Your Friday Property Brief — Homeowner Edition

June 12, 2026 | South Florida

Most of your property tax bill could disappear — here's what happened this week

The plan to wipe out property taxes on most Florida homes took two big steps this week, one forward and one messy.

The version state lawmakers passed last week would raise the homestead exemption — the slice of your home's value that isn't taxed — from $50,000 today to $150,000 in 2027, then to as much as $250,000 in 2028, with increases tied to inflation after that. By the Governor's own math, at the $250,000 level property taxes would be fully eliminated on about 60% of Florida homes. School taxes are carved out and would continue.

You get the final say: it goes on the November 2026 ballot as a constitutional amendment and needs 60% voter approval to pass.

The messy part: this morning, S&P Global Ratings — the people who grade the creditworthiness of your county and city — warned that local governments face "greater credit pressure" if it passes, because nobody has identified what replaces the revenue. Some local officials are already talking about new fees for parks and services to fill the gap. And the state was sued this week over the ballot wording itself, which the plaintiffs call "biased and misleading."

What to do this week: nothing yet — but if your home is homesteaded and assessed in the $300K–$500K range, this amendment is worth understanding before November, because it's likely the biggest single line-item change to your housing costs on the ballot. Watch for whether your city floats new service fees as a replacement.

Sources: Insurance Journal / S&P report · The Real Deal / ballot lawsuit

That July 1 roof-age fix? It's not coming.

If you have an older roof and were told a new law would stop insurers from refusing to cover it after July 1 — that law is dead. Florida Senate records confirm House Bill 815, which would have barred insurers from declining or non-renewing a policy solely because of roof age and given you the right to an inspection before a forced replacement, died in committee on March 13 and never made it to a vote.

A companion consumer-protection bill for public adjuster contracts (Senate Bill 266) died the same day, though that one had passed its first committee unanimously — meaning both ideas are likely back next year.

What it means for you: the rules you have today are the rules through at least mid-2027. If your roof is 15+ years old, an insurer can still use its age against you at renewal. Your best tools remain a roof inspection report showing remaining useful life, a wind mitigation inspection (which can cut your premium regardless), and shopping the renewal — there are more carriers writing in Florida now than at any point since 2022.

Sources: HB 815 status, Florida Senate · SB 266 status

The tropics just woke up — use it as your prep deadline

The National Hurricane Center is tracking the first Atlantic disturbance of the season: a weak low near Mexico's Bay of Campeche with only a 10% chance of developing, and no threat to Florida. NOAA still expects a below-normal season overall.

So why mention it? Because the most valuable 30 minutes of hurricane prep is the kind you do before anything is on the map: walk your property with your phone and take dated photos and video — every elevation of the house, the roof from the ground (or your last inspection report), and a slow video pan of each room's contents. If you ever have a claim, that "before" record is the difference between negotiating and guessing.

One odd footnote from this week: the 6.1-magnitude earthquake off Cuba on Monday that many South Floridians felt caused no local damage — but it's a fair reminder that standard homeowners policies exclude earth movement entirely.

Sources: NHC Atlantic outlook · Insurance Journal / earthquake

If you're a USAA member, check your account Monday

USAA is paying a $500 million dividend to about 830,000 Florida auto policyholders starting June 15 — average payment around $760, with a quarter of recipients getting over $1,000. You're eligible if you held a USAA auto policy in Florida between 2023 and 2025. The company credits Florida's legal-system reforms for cutting its costs; it also says its 2026 Florida rate cuts average 14%.

No action needed — payments are automatic — but if you're USAA and your premium hasn't moved this year, that's a good prompt to call and ask why.

Source: Insurance Journal / USAA dividend

This week's quick actions

1. Photograph your property before the season's first named storm — 30 minutes, dated, stored in the cloud.

2. Older roof? Get the inspection and wind-mitigation reports lined up before renewal; the legislative fix is dead for 2026.

3. USAA auto member? Watch for the dividend starting Monday, June 15.

Brief prepared by Robinhood Intelligence | June 12, 2026