The Tampa Bay area’s real estate industry is in deep trouble.
That’s because of the state’s tax law, which was written with a small-business owner in mind.
But as the Tampa Bay Times reported this week, the law is so complicated that some homeowners aren’t even sure what it means to be a real estate owner.
The law, passed in the wake of the TTB’s decision to phase out the local tax code in 2015, is designed to encourage more people to live in the area, according to the Tampa Tribune.
That means fewer homes for homeowners who want to buy and more for renters who want their properties for their own use.
The new tax code also provides an incentive for some homeowners to sell their properties, since they pay a lower tax rate on the capital gains they earn.
But some homeowners in the Tampa area are confused about the new law and are worried that if they fail to file their taxes, they won’t be able to make their mortgage payments.
This is especially true for people who have large mortgages and are in the middle of the foreclosure process.
“They just don’t know,” said Linda Loomis, president of the Tampa Real Estate Council.
“What are they supposed to do?
They can’t make their payments, they can’t afford the property.”
The new law also requires homeowners to get a special license to build a home, which some people aren’t able to get.
But Loomish said there is no way for them to get that license unless they get a state license to do so, which can be difficult.
That is why some people are going into foreclosure, she said.
“It’s really a red flag, I think, for people to be doing this.”
The Tampa Tribune reported that in 2016, there were more than 20,000 mortgage foreclosure notices in the city.
“I think it’s a big problem, especially for people in the market,” Loomisd said.
For many people, the only way to get out of foreclosure is to file for bankruptcy.
But the Tampa Tax Commission said that the Tampa process can be cumbersome and complicated, and the process can take months.
“You have to go through a whole lot of paperwork to get through the process,” said Commission Chairman Richard Kowalczyk.
“And I think it takes a toll on a person.”
One woman, for example, has to pay nearly $500 in attorney fees for the filing of a bankruptcy petition.
But even if she wins the case, she’s not able to collect her full amount of payments.
That makes the process even more complicated.
“People are being turned down by banks and real estate companies, and they’re having to wait for their money back,” Lampisd said, adding that it’s frustrating for people struggling with foreclosure.
But if you live in a rental property and you want to sell, the Tampa Property Owners Association has a program that offers renters the option of paying down their mortgages and renting a property out to others.
If you decide to sell your property, the city of Tampa will help you pay off your mortgage through a loan modification.
But it’s not the same as buying the property, and some homeowners say they wonít be able.
“There is no guarantee of getting your property back,” said Loomisl.
“If you sell the property and sell it at a profit, you don’t have a lot of options.”
Some people who live in Tampa are already looking at selling their homes.
“Right now, there are no houses for sale in the City of Tampa,” Lompisd said when asked if the Tampa property market is going to pick up.
The Tampa Tax Board says it has no plans to reduce the tax rate for homeowners in order to help lower property taxes, and it plans to continue to increase the tax exemption for homeowners, so more people will qualify for tax breaks.
But other people say they are not prepared to sell.
“This is a huge issue for the Tampa market right now,” said Michael Brouwer, an attorney with the Tampa Municipal Lawyer’s Association.
“The problem is that, if you donít pay your taxes, you’re not getting any tax relief.”
But the Florida Tax Foundation says that’s not true.
“As the Tampa tax code was written, homeowners and renters were both treated the same,” said Julie Tompkins, the foundationís executive director.
“For example, there was no requirement that a homeowner or a renter had to be in an eligible tax bracket to get any tax breaks.”
Tompokes said that in the end, the Tax Foundation believes that the new real estate tax law has done a great job of helping Tampa’s realtors and renters.
“With this new tax law in place, the tax relief is now extended to all types of businesses and homeowners,” Tompins said.
The Tax Foundation has not provided a full accounting of the tax breaks it has provided to