happy Friday! Today is the last Friday of 2025 that this newsletter will have new content. I’m taking off the next two weeks. Enjoy the holidays until we connect again in 2026!

❗Situation Awareness: Our offices will be closed December 25 and 26, and January 1 and 2. We’ll also be closing at noon on December 24 and 31.

The big story for 2026 in Florida real estate is shaping up to be Tallahassee’s property tax reform push because it could reshape Florida housing affordability, homeowner mobility, and the economics of owning (and operating) real estate-heavy businesses.

House leadership has teed up multiple proposals—most as constitutional amendments that would go to voters in November 2026 and generally keep school district levies intact. 

Key House proposals include:

Property taxes are a monthly housing cost in disguise. Reducing them can: (1) improve affordability for owner-occupants, (2) unlock mobility for long-time owners “stuck” by SOH and tax resets (HJR 211), and (3) increase inventory as moving becomes less punitive—potentially easing pressure on prices over time. 

HJR 209’s insurance-linked exemption is also designed to blunt Florida’s insurance-driven housing cost squeeze. 

All of the provisions would be a boon for retired fixed-income homeowners who own their homes free-and-clear — except for the taxes they must pay each year.

The big tradeoff: counties/cities rely heavily on property taxes to fund services; large cuts can shift the burden to fees, sales taxes, or special assessments—or force service reductions. That “second-order” cost matters for households and professional practices (staff commute times, public safety, infrastructure, local permitting speed). 

If any version passes, expect a reset in Florida housing math: lower owner carry costs and potentially more sellers—but also a real possibility of cost-shifting to other local revenue tools that can hit businesses indirectly. The smart play now is scenario planning: model your real estate expenses under (a) bigger homestead exemptions, (b) higher non-ad-valorem assessments/fees, (c) higher taxes on office space, and (d) tighter local budget constraints.

What’s next: These proposals move during the 2026 session, then face ballot mechanics (and politics). Watch which measures consolidate momentum—because the “best for housing” outcome is the one that reduces homeowner friction without boomeranging costs into other housing line items.  

When it comes to abolishing the homestead real property tax, the political pitch is simple: homeowners get relief. The economic reality is messier — and potentially destabilizing for Florida’s housing market and business climate.

Property taxes fund the core machinery of local government: police and fire protection, roads, stormwater systems, libraries, parks, and code enforcement. If homestead properties are partially or fully removed from the tax base, counties and cities still need the same revenue to operate.

That revenue doesn’t disappear. It shifts.

Commercial properties such as shopping centers, grocery stores, hotels, office buildings, rental housing, multifamily developments, and other non-homestead real estate would almost certainly absorb the shortfall through higher millage rates. Florida’s constitution requires balanced local budgets — not balanced political messaging.

Higher commercial property taxes don’t stay on paper. They flow straight into prices.

Retailers facing higher tax bills raise prices on goods sold. Restaurants adjust menus. Medical, dental, and legal practices pass higher real property taxes or rents into fees. Warehouses increase distribution costs, which ripple into everyday consumer prices.

Landlords, meanwhile, do what landlords must: they pass increased operating costs into rents. That affects:

Ironically, “tax relief” for homeowners can mean higher rent for their adult children, employees, and customers.

If political pressure prevents millage increases on commercial property, the alternative is service cuts.

That means fewer sheriff’s deputies, slower emergency response times, deferred road maintenance, reduced park services, less infrastructure construction, and weaker storm preparedness — a risky move in a hurricane-prone state. In practice, this pushes communities toward privatized services, higher fees, or special assessments that function like taxes without the transparency.

Property tax reform sounds appealing in isolation. But removing homesteads from the tax base risks higher rents, higher prices, weakened local services, and a less stable housing market.

For Florida’s long-term growth, the question isn’t whether homestead taxes are unpopular. It’s whether shifting them quietly onto renters, businesses, and consumers makes the state more affordable — or just more expensive in disguise.

What to watch: As these bills move forward, pay close attention to who ultimately fills the revenue gap — because markets always do.

Asset protection and estate planning aren’t “set it and forget it” projects. Laws change. Assets grow. Families evolve. What worked five years ago may quietly fail when it matters most. Taking action before the end of 2025 puts you ahead of legal shifts, tax uncertainty, and avoidable exposure.

Why it matters: We’re entering a period of heightened scrutiny—creditors are more aggressive, probate disputes are rising, and estate tax thresholds remain politically fragile. Florida residents have powerful tools available, but only if they’re structured correctly and kept current.

If you own more than one rental property, operate a business, or have personal investment exposure, review how assets are titled. Florida LLC and asset protection strategies must be tailored—single-member LLCs, outdated operating agreements, or improper commingling can weaken protections fast.

A solid plan goes beyond a will. Revocable trusts, powers of attorney, healthcare surrogates, pre-need guardianships, beneficiary designations, homestead planning, and other incapacity documents must align. Florida’s homestead exemption is powerful, but mistakes in ownership or beneficiary structure can defeat it.

Business succession planning in Florida is often overlooked. Who steps in if you can’t? Who controls accounts, contracts, or real estate? The best plans anticipate disruption before it happens.

If you want 2026 to start with confidence instead of cleanup, the work needs to happen now. Planning late is expensive. Planning early is powerful.

Small business owners don’t fail from lack of ambition—they fail from lack of focus. Every January brings a flood of goals, resolutions, and productivity promises. By February, most are abandoned. The problem isn’t discipline. It’s diffusion.

Jon Gordon’s One Word That Will Change Your Life offers a cleaner, sharper alternative: pick one word to guide your decisions, energy, and leadership for the year. Not a goal. Not a checklist. A filter.

For entrepreneurs navigating growth, team alignment, and constant decision fatigue, this approach pairs beautifully with EOS principles.

Why One Word Beats Resolutions

Resolutions demand perfection. One Word demands presence.

Think of your One Word as your personal Vision component—a simple articulation of who you need to be to move the business forward.

How Entrepreneurs Can Use One Word with EOS

Here’s how to make it operational, not fluffy:

Examples That Work

The Bottom Line: Business growth doesn’t require more goals—it requires better alignment. One Word cuts through noise, strengthens mindset, and sharpens execution. It keeps Vision visible when the year gets messy (and it will).

Choose your word. Write it down. Build your Rocks around it. Let it govern decisions big and small.

Momentum follows clarity—and clarity starts with one word.

We hope you found this helpful — any feedback is appreciated and can be shared by hitting reply or using the feedback feature below.

Be on the lookout for our next issue! 👋