Amendment 3 and Your Florida Home: What St. Johns County Buyers and Sellers Should Know Before November 3

If you've seen yard signs, mailers, or a headline about "Amendment 3," you're probably asking one thing: what does this do to my tax bill, and does it change my plans to buy or sell?

Fair question. The proposal has several moving parts. Most of this post is a plain-English walk-through of what it does, what it doesn't, and what it could mean in St. Johns County. At the end, I share how I'm voting and why, clearly labeled as my opinion.

First, what's on the ballot

On November 3, Florida voters will decide on Amendment 3. Like any constitutional amendment in Florida, it needs 60% voter approval to pass. If it passes, the changes take effect January 1, 2027.

The core pieces:

• A larger homestead exemption on non-school property taxes. Today it's about $50,000 on non-school taxes. It would rise to $150,000 in 2027 and $250,000 in 2028, with inflation adjustments after that.
• School taxes don't change. The current $25,000 exemption on school taxes stays the same. Fees and special assessments, such as stormwater, solid waste, and CDD assessments, aren't affected either.
• A lower cap on non-homestead assessments. For rentals, second homes, and commercial property, the annual cap on assessment increases would drop from 10% to 5%.
• A residency rule for newcomers (more on that below).

Other exemptions, such as those for seniors, surviving spouses, and disabled veterans, are separate and still apply under their own rules.

One more piece of background: in August, a judge ruled that the Legislature's original ballot summary was misleading, and the state rewrote it. The policy is the same. The official wording is on the Florida Division of Elections website.

What "exemption" means for your bill

An exemption lowers the value your taxes are calculated on. Your tax is the taxable value times the millage rate, and one mill is $1 per $1,000 of taxable value. So for every 1 mill of non-school tax, each extra $100,000 of exemption lowers the bill by $100 a year.

What it could look like in St. Johns County

Using the non-school millage rates on the St. Johns County Tax Collector's 2026 millage sheet, here is roughly what the larger exemption would be worth each year compared with today's:

Area	Non-school millage	2027 (+$100,000 exemption)	2028 (+$200,000 exemption)
Unincorporated St. Johns County, including Nocatee	7.1919	about $719	about $1,438
Ponte Vedra (Municipal Service District)	7.4383	about $744	about $1,488
City of St. Augustine Beach	9.7470	about $975	about $1,949
City of St. Augustine	13.2770	about $1,328	about $2,655

Please read before using these numbers: These are illustrations, not estimates of your bill. They assume a homesteaded home with an assessed value of at least $250,000, and they assume local millage rates stay where they are today, which is exactly what's being debated. Rates can change every year. CDD and other special assessments aren't included and aren't affected. School taxes are excluded because the amendment doesn't change them. For your own property, check with the St. Johns County Property Appraiser.

The county says the first effect would show on August 2027 TRIM notices and November 2027 tax bills.

The part most people miss: the five-year rule

This is where buyers should slow down.

Under the amendment, people who aren't Florida residents as of December 31, 2026 would start with the current homestead exemption and move up to the larger one beginning in their fifth year of homestead exemption. The amendment applies that rule only to the extent the U.S. Constitution allows, so it could be challenged.

In plain terms:

• If you're already a Florida resident on Dec. 31, 2026, the rule is based on Florida residency, not on which house you own, so a later purchase should qualify for the larger exemption. Confirm your situation with the Property Appraiser.
• If you're moving to Florida from another state after that date, expect the current exemption first and the larger one in your fifth year.

If you're planning a move to Northeast Florida, the date you establish residency may matter. That's a question for a tax professional or attorney.

What doesn't automatically change

• Your taxes after you buy are based on your purchase, not the seller's bill. In Florida, a home's assessed value generally resets to market value after a sale, so the seller's long-held low tax bill doesn't carry over. That's true whether or not Amendment 3 passes. If you're moving from another Florida homestead, Florida's portability rules may let you carry some of those savings with you.
• Millage rates are still set locally. A bigger exemption lowers taxable value, but local governments set the rates and could raise them in response. That's one of the biggest points of debate.

What it means for St. Johns County's budget

Property taxes fund local services, so any exemption change has a budget side. St. Johns County says it doesn't take a position on the amendment, and it has published the state's estimates. Against baseline FY27 property tax revenue of about $426 million, the Florida Office of Economic & Demographic Research projects these losses:

Year	Projected loss	Share of revenue
2028	$68.3 million	16%
2029	$136.1 million	32%
2030	$152.5 million	36%
2031	$171.2 million	40%
2032	$191.6 million	45%

Source: St. Johns County, citing the state's Office of Economic & Demographic Research. These are projections and depend on future property values and local decisions.

Supporters, including Governor DeSantis and Florida Realtors, frame the amendment as tax relief for homeowners. Opponents, including many local governments and firefighter and police groups, argue it could force service cuts or new fees. The judge who ordered the ballot summary rewritten also struck the original claim that the amendment would ensure funding for core services. Both sides are worth hearing.

If you're thinking of selling

• Buyers compare monthly costs, and property taxes are part of the payment. If the amendment passes, the future tax picture for homesteaded buyers could look different, but a lot depends on local millage decisions that haven't been made.
• Don't price around an expected outcome. Pricing is a strategy, not a promise, and a vote that hasn't happened isn't a data point.

If you're thinking of buying

• Don't buy or wait based on a guess about the vote. If the purchase works for your budget and timeline without the amendment, that's the sturdier plan.
• Ask for real numbers. Ask your lender to estimate taxes on the purchase price, not the seller's current bill.
• Relocating from out of state? Ask a tax professional how the five-year rule could apply to you.
• Buying a second home or rental? The 10%-to-5% assessment cap is the part that applies to you. It limits how fast assessed value can rise. It doesn't set the tax rate.

How I'm voting, and why (my opinion)

I'm voting yes on Amendment 3.

For many of the homeowners I work with, especially retirees and people on fixed incomes, property taxes are one of the few housing costs that keep climbing even after the house is paid off. A larger homestead exemption gives them real relief and makes it easier to stay in the homes they've worked for. I also think a lower cap on non-homestead assessments brings more predictability for owners of rentals and second homes.

I don't take the budget question lightly. The county's own projections show a real drop in revenue, and local governments will have to make choices about spending, rates, and fees. My view is that those choices should start with local budgets, not with homeowners' tax bills.

You may weigh it differently, and that's exactly why the rest of this post lays out both sides.

This section is my personal opinion. It is not a statement from Momentum Realty.

Bottom line

Amendment 3 is a big proposal with real trade-offs. For buyers and sellers, the most useful move is practical: base decisions on today's numbers, understand the five-year rule if you're moving to Florida, and check your own situation with the Property Appraiser or a tax professional. After November 3, we'll know more, and I'll follow up.

Trying to figure out what a home in St. Johns County would really cost to own each month? Send me the neighborhood or price range you're considering, and I'll walk you through the numbers to ask for, including taxes, HOA or CDD fees, and insurance.

This article is general educational information about a ballot measure and the real estate market. It is not legal, tax, lending, or financial advice. Tax figures are illustrations based on published 2026 millage rates and may not reflect your property. Talk with a licensed tax professional, an attorney, or the St. Johns County Property Appraiser about your specific situation. Information reflects sources available as of October 27, 2026, and may change.