What does it cost to own a vacation home in Davenport, Florida?

Why does a vacation home pay more property tax than a primary residence?

Because it has no homestead exemption. Florida grants up to $25,000 off assessed value only to an owner who, in good faith, makes the property a permanent residence. A second home or a short-term rental does not qualify, whether the owner lives in Ohio, Toronto or São Paulo.

The bill itself is simple arithmetic. A mill is one-thousandth of a dollar, so every mill costs $1 per $1,000 of taxable value. On a $400,000 taxable value, each mill is $400 a year, and the bill is the sum of every taxing authority that levies on that parcel.

Value is set as of January 1. Florida law assigns no value to improvements that are not substantially completed on that date, so a buyer closing on new construction often sees a first bill that is mostly land, followed by a much larger one once the finished house is on the roll. Budget year two accordingly.

Sources: FS 196.031, homestead exemption (The 2026 Florida Statutes) · FS 192.001, definition of mill · FS 192.042, January 1 assessment date

Which millage rates apply to a home at Aquamara?

The City of Davenport's Ordinance 1354 states that the Aquamara site lies entirely within the city limits. That means the county and city rates apply, and the county MSTUs for library, parks and stormwater, which Polk levies only in unincorporated areas, do not.

The partial sum leaves out the Southwest Florida Water Management District and any other special district, which I could not confirm for 2025. The 2026 rates on the bills mailed this month are also unconfirmed: the Property Appraiser and Tax Collector sites blocked access as of November 14, 2026. Before you commit, ask for a neighboring parcel's tax bill or run an estimate on the Property Appraiser's site.

Sources: Florida DOR, Polk Table 1, Comparison of Levies 2025 · City of Davenport, Ordinance 1354 (Sand & Silica CDD) · Polk County Property Appraiser (millage history)

How much can the assessed value rise each year?

For non-homestead residential property with nine or fewer units, FS 193.1554 caps the annual increase in assessed value at 10% for county, city and special-district levies. School district levies have never been covered by that cap; they follow market value.

On November 3, 2026, Florida voters approved Amendment 3, which lowers the non-homestead cap from 10% to 5% starting January 1, 2027, first showing up on 2027 tax bills. That comes from the St. Johns County Property Appraiser and press reports; I could not load the official Division of Elections result, and the 2026 text of FS 193.1554 still reads 10% because no implementing law appears in that edition. School taxes stay outside the cap either way.

The cap does not travel with the property. On January 1 after a change of ownership, the home is reassessed at just value. A resale buyer starts from market value, not from the seller's capped figure, which is worth factoring in when comparing a new build with an older home.

Sources: FS 193.1554, non-homestead residential cap · St. Johns County Property Appraiser, Amendment 3 · FOX 35 Orlando, Amendment 3 passes (November 3, 2026)

When is the tax due, and is there an early-payment discount?

Florida property taxes are due November 1 and become delinquent April 1, or 60 days after the bill is mailed if that is later. In between, the statute rewards early payers on a sliding scale.

• November: 4% discount
• December: 3%
• January: 2%
• February: 1%
• March: no discount

For an owner who lives out of state or abroad, the November discount is the easiest money to keep: schedule the payment and forget it. On an $8,000 bill, 4% is $320.

Sources: FS 197.333, due date and delinquency · FS 197.162, early-payment discounts

Which taxes are paid only once, at closing?

Florida charges three one-time state taxes when the deed and any mortgage are recorded. The statutes set the rates but not who pays; that is a matter for the purchase contract, and I have not yet seen Pulte's contract for Aquamara.

Cash buyers skip the last two. For the full picture of title, lender and builder charges, see my breakdown of U.S. home purchase fees and closing costs.

Sources: FS 201.02, doc stamp on deeds · FS 201.08, doc stamp on notes and mortgages · FS 199.133, nonrecurring intangible tax

What else belongs in the annual budget?

I am not putting dollar figures on these lines: they depend on the specific home, the contract and Aquamara's association fees, none of which have been released. What you can do now is build the full checklist and get a quote for each line before you sign.

• HOA assessments. Florida requires a disclosure summary before the contract, stating that assessments exist and can change.
• CDD assessments. Aquamara sits in the Sand & Silica Community Development District, and the first sales contract must warn, in bold, that a CDD can levy charges beyond property taxes. The amount has not been released yet.
• Homeowners, windstorm and flood insurance.
• Electric, water and internet, which the owner carries on a short-term rental.
• Property management, turnover cleaning and maintenance, pool service included.
• Tangible personal property tax on rental furnishings, with an exemption of up to $25,000 of assessed value per return.
• A tax preparer for the federal return; foreign owners file Form 1040-NR.

HOA and CDD are easy to mix up, so I separate them in HOA and resort fees explained. Insurance has its own Florida rules, covered in Florida home insurance, and the taxes charged on each guest stay are in Polk County tourist tax. Talk to a CPA and a real estate attorney before settling on how to hold title; this page is general information, not tax or legal advice.

Sources: FS 720.401, HOA disclosure summary · FS 190.048, required CDD disclosure · FS 196.183, tangible personal property exemption