Seminole County Property Appraiser in Florida

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Seminole County Property Appraiser in Florida

 

 

About Seminole County

Carved out of a northern section of Orange County, Seminole County was formally established on April 25, 1913 by Florida lawmakers. Named for the Native Americans who had lived in the region for centuries, Seminole County has an area of 345 square miles (890 square kilometers) and is one of the smaller counties in Florida in terms of total water and land area.

Located in the mideastern region of Florida (see map below) and with its county seat in Sanford (also its largest city), Seminole County has a population of about 467,000 people and is situated between Orange and Volusia counties. Notwithstanding its comparatively small size, it is among the state’s fastest-growing counties.

This rapid growth is attributable in large part to the efforts of civic leaders to promote Seminole County as a world-class tourism destination, and these efforts have paid off in major ways. In fact, Seminole County has experienced an impressive 42 percent increase in tourism revenues since 2013 and a 10 percent increase from 2018.  One of the main draws that is luring tourists away from other destinations in neighboring Orlando is the $27-million Boombah Sports Complex which opened in May 2016. In 2018 alone, this state-of-the-art facility attracted 64 tournaments and 146,000 visitors.

Of course, Seminole County has much more to offer as well, including a wide array of ecotourism, entertainment and cultural attractions. The county boasts numerous natural springs with crystal clear water, including world-famous Wekiwa Springs. Other popular activities for tourists and local residents alike include zip lining through the trees, wilderness hiking or air-boating on pristine Lake Jesup.

There are also numerous free activities for individuals and families alike that are available in Seminole County, including most especially the Seminole State Planetarium which offers free telescope viewing at their “Star Parties” each month. In addition, enjoy the Seminole Wekiva Trail, a 14-mile long paved rail-trail that winds through scenic vista with several trailheads featuring various amenities. In other words, Seminole County has increasingly become a destination of choice for growing numbers of in- and out-of-state visitors, and economic development and growth has been facilitated by the professional property appraisal services provided by the Seminole County Property Appraiser whose role is described below.

Role of the Seminole County Property Appraiser

The role of the Seminole County Property Appraiser is similar to that of other county property assessors across the country – to identify and accurately and fairly assess the market value of all real and personal property located within county borders for taxation purposes. For example, the formal mission statement for the Seminole County Property Appraiser’s Office is “to serve the citizens of Seminole County in a courteous and professional manner by providing a fair and equitable tax roll annually in accordance with the laws of the State of Florida.”

In this context, the “market value” of real property is based on the prevailing prices in the current real estate market which essentially means determining what most others would actually pay for a piece of real estate. The Seminole County Property Appraiser is quick to point out, though, that this responsibility is the only role of his office in the county’s taxing process.

Besides this primary role, the Seminole County Property Appraiser also provides a number of valuable services county residents and businesses, including tracking changes in property ownership, maintaining GIS-generated maps of parcel boundaries, maintaining accurate and timely building and property characteristic descriptions as well as accepting and approving applications from eligible applications for tax exemptions and other types of property tax relief.

Analyzes trends in sales prices, construction costs, and rents to best estimate the value of assessable property.

Taken together, it is clear that the Seminole County Property Appraiser’s office is a valuable resource, and this value is enhanced even further by the innovative assessment methods that are currently being used. For example, all of the above services are provided at a fraction of what property owners would have to pay to have these services performed by an independent appraiser by using a state-of-the-art technological valuation solution (i.e., the Computer Assisted Mass Appraisal system) which helps to ensure that fair values are determined for all Seminole County property owners.

In recognition of the Seminole County Property Appraiser office’s ongoing efforts to provide the maximum return on this investment of taxpayer money, they were recently awarded with the highly coveted International Association of Assessing Officers Certificate of Excellence in Assessment Administration. All in all, the role of the Seminole County Property Appraiser is multifaceted and this role continues to expand and improve as new technologies are incorporated into the valuation process.

Seminole County Property Appraiser Contact Information

Full Address

Mr. David Johnson, CFA
1101 E 1st Street
Sanford, FL 32771

Phone

(407) 665-7506

Email

katie@scpafl.org

Hours

8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. weekdays

Conclusion

It may not be the largest in terms of geographical size or population, but Seminole County Florida has one of the best property appraiser offices in the country, due in large part to the contributions of Mr. David Johnson, a certified Florida appraiser who has served in this capacity for 16 years and his dedicated staff. The residents, business owners and other country governmental agencies all benefit from the services the county appraiser’s office provides, and it is reasonable to attribute much of the recent economic development and growth the county has experienced to the Seminole County Property Appraiser.